Goose and Maverick join us

Last Sunday Nola and her mom, Viv, joined us with Goose and Maverick. Sue and Paul and Pauline came too. We started at Wolfkop - an appropriate name as I believe we share the same DNA as a wolf - and walked along the path to Junction Pool. Here is the Alpha Male and me waiting for everyone to catch up.
The reason for the delay was all the photographing going on. The Food Lady found some interesting flowers that she calls scoobie-doo plants but their real name is Cape Fellwort or Vlieebos (Saltera sarcocolla) looking colourful against the orange lichen on the rocks. There were lots and lots of ericas flowering. Here is Alice - my absolute best human in the entrie world - who was providing a botanical information service to passers by.

We made a quick detour to Muizenberg Cave. Here is Paul ... and Goose doing some mountaineering. We saw lots of other dogs which is always fun. Then we found a nice spot for tea with views over False Bay and lots of rocks to perch on.

Tea time. McVities digestives, rusks, dates, yum yum ...

Through some cracks and a long and not very winding path ahead ...

lined with ericas to make us Scots feel at home.

There were lots of shiny China Flowers (Adenandra villosa) out. They are members of the buchu family and their leaves smell really strong when you brush against them.

Back on jeep track for a stretch, then up and over past the Fat Lady shelter

and past lots of Paul's colourful curly grass - Pentaschstis curvifolia - and some more China Flowers,

down Steenberg and back to the cars. Here are my friends Goose (having a little shut-eye) and Maverick waiting to go home after a really good walk!

Then is was goodbye to the mountain for another week, and to Mr Pakkies who opened the carpark gate and gave us a royal wave.

Pecking order

Today Paul, Pauline, Sue, the Alpha Male, the Food Lady, Dougal and I walked up Pecks (being careful to observe the correct Pecking order with the AM around) to Muizenberg Peak and right across to the Wolfkop parking spot on Ou Kaapse Weg (where we had conveniently left the Land Rover). The photo above is us looking down from Pecks Valley over Muizenberg and False Bay to the Hottentots Hollands. Me shaking the deliciously cool mountain stream water off after a dip.

There were lots of these little Granny Bonnet orchids (Disperis capensis).

Looking over Muizenberg and the Cape Flats to the Hottentots Holland mountains - with wisps of cool mist swirling through.

Pauline, Paul, Sue, the Alpha Male and me having tea on Muizenberg Peak. You can see me on my lookout post on the right with False Bay and Hangklip in the background. The Food Lady was taking the photo and Dougal was far too busy hunting mice to even bother about the delicious rusks, crunchies, date slices and dates on offer.

On Muizenberg Peak.

The Alpha Male walking past a baby dinosaur.

Walking along from Muizenberg Peak to the Steenberg plateau path. Lots of smells and flowers and rocks to perch on.

Who says only birds can perch on the top of rocks?

The Food Lady found this lovely China Flower (Adenandra villosa) on the wagon track. It is one of the buchus in the citrus family. It is less common than the other kind of China Flower one sees all over - Adenandra uniflora.

We saw quite a few of these noisy Cape Sugarbirds. Then we stopped for a quick drink and wade in Junction Pool, which was a weird red colour. Here you can see the Alpha Male taking virtual photographs a-la-Paul. When we got back to the car park it was absolutely chockablock. Everyone is so happy to see the sun again after a rainy week! (And there is no more soccer to watch!)

Mr Gus

Last Saturday Mr Gus - my most favourite dogfriend in all the world (although I suspect he found me a bit irritating because I just had to jump up into his face all the time) - died. He was much loved and admired, and even Dougal managed to make peace with him in the end - who could fight with a dog that just walks into your house and falls peacefully asleep?

Mr Gus, the august gentleman, has been an integral part of Jane and Andrew's life since he just arrived out of nowhere one day and we will miss him sadly and are very sorry for his humans. Me and Mr Gus in the greenbelt.

Transkei braks

Once again, we are not amused. They left us for over a week to spend two days each way travelling to this beach (have we not got our own perfectly adequate beaches??!) where they were fratenising with the local dogs - braks all of them. Here are some of the Mdumbi Backpacker dogs - and for the vets (and less squamish) in the walking group here is a video of the Mdumbi Backpacker vet clinic held there recently.

And Tammy - one of my best humans - after Alice - was there too. Owwwwwwwwwwwwwwlll.
Strandwolf? Nah - just another brak. There were lots it seems.

And to really rub our noses in it, I hear that this Sundays walk is off too.