Elsies Peak and Cape Point with processing pictures for the blog

by Diana Studer
- gardening for biodiversity
in Cape Town, South Africa

Elsies Peak

Look across False Bay to Africa. The path begins just above the houses, climbs very steeply up, UP among the rocks.

Elsies Peak looking across False Bay
Elsies Peak looking across False Bay

Views either side down to our valley and the next. Looking to Chapman's Peak - which we see from our bay window - and where we watch for cold fronts and Atlantic storms bringing our winter rain. We need to be on Jager Walk, or up the mountain to see across to Cape Hangklip and the Rest of Africa.

Elsies Peak to Chapman's Peak
Elsies Peak to Chapman's Peak

To Cape Hangklip
To Cape Hangklip

In August blooming on Elsies Peak we found - orange Leonotis,  prickly Berkheya, mauve spike of Cyphia, a fern, white Dimorphotheca and yellow Oedera, Aizoon (used to grow in our Camps Bay garden and looks like a succulent Edelweiss) small pink Serruria protea, yellow bulbs ? and Moraea, yellow vygie Lampranthus, mauve Senecio, white ?, blue and pink Lobostemon, orange Chasmanthe, Nemesia.

Elsies Peak August flowers
Elsies Peak August flowers

Down to the curve of beach we walk. When you are down there, the dune hides suburbia.

Fish Hoek beach
Fish Hoek beach

Cape Point

Along the Hoerikwaggo Trail and back along the coast. Very windy - hung onto my hat all the way - and now have a hat with an unflattering string under my chin.

Cape Point
Cape Point is just off centre

The yellow pincushion protea which grew in our Camps Bay garden (on that sunny side of the mountain with silver furry leaves)

Yellow pincushion October Cape Point
Yellow pincushion October Cape Point

The trail is on the shoreline between tough green and rocks.

Shark's Teeth mountain
Shark's Teeth mountain

Blooming in October at Cape Point we saw - ivory Crassula ? Leucadendron cone flowers, Protea scolymocephala (tried to grow that here), rainbow Zaluzianskya, purple Senecio ?, white daisy, yellow pea flower Aspalathus ?, white knobs of Brunia, crimson centred white Adenandra, brown and ivory Ferraria, yellow vygie Lampranthus ?, cotton puffs on wild rosemary, pink tipped white Bokbaaivygie, blue Nemesia, yellow daisy, pink Gladiolus.

Cape Point October flowers
Cape Point October flowers

Blog photos

My learning curve on this blog is a flight of stairs with some friendly help as I climb up. I arrive in my comfort zone on the terrace and settle down to admire the view. The List niggles at the back of my mind. I read techie this and techie that, and resort my list. The next flight of stairs beckons. The view is better from there. I weigh up each part of the journey. Does it matter? And how do I do it?

My blog is not monetised so I will only use free tools. Blogger has recently offered us fast, device responsive new themes. Checking my new Soho theme for speed, there are still issues. The header (renamed Background) was fuzzy. The instructions vary, depending who you ask. A ratio of 16:9 Minimum width 1440 pixels. Maximum of 300 KB. Compress the image before uploading.

Sun sea and sand header
Sun sea and sand header
for Denise and the Ungardener

Until now I have used the dated software from my first Canon. 'Send via email' which, yes made the file size smaller, but also blurred the quality. I use FastStone, to convert screenshots to JPEG. I discovered today it gives me a compressed image, which retains the sharpness. My new header is now sharper and the text is clear.

Today I will try compressing the images via FastStone. You can click each of my images to make it larger; the quality is retained while the file size is smaller for quicker loading.

Next flight of stairs? My new camera has arrived!!

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Pictures by Diana and Jürg Studer

Teal blue text is my links.
To read comments if you are in email or a Reader, first click thru to the blog)



Thanks for comments that add value. Maybe start a new thread of discussion? BTW your comment won't appear until I've read it. No Google account? Just use Anonymous, but do leave a link to your own blog. I would return the visit, if I could ...
I welcome comments on posts from the last 2 months
Danke für sinnvolle Kommentare. Die werden erst veröffentlicht nachdem ich sie gelesen habe. Es können auch Bemerkungen sein die in eine ganz andere Richtung gehen.

Comments

  1. How I would enjoy hiking with you in your beautiful countryside, Diana! The idea of a panoramic view of pincushion plants is hard to imagine! I just planted one in a sunny area of my garden with my fingers crossed that it will survive and flourish there.

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    1. Your proteas seem to appreciate your green fingers.

