Sing like no-one is listening

In the absence of walks to blog about, here is some light entertainment ...

Dingo

The Alpha has just finished reading a book about Spitfires (Spitfire: The biography by Jonathan Glancey) and looking through it (while I was on the Food Lady's lap in front of the fire!) I found a photo of a Port Alfred Terrier called Dingo who was the mascot of one of the RAF squadron's during the second World War. He is seen here with one of the Spitfire pilots, Flight Sergeant James Hyde. For more WWII dogs, click here.

Glad to be back

Me and the Alph in the Constantia Greenbelt - compensation for missing a week of walks!

Dawnie and Dougal inspecting the brand new wooden bridge.

Meeting a beagle.

The indigenous cobra lilies are starting to flower even though it is nearly midwinter.

A week on the Sunshine Coast

The Alpha and the Food Lady abandoned us for a week and flew to Port Elizabeth where they hired a car at the airport and drove to Port Alfred for what they assured us was an inactive "catch up on our reading" week but looking at the photos, they had a lot more fun than that!

In Port Elizabeth they drove past Samrec which is the place where they rescue penguins. I thought all the penguin-orientated members of the Sunday walkers would be interested. They went for a walk along Kasouga Beach where they found three paper nautilus shells. We would rather have liked to be there. Stormy weather evidence on Kasouga Beach.It had rained a lot but stopped just before they arrived but everything was wet wet wet.
They went for a walk in the Waters Meeting Nature Reserve (NO dogs allowed) where there were lots of flowers like this Aloe ciliaris var. ciliaris which is endemic to the Eastern Cape and the only true climbing aloe. This is all part of the Albany Centre of Plant Endemism so the the Food Lady was in heaven. A Dragon Tree (Dracaena aletriformis) in the coastal forest. A rather spooky hiking hut in the Waters Meeting Nature Reserve. Maybe a dragon skull? The Alpha Male on the Port Alfred embankment - the famous bridge in the background. And a scottie on the beach! A Port Alfred Terrier at the Zest Cafe.Strange snails on those beaches.

A German lass

Is that really YOU Paula?

Chelsea morning

They snuck out this morning while it was still dark saying "sorry dogs you can't come up India Venster" - but then came back again looking all bedraggled and wet NOT having been up India Venster because of the weather but having done a dog-friendly walk without us with a dog called Chelsea.

Before it rained the Food Lady photographed some red ericas - Erica abietina subsp. abietina - which were all over the front of Table Mountain,

and some red Anaxeton laeve (the name the FL can never remember) - members of the daisy family.

The walk was led by Scott of Table Mountain (discussing the way up perhaps?)

Some more pink flowers for the Food Lady - our favourite, Dogfaces Trichocephalus stipularis (the fruits of which resemble dog faces)

and the very fragrant Phylica buxifolia.

The ruined fire look-out hut on Oppelskop in the mist and rain.

See you all tomorrow - which we hope will bring better (not wetter) weather!

Land of cedars and honey

Last Sunday, they left us behind with Simon and drove up to the Cederberg with Peter and Dorothy to join Ian and Ingrid in Clanwilliam to plant cedar trees at Heuningvlei. To get there they were allowed to drive on the 12 km of normally-closed road from the top of the Pakhuis Pass to Heuningvlei. It was also built by Thomas Bains (who built the Pakhuis Pass which was completed in 1874). He was the son of Andrew Geddes who built Bain's Kloof Pass.

And what do I see? A dog! So why were we not allowed to join in the fun I ask? This is Lucy Buckland's boxer (sitting on Lucy's feet) chatting to Penny Mustart who was one of the movers and shakers of the whole Cedar Tree Event which has been going for eleven years now.

The Clanwilliam Cedar (Widdringtonia cedarbergensis) is an endangered tree that only grows in the Cederberg mountains and many people are trying hard to save it. Once a year everyone meets at the little village of Heuningvlei where they all grab a tree (which have been grown in Bushmans Kloof Guest Farm's nurseries down the drag) and hike up into the mountains to plant it.

Here are some previously planted cedars that, ten or so years down the line are looking quite big. (On the left.)

The humans chose an easy-to-identify rock - this half a Maltese Cross - and planted their two trees underneath it so they will know where to look for them next year. The Alph looking pleased with his efforts while a ranger from CapeNature called Patrick GPSed it for monitoring.

Then it was back to Heuningvlei Community Centre for a slap up lunch and a relax in the sun

before the prize-giving and some more speeches. Here is the Alph getting his prize for planting his tree from Allan Winde who is some bigwig minister of tourism and finance in the Western Cape.

Then is was home again into the sunset. This is Anne Paterson, Micky Orrey and Cecily Muller walking home along the Heunginvlei Road.

The sunset from the top of the Pakhuis Pass - which is 914 m above sea level. You can just see this sea in the distance too.

Home for the night was the a farm just outside Clanwilliam called Patrysvlei. They stayed in The Waenhuis which they shared with these horses,

this Golden Retriever who wasn't allowed into the house so it slept half way in,

and this cat. (Oooh lucky we weren't there or it would have been chased all the way back to Heungivlei!) In the photo you can see Ingrid, Dorothy, Peter, Ian and the Alpha Male about to indulge in yet another gastronomic extravaganza.

There was also a herd of Eland on the farm,

and a rather doff looking Great Dane puppy.

On Sunday they drove to Wupperthal where they stopped to photograph these strange looking flowers which are some kind of snake lily or Ornithoglossum.

The road goes through the small hamlet of Eselbank where this dog came out to greet them and wish them a safe trip home to us.

Planting Cedars