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!

Rumbles and rambles at Rhodes Mem

On Sunday morning we went on the April Scottie Walk at Rhodes Mem.

I found a very nice lady with a packet of delicious snacks, and decided to spend the rest of my life with her. Well, at least someone appreciates me!

This is Maggie-May, the mad, bad Lad's sister.

And this is Dougal. Quite a handsome chap. I took a bit of a shine to him. Maybe he reminded me of my late and oh so lamented big brother.

A Scottie tête-à-tête. I was just telling Dougal what a clown the Lad is. Laddie got cross and snapped at Dougal.

And Haggis snapped at Dougal too. I think they all identified that he was the best looking and were jealous.

Everyone goes soft over the puppies ...

even Laddie - his tail furiously wagging.

And talking of wagging - is this a wag of wheatens?

It was hot and dusty - but still pretty spectacular when we rounded the edge of Devils Peak and surveyed the fog-enveloped city below.

On the way back I chased butterflies with Maggie-May and Kirby,

and we came across a chocolate border collie with a bandaged paw. Laddie really has a thing for border collies!

Eventually I had to say goodbye to my new best friend,

'cause we wanted to show Maggie-May and Kirby where the deep dark forest from last month's walk was.

But luckily we some more biltong snacks before we left so all in all, it was a thoroughly good walk.

To the deep dark forest

Scottie Walk Sunday! The Golden Boy (recognizable by his tail) with the Alph, waiting for the action to start at Rhodes Mem.

MacGuyver, who is almost as crazy as the Lad, was there,

as well as these two aristocratic Scotties

and our very beautiful friends Doogie and Bayley.

Laddie was terribly smitten by the blonde bombshell Nessa.

She is rather pretty.

Mila -not too sure what is gong on (but with that crazy MacGuyver around her all day, I would also look a bit frazzled!).

I never said anything to MacGuyver about what might happen if he came too close ...

A cat face to pee upon.

A westie called Leopold was leading the way.

There were quite a few bikes whizzing past, but we all resisted the temptation to chase them.

Luckily the idiot Lad was so taken up with sniffing Nessa that he didn't notice any bikes.

We soon left the bike track and headed up the mountain on a pawpath,

past some stately Silver Trees (Leucadendron argenteum),

and lots of Cape Autumn Widow butterflies (Dira clytus) that love the long grass.  

Angus emerging from the deep dark forest. Did he find that stag that we once chased? - he looks a bit alarmed.

All of us taking a water break in the deep dark forest. I schmoozed around looking for snack handouts but didn't have much joy today.

There was also time for a photo session. Some of the Scotties posed elegantly,

and others ran like hooligans through the forest; Laddie no doubt hoping to find a stag or a squirrel.

Picture perfect: Mila, Doogie and Bayley.

Some of us were thirsty and hot,

so I was NOT impressed when the Alph and Food Lady said we were not going back with the group but were pressing onwards and upwards. Bye bye friends.

But luckily we bumped into Shelley and Serge's elegant Border Collie.

And luckily too, we didn't bump into this Blister Bush (Notobubon galbanum).

Eventually the path came back down,

but I was too hot and bothered to even say hello to two Border Terriers who passed us,

and I refused to walk along the bicycle path when the Food Lady set off again to look for a parcel of poo she had left behind a tree stump. I just carried on down and the Alph had to run after me.

We could still see the end of the Scottie Walk waiting in the car park, but by the time we got there, they had all left - some to have tea in the tearoom, and some to go and play cricket in Fish Hoek. All in all though, it was FUN.