RIP Sprinkle

Yesterday we said farewell to Sprinkle, our beloved Burmese, after having shared our lives with her for just over nineteen years.  The house is empty without her and her absence makes us realise how much she meant to all of us who knew her.

Born on the fourth of July 1999, and christened La Berni Katya, we renamed her Sprinklefeather and she became known as Sprinkle.  Many neighbours looked after her in her youth when she was prone to wander, but she settled into our home in Prestwick Village when we moved here three years ago and seldom left the house during that time.

As Gillian said, she was the coolest cat, and had us firmly under her thumb at all times!

A walk to Plaaskombuis

 

The walkers enjoyed the beautiful vistas on the sea side and when the top of the path was reached, the spectacular Hemel and Aarde Valley was an easy downhill amble.

As you can see, all the walkers were spoilt by Piet and Martha with coffee and a snack at Die Plaaskombuis at the end of the walk, as it was Martha’s 80 Birthday earlier this year and she insisted on picking up the bill.

Jenny

Hailstorm in Hermanus

Hail on the Golf Course

We were awoken this morning to the thunderous sound of heavy hail battering our tin roof.  It was still dark, but by the time it was light enough to snap an early picture, we were amazed to see the golf course, white with its icy covering.  A good fall of 30mm of rain during the night will have gone a long way towards improving Hermanus’ dam levels and we look forward to more over the next couple of days

Kleinmond Coastal Path

It was a real pleasure, as one of the 14 Hurriers who walked the Kleinmond Coastal Path this morning, to see the wild sea thundering against the rocks!  The weather was perfect, although a bit cold to start with and we all thoroughly enjoyed the walk to the beach at the mouth of the Palmiet river, and back.  Regrettably, the masses of Pelargoniums that line the path were not yet in bloom – they should be good in a month’s time – but we saw a few other flowers along the way.

High seas

Aloe sp

Aloe sp. close up

Waiting for the wind

Pelargonium cucullatum

Adenandra villosa

Alien, but beautiful!

Muraltia sp.

Indigofera glomerata

Tea time

Coming out of the beach at Palmiet river mouth

Lobelia sp.

Felicia sp.

Othonia dentata

Oxalis sp.

Romulea rosea

Flower frenzy on De Mond se Kop

This morning I had the singular pleasure of accompanying eight ladies on their walk up the Zig-Zag path and on to De Mond se Kop in search of interesting plants.  We were not disappointed.

A bitterly cold wind kept us company and ensured that we were well wrapped up at all times.  Despite being heavily overcast, it did not rain at all, for which we were very thankful.  As for the flowers, we saw many beautiful specimens and stopped so many times to look and photograph, that I at times wondered if we would ever get off the mountain.  In the end we spent seven hours out and covered around 11 kilometres

Apart from the fynbos that so occupied everyone, we also saw a Cape Rockjumper and a beautiful pair of Black Harriers ranging above the three dams.  It was a wonderful sight to see these rare birds in Fernkloof!

At the start of the Jeep Track

A waterfall

Raindrops on Restios

A bedraggled Protea lepidocarpodendron

Cyclopia genistoides

Thaminophyllum latifolium

Struthiola confusa

Viola decumbens

There it is

Dewdrops n the sun

Erica imbricata

Erica spumosa

Erica spumosa close up

Grubbia rosmarinifolia

Erica fastigiata

Erica perspicua

Roridula gorgonias with its catch

Berzelia alopecuroides

Erica corifolia

Erica sp.

Rain on a spiderweb

Disperis capensis

A gall on Protea cynaroides

Silver brooch

Carpacoce vaginellata

Lobelia pinifolia

Grotto Beach

Voelklip beach

Erica lanuginosa

Klein river lagoon

Metalasia sp.

Thesium euphorbiodes

Saltera sarcocolla

Restio sp.

Anaxeton asperum

Mimetes cucullatus

Roridula gorgonias

Roridula gorgonias

In the pink

From Fernkloof towards Vogelgat

Erica cumuliflora

Struthiola sp.

Clutia alaternoides

Brunia laevis

Leucodendron gandogeri female

Flowering moss (or lichen?)

Two walks in Fernkloof

Wednesday Morning

After the wind, cold and rain of the previous number of days 10 intrepid Hurrriers reported at the Visitors Center at 08.30.  It was a crisp clear day, perfect weather for walking.

Gert suggested that we do a circular walk up to Klipspringer, traverse across Kanonkop, go to the top of Lemoenkop for a coffee break and back to the Visitors’ Centre.  This walk gave us the opportunity to enjoy the fresh air, the vistas across the bay with a distant glimpse of a whale just beyond the breakers at the mouth of the Mossel River and we even enjoyed seeing the little herd of Springbok on the golf course.

Sandy and Liz spotted an orchid just in bud along the diagonal path to Klipspringer to which they were planning to return to on Thursday for proper identification.  The rest of the party walked past in ignorance!!

Just a perfect day; even Piet could not find anything to complain about

Submitted by Piet, himself!

 

Friday Morning

A brisk walk along the Klipspringer Trail this morning reminded us of how lucky we are to live in Hermanus!  Perfect weather and the start of Spring flowers, added to the beautiful call of the Cape Grassbird, made for a wonderful morning.  We did not find the orchid referred to above.

Then, when we got home it was all ruined when Renee announced that she had lost her engagement ring!  We had a quick lunch and returned to see if we could find it, and, lo and behold, it only took us about 20 paces and there it was, lying on the edge of the path!  What a relief!  Renee has been wearing it for about 52 years and was feeling pretty bleak until then, but the good morning was restored!!

Protea longifolia

Polygala sp.

Erica sessiliflora

Mimetes cucullatus

Leucodendron sp.

Anaxeton asperum

Moss

Protea nitida

Lobelia pinifolia

Eikendal Orchids

An open day at Eikendal today drew many visitors.  We went along and were amazed at the wonderful display of Orchids for sale.  Whilst there were many bold and brightly coloured varieties, it was the little ones that fascinated me.