Although rain was forecast, what little there was was over by the time we arrived at Kloof Nek to meet Pauline. (I think I must be going through a smelly phase as no-one seems to want to walk with us anymore.) But we were very happy to see Pauline! We set off along the Pipe Track, tails up, and soon came upon this magnificent building which was built in the 1830s to house a water filtration plant that turns the red-brown waters of the Hely-Hutchinson and Woodhead dams on top of Table Mountain into crystal clear water for the people of Cape Town to drink. The building was designed by
Patrick Henry Thomas Shillington and
Franklin Kaye Kendall for the Cape Town City Council.
The Pipe Track goes through an interesting population of Tolbos or Spinningtop Conebushes (
Leucadendron rubrum). It is the only population that occurs on the Cape Peninsula. (The one on Lions Head has long since been built upon.) The Tolbos belongs to a group of conebushes, the
silver conebushes, that includes the famous Silver Tree, and they all seem to like growing in the teeth of the Southeaster.
Although a few of the bushes were dead, there were lots and lots of new bushes coming up - we could see them all the way up the mountain side near the Water Filtration Plant.
There was no Southeaster today, and we really really loved all the puddles from the early morning rain. Some of the Apostle buttresses in the distance.
March lilies (
Amaryllis belladonna), rained upon, spotted by the Alph.
Specks in the sky - actually paragliders jumping off Lion's Head.
The Food Lady likes these stone walls along the Pipe Track. They were built well over 100 years ago, in 1887 which was when the Pipe Track was built to service the pipe that brought water from the dams down the side of the mountain to Cape Town.
We passed a group of hikers, one of whom the Food Lady knew - Marilyn from Book Club - but they turned up towards Diagonal Gorge - and disappeared into the misty, spooky hills where the ghosts of runaway slaves and deserters like
Joshua Penny haunt the steep slopes.
After an hour of gentle walking, we paused for a civilized tea on a bench overlooking Camps Bay,
sheltered by a large, gently scented Box Phylica (
Phylica buxifolia) which had a few bright red star shaped flowers which we have never noticed before.
We walked a little further on, then we came upon this domed building (which we have seen before) that is apparently a "break-pressure plant" built at the same time as the Pipe Track in 1887. We used it as the halfway mark, and reluctantly turned round.
But first I did a bit of exploring myself.
The Food Lady liked this prickly
Cliffortia, probably Climber's Friend (
C. ruscifolia) with red stems and red fluffy flowers. They are related to roses. The red fluffiness is the female flower's feathery styles.
Twirly False Dodder (
Cassytha ciliolata) on the stone walls. This twining, parasitic plant is, bizarrely, related to the Stinkwood Tree as it is also a member of the Lauraceae or laurel family.
Cool pools for hot scots.
These two ladies and a sausage dog were doing a spot of alien eradication on the path back to Kloof Nek. They looked at us in a fierce way as if to say "Lazy, lazy people - just enjoying the mountain but not helping to preserve it!"
But we were quite tired and not in the mood for any alien hacking. Almost back at the cars now - one more bridge to cross. You can see the water pipe on the right.
We then went to see if we could spot our surfing cousins doing their thing in the Lifesaving Champs on Clifton, but no dogs were allowed
so we just had a look around the parking lot, chatted to Julia (who was a bit cross because Anna's bag had been stolen from Camps Bay beach with her cellphone, wetsuit and other stuff),
watched some paragliders coming in, then headed home,
stopping only to buy some hanepoot grapes at Constantia Nek.
That afternoon we were left at home while they went out to celebrate Edmund's 21st.
And they didn't even bring us home a cupcake! (Made by Clare).
Argus Cycle Tour today. Lots of bicycles whoooshing past on the motorway and people clapping and music blaring.
We arrived at Tafelberg Road under the gums to find Paul and Pauline patiently (in more ways than one!) waiting. We then headed up the zig zags in the already warm and still air.
It was quite hot and dry, but there were still lots for the photographing Phoodlady. She snapped away at this rather poisonous Leafy Jeukbol (Drimia media), and
some Wild Dagga (Leonotis leonurus). Although this is no relative of the real thing, it is interesting to note that Celtis africana - which they were all nattering on about as a good tree for the garden - is sometimes placed in the Hemp Family Cannabaceae.
Now this is a plant more to a dog's taste. It is rather delightfully stinky and aptly called Helichrysum foetidum.
Someone had made a fairy ring around this little cushion of Crassula pruinosa.
Looking down on Cape Town. The Alph was imaging the start of the Argus Cycle Tour that he did 10 times (or more - must check with him).
Some healthy stands of Paul's curly grass - Pentaschistis curvifolia.
While Paul and the Alph admired the view,
I admired the dassies and lizards so tantalizingly out of reach,
and the Food Lady admired this little Altydvygie (Erepsia anceps) so named because it doesn't closes its petals at night or in rain like other vygies, and
she nearly trod on these Autumn Pipes (Gladiolus brevifolius.) Maybe she thought she was back on the Pipe Track.
Dougal went up the hill looking for mice. He thinks they won't see him as he blends in so well with the path. You can see the moon up ahead.
We broke for lunch at Oppelskop - the reason being that there was a broken down stone hut up there where we hoped to find some shade.
The Food Lady has trawled through lots of books and the Internet but there is nothing about this ruined building at all except that it is generally called "the ruined look-out hut". We are curious to know who looked out of it when it was whole and functioning. Look at my enquiring demeanour! Dougal, of course, was just looking for things to kill.
Tea at the ruin. Dougal (is that a lizard down that crack?), Pauline, me, Paul and the Alph.
Posing for photos or looking for dassies and baboons?
Hey Dougal!
is this what you are looking for?
With the day getting hotter and hotter, we strode off with the Alph towards Devils Peak and the scary traverse,
the others not far behind. You can see the outcrop of Oppelskop on the left. We also have no idea who Oppel was either but he must have had a funny shaped head.
On the steepest, scariest bit, we spotted these April Fool flowers growing precariously on the cliff. They are probably Haemanthus coccineus but we couldn't get close enough to check.
Paul spotted this Sybas tree (Maytenus acuminata). The specific name is derived from the Latin acuminatus that describes its tapering leaves 
and the Sybas name comes from the Afrikaans for silk that describes these silky threads when you break the leaves and pull them apart.
Now it was getting really hot and we had to leave the lush flowers (Erica abietina var. abietina and a Helichrysum and
Erica hirtiflora) and the shady cliffs and strike out into the open again. It was too hot even for the Food Lady to photograph as we zigged and zagged down the 17 zigzags which makes 34 zigs and zags altogether.
When we got home I perked up again and let those pesky neighbouring dogs know that WE WERE BACK.
Dougal had enough energy to sort out some skinks in the garden too.
But then I was grabbed and given a bath as I am a bit smelly, and even though Paul came today, it is still not good enough, so everyone, next week I will be clean and sweet smelling!
Today was very exciting as Thomas the cool, cool Blue Roan 
and saying hi to Ellie the Basset with her basset profundo voice. Her mother was the headmistress of Herschel and her real name is 
