Catch up

Just a quick catch-up of the last fortnight. We have had a busy time. Harvey came to stay once or twice which we love. He and Lad play with the shoo-shoo toy, one chews and the other wants it, then they swap roles (usually a momentary lapse in concentration on the part of the "owner") and one chews while the other wants it.

They also steal the blankets sometimes to do a tug-o-war.

We have had lots of lovely cool walks in the Constantia greenbelt,

mostly with Margie, Rupert and Paddy.

One day Harvey disgraced himself and chased these horses. Luckily no one was maimed or fell off but the Food Lady was embarrassed.

Harvey looking out for Hadedas in the garden.

Me looking out for the neighbour's cat in Fish Hoek where we walk most Fridays.

Harvey extending the paw of friendship to the spaniels of Fish Hoek.

Simon went to Japan with So Yhoung and sent us lots of lovely photos. The Food Lady asked him to send pics of gardens,

which he did. This is the White Egret Castle in Kobe.

A lovely mossy bank,

and a wintry blossom tree.

Oh no - what is this! I would also be shouting my head off if a cat sat on me.

Simon and So Yhoung sampling sake - or maybe tea.

When in Japan, do as the Japanese do: Simon in a Japanese guesthouses.

And in Fukuoka they found a dog accessory store. Not sure if I would like to carry my own back pack, but if it was filled with treats, I might manage it.

This is the statue in the Peace Park in Nagasaki where the atomic bomb landed.

Mount Aso in Beppu in Kyushu, 

and beautiful but snary volcanic landscapes in Kyushu.

And all the while Simon and So Yhoung were being tourists in Japan (this is the Yufuin no Mori train),  

the Alph was working hard to paint the inside of Daisy cottage in Agulhas,

while the Food Lady took photos of ants,

and birds. These Cape Spurfowl would NEVER have ventured so close to the house if us Scotties had been on duty! We just love to chase them over the hill and into the blue yonder - shrieking and screaming as we go.

But we were left at home so that we wouldn't distract the Food Lady from her gardening and cleaning chores. Huh!

They came home again, and immediately went out to say hello to Lucy-the-vet and her mom and dad, Joan and Alan. Sue was also there. But we are getting used to being left behind.

They also left us behind to say goodbye to Lydia who was going back to New Zealand. Helen was there too and she promises to start the Saturday walks again when the weather cools down.

So there you have it. Now where is my supper oh Food Lady!

Riel dancers and cedar trees

Dear Coco

On Saturday, after we left you so early in the morning, we drove out to Clanwilliam, over the Pakhuis Pass and down a very bumpy road to Heuningvlei to help plant some endangered Clanwilliam Cedars (Widdringtonia cedarbergensis). All the local schoolchildren and visiting kids were busy planting seeds when we arrived.

Several of the Heunginvlei dogs were there too,

enjoying a tummy-tickle in the watery morning sunshine.

We all set out into the mountains with bakkie loads of people and cedar trees,

and planted trees in inaccessible places. These trees have been grown and cared for by an upmarket hotel called Bushmanskloof Wilderness Reserve and Wellness Retreat and they host the day in conjunction with CapeNature and local schools.

Before lunch we were treated to a lovely dance by the Under 12 members of a local dance group called the Nuwe Graskoue Trappers.

Here is an excerpt from the under 12s dance.

Then after a delicious lunch provided by Bushmanskloof, the champion dancers from the Nuwe Graskoue Trappers entertained the guests. (There is more about them on UTube. The head chef at Bushmanskloof, Floris Smith, trains these SA dance champs.)

They were such fun that lots of people and kids joined in the afternoon's dusty dancing,

but some of us preferred to watch.

Soon it was time to hit the bumpy road

back to Pakhuis Pass.

We were booked into a rather ordinary farm cottage at Kleinfontein Farm where we chilled with their two lithe and friendly dogs we called Bonnie and Blythe,

then went for a walk in the rocky Cederberg scenery with them,

exploring the dassie-rich rocks in front of our little cottage which you can see under the green roof.

It is very dry at the moment, with no real rain yet, but lots of these teeny tiny stone-plants (probably Conophytum minusculum subsp. minisculum) were flowering in amongst the lichen.

After an early night (there was loadshedding out here too can you believe it! so we just got into bed and read our books) we set off early on Sunday morning. This is a view of Table Mountain from Malmesbury. As always, it was good to get home to you, the Lad and the Boston Terrorist - and Kerryn and Phil and the most delicious Sunday roast - thanks Kerryn!.

lots of love from the Food Lady

Old girls - and the Argus lite

Just a short catch up:
The Sunday before last, the Food Lady went up to Johannesburg to an "old girls" reunion at her old school.

 She stayed with Louise and a cat called Phoebe slept on her bed. Ooooh, I would have chased that Pheebee right off the bed and out the window.

Here are the old girls having lunch.

The Food Lady got to meet Benjamin - a very handsome Scottie who lives with Nita and Ian and a Jack Russell called Toby in Johannesburg. The Food Lady was sorry that she couldn't get to see Nessa, Logie and Jasmine too. Maybe next time ...

Another pic of some of the old girls having fun.

Apparently her school hasn't really changed much. Just got posher and prettier.

There were some lovely fairy paintings and a fairy stage in the pre-primary school. We love chasing fairies ...

especially indigenous flower fairies.

It looks like paradise - even a CAT to chase!

Louise and Jenny pretending to be little girls instead of old girls in the fairy garden.

Some of Louise's beautifully embroidered cushions in the junior school library. These are seriously indulged little girls!

The Food Lady was happy to see that the indigenous "Koppie" was still there - she spent many happy times bunking out up there. A very old girl, Mary Maytham Kidd, was inspired to paint the book on flowers of the Cape Peninsula that the Food Lady uses all the time. She must have done some bunking out there too.  

The rosy path leading to the Food Lady's old study. (There were no roses in her day - only an old fig tree that used to supply leaves to put in the back of the poor music teacher's piano to annoy her.)

AND WHILE THE FOOD LADY WAS AWAY LADDIE CAUGHT A HUGE RAT! You can see it in the front of the photo. Well done Lad - following in the footsteps of the late and oh so lamented Doog. Lad was very chuffed.

Then on Sunday the Alph went and rode the Argus Cycle Tour which was only short this year as most of the route had been ravaged by fire. Then the Food Lady came home again and we were back to normal.