Two walks, some birthdays and a party

On Sunday morning the Food Lady bundled Laddie and me into the car and left Harvey and the Alph at home with Phil and Kerryn to cope with the loadshedding. It was a Scottie Walk! We arrived at the Jack Muller Park to find a scattering of Scotties (most of them were still cuddled up in their warm beds because it was rather a chilly morning). But Scotties love the cold. Laddie was instantly and totally and utterly smitten with Blair - who really was rather young for him - 9 months.

Pam, Mac's mom, gave me lots of treats because she knew it had been my birthday yesterday. Nine years old!

It was also Bailey and Angus's first birthday today and their humans brought lots of treats for us and the other humans. It was delicious. You can see me in the photo with my red bandana - just waiting for a crumb.

Our friend Snippie was there,

with her sister Snoekie and brother Knapie.

And of course, Mac, who doesn't really like the antics of the youngsters.

Just look at them all racing around.

A little Red-headed Finch trying to get a better view of the goings-on below. There were a few of these birds - probably escapees from an aviary because they are not meant to occur in Cape Town.

Then, in the afternoon, we went for another walk in Cecilia Forest with Paul. This time Harvey was allowed to come too. It was a pretty cold day - but the group in front were optimistic about the sun!

I love to linger behind, savouring the smells of the forest,

and investigating the possibilities of little things to chase or eat - imaginary and real - just like I used to do with Dougal who died exactly two years ago.

Laddie bounding across the scary snary stream just like Dougal used to - with lurgies hot on his heels.

There were lots of ericas coming out - like these Erica hispidula bushes with their teeny tiny flowers.

We climbed up and up and found a spot for a tea break where we could see the moon and all the way to the Hottentot Hollands Mountains.

Chin chin!

The Alph even tried some foraged botanicals in his gee and tee.

Laddie being adventurous,

then getting a bit of vertigo and retreating.

Harv was shivering with the cold, so we had to move on again.

A weird little restio spikelet with several flowers with curly appendages (awaiting comment on iSpot).

Coming down the concrete jeeptrack with views over Muizenberg.

We looped round back to Robbie's Walk which took us down into Cecilia through a deep dark gum forest.

Then out into the light again - welcomed by a lonesome Chasmanthe flower.

We were down in the nick of time, just as the setting sun lit up the distant hills.

Happy Father's Day

It was Father's Day last Sunday and Phil and Kerryn stood the Alph to a happy father's day breakfast at a cooool coffee shop in Cape Town.

On the way home they went to see the Snowy Egret - an American bird that somehow got blown off its normal course and landed up in the Black River opposite the Observatory - much to the excitement of the birding community.

At first all they saw was a group of flamingos sunning themselves in front of some golfers,

and a Common Moorhen poking around in the litter. Then a pair of psychedelic yellow and black legs emerged - and a snowy white bird popped out from behind the reeds.

The Food Lady deployed her new camera's long lens and managed to snap it - definitely the Snowy Egret.

The Alph was not all that impressed. "Is that it?"

He said the reason it was there was that it saw the Snowflake factory and thought is was a good spot to spend a few days.

That afternoon we went for a walk in Cecilia Forest with Paul - all the way to the waterfall. Here is Paul taking some flowing shots.

The trees above the waterfall were looking crowdy and glowering. So we didn't linger, and sped on with Harvey in the lead - and the Food Lady in hot pursuit of him.

She still found time to do some photography - a soggy Restio quadratus with its square stems,

and a beautiful Green Protea (Protea coronata).

Afternoon tea at the look out point. Except it wasn't tea but Castle lager. Thanks Paul - the Food Lady really enjoyed it especially after sprinting up the hill after Harvey. 

And talking of Harvey, where is he?

"I think he is down there somewhere."

On the way down again we saw some Waboom flowers (Protea nitida),

and some extremely fragrant Box Phylica flowers (Phylica buxifolia). Then it was a downhill run after that mountain goat of a Boston terrorist.

There he is, gazing up into the gums hoping to see some squirrels.

I, on the other hand, like to take my time.

Back at the car we looked up to where we had just walked and saw that the mist was rolling in.

 Just in time to return to supper and a snooze in front of the fire. Its a dog's life! 

A walk on Sunrise Beach

On Saturday Phil and Kerryn came to see their Boston terrorist boy - bringing a new coat (he has grown out of his old one)

and a new toy - a flying pig. Harvey is very territorial about the pig, but it has been confiscated because he chewed it so much that its stuffing is coming out.

Then we went for a walk on Sunrise Beach at Muizenberg. It was a lovely warm day and Harvey immediately stole another dog's kelp and wouldn't give it back.

The Alph tried to teach him some manners,

and he found his own kelp that Laddie tried to steal.

It was such a lovely walk - just look at the spring in my step.

Its a dog's life!