Easy on Saturday morning

Our morning walk with the dogs down to the lighthouse turned into an unscheduled jog. We are neither of us athletes by nature or inclination, but when slashing rain is but a wave or two away, we can become like Hermes with wings on our heels. As good fortune would have it, the cloud moved ever so slightly south and so we were only sprinkled, not soaked, and doubtless the increased heart rate was good for the metabolism.

There are not many photo opportunities, what with the spray and the gloomy skies, certainly no good for my little phone camera, and the snow is on the other side of the Peninsula, so we can't even see it. The sea is just lumpy but the most beautiful bottle green with whiter than white surf as the swells crest and fall. (Does 'crestfallen' mean your face dissolves into white foam? - no, it means dejected as a result of a blow to one's ambitions - perhaps the waves' ambitions are dashed on the rocks?) Once again, I digress...

We had our usual family (mother, father and three daughters) Saturday breakfast. This takes place at various nurseries around the valley. They all have restaurants attached these days - they actually can't afford not to, as all outings seem to include some kind of refreshment and I doubt whether a nursery that doesn't offer at least coffee and cake would do as much business as those that do. The likelihood of buying plants after a leisurely breakfast is infinitely higher, certainly as far as we are concerned! Today it was the turn of Easy Dig at Harry Goemans Nursery between Fish Hoek and Kommetjie. The coffee is excellent, the food attractively served and tasty, and the surroundings made as comfortable as possible considering the weather. The nursery itself offers a wide range of healthy plants and garden accessories with plenty of knowledgeable assistance on hand.

I brought home an indoor fern and a punnet of tomatoes - tempting the baboons and porcupines again, I fear, but somehow we never seem to want to give up the delights of picking our own food from the vegetable patch! Spring is upon us and with all this rain, I think the garden will be off to a good start.