Red

This morning was rather warm. Even the car park at Red Hill was hot at 7h30 am when we met up with John - everyone else sensibly chilled at home or at Hermanus.

After a short stretch we reached the first dam -  Kleinplaas - and joined some other dogs for a dip in the red, tanniny water. Note the position of the water measuring stick - still comfortably underwater. (See this post for a comparison over the years.)

Then we crossed the dam wall ...

cautiously negotiating our way past the Kleinplaas Rock Monster rearing up on the horizon,

and suddenly meeting up with Alice and Maddie. Yay!

Maddie didn't really get on with Harvey, and she and Alice carried to the dam where we had just come from for Maddie to cool off.

There were lots of rather aggressive little sugar ants running around on the path, so one didn't want to linger ...

and take too many photos of flowers - like this Cape Snow (Syncarpha vestita) - or

this pretty curly grass.

Soon Maddie came from her swim,

and we found a nice, ant-free tea spot overlooking Long Beach with a bit of a breeze. Here are John, Harvey, the Alph holding me, Maddie and Alice. And some red-tipped watsonia leaves. It was getting fiery-hot! But where was the Lad?

Peek-a-boo!

Some fluffy Pelargonium seeds.

Moi - on tortoise watch.

Harvey wasn't too happy on the lead, so the Alph had to go ahead, out of range of Maddie. (I am not sure if Maddie knew that Harvey was a dog - I think she may have thought he was an Egyptian Cat.)

We grabbed any shade we could find.

The red hot Fire Heath (Erica cerinthoides)

and some rustly, crackly restios, probably the Cushion Restio (Elegia stipularis).

More leggy Fire Heaths, with Simon's Town mountains in the background.

Then, at LONG LAST, we came to the cool, red waters of the Lewis Gay Dam and we all plunged in, me and Maddie first,

Harvey, next

and John and the Alph swam right over to the other side. You can just see John waving.

Laddie was not having anything to do with the swimming, and watched from a shady distance.

We then left the dam, with its three sentinel Egyptian Geese on the wall,

said goodbye to Maddie and Alice, and hot-footed it up the road and back to the cars.

We popped in on the spaniels, and Margie was also there, but without her dogs. (She was waiting to fetch Sophie from Lifesaving). Just look at that red flowering gum tree below.

The Food Lady showed everyone her present from John - also in red and black. Appropriate for the Red Hill Walk. Thanks John - the Food Lady was very chuffed with it.

While they all had tea, and Harvey had a sleep, we kept a watch on the neighbour's dog, Impy.