Along the shoreline

Here in the Cape we specialise in extremes of weather - either too hot or too windy or too calm or too cold. Today was rather in between - in fact, perfect. No breeze rippled the surface in the bay as we took a stroll along the catwalk before it got too hot. The resident oystercatchers pecked unconcerned among the rocks, as limpet gatherers filled bags with what I presume would be supper. I've had limpet before, rather like eating a tennis ball.

We walked as far as the launching bay and were treated to a twirl of terns as the flock took off en masse as if at the signal of a conductor's baton and spun low over the sea until eventually settling again on the rocks which line the channel where the boats take to sea. They were a spectacular site as they banked, the sun shining as if from above on a sheet of outstretched wings, and just as suddenly they disappeared from view as they banked the other way. Within minutes all was tranquil again, birds perched on slivers of rock peeping out of the water before the incoming tide washed over them and chased the birds back to the shoreline.

Some high clouds are approaching from the west, so perhaps it will cool down for the weekend. I'm off to Montagu, where it's 40 degrees, and hopefully will stay that way, as it's a stargazing weekend and it would be just my luck that the two days of cloud that Montagu gets in a year will coincide with the outing!