SEATON SANDS, HARTLEPOOL 30 MAY 2019.

5-15pm.
(Beach Buoy paid to park...again!)😮😮😮
Two Dogs.
WWW.
(Warm Westerly Wind.)
Down by the water's edge, Small Terns took turns to chatter above the sound of the North Sea as it rolled out onto the beach.
A man with a well behaved puppy and a baseball cap walked down towards the call of the Terns.

Sands shifted and waves waved
and Beach Buoy waved back.
(He really did.)
Beach Buoy thought about life and stuff.
The wind was strong.
Birds flew by at breakneck speed without breaking their necks.
Beach Buoy stood and faced the sea.
He let the wind blow.
He could smell the shampoo that had just washed his hair with, carried through the air.

Down at the Grey Rocks dog's paw prints spelt out FUN
in the wet sand, not in English but in the semi circles it created in the sand as it fetched the ball and returned to its owner for more...

The clouds threatened and it did spit and spot.
Beach Buoy caught up with a piece of what he thought was uncatchable plastic as it summersaulted towards the sea.
It was the plastic that hold drinks cans together in packs of for or six.
It became part of his beach clean.

Beach Buoy.

SEATON SANDS, HARTLEPOOL 29 MAY 2019.

It was 4-45pm
Scatter-cash Beach Buoy had paid for the pleasure of parking at the sea front once more.
It was a Grey Day.BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SANDS , HARTLEPOOL, 28 MAY 2019.

Beach Buoy and two dogs arrived at 5-10pm.
The car park was almost empty.
Free parking starts at 6pm.

The tide was out further than Beach Buoy had seen in a long while.
Up near the strand line a metal detectorist walked with detector in hand and a shovel over his shoulder. He looked like a pantomime Dick Whittington, off to London. 

The sun had decided to show in the late afternoon after lots of heavy rainfall.

It could return?

FINAL TASK ?.... Put it in a bin..
Beach Buoy did.

Goodbye Beach and lovely clouds.

The dogs had a sit and think...


BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SANDS, HARTLEPOOL, 27 MAY 2019.

Beach Buoy arrived at the beach at 5-45 am.
The car park was empty, but would be busy later thanks to the Bank Holiday, whatever the weather.
When Beach Buoy went to the side of the van to collect Stubborn Dog, he realised it may pay to wear something a little warmer .
He donned a warmer hoodie and located his beach bag.
As he changed in the back of the van, the wind whistled a tune through the gap in the partially closed side door. It was more 
FROSTY THE SNOMAN
than 
THE SUN HAS GOT HIS HAT ON.
Saying that, the Sun would need its hat and maybe a scarf and gloves too!
There was a thick blanket of cloud stretching across the Bay that seemed to be heading out to sea, carried by the wind.

A ship left the shelter of the River Tees and headed out for open seas, as another almost identical ship was waiting to trade places.

The ship sailed into the distance as the clouds looked low and heavy as if ready to burst.
 It looked almost as dark as night on the horizon........

Suddenly a cloud momentarily moved from in front of the sun and the whole beach was awash with bright sunlight.

Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog trekked South, alternating between the water's edge and any patches of shingle that caught his attention.
Sand Martins swooped by at low levels searching the beach for breakfast.
The incoming ship closed in on the river as three tugs waited  to collect and guide it to its berth in the River Tees.

The wind had picked up a little and felt it colder.
Beach Buoy was glad of the change of clothes he made before the walk began.
They walked as far as the North Gare Pier then turned to slowly walk back.
 

The beach was still empty of others.
As they headed  back, the random shafts of light that had spotlighted the sea had turned  to the land.
One light shone on a lone house on the headland, amongst the otherwise line of grey dwellings.
Beach Buoy could almost hear the voice of
Loyd Grossman
saying
"Who lives in a house like this?"

The light would change from minute to minute.
The wind seemed to have turned slightly and now seemed like it was blowing from the north?
All Beach Buoy knew was that  he was walking face onto it now and his hood was struggling to stay on Beach Buoy's fat head.

It was without doubt a wonderful morning.

It was now 7am.
Beach Buoy could see the 7am club just arriving 
on time, on beach.

They could have the dramatic beach to themselves for a while as Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog headed back to the van.

The wind had picked up,
so Beach Buoy picked up
his little-legged mate
as a low level sandstorm
blew the dry sand out to sea.

Beach Buoy binned the beach clean items.
He hadn't noticed a memorial plate that had been added to the last bench on the promenade.
He googled the gentleman and thought 
"Nice one."
A jogger ran to the end of the promenade and then bent double over the wall.
He reached for his mobile phone, either to check his time or possibly to Book-face his run.
Beach Buoy sat in the van a while.
The jogger sat on the bench.

He looked just how Beach Buoy felt.

BEACH BUOY.

HERE, 26 MAY 2019.

Beach Buoy went here.

and here.

and made and drank a cuppa here.


Beach Buoy.

SUNDAY, 26, MAY 2019. SEATON SANDS, HARTLEPOOL.

