Scotties, Westies and a Bostie go for a walk at Rhodes Mem

Did you say Scottie WALK?

Mmm - nice. Quite fun. A Scottie walk at Rhodes Mem. Harvey hid behind the Alph and a tree as too many Scotties can be quite loud and snary. (Photo from Snoekie, Snippie, Knapie and Wally's mom, Irene.)

He didn't seem to mind the Westies too much and said hello quite politely

while Lad checked out the opposition - Billy and the Gusses (Fergus and Angus).

Some Scotties were not very polite.  

This is 4-month old Hugo. There always seems to be plenty of puppies at these walks - just hope the Food Lady doesn't get any ideas - living with Lad as a pup was more than one elderly Scott can handle. 

Hugo was not going to be intimidated by Harvey.

One of the Gusses - the beautiful and soulful Angus. He is Snoekie's best boy.

Off we set sedately up the mountain.

with the Westies far behind and not coping very well.

The Food Lady found lots of flowers to photograph - a Renosteruintjie (Moraea gawleri),

and lots of different surings like this Geeloogsuring (Oxalis obtusa).

We kept stopping for breathers and snacks and water. This is Charlie and Laddie comparing bandanas.

Jock was the most elderly Scot at 15 years. We missed our friend Mac who doesn't like the up and down paths here.

Wally was the next oldest - looking super fit and trim - with his naughty sister Snoekie who kept on trying to put bumptious Westies and Scotties in their rightful place.

Photograph ME - not these silly flowers!

There were so many of these little Pterygodium catholicum orchids

and interesting (for the Food Lady at least - no one else took the slightest notice!) ericas too - the Berry Heath (Ercia baccans) that only grows on the Cape Peninsula,

and some Erica cristiflora var. blanda bushes which were new to the Food Lady.

Monkey beetles dived into Pauridia (or Spiloxene) capensis flowers as we passed,

and there were hundreds of funny flat-leaf oxalis - Bastersuring (Oxalis compressa var. compressa) - which were also new to the Food Lady.

The Gusses and their sister Jeannie and other brother whose name we can't remember joined us for a slightly longer walk so that Harvey could have some real exercise.

I was a bit slow - but then I don't really like these gravelly roads. At least it was cool - with the fog (or was it a Scotch mist) rolling around in the distance.

Then it was time to leave.

And once home, I had to supplement all the snacks and treats I got with a bit of compost foraging. Its a dog's life!

The Bestie Bostie and the Battle for the Bed

This last month we have had Harvey to stay - on and off - while Phil and Kerryn jet around the country and the world. He is quite a cool little dude - although sometimes I have to show him my teeth and snort ferociously at him to calm him down.

As you see, he sure makes himself at home here.

Best of all, he brings his bed with him. Laddie and I like his bed very much.

"Aw come on dude, that's my bed. But I don't mind if you have a go in it -

as long as I can get a go eventually."

But when his back is turned, I hop in. Its quite a tight fit.

SO?

Poor chap was going crazy trying to guard his bed from us sneaky Scots.

An even tighter fit for Lad - but he is hanging in there.

Peace at last.

Harvey loves to help the Food Lady in the garden.

We found a little frog in the garden, sadly out of our reach. A Painted Reed Frog

that changes colour.

Harvey also loves the tennis ball.

He and the Lad fight over it - sometimes rather too seriously.

But if Harvey gets it, he takes all the fluff off it.

Lad and I had haircuts, which Harvey doesn't need. As soon as we came home, Laddie rolled in Hadeda poop. Harvey thought it was funny as funny.

Elections came and went,

as did walkies.

Harvey made many new friends - here he is with Knox having a great time in Tokai Park.

Then Laddie got tired of Harvey's tyre bed and declared that the Lime Green Duvet Bed was the coolest place to chill out.

So Harvey immediately annexed it when Laddie's back was turned - 

as he has with the Alph and Food Lady's bed.

AND the outside bed. Cheeky blighter.

Racing the rain

This Sunday we met Sue and Honey at Wolfkop Carpark for a short walk up to the Fat Lady Cave. Some box men had got here before us and were trundling off into the hills. Not sure whether we should have barked at them but no-one seemed worried so I didn't.

We set off through some spectacular Gladiolus liliaceus flowers. The Food Lady says they are so magnificent because of all the dog poo on this stretch.

Lots of brilliant yellow Ragwort - probably Rough Ragwort (Senecio rigidus) flowering,

but some daisies had not opened in the cold and rain-threatening weather.

Sue and the Alph were chatting about Land Rovers and the Richtersveld,

and Harvey and me were chatting about this and that - mainly about how Lad was being a bit overbearing this morning.

We got up to the Fat Lady Shelter but it was very windy. Lad was being blown around,

I was being blown around,

and so was the Alph. It was too cold for tea, but luckily Sue had some biscuits but sadly, we were not offered one, 

so we pushed off - Harvey and Lad thick as thieves again -

to explore further afield and get out of the wind.

Eventually they followed - across the bleak plains,

and through the towering crags, Laddie and Harvey trying to bounce me off the path. Such puppyish behaviour!

Honey was ignoring them too.

The intricate flower of a Granny's Bonnet (Disperis capensis) orchid,

some golden Satirium coriifolium orchids

and a dancing Gladious gracilis kept the Food Lady happy and occupied. It was starting to spit a bit,

but we love the chilly weather and I was sorry when we got back to the car.

We then got left behind while the Alph and the Food Lady took Phil and Kerryn out to lunch to celebrate Phil's 30th birthday.

Phil got a lovely Bostie mug from Alice and Omie Domes.

When they eventually returned, Harvey grabbed the opportunity to sleep in his own bed before he went home with his humans. (Note that Laddie had unilaterally annexed it earlier even though its a bit of a tight fit for him.)

But when they left, they forgot to take the bed, so when no-one was looking, I jumped in.