Schuco YES / NO bear or BING

It's about time we had a bear on here. I know of two that are hanging around the cottage you haven't seen before.
The larger one is a Schoco Yes / No bear from the 1940 - 1950's .OR IS HE ?
He's a little guy, 5 inches tall, with a metal base covered with mohair.

Schuco patented yes/no bears that first appeared at a toy fair in Leipzig in Germany in 1921. The bears head could be moved left to right and up and down by moving a lever in their tail. Six sizes were made ranging from 25 to 60 cms.

After world war two the yes/no bear was re introduced as the Tricky Yes/No Bear. Made in seven sizes, and various mohair colours, blond, gold, red-brown. Their arms are distinctive as they have down turned paws and seem to be begging.

Early yes/no bears had short mohair and wore a red bow.
 
Tricky yes/no bears introduced in the 1950's had down turned paws, broad flat feet and their muzzles often shaved. Many mechanical bears resemble those designed by Gebruder Bing, with small facial features, a slightly upturned nose, slim body, narrow straight arms and legs.....  Schuco, Tricky yes/no bear, or a Bing ?

Think I'll go with Schuco here, but if anyone knows any different please let me know and I'll amend this post.

I haven't a clue about the other little guy. Although he is so heavy, another metal bear covered with mohair. Smartening these little guys up slightly is all in hand. I won't change a thing about the bears. . LEAVE WELL ALONE.... they both have their own charachter.
Maybe give them some new clothes, which will help to keep their good looks. It's fine to restore bears, but there are some you really should leave as they are.
 

It's been a quiet week in the cottage, it's been raining, as they say "the great british Summer" has arrived. Wool has come out from the cupboard under the stairs and felting has started.

Frank has decided it's better to be in the dry than scouting around out in the garden. 

At least our Sunflowers have returned, happy guys.
Rain or shine, hope you all have a great week. 

Dartmoor Day out. Hound Tor.

We could have headed for the beach on such a blissfully beautiful sunny clear July day,  instead we headed back up towards Dartmoor. The last time we went to Hound Tor, it was in March, a cold and blustery day.
Not a day for rock climbing.  

Dartmoor is scattered with Granite Tors. Hound Tor really is the place where Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had his inspiration for The Hound of the Baskervilles. It was a better day to visit in July rather than March.

Dartmoor has a mixture of traditional Farmland, with drystone walls and hedgerows. Peat and moorland protected as it's a National Park.

My friend Paulette asked me what Dartmoor was like.............

A bit like being on the top of the world, where the sky meets the land when you find a high enough spot.

The granite alive with flowers and lichen.

Sign posts that tell you the way to go, you can still get lost. No matter how many times we go there, we always come home a different way.

Farm Houses.

That you find down narrow lanes.

Wild open moor land.

The foal is asleep, in case your wondering, why he's lying down.

Cars parked beside the road.... 

Don't take my word for it, you can see for yourself.

Dartmoor days - Medieval Clapper Bridge

Driving around on Dartmoor National Park, you can completely loose yourself down small winding lanes and suddenly find yourself in a time warp. This traditional Chocolate box cottage was too hard to ignore with our camera.

The views are breathtaking.

A Toll house, the days when you would have to pay a toll to use the road. A price for every goat, pig, sheep and cow, cart and person.

Some of the bridges, are easier to cross than others. This is a Medieval Clapper bridge. 

Sheep rustling is starting to be a problem on the moor, the reason why sheep owners have taken to dipping their sheep in dye. It seems to be the best deterrent known so far as the sheep can be easily recognised.

Not all the sheep are in fields, many of them roam across the moor and roads.

Not every four legged beauty is so good at crossing the road.

Prince Town high on the Moor has some new buildings since we last visited.

A new craft centre. The visitors centre is still there, but be warned they are now charging for the privilege of entering. It's Summer time and to be expected. You have been warned.......

 The three wheeled reliant was built in 1948. It's probably just about the right size to squeeze itself down some of the roads on the moor we find.

