Sandwitches and firelilies

Today Thea arrived in a fabulously trendy beetle as she had lost her car somewhere in Pondoland when she got bitten by a spider. Well that's the part I heard.

We met Alice and Maddie and walked up towards Spitskop, stopping often to admire the view/check for lizards and baboons (depending on whether you were a human or a dog)

and photograph the flowers. These are Red Rock-heaths (Erica nevillei). According to the Red List of South African Plants the Red rock-heath is Rare as it is only found on rocky slopes on the Cape Peninsula and NOWHERE else in the whole wide world.

There had recently been a fire here (see below) and we were intrigued to see what was growing in the burned area.

This is Alice's photo of the Spitskop fire that happened in early January.

We saw one or two of these little Firelilies (Cyrtanthus ventricosus) coming out of the blackened earth, then, suddenly,

there were lots and lots, everywhere. Patches of bright pink in the black. Everyone was exclaiming and photographing.

Even Maddie was proud to find one.

Then we had tea and there was more exclaiming over the "sandwitches" - but I didn't see any witches, sand or otherwise. But we did have some delicious biscuits and a piece of dry sausage.

There was a good view over - and good smells (perhaps the elusive sandwitches?) wafting up from - the Cape Point Vineyards and beyond to the sea.

Spitskop tea shot - the Alph, me, Thea, Alice and Maddie. Laddie was hunting for sandwitches.

He thought he found one but it was a Mountain Pride butterfly come to pollinate the firelilies.

We then walked back and over the other side of Spitskop into Silvermine.  The Dwarf Agapanthus (Agapanthus Africana) that only grows quite high up in the winter rainfall Cape mountains was flowering, 

and we found a large spider standing on its head in some leucadendrons. But no sandwitches.

Lovely colours - Erica multumbellifera and Common Dandelions (Taraxacum officinale),  

and lots of orange Table Mountain Watsonias (Watsonia tabularis) and some pale yellow Tontelblaar (Hermas villosa) flowers.

It was quite cool all of a sudden as some mist crept in over the Constantiaberg mountain,

but I was still really really keen to get to the dam to cool my hot little black body off. Laddie is already there, and I am halfway there.

At the dog area of the dam Laddie tried to make friends with a large Lavatory Door with a fancy floating toy, but he just ignored poor little Lad.

But when we got home later, young Alonso Notten-Zipplies came to play which made Laddie very happy.

Harvey also came,

and the Lad was in Heaven. Needless to say, that night we were both very tired and we had lots of noisy dreams about sand- and water-witches and boisterous sausage dogs. 

Sweet pea season, and a rare erica

This morning we went with Paul and Pauline in their car to Noordhoek where we met Alice and Maddie. I was happy to see my best friend again. After running the gauntlet of a million barking dogs, including three sausage dogs (Maddie's best), we rose above them all as we slogged up the mountainside

higher and higher, past watsonias flowering in the middle of the track,

and past some lovely rather unusual pea bushes - maybe Aspalathus barbata -

through a forest of glowing Mountain Dahlias (Liparia splendens - also pea bushes) - looking like miniature Halloween lanterns - right to the top of Spitskop.

First tea overlooking Noordhoek and Cape Point Vineyards - Alice, Maddie, me, the Alph, Pauline and Paul.

Laddie was doing some exploring and lizard hunting.

Hitting the trail again - me upfront with the Alph, Paul admiring the Mountain Dahlias, and Pauline, Alice and the FL dawdling behind with cameras and botanical chitchat.

Another pea bush against the lichen-covered granite - it must be pea season - this time the Cape Sweetpea Podalyria argentea/biflora.

Alice photographing the Cape Sweetpea bush - Maddie's tongue colour co-ordinating.

Another bog flower - a late flowering Geelsterretjie (Pauridia [formerly Spiloxene] capensis).

A drooping Ursinia with characteristic papery bracts.

And growing in the soggy area on our way down was the RARE Feathery Heath (Erica amoena), which is endemic to the Cape Peninsula. (Thanks to Alice and Corinne Merry [of the Friends of Silvermine] who both identified it). 

Also in the soggy bog - the Swamp Daisy (Osmitopsis asteriscoides).

A dog rock monster. Or expensive art sculpture?

Such an inviting path lined with Vlaktee (Syncarpha gnaphaloides) and good smells.

Another Syncarpha  daisy - this one Cape Snow (Syncarpha vestita).

It was quite warm by now, and the gravelly road is hard on the paws, so the Alph took pity and carried me for a bit despite me being rather muddy. From up here I could catch some of the breeze and listen to the Fish Eagles calling. All rather lovely.

Thanks Alph, I can do the last stretch now.

Happiness: a little girl in pink and the cool tannin waters of the dam on my tum.

Maddie striking out like an otter.

Second tea in a green and leafy spot ...

right under the dam wall. Paul looking for photographic potential. We looked for potential for rolling in.

And on the way back we bumped into a Boston Terrorist called Boston.

Then we went back to fetch the cars at Noordhoek.

Moet on a misty morning

Although it was sunny and warm at home, when we arrived in Silvemine it was thick, chilly mist. Perfect for Scotties, but the Food Lady was moaning much better about the lack of views.

My friend Honey, with her human, Sue, was there. And so were Kate, Esther and Thea.

Dog Faces (Trichocephalus stipularis) lit up the path for us.

Scrambling up and up ...

Poor Honey was seeing monstrous monsters in the mist.

She got us worried too.

The Food Lady flashed some ericas - she thinks these are Erica nudiflora..

And now for the 360 degree view! A tad disappointing, but lovely cool walking weather for us.

Easter eggs for tea. Thanks Kate!

And WHAT have we here. The Alph upstaging Thea with Moet! Tsk. Tsk. (Luckily they only managed to finish one bottle - and kept Thea's for the next walk.)

Its an art you know.

My new human friend Esther.

Tea on a misty Spitskop. The Alf, Sue, Thea, me, Pauline, Kate and Esther. We really enjoyed the smell of Thea's Rauchfleisch! And the teeny weeny little taste we were eventually allowed.

Cheers!

Cheer up you goofy Lad! There are no monsters, really.

But we are a bit drippy ...

Some Wild Cotton (Gomphocarpus cancellatus).

Setting out after tea and champers - Kate leading the way -

into the thick mist. Just us Scots (and two crazy geocachers that stormed past us) and not one other dog.

Tails up!

There were lots of pink and purple heaths, stirring up some ancestral Scottie feelings. Pretty Erica abietina subsp. atrorosea,

and carpets of Erica hirsuta. Och aye! Thea told a Scottish joke about a Scot in Alaska who asked what those large animals with horns were called. Mooses. Ach, he said, if those are your mooses, I would hate to see yer rats!

A close up of the hairy heaths, with some green and silver bracken.

Come on you lot! Kate has a thesis to get back to, and we have a Harvey to rescue!

Othonna quinquedentata all drippy and luminescent.

It was really rather pretty!

A Bulbine - not sure which though. Without a leaf, and quite tall, so maybe B. cepacea?

Lots and lots of pretty lobelias - possibly L. setacea.

Stopping for a chat - and a laugh no doubt. (Especially after the Moet!)

We finsihed at the Silvermine gate, where we had left the land rover, then all piled in and drove back to the start near Noordhoek Manor. What a fun walk.

Then is was home to Harvey who was so happy to see us, especially the Lad,

that he just couldn't stop smiling. (We were looking after him while his humans were up in Gauteng.)

The customary g and ts,

then reading and sleeping while the boys swapped stories of monsters in the mist,

and just rolled around and wrestled - such crazy pups!