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  2. What beautiful flowers cover such rugged countryside. The views are splendid. Thanks for taking us on this tour.

    FlowerLady

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  3. Wonderful groups of wildflowers. Your stair-climbing analogy is one we can all relate to. They say learning new things is good for the brain, so I try not to resent the constant upgrading and steep learning curve.

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    1. I wanted to learn Spanish, instead I am learning to laptop.

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  4. Lovely photos & flowers, my favourite is the yellow pin cushion! Nice to be able to enlarge the photos too ... Everything seems to be working well. Good luck with the new camera ... I'm starting some photography lessons too.

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  5. Seeing a San Diego-looking landscape, but with less city and wild proteas still grabs my attention to your exotic place! The header - a fine touch. The "ungardener" is still my favorite term.

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    1. The Ungardener 's current project is harvesting rain water. The tank has arrived.

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  6. I really shouldn't read your blog anymore. It makes me unbearably homesick! On the other hand, whenever I'm missing home, I pop in at yours for a visit. Thank you for sharing your pics.

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  7. Your flower collages are stunning. My favorite is Elsies Peak August flowers. A new camera? How exciting -- what did you get, or did I miss that information somehow? P. x

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    1. I haven't tried it yet - but plan tomorrow as a first lesson. And then it will be in the next blog post.

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  8. So many familiar flowers, we have so many of yours growing here. Wow that beautiful yellow Pincushion!

    I enjoyed your trek, thank you for sharing it, and making the effort of wading through the language of laptop to do so.

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  9. It's a wonderful hike - thanks for sharing it! Your shot of the yellow pincushions epitomizes so much rugged beauty! All those wildflowers are fabulous; perhaps I should try some Zaluzianskya in the garden - tempting, and I believe I can get seeds... ;-)

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    Replies
    1. Drumsticks are enchanting little flowers with uniquely shaped petals.

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  10. What wonderful wildflower walks you have available in your part of the world! Such an amazing variety of flowers. I guess that's why the plant hunters looking for new plants to introduce in our US nurseries head to South Africa to collect seed. I still use the "ZoomBrowser" photo editing software that came with my Canon camera, using the option of "exporting" images to save them down to a smaller size for publishing online.

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    1. Still need to find out if there is fresh Canon software. I do like the comfort zone of Zoombrowser.

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  11. Stairs, stairs - there's no getting away from them. Re the walk near your place, what an absolutely divine place to live. I look for places like that to go on holiday if I'm lucky - but to live there all the time must be wonderful. Beautiful photos.

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    1. Poirot would say the stairs are good for the little grey cells ;~)

      We do enjoy that beach walk - about an hour - just right.

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  12. Stunning views, love the picture of the Yellow pincushion

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  13. Beautiful photographs! And a horizontal sea... I am flattered :-))

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    1. You are very welcome (we've been reading each other's blogs for years)

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  14. Such wonderful photos however you managed to get them on the blog. One of these days I would love to travel to your corner and enjoy the exotic plants. We do have agapanthus growing in our garden. A very South African plant I think. B x

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  15. The landscape and plants around you are absolutely stunning! I was thinking of changing things on my blog now having read your difficulties I am not so sure! Sarah x

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    1. Have a look at Peggy's video clip.

      My difficulties with photos, to be fair, go way back and have nothing to do with the new theme. But the shiny new nudged me to Can Do Better.

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  16. Ah yes! The joy of hiking. I'm just back from doing half of the West Highland Way in Scotland (my first multi-day thru hike), it was awesome. But wow, what a contrast, your hike looks epic and ohh my your photographs = eek, I'm smiling.
    The whole putting photos on a blog thing is a nightmare, I understand your pain. I only have a Chromebook now and it's virtually impossible but onwards! Hope you love your new camera, I really ought to start back into using mine instead of my phone for everything. xx

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    1. Respect!
      My limit is a few hours, then home for tea.

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  17. Such wonderful scenery! What pleasurable hikes you have with so many lovely flowers and stunning vistas! Best wishes for you and your new camera! But can your photos get any better?

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    1. (Oh, thank you - but yes, working at getting the camera to 'see what I see!')

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  18. This brings back memories, I well remember the day we visited Chapman's Peak.
    Amalia
    xo

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    1. Wow you sure have a lot to deal with concerning water shortage. Is this a seasonal or yearly event? I congratulate you on how you created ways to store water and it doesn't seem to affect your vase variety of flowers and plants. Loving the landscapes ! Enjoy your new camera.

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    2. A bit like California. We have had two years when the winter rains failed. Watching carefully to see how this winter plays out. But next summer looks grim.

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