SEATON SANDS, HARTLEPOOL, 31 DEC. 2019.

8 a.m.
Last Sunrise of the Decade.
It was the coldest day of the year; this side of the Summer.
 Beach Buoy had two hoods up and a smiley face after finding a pair of gloves in his pocket.

To the South, a ship left The River Tees.

They headed up to the stack in the dune.

Fittingly, with a view of Saltburn is a PEASE brick.

The Sea Serpent must have had the Central Heating on , as steam rose from his underwater cave.
He may growl a lot, but Beach Buoy knows that he is a big softy at heart.

Beach Buoy walked back North but kept checking South as the light was so pleasing, the tide had claimed beach access to the North Gare Pier.

The Beach was still showing signs of the overnight frost as they left.
The van was showing signs of the cold weather too as Beach Buoy had to clear the windows of frost as he had done when they had set off.

They parked up behind The Rock Shop and had breakfast.

Coffee.
Bun.
Heater on.
Tired Dog.
BEACH BUOY.

SALTBURN 30 DEC. 2019.

Beach Buoy arrived around 1 p.m.
He managed to find a parking spot  up above the Promenade and Pier.
Saltburn can become very busy at times, making parking an issue.

A fine Sky hung above some fine houses.

Family groups walked off their Christmas Cabin fever.

Beach Buoy wandered around up top.

He and Stubborn Dog eventually walked down to the Pier.

The view North form the Pier.
Hartlepool and Seaton Carew in the far off distance.

South.

The Breezy Pier was busy.
A Fresh wind blew from the North.

Beach Buoy headed to the beach.

A stream often flows out to Sea, at times cutting the beach into two. (If you don't fancy having wet feet.)

Saltburn Pier.

Beach Buoy loves the tractors just as much as the small boats that are scattered along the South end of the Beach.

Beach Buoy.

SEATON SANDS, HARTLEPOOL , 30 DEC. 2019.

Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog were crossing that space between the Strand-line and the water's edge (Tidal?)
as the Village church clock rang out for 8 a.m.
The chimes drifted across the almost empty beach.
There was the slightest of breezes from the south west, so slight it just one step away from being described as still.
There was a slight chill in the gently drifting air.
'There must be more wind out in the Bay?', Beach Buoy thought.
The Wind Turbines agreed and spun to prove the point;
a point which rotated 360 degrees again and again.

The tide was more in than out.
They headed south on a second-hand Strand-line, Beach Buoy had been tempted back up to it with the promises of finds in the shingle that laid there.
Foot and paw prints of earlier walkers lead the way.
Beach Buoy was half expecting to see
we
was
ere
😉
written in the sand; it wasn't.
Other Dogs had left their calling cards on any prominent  rocks; Stubborn Dog left his.
Beach Buoy made a mental note not to pick up any prominent rocks up for the Dune Stack.😮

The Sea was slightly rippled, but calm.
The Sea Serpent had his morning swim.

The chill in the air came courtesy of a clear sky.Two non-prominent rocks were stacked up in the now prominent dune stack.
Beach Buoy had a stand and think as a Dog walker passed by down at the water's edge.
Twenty or so Oyster Catchers flew across the Bay in a flying W shaped as opposed to the more common V formation.
They rose and fell as they flew; an uneven flight.

Beach Buoy stood, down by The Grey Rocks waiting for the Sun to clear The Cleveland Hills,
a camera-shy Seal seemed to have the same idea?

They (Beach Buoy, Stubborn Dog and the camera shy Seal.)
didn't have long to wait.

They headed back; stopping to check on the Sun's progress and effect from time to time.

Check.....

Check.
BEACH BUOY

SEATON SANDS, HARTLEPOOL. 29 DEC. 2019.

Beach Buoy had been up ages.
He and Stubborn Dog waited for what felt like a week for any sign of light.
They eventually touched down in the almost dark Car Park at 7-47 a.m.
There was only one other vehicle in the Car Park; a Blue VW Van.
As Beach buoy locked up the van, another pulled up nearby.
It was a Security Van.
The Van deposited a Security Guard then drove off.

'Morning'
'Morning'
 as Beach Buoy passed the uniformed gentleman.

It seemed a little odd.
The Guard stood looking at the glow of a half promised Sunrise.
Was he there for the Car Park Extension Cabins and Equipment or the view?
Beach  Buoy turned to check as he walked to the Promenade.
He had vanished.

The morning was mild with a slight breeze from the South West. 
The tide was half in / half out.
The 7 a.m. club were passing back to the North.
Mari; the large friendly Poodle either spotted a distant Beach Buoy in the dull morning light or picked up his scent on the mild breeze. Either way the Lovely Dog came bounding over, her flashing illuminated collar plotting her progress.
Beach Buoy had his arms opened wide to welcome his Beach Pal.
'Did you have a nice Christmas?'
as he gave the dog a neck scratch.
The Dog stayed a while, had a sniff of Stubborn Dog and then then she was off .
Her light faded slightly as she caught the 7 a.m. club up.
Beach Buoy watched as other Dogs in the group with illuminated collars  welcomed her back with a chase.
The lights ran up and down  from the water's edge and eventually disappeared completely.

