Cool Chappies

A lovely cool Sunday morning for walking above Chapman's Peak Drive. We had a good turn-out although I was sorry to see that Alice wasn't there. Colin-from-Germany came, and Sue came with Richard, Josie and Barbara-from-England who is here to study penguins with Richard. Thea and Pauline were also there, and Dougal was happy that the Alpha Male was back. (Our AM still managed to set a cracking pace even with a compromised Achilles tendon!)

There was a cool mist that swirled around,

and the path was quite steep in places so we scooted ahead with the Alpha Male so that the Foodlady couldn't catch us to put leads on. You can see Richard and Josie in front, then Sue, and Colin and Barbara just coming round the corner.

I thought they were never going to stop for tea but eventually we found a perch and out came some tasty treats. The water in Josie's bright blue fold-out bowl was much nicer than in our bowl - and at least Richard doesn't throw it over us when we are done!

The Foodlady saw lots of these pretty bulbs that are probably Drimia media. Apparently some drimias are poisonous and the name is from the Greek drimys which means acrid or pungent.

There were also lots of red ericas - the Rock Heath, Erica nevillei, which is endemic to the Cape Peninsula

and likes to grow high up on the cliffs...

...and the Fire Heath, Erica cerinthoides.

Watching Colin bundu-bashing.

All good things come to an end, and this is us coming down at the East Fort ruins. They were built in 1796. How cool is that! (For more info click here.)

Biycles and baboons

Hope you had a good Cycle Tour Lucy and Richard! Sorry I was unable to join Rusty a local Noordhoek dog cheering you and all the other 35 thousand odd riders going past on Chapman's Peak. (Photo by Brenton Geach, Cape Argus .) The humans took us for a short walk in the vineyards, which was great, but we had to go on leads because there was a big baboon stealing the hanepoot grapes (like the humans were too!) and they didn't want us to sort him out! Luckily a waiter from the restaurant chased him away with a catapult (the baboons that is, not the humans). But we were very happy to get a walk in as we haven't had one for ages and ages. Look forward to next week.

Arti and Gabe walking at Wynberg Boys

Still kissing Arti and Gabe....

Hout Bay in the heat

I was really excited to be on the beach as it seemed ages since our last walk! This is me telling Dougal to show some enthusiasm too. We were joined by Noensie (the Alpha Girl), Poeksie, Goose and Maverick who came with their human, Nola (who is also a vet like Lucy). Sue was there too, and the Alpha Male managed the short stroll along Hout Bay beach too with his Achilles tendon still not quite right. (I think we may have met Nola's dogs a while ago, but meeting dogs is always like seeing them for the first time even if we bump into the same pack on the way back from a walk!) They are very strict about picking up after us on this beach but I suppose they have to be with this volume of dogs!

It was lovely walking through the dogs, with the cool sea to dip into, but the humans were muttering a bit about crowds, so the next beach walk is likely to be on Noensie's territory out near Melkbosstrand.