Bertie’s Biggest Adventure Yet!

 

Bertie’s book cover!

Bertie and Croc’s updates have been a little sporadic recently. There is a good reason why….Bertie has been on an even bigger adventure and has been producing his own book!

So far he only has a draft version created but it is getting super exciting. Proof readers are providing positive feedback saying they love it!

This weekend Bertie  spent ages in a photoshoot, getting his poses perfect, for his books front cover. He even had his fur brushed!!! (It can get a bit flat when you spend your life in a camera bag travelling the world.)

Bertie wanted to share with you his cover shoot. He will continue to keep you up to date on his book release and hopefully share some of our excitement with you. We are hoping it won’t be too long now before we can share the link to Bertie’s FIRST EVER book on Amazon!

In the meantime, once the excitement has died own a little, Bertie will be able to get back on task and working on more blog posts of his stories around the world.

He hopes you like the book cover and all that fur brushing wasn’t for nothing!

Friends are the family we choose

Our last post saw Croc having to make a difficult decision indeed. Did he stay on an adventure, heading into the unknown with Bertie or did he join his family and stay safely huddled on a shelf? Croc chose Bertie and, like all big decisions, now he was back in the car and on the move again he was beginning to doubt himself.

Bertie had noticed Croc’s mood change, which would have gone unrecognised to anyone who wasn’t a friend of Crocs. Croc didn’t really do moods, or expressions or emotions. He did hiding, lurking in pockets and observing the world. This was a whole new experience for Croc and Bertie knew exactly what it felt like.

Eventually Bertie shuffled closer to Croc on the dashboard of the Hilux they were travelling in. Trees and red dirt whizzed by outside but Croc had turned his back and was looking most confused. Bertie nudged Croc, “What’s wrong?” He asked. Croc looked at him with big sad eyes and shrugged. “Let me see if I can help” said Bertie and he launched into one of his tails of travel and adventure. It didn’t seem to help. Bertie sat silently next to Croc and began to feel Croc’s downtrodden mood too. Looking wistfully out of the window Bertie said quietly, “You know, I don’t have a family. I don’t even know who my family are. I do have a friend. The only friend I have ever had and he is like my family. I read once that friends are the family we choose for ourselves.” Croc looked up and raised a small crocodile paw and pointed to himself. Bertie nodded and Croc began to smile!

It turns out that Croc didn’t really know his family who were all huddled on the shelf. In his short life he had spent most of it with Bertie, which meant he had chosen his family after all.

Two friends, on an adventure into the unknown. What could be better than that? Croc decided. Bertie said, “It’s not about making the wrong or right decision Croc, it is about having the opportunity to make a decision at all.” Croc smiled and nodded and watched the trees and red dirt whizz past the window. Where to next he wondered?

Croc makes a choice.

Croc didn’t have many memories from before he was found by Bertie hiding in the dust underneath the bunk bed. Maybe he had had a bump to the head, or maybe he had just blocked the memories out, he wasn’t sure. What he was sure of that the memories he had with his best friend Bertie were pretty awesome so far!

Imagine Croc’s surprise when, after they had headed away from Darwin, he was carried into a store in the comfort of a pocket and there on the shelf was his FAMILY!!!

Croc nearly fell out of the pocket in shock. Lots of Croc teddies all looking back at him, some with darker fur than his, some with lighter, some with happier eyes, some with sadder. Oh my goodness what was a Croc to do???

Well this little Croc had to make a quick decision. Did he leap out in a completely un-croc like manner and race towards his family and risk being here forever, or did he stay in the comfort of the pocket?

Croc looked at Bertie, who seemed completely oblivious to the decision with his little travelling companion was about to make. He looked back at his family and waved, then in a complete Croc-like way he sank into the dark depths of the pocket and nestled into the tissue which was placed there as a cushion for him. Croc had adventures to go on and this was no time for sentiment.

Heading out

As Bertie and Croc head out on a brand new adventure together they had no idea what to expect, but then thinking about it, they decided that they never knew what to expect anymore.

It had been a rollercoaster of adventure since they first met two years ago and they had no doubt that this time it would be no different. Bertie explained to Croc that he had decided that the feeling of fear and the feeling of excitement actually felt the same…..Croc thought about this for some time and observed the butterflies he felt in his stomach. Was he feeling fear or excitement?

Croc was about to leave the only home he had ever know and relocate himself with his best friend. Bertie had already been through this mixture of feelings, although the feelings never changed he had become so much more confident in himself from the bear he was two years ago when he had first moved to live in Australia.

Bertie and Croc had a rough plan and as they looked out of the windscreen of the 4 wheel drive camper van that was now to become their home for a few weeks. One thing was for certain, a whole new and exciting world was out there waiting for them, and it was time to move on!

Grant the Grapefruit…

…..goes live!

It has all been a little quiet on the Bertie front recently. Bertie has moved states within Australia and has just moved countries!!! He couldn’t believe how much he has to fit into his little suitcase. I mean how much stuff can one bear collect???

He has also been helping his friend Grant the Grapefruit to release a book, which is now available on amazon: US version and a UK version

In fact, Bertie has been so inspired by his friend Grant’s book that he has been debating writing his own series…..

Happiness is being a travelling grapefruit

Bertie’s pressed the pause button….

Bertie’s blogs haven’t been as consistent as usual this month. This is because Bertie and his ever keen travelling companion, Croc, are planning another adventure.

Bertie will try and continue publishing Croc and his UK adventures but it can be quite tricky and unpredictable with sporadic Internet connections, lots of red dust and bumpy roads….

Has he got you wondering where his next adventures will take him yet? 

Bertie and Croc thank you for your patience and continued support. 

All images and content copyright of Samantha Key 2016 

The Shambles

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As our two adventurers began to make their way away from the York Minister and towards the busy streets of the town centre, Croc began to crane his neck to watch the Minister disappear behind a mass of smaller buildings and busy people. Everyone seems to know exactly where they are going, thought Croc. Croc thought that the people rushing past him looked like bees buzzing around in their own worlds seemingly oblivious to everything and everyone else around them.

Bertie had saved the best for last. As they were making their way back to the car Bertie took Croc down a narrow street. The houses here were higgledy piggledy, lopsided, and so close together Croc could hardly see the sky. It gave the whole lane a sense of darkness and spooky gloom.

This is The Shambles, explained Bertie. It is one of the most famous streets in York. It is said to be the best preserved medieval street in the world. Historically, The Shambles was a street of 26 butchers shops and houses. The paths beside the narrow road are raised up to create a channel which would have allowed the butchers to wash away the blood and offal. Croc felt slightly sick.

Bertie also pointed out how the fifteen century buildings lean into the middle of the cobbled street which would have meant that the roofs would have nearly touched. This was a problem in London and allowed the historic Great Fire of London to spread quickly from house to house.

Croc felt a cold shiver. Growing up in the Northern Territory he had never seen so many houses squashed into one place. There is so much history here, thought Croc as he continued to peep out of the pocket as they made their way down The Shambles. He was relieved to be going back to the car for a rest as his little Crocodile brain felt much like the street he was walking down…..busy and ready to burst with such an overload of information.

All images and text copyright of Samantha Key 2016