Sunday was warm. The Food Lady has a really sore finger because Harvey and me pulled it under the gate on Saturday trying to be the first to get to greet the spaniels in Fish Hoek. So we were in the dog box for an hour or two. In fact I nearly got left at home with Harvey but the Alf was keen for me to come and lose some weight on the mountain. So Harvey stayed behind with Clare who came to puppy-sit him. We met Paul and Pauline at the Cable Station and set off into the yellow sunshine and onto the contour path which was full of yellow flowers, like these Renostergousblom (Arctotis acaulis) flowers.
But it got hotter and hotter - and I was very grateful for all the streams and waterfalls we passed.
Yellow daisies were growing in the rocky ledges, apparently these are Bobbejaankool or Baboon Cabbages (Othonna arborescens) that love to grow on the Graafwater mudstones of Table Mountain. I wish there had been some baboons there for me to chase! I LIVE to chase baboons.
But it was a bit hot for chasing anything. These hermannias looked like glowing lanterns in the hot sunshine. This is the Pokkiesblom (Hermannia hyssopifolia).
More little glowing lanterns - perfect for little people. There are different types of Hermannia - some with curled corollas like this one (which we think is the Geneesbossie, Hermannia multiflora), and some with inflated corollas like the Pokkiesblom above.
But I was too hot to chase little people, and made for this heavenly waterfall to cool off under.
Sunshiny spiloxenes: Peacock Flower (Spiloxene capensis),
and a starburst of sedge - possibly Vleibiesie ( Ficinia nodosa) glowing and growing in the wet rocky ledges.
Oh no! They can't be serious about climbing up there in this heat.
More warm, glowing, yellow Geelmagriet or Lace-leaf Euryops (Euryops abrotanifolius) enjoying the warm sun - which was more than I was.
Eventually they got the message and sat down for tea while we watched the world go by - all speaking different languages and mostly stopping to exclaim at how gorgeous I was and how handsome the Lad was. Quite flattering. I began to feel a bit better, especially after a long drink and some biltong-flavoured Beano biscuits.
Bald headed on the mountain in the blazing African sun! A future patient for the Alph.
Are you sure we need to get going again? I was relieved to see they weren't continuing on up after Paul and Pauline, but I don't really feel like going down again either!
A dainty little Sysie (Geissorhiza juncea) growing in the stony soil as we plodded by,
eagerly anticipating the cool waterfall that we knew was just around the corner ...
past the fragrant, aniseed-scented Bergboegoe bush (Agathosma ciliaris),
aaaaahhhhhhh.
Looking up we saw the cleft of Platteklip Gorge and wondered if Paul and Pauline were up there yet.
The Lad looking over Signal Hill. You can see the cars all lined up on the road below.
Me coming round the corner, s l o w l y. Still a long way to go.
The colour co-ordinated Alph and yellow Renostergousblom daisies.
And a fiery little Oxalis obtusa.
The Cable Car was working hard,
but not as hard as this poor little hot black Scot. But we were almost back at the car now ...
and soon we were back home saying hello to our crazy cousin and all my woes forgotten.
The Lad immediately fetched his favourite toy,
and Harvey had found HIS favourite toy, and they played happily all afternoon
till his parents came to fetch him.
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