Birthday bubbles

We were very keen for our walk this morning as yesterday the Food Lady completely forgot to take us out.

The Alph was cycling this morning, but Lydia and Thea joined us, and we met up with Sue, Honey and Nola (minus her boys who are too elderly now for long walks). The Food Lady managed to drop her one remaining pocket camera into the Silvermine Dam earlier in the week so we were glad to see Lydia had a camera to document anything important - although the cellphone camera took some ok shots.

It was quite warm to start and we had to keep on ducking into the shade,

and finding vantage points to shoot the breeze - and check for baboons (none).

We finally arrived at the cool and delightful Eau-de-Vie pool and all plunged in,

except Honey - even though Sue tried to persuade her to cool off or at least have a drink.

We found an airy rock for tea - and bubbles (though not at any great altitude today) and cake - to celebrate Sue's recent birthday.

Thea, Sue, Lydia and Nola. Honey had found a cool spot way up the hill behind us, and we were rootling around somewhere.

Soon it was time to plod on down the road -

us two black dogs taking a bit of strain in the heat.

We turned off the gravel road and up and down another sandy track (which we scots prefer as its softer on our pads) with lots of interesting flowers like this Serruria villosa which only occurs in these mountains and nowhere else in the whole wide world.

We were soon down again, made a bit easier with a light cool breeze and lots of shady spots for cooling down.