A Couple with their Dog were in Beach Buoy's tracks so he took the opportunity  to take some stones up to the Dune stack, let them do their walk in peace.
They turned at the Grey Rocks and headed back North.
He gave them a while and did the same after pausing for a stand and think.

The clouds were stunning in their own way.
It looked like rain, but none came.

Later in the day there was a Sunset glow across much of the Country.


BEACH BUOY.

GREATHAM CREEK, 28 DEC 2019.

BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SANDS , HARTLEPOOL 28 DEC. 2019.

Awake 5 a.m.
Beach Car Park 7-54 a.m.
As Beach Buoy pulled into the Car Park
he noticed the outlines of the machinery  being used for the Car Park Extension work.
They had been parked with glee at the start of the holidays, their raised booms seemed to be high-fiving one another as if in celebration. The same raised booms would be arms of surrender when the workers return in the new year.
Gulls shuffled around the Car Park, searching fast food packaging for left-overs.
It is a sign of the times that they have become experts in opening the boxes and bags that have been dumped  by the lazy of the world.
Crows flew over the Promenade like shadows of the past.

The Village Church struck for 8 a.m. as Beach Buoy and Stubborn accessed the ramp to the Beach.  It was mild and cloudy.
No dramatic sunrise today.
Night Black
to
Dawn Grey
to
December Grey
to
Dusk Grey
to
Night Black.
At least now the Greys were becoming longer,
bit by bit.
The tide was low; its edge was peppered with Seagulls.

It was so mid there wasn't any need for hoods up today.
 

They added to the dune stack and paused.
Two Oyster Catchers flew overhead, calling to one another as they flew, as if for reassurance? 

The Beach was very quiet.
They went down to the North Gare Pier to have a mooch.

As they headed back Beach Buoy saw two swimmers running back to their clothes stash, down at the end of the Grey Rocks.
They dried themselves, dressed and stayed a long while, sitting and thinking.
Sounds like a plan.

BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SANDS, HARTLEPOOL. 27 DEC. 2019.

Beach Buoy had been up since 3-25 a.m.
He sat downstairs in the light of an illuminated  Christmas tree, drinking tea.
Stubborn Dog was sound asleep, buried deeply in a fake fur blanket; a fake fur Mother for the little dog to cuddle into.
The statement 'sound asleep' in this case was the sound of a Drunken Sailor, snoring.
It felt like forever for daylight to come.
6 a.m. became bath time.
It was 7-40 a.m. when they finally reached the Beach Car Park.
It was still dark.
The #vanlife  van was back in the car park.
A VW Golf was parked in an odd spot, its windows steamed up as if someone had slept the night in the car?


The tide was well out.
There was a slight mild breeze from the South - West.
Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog followed a snaking line of shingle that wound its way towards the Grey Rocks.
This also meant that the hundred or so Seagulls down by the water's edge could rest easy.
Other random rusting Seagulls flew overhead.

They did Dune stuff, had a mooch down by the Pier, then headed back.

Beach Buoy drove up to Newburn Bridge; breakfast with a sea view.

BEACH BUOY.

BOXING DAY, 2019. SEATON SANDS, SEATON CAREW, HARTLEPOOL.

Beach Buoy had been up ages.
He and Stubborn Dog reached the Beach Car Park
at 7-40 a.m.
As they readied themselves  at the side of the van, a car pulled up.
Shouty People emptied out of the car with their Dogs.
They must give a running commentary on their walks, rather than do a blog?
They shouted their way to the water's edge, headed North, then South, then East, then South and thankfully finally plumped for North.
Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog headed South.

The tide was well out.
A chilly breeze bordering on wind, blew from the South. 

Beach Buoy beachcombed on some shingle patches.
A Hi-vis clad man with a Hi-vis clad Dog approached form the Grey Rocks.
The man was having a conversation with someone unseen.
A Phooka, only visible to the talker?
Or maybe it was Bluetooth, possibly talking to the Shouty couple, asking how their walk was progressing?

Dark Gulls circled up above in a Grey Sky.
They went round and round, like debris thrown up in a Tornado.
Beach Buoy headed up to the Dunes; stones in hand for the stack.
He paused a while and headed back to the sands.
Someone had planted a driftwood tree into the soft sand.

There would be no bright sunrise colours today.
It was a pale palette today.
A Jogger and his Greyhound went South then shortly afterwards back to the North.

Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog had a slow walk back as the Beach became a little more busy.

German Shepard Couple.

White and Black Border Collie Couple.

The South View...
The North was where all of the activity was.
Beach Buoy could see that some people were already in the water for The Boxing Day Dip.
By the time that they had reached the ramp, they had a Promenade audience, leaning on the wall .
Beach Buoy was carrying Stubborn Dog 
(Oh what a surprise!)
They followed a dipper up the ramp.
The dipper was wearing trunks and had a young child on his shoulders.
Beach Buoy wasn't sure if the on-lookers thought he too was a dipper?
Some do wear fancy dress.
Beach Buoy had came as an Eskimo, joined by an Eskimo version of Spit the Dog.

BEACH BUOY.