This is Margaret who we met inside the craft centre.  It's always great to see art and then meet the artist.
Margaret's web site isn't completed yet, but as soon as I have a link I'll put it on and you can visit Margaret's other work.

Mostly our meander on the moor always ends up stopping for tea.
This time we were lucky enough to find a tea shop that also had  geese, ducks, chickens, goats, rabbits.

They were all well kept and well looked after.

They even had some for sale. Very tempted.

Although someone watching with their beady eye, it put me off.
I do however know of another blog that can tell you more about chicks than I can...
Probably about their beady eye's too. 
HI REBEKAH..... you can find Rebekah HERE   Feather, Beak and Claw.

Berry Head, Brixham, South Devon in July

On a beautifully warm crystal clear Sunday morning I can't think of a better place to go and watch the world go by. You can find Berry Head at the southern tip of Tor Bay, made of limestone with 60 (200 feet) metre high cliffs, it is now a nature reserve.

If you missed anything in the left to right video, you can see it again right to left.

On one side the view will take you almost over to Dartmouth. Just passed the rocks that are called The Mew Stones. Nothing to do with this Mew.

 
At Berry Head large ditches surround the remains of a Napoleonic Fort.

A little boy's paradise, a cannon.now standing somewhat sorrowfully looking out to fields

You can find out more about Berry Head by visiting HERE

Confessions of a postcard nut.
I've always loved receiving postcards since I was a little girl.
If your a postcard nut too, try postcard crossing

This is a card from from Mark and Becca a few weeks ago.

A postcard crossing card from Tatjana in Estonia.
If you want a post card from Devon, let me know. 
This weekend we didn't go far enough away to send postcards, went past you know where.......

to visit the hairy caterpillar called Chops,

smiley Cookie Buns.

and birthday boy Mark

One of us had to stay at home.

Frank had a quiet day ! 

Cheddar Gorge in Somerset and Glastonbury Tor.

Our travels took us to Cheddar Gorge in Somerset this week.A Limestone gorge in the Mendip Hills.
Before any one comments, "ONE OF US", has spelt Cheddar wrongly... don't look at me ! 
,

We last went to Cheddar a couple of years ago, one week before Easter, it was quiet and lucky us, it seemed we had the whole place to ourselves. I remember it being a sunny day. Not that much sun in the photo's taken this week, but the weed behind the waterfall looks just as green with or without the sun.

Don't think the ducks minded either way.

I can't mention Cheddar Gorge without mentioning the Caves. A tourist delight.

Among the tourist shops they have added a Christmas shop. It wasn't there on our last visit, lots of twinkly lights and things that glitter.

I couldn't help but be drawn to it like a magnet or maybe like a Magpie.  As everyone keeps telling me, you can never start early enough for Christmas.... It even had smells of Christmas inside the shop. Can't do smells on here yet, but I'm sure that will come in time.

We were really more interested in the gorge itself.
It's much better if you drive through it listening to something that inspires you to make it to the top.

The reason why we thought you might like to enjoy the ride up.
The car now shines like a new pin again, before anyone comments about the windscreen, so through the dirty window, hope you enjoy your ride.

We also took the long route home, through Glastonbury, past Glastonbury Tor. No ride up here, it's a walking trip. For this one your on your own, or just view from afar. For anyone who is interested they are still clearing away the festival site.

I know from my last post, you might have expected a new set of paws around the cottage.

Not this time, but we will keep looking. We all know that rescue dogs are very special and need just the right home. Some love cats and some don't. Here in the Cottage it helps if dogs and cats get along.

If you haven't heard from me this week via blog land or other means, I promise you will eventually.
So much seems to have gone on this week,I have even missed some of the tennis. Mark has updated Soggibottom for me, although I only noticed today.  Aren't kids the best ?
Thanks Mark.
The garden looks just as I love it to be, a mini jungle, and it's nearly the 4th of July.
The nearest celebration to the 4th of July for us is Mark's birthday on the 10th.

Happy 30th BIRTHDAY MARK         Sparky Brand

 YO, Mark.

30 YEARS OLD. Aren't Mum's and Dad's great too ?