Blackburn rovers

We were rather confused this morning because we went to Silvermine Dam and came straight back again without getting out. (The Food Lady said it was to drop a car there but we were really bemused.) As it was Remembrance Sunday there were lots of stirring hymns on Fine Music Radio and the Food Lady said the scary word when they sung about 'the final sacrifice' so we were a bit unnerved too. Anyway, here we are back home again, looking bemused and unnerved and waiting for some action. As you can see, Harvey had come to visit.

Then Paul and Pauline came and took us all to Hout Bay in their car. We parked at East Fort after a long wait in a stop/go queue next to the Neverending Roadworks (and there were a few more scary words being said). We parked next to a car with a bumper sticker that the Food Lady approved of.

We walked past the ruins, and some Grewia occidentalis blossoms

and up onto the cool and misty mountain where we were going to climb up Blackburn Ravine.

Looking back to the Sentinel, with East Fort in the shadows.

It was appropriate, having Harvey here, that we saw many of these Ink Flowers (Harveya purpurea) because they are named after the Irish botanist, William Henry Harvey.

On and up we trod, past this thin and willowy ixia - probably Ixia flexuosa -

and lots of Spider Lilies (Wachendorfia - either paniculata or brachyandra).

The clouds were flying across the sky in the southeaster, but at least it was cool.

The Alph and the Lad and the Harv were setting quite a pace.

But the Food Lady kept stopping to look at the flowers - these are probably Lobelia pubescens.

The lads waiting for us - you can just see the Alph in the top left hand side of the photo, surveying the path below.

The path was quite steep and a bit snary - but if we walk with the Alph, he doesn't clap our leads on. You can just see Paul walking along the path under the massive cliff. 

A swirly twirly Karkaarblom (Tritoniopsis antholyza).

Time for tea, but we couldn't find the perfect teaspot. Here is Harvey urging Pauline and Paul on.

While the Food Lady and the Alph dithered about tea spots, stopping to admire some striking blooms of the Blue Sceptre (Aristea capitata), Paul took over and found the best spot

with good seats and table, some shade and even some back rests,

not to mention the view! Even Harvey was impressed and willed the Alph to take a photo to send to his mom and dad. We were almost at the top of Blackburn now.

After tea it was a quick stretch over the top, and then down the sandy path towards the Silvermine dam. There were lots of dung beetles to hunt - if only the FL wasn't such a spoilsport.

The cloudy southeastery sky made for some dramatic lighting effects. These are Cape Snow daisies (Syncarpha vestita).

A giant Pink Satyr orchid (Satyrium carneum) in the path. I was getting a wee bit warm by now.

Paul and Pauline and Harvey about to follow the Alph into the bush to the left. I was so pleased to get off this flinty road and on to a soft sandy track.

And the Food Lady was so pleased to encounter some lovely Edmondia sesamoides bushes.

By now I was getting really hot. Was I seeing things?

And a cat rock monster in the mist? Yikes. Luckily the Food Lady picked me up and carried me for a bit so I could get some cool southeaster air on my hot little body and brain.

And in no time we were back home and the humans were having bacon and eggs and gin and tonics while I stretched out under the table hoping for some scatterings. Lad and Harvey were out for the count too, cuddled up in the kool kennel.