Part 2..

Thats actually a picture of the forest in Doone valley! as taken by my poorly camera, very artistic don't you think?
One thing i'd noticed on my way to the campsite was the ignorance of the people i reversed for on pulled in to allow past! I don't mind doing it one bit and it's less painful than watching someone struggle not to go off road in thier 4X4's , but not one person acknowledged us and i was starting to boil, quite alot of them i realised where from the site , i needed a week there to get them trained in basic manners but instead we left really early, before they started to emerge and we had the road to ourselves..
Needless to say it was very foggy, and we got a wee bit lost on the moors it was good though we saw wild ponies, in the mist and one jumped into the road in front of us!! why do animals do this?? We missed it though because i was only doing about 10mph, and it carried on it's merry way..
By now we where really hungry and needed a cafe, so as i pulled over to let a farmer past i flagged him and shouted " wheres the nearest cafe"he looked a bit shocked a grockle who smiles? and talks to you..."Follow the road down through such and such and take care on the bends" What a Lovely man my faith was being restored..
We saw an area of stunted hawthorne or something and in the fog with the sun shining to it was magical, we couldnt stop though...
It was now 8am as we dropped down under a tunnel of trees and saw a "Pheasant warning sign" how weird and carried on into the town looking for early open signs on the cafes we spotted one parked up on the pay and displayIt was then i realised we where in "Dulverton" Poo timing or what!! me there Jane in Alnwick !! never mind we ate in the courtyard cafe, they did me a lovely veggie breakfast and nell bacon and scrambled eggs hmmm ! and a doggie bag for ben who was waiting in the car..
We read the local papers and the church news, trying to kill time before the shops opened, because we'd decided we needed to tye a "purple ribbon" to janes gate which i knew i'd recognise [because i have Gothic arch envy].
Well could we buy purple ribbon anywhere could we heck!!
It's a really pretty village with some lovely shops and buildings and a good few charity shops reasonably priced as well and they had cutlery, as well as lots of totaly unsuitable purple things!! Which i would never be forgiven for leaving on anyones gate. We had a laugh though looking and we where watched like hawks {I think people thought we where romanian refugees]...We bought a jelly mould thet looks like a brain truly gross !! and the shop assistant tried very hard to sell us a purple pair of pyjama bottoms equally Gross! imagine them on your gate! Yuk, better than the purple bikini bottoms though,,,,,,,With what i'd been reading about the local councillor i didnt want to give anyone the wrong idea about the new people in town !!!!! The tye with the pink panthers on nearly won but was not purple enough we eventually settled on an awful scarf with embroidery on it sort of purpleish!!
We spotted the gate really easy just up the road from the cafe. And on the way up we spotted another charity shop !! the owner was mightly offended when he told me it was not "IT'S A GALLERY" and i said "well sorry but you should tidy your entrance and make it look like one".. lol that was so funny..
Arriving at the gate we heard noises from inside well i had to look in case you where home early!
Dissapointment it was the builder! though very nice i must say! Asbo nearly had my nose of as i peered over at him "mad jumping dog on a spring"!! and his friend who didnt get a look in..
I asked him the builder not jack to tye the scarf somewhere very prominent ! ! and after all the hard work i hope he remembered..........

WE then headed to charnmouth and spent 2 lovely day's fossil hunting on the beach, you can hire a hammer and goggles and hack away at the rock's well nell was in her element!! she found some small ammonites ! A tooth ! something else which is alledgedly dinosaur puke!! And a Flippin great lump of rock with a few little things in which we struggled to get back to the car with ! You are allowed to remove these things from the beach..I was busy collecting stones with holes in ! Why ? i don't know...
It was a bit of a bind having ben with us as so many places are out of bounds to dogs, but they where allowed on the beach between 6pm and 9am, here. we'd parked up on a car park to sleep with public loos, luxury! but they closed them at 9pm till 10am bladder control was necessary no esssencial ..
People really use the beaches down there, from 6am people where swimming ,jogging ,fishing it was lovely to see and campfires and partys at night a real social place, it doesnt happen up here..
It all went to quick and we headed to dartmouth which was fairly close to the kennels.
Dartmouth is lovely and was choc a block! like Wales in the 70's so we shopped a bit and Nell crabbed that was fun....
We headed off to slapton to find a sleeping place and go to a pub/restaurant a local had recomended.. i hadnt really wanted to go to slapton it just sounds awful! but what a pleasant surprise it's lovely a 3 mile beach with no dog restrictions lot's of loo's!! only about A dozen houses and a few shops and the most delicious Fish and chips i've ever had at the pub Which was heaving with satisfied customers....