Walking in unspoiled nature

While I wouldn't go so far as to say the air was slightly autumnal today - the light is still that of summer - but a harbinger of autumn sent some cloud cover over the Peninsula. Our early morning walk down to the lighthouse was beneath a cloudless sky, only a strong shore break giving away what was to arrive a bit later. Early surfers were out there taking advantage of some steep waves and wipeouts were very much the order of the day - not something I have seen often in all my years observing at the Outer Kom.

 The lighthouse, which was completely restored externally only two years ago, is once again adorned in a cloak of scaffolding, which leads one to think that the contract for maintenance must have gone out to tender and as is usual these days, will entail frequent painting with inferior materials, rather than the old way of making it last for 10 years or so. At least the scaffolding is quite attractive, being uniformly red and without the ragged pieces of hessian which were randomly attached last time. The lighthouse is now our very own Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Later in the day, we took a drive down to Scarborough with the doggies in the Mini for a run on the small beach. By then, the sky had darkened and the sea was churning ashore, kite boarders in evidence far out. The dogs have apparently aged significantly since we last were down there, as normally they run and run, side by side, until nearly out of sight before rushing back to us. But this time, Monty barely broke into a trot, and poor little Susie, who in the last few days seems to have lost her sight in the other eye now, didn't leave our heels. I fear it is time to get her a pair of dark glasses and a little white stick.

I had barely got home when I got an invitation to go walking around the island here in Kommetjie, so despite an outlook threatening rain, off I set again. It really is the most marvellous place to walk, allowing you to look back towards the shoreline as if out at sea and giving a panoramic view over the Peninsula mountain chain starting with the Sentinel on the left and ending the with lighthouse at the foot of Slangkop. Out to sea, anchovy boats chugged towards the horizon, disappearing into the shadow of approaching rain, and the waves continued to tower higher and higher, gleaming brightly in the shards of sunlight breaking through gaps in the clouds as they tumbled and foamed towards the rocks.

In total, on all three walks I don't think we passed more than 15 people (all accompanied by numerous dogs). It's hard to believe that so few are out there enjoying this spectacular area of natural beauty, but then again, perhaps that is what adds to its attraction - it is relatively unspoiled except for easily accessible areas.

Long may it last.