The ones we love never go away, they walk right beside us.

The ones we love never go away, they walk right beside us.
Jake and I found these words written on a seat a few days ago when we went on a fossil expedition to Charmouth Beach.
 

You don't have to look far, fossils are all around you, you only have to know what your looking for... I promise to show you in another post.

 Jake has had a busy week.

 His legs were a bit wobbly when he came off of this ride but, he recovered.

 I was tempted here I have to admit.
It's Carnival week and the fair is in town.

 Wild Mouse anyone ?

 We haven't only visited fossil beach and fairs this week, we have found new friends.

Meet Freya, Jo, you know Jake. 

 I have a feeling we all really wanted to take Jo home. We can understand exactly why there was a collie dog's photo on the farm gate.

 Jo shares her home with a few other paws. Mum, Dad...........

Two brother's.

of Freya Rose Blossom 

Pedigree name........... Valley Taws Princess Freya

 I know Freya Rose Blossom's namesake Freya will be a soggibottom follower from afar.

 We promise, she is in good hands.

She follows in an other's paw prints, she isn't Amie Soto Blossom, but I have a feeling she will always be chauffeured not driven, just like Ames.

 I forgot to add, no one told Frank !

Flying high at Dawlish Warren. Boys stuff.

 Karina has sent Jake down to us for the school holiday, TO KEEP US BUSY.
Thanks Mark for chauffeuring Jake to Devon. The rest I will leave to your own imagination.
I wonder if you'll realise who eventually managed to get the seagull kite to take it's first flight.

We've had the kite for over three years in the back of the car, waiting for just this very moment.

In case your wondering, Tony drives our own car with panache too..........  Boys stuff !

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.