An Artists Garden. The vineyards. Jasmine hedonistic, as we watch the sun through the trees. Bubbles, red wine and Simon&Garfunkel while Polly rolls in the grass. Sunset shadows through the trees. Gurgling fountain. Felecia adding spots of blue.

The sun easing its way into a new day. Francolins and Guineafowl, broken voiced, discordant raucous. A quick catch-up with George before we were dragged kicking and screaming into the courtyard at the Salmon bar. Then forced to drink bubbles and enjoy the salmon platter. The only disappointment, for Polly, was that her stream for wading in wasn’t working.

Painting in the garden, my legs hammered by midges as I smeared charcoal and acrylic about the place. ‘Make a Wish’, a carefree illustration of the garden fountain at the cottage in a the vineyards, on a spring afternoon.

Boots tramping through the mud of the vineyards, still oozing water after the last rains. Polly in her ‘Farm Dog’ mode. Mud splattered, wet and happy. My bum less certain after the unaccustomed hills.

A day in the West Coast National Park with spring wild flowers. Mountain sides dusted with yellow and white. Eland walking delicately through swaths of purple and orange. A couple of tortoises forcing the traffic to adapt to their pace, which allowed for that special glimpse of fynbos, and the heady smell of the sea.

An unplanned stop at Durbanville Hills restaurant for lunch, looking out over a hazy Table Mountain. The cavernous interior almost a deck in space. We enjoyed stunning scallops, oysters wrapped in Parma ham. Butternut, spinach and feta spring rolls and a lamb hamburger with bacon, aged cheddar and fig. Lamp sculptures, the standout art in the restaurant. Edgy, without detracting for the main aspect, which is the view. Mirrored in the food, which while immaculately served, doesn’t overpower the wines.

Wine. Laughter. Braai fires. Music. Birds. Red, yellow and orange clivia’s and pincushion protea flowers. Hot days, interspersed with moody, misty weather. Spring in the vineyards.