Tortoise hunting

This is not a bow despite the curly ends. It is a detestable TICK collar. But at least that means we are going to an INTERESTING PLACE. Is this it then? Are we nearly there? Not quite.
At long last we arrived at Cedarcot! But I had no time to smell the flowers (white Heliophila juncea) because I had to start the hunt for my favourite walking bones to chew on - tortoises! I checked in the caves and under the bushes and after a few minutes ... SUCCESS!
But the spoil-sport humans took it away and we were hustled off on a walk to "take out minds off tortoises" and "tire us out". It was rather hot but the enticing tortoise smells kept us going at top speed through the grass and strangely named Ladies Hands flowers (Cyanella hyacinthoides) and for a swim in the river. Eventually we did get quite tired and were glad to settle down for a sundowner on the veranda. although I did keep a leary eye out for tortoises nevertheless.

The next morning we went for a walk with the Alpha Male and the Foodlady, but soon the road got a bit steeper and the AM turned back to help his back stay better. You can just see him at the first turn in the road.

We carried on the a lovely mountain pool which was inhabited by a great, swimming gawk of a dog. We also had a dip while the Foodlady looked at some flowers. There were lots of these Bloodroot flowers (Dilatris ixioides). This is us refreshed, tails up and in tortoise-hunting mode on the way home. (We found one and I managed about three gnaws before the spoilsport Foodlady intervened.) This is a type of Arctotis daisy. And these are two monkey beetles having a wrought in an Erica inflata. After all the excitement we were hot and glad to get home to a nice cool cottage.