Shades of red

Waiting for action this warm and breezy morning and me determined not to be left behind.

Soon Paul arrived and we drove to Brooklands Ghost Village carpark on Red Hill where we met Pauline, Thea and Tessa. There were also lots of other dogs there waiting for their walkies and Laddie immediately dived in.

A short distance, and we were at Kleinplaas Dam which is looking respectably full compared to past levels. (Click here for past Kleinplaas Dam posts.)

We love the red tanniny silky smooth fynbos water up here. It makes us all dreamy. 

Soon we were off again up the sandy track,

the beady eye of the dinosaur rock monster on us.

There were a few flowers for the Food Lady including these aristea (possibly A. dichotoma) flowers.

I had to stop in every patch of shade I found,

until Thea kindly took out her umbrella so I had some portable shade.

We were overtaken by some friendly bikers, but we discovered that they had upended a tortoise further on, and just left it in the path on its back in the hot hot sun. Luckily for it we were able to put it right and moved it into the shade to recover.

Tea: Paul, Pauline, Thea, the Alph and Tessa - with pink bubbles, chocs, dates, mince pies,

and delicious lebkuchen.

After drinking water and eating my dog biltong, I retired to the shade in the middle of a big old Leucadendron conocarpodenron shrub to sit out the heat.

Laddie and Tessa checked for baboons.

They seem very smitten with each other!

Some red and yellow flowers on Red Hill - maybe Aspalathus carnosa?

We all had a great tortoise hunt in the fynbos,

watched over by a tortoise rock monster who seemed pleased that we had rescued the tortoise knocked over by the bikers.

The sandy path went on and on,

past flowers of the Wild Agapanthus (Agapanthus africanus),

and lots of dainty Wild Pinks (Dianthus albens),

till at last we reached the cool waters of the Lewis Gay Dam.

Tessa was a bit worried when everyone - including her human - leapt in and disappeared,

then loomed up out of the black water - with arms glowing red.

Us cooling off in shallows.

Nearly back at the cars again - and me as perky and fit as a pup.