On Sunday, after a good deal of to-ing and fro-ing and phoning and u-turning and unkind language about the toll road, we rendezvoused just below the path up to Chapmans Peak with Paul and Pauline.
As we hadn't bought a dedicated car-guard with us, we just had to abandon the cars to their fate, keep calm, and carry on up the steep stone steps.
Soon all thoughts of thieves and muggers were out of our heads as we rose above it all. An early Watsonia borbonica greeted us cheerily and pinkly (except us dogs can't see pink but will take the FL's word for it).
Up and up, with the Hout Bay and the Sentinel on the right.
Soon we were on the contour path at the top in the cool wind - tails up to that!
And also up were lots of Bloodroot flowers (Dilatris corymbosa).
The way to tell the difference between the identical-looking Dilatris corymbosa and D. pillansii is to look at the stamens. All Dilatris flowers have three stamens - one always shorter than the other two - and if the longer ones are as long as the tepals - it is D. corymbosa. If all three stamens are shorter than the tepals, it is D. pillansii. So it seems that this is D. corymbosa.
Biology lesson over, we also saw bright bunches of Oranjekalossies (Ixia dubia).
The boys waiting patiently for the girls to catch up.
Evidence of last year's fire is all over, with new flowers coming up under the burned protea bushes. These are spurious scroffs (Pseudoselago spuria). To be both pseudo AND spurious seems a bit harsh - especially as they are so lovely.
Bright blue Aristea bakeri
and salmon-pink Karkarblom (Tritoniopsis antholyza).
Little old me scenting delicious scents
Teatime - the Alph, Pauline and Paul. But where are the Scots?
Laddie was looking for action in the fynbos,
and I was shooting the breeze and taking in the views across Hout Bay.
As we hadn't got our act together with cars earlier, we decided it was time to turn round and head back. Some eye candy: Edmondia pinifolia only opening as the sun reached them.
And some rock candy. Chocolate ripple. Yummm.
One of the few ericas that flower soon after a fire - the Fire Heath (Erica cerinthoides).
The Alph trying to chivvy me past all the smells and scents that tend to slow me down.
Not much water - but most welcome when we found some.
Something was bothering Lad ...
a pesky, blood-sucking horsefly with a rather gross proboscis - from the genus Philoliche.
But soon we were safely down and relieved to find our car in once piece. We said our farewells, and sailed through the toll on our way home. Near Constantia Village we spotted this posh German Pointer in a Kerryn-car and had a good shout at it. Eating, walking and barking - that's what makes life worth living for a little black Scot.
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