Tuesday 6 October 2009

South Cape Bay - 16th September 2009

The Swarm struggle dazedly to their next scheduled food stop, while, out-of-shot, Pied Oystercatchers hide food, South Cape Bay - 16th September 2009It was school holidays, and The Swarm (of locusts) needed to be taken out and made to walk as an antidote to the various electronic games with which they had "wasted" much of the rest of their holiday. South Cape Bay is a good lengthy walk without taxing hills, and not too bad even when the weather higher up is a bit iffy. The trip was akin to what I imagine a walk with Hobbits would be like. It commenced with a large breakfast (probably half a big box of Nutri-Grain each, they're cheaper by the pallet), and then a ritual emptying of the fridge and cupboards into backpacks. After an arduous 40 minutes by car, they required refuelling at Dover with second breakfast, so egg and bacon rolls were purchased and consumed before they succumbed to impending hunger. I felt I had to join them in this ritual, so as not to make them feel in any way guilty about the cost. Having eaten all the Dover Takeaway's E&B rolls (The Swarm has been there!) we resumed our journey.

South Cape Bay Beach, scoured of all edible items after the passing of The Swarm - 16th September 2009A quick snack (elevenses?) further fortified them for the walk on arrival at Recherche Bay, and occasional devouring of muesli bars and chocolate continued to lighten packs as the walk proceeded. They were obviously well fed, as the leaches found their ankles enticing. First lunch was taken on the cliffs overlooking South Cape Bay, before a stroll along the beach produced a need to eat again (second lunch?) at the western end. Supplies were running low, allowing only a few snacks on the return journey for The Swarm. Blood glucose was dangerously low on return to the car (that is, there was a little too much blood in their glucose stream). Valiantly I drove them in an emergency dash to the Dover Grocery Store, where enormous fudgy ice creams provided sufficient energy to enable them to snooze comfortably (and me to drive) for the 40 minutes return drive home. This was the land of milk and honey, or at least milk, Weet-Bix and Milo, which can be taken in equal quantities (large ones) in a full large soup-bowl, as I have discovered. This, and occasional glasses of milk, tided them over until dinner, as I recall. Anyway, they seem to be as slim as ever, so I'm worried that maybe I underfed them...

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