Midwinter on the mountain

On Sunday we didn't go on our usual morning walk because it was Arti's birthday. The Food Lady bought him a Scottie hottie,

and a Brasil World Cup soccer ball. We helped her wrap them all up. 

We also gave him a book by Niky Daly about a herd boy in the Eastern Cape called Malusi and a dog called Koko who saves a lamb from a fearsome baboon. I would SO do the same if I lived with Malusi.

We weren't allowed to go to the party, because Claude doesn't like any other dog except Maddie in his house, but I hear it went well. Here is Gabe watching Arti open a present from Edmund - drum stick pencils, a blank music book for writing down songs, and a book (with chapters) called How to train your dragon.

Luckily all was not lost on the walkies front, and we set out for a late afternoon walk above the Silvermine Dam with Paul and Pauline.

The Rice Heath (Erica lutea) was out in full force,

and so was a warm and balmy Berg Wind. We had to hold on to our hats at afternoon teatime.

Please lift us up! We are just small little dogs with short legs.

That's better. Thank you! At flipping last! Now at least we can see the view. And clean up any crumbs from the cherry cake. Laddie still is idiotic most of the time. I mean, can you look more idiotic than that!

The Food Lady found a new flower too - a midwinter flowering, twining Astephanus triflorus. Sounds a bit like the Alph's name. (Actually it means "without a crown" - stephane means a diadem or coronet in Latin).

We walked the amphitheatre walk around the dam,

where the White Sticky Heath (Erica physodes) grows. It is closely related to the rarer Green Sticky Heath (Erica urna-viridis) that we see often further south in Silvermine.

Looking south over Long Beach - Slangkop Lighthouse just visible in the centre.

There were fantastic smells on this walk, and I was SURE there were baboons up there ...

Paul's curly grass - Pentaschistis curvifolia.

Looking south-east towards Fish Hoek and Simons Town on the way down to the carpark. It was such a beautiful warm midwinter's day that we decided to do an evening walk more often in the future.