Beach Buoy woke and reached for his phone.
5-05am
Sun
26 May.
Well, even at first blurry glance across the room to the window it was fairly obvious that the Sun part was a lie.
As always, once awake it was time to move.
By the time Beach Buoy faffed on, it was a 5-30am car park; an empty car park.
It was one of those days when timing would play a large part in the enjoyment of the day.
On the way to the car park, the van windscreen wipers had been used for a short while.
He could go on beach and get a soaking, but maybe have a completely dry walk if he waited a while?
Waited, turned over and gone back to sleep?
No, that won't happen.
When they reached the sand, Stubborn Dog stopped every ten steps or so.
He sniffed the sea air, with a look of...
"Where is everybody?" on his face.
With a breeze on their backs they headed towards the in-coming sea.
Out on the horizon, a ship's orange lights twinkled like distant stars on the murky morning.
They walked as far as the Strand line and headed south.
The tide was way out but coming in. They crossed numerous shingle patches as their walk progressed. 
Spits of rain became spots.
 Beach Buoy's hood went up. Beach Buoy had put two waterproof coats on his little beach mate, so Stubborn Dog was fine, even if the day wasn't.
 It was 5-51 am.
 Beach Buoy turned to look north, it confirmed that the beach was still empty.
RESULT!
As they continued south the distance between the water's edge and the strand line had narrowed, they found themselves mid-way between the two.
Spots of rain became spits again, so down came Beach Buoy's hood.
The sky was grey and lumpy.
The sea was grey but not so lumpy.
The grey looking Wind Turbines turned as one over to the south end of the bay.
 The spits of rain stopped.
The Skylark burst into song.
Beach Buoy mentions the Skylarks a lot.
To him they sing a song of hope, a song of longer warmer days and the sun-setting evening strolls that go hand in hand with them. 
He knows too well that when they fall silent and take flight that it is the beginning of the end; winter's cloak will unfold and shroud the world.
They reached the grey rocks just as the sea claimed them. He could clamber over them as he had done so many times before, but not today.
The spits returned as Beach Buoy surveyed the beach and beyond.
It was still an empty beach.
 Over to the north the Headland's Historical and familiar silhouette stood out proudly.
Directly in front of Beach Buoy was the Sea Serpent, it twisted and turned as it woke from its  sea slumber.
They turned to head back north, as the tide was noticeably returning to claim the beach.
A Large Crow landed nearby and bounced upon landing as if it had landed onto a trampoline, looking sightly embarrassed  it began to beach-comb the water's edge.

Four Oyster Catchers took off from the dunes, as they did so, one made a beep beep sound.
A beep beep like a "Get out of the way." beep beep from an irate car driver.
A beep beep like one you hear when you are laid in bed, late at night and a neighbour is being dropped off by a friend. They sit with engine running, the neighbour steps out of the car with a vocal farewell and  a slam of the car door... and there it is ..... BEEP chufffing  BEEP! as the prat drives off.
As if the chuffing car had to say goodnight too.
 

Out at sea the HMS Twinkle Star was heading for the River Tees with a sense of purpose, or maybe just heading for the Wind Turbines with a broken anchor?
Beach Buoy reached for his mobile phone to take a picture.RAIN
120 MINUTES
Stated the device.
A generalisation of the spits and spot scenario.

Beach Buoy had found a few pieces of glass and pot.
He left them for the sea.
He was five minutes away from the van when the spits and spots combined to form the predicted rain.

They sat in the van.
The rain fell.
Beach Buoy dried Stubborn Dog with the dog's grey towel.
Then he dried his head with a fluffy blue and white towel.
The dog laid in its bed, two coats still on and covered by a grey towel.
Only its head was on show.
He looked like a child taking part in a Christmas Nativity play.
 He fell asleep with his tongue out as if in response to being told that there was no room at the inn tonight.
Beach Buoy watched as rain drops fell down the length of the van windows, quicker than zips on a one night stand.
A wet Short short man appeared. He went to a puddle in the car park and stamped in it to help wash the sand off his wet boots.

Beach Buoy made a move. It was time to go.
BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SANDS, HARTLEPOOL 25 MAY 2019.

Saturday.
Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog arrived in the car park at    6-40am.
That classed as sleep in, as the light early mornings had been tempting them out much earlier recently.
As Beach Buoy sat with the side door of the van open, a cyclist free wheeled to the end of the promenade, turned and started to pedal back to the north.

6-44am.
Beach Buoy stepped over the low wall to the dunes as an ex- workmate returned to the car park.
"Morning." said both.
Kept walking; did both.

The beach scene was basically a grey sandwich of sea and sky with a zesty lemon horizon thrown into the mix for contrast.

Every now and then the sun would try to break through and turn the grey sea, a mirrored silver.
Beach Buoy was doing his beach clean as he went .
A bottle caught his eye and he placed it in his bag.
The bottle was
THATCHERS GOLD
a cider.
It reminded Beach Buoy of that Prime Minister on a
grey May day 
...---...
Mayday
Mayday
and the ship called
Great Britain ; sank.


As Beach Buoy approached the grey rocks  a couple appeared from the south; struggling.
The man (Not Shaggy or Freddy.) walked a large Scooby Doo type dog and also carried a large heavy box with fishing rods attached.
A Lady followed laden down with buckets and bags.
It looked like she had recently won a supermarket trolley dash, but the trolley or a lift home were not included in the prize?
Beach Buoy presumed that they would be fishing at the grey rocks.
Beach Buoy walked on a while to give them fishing space and sat down midway along the grey rocks on the dune edge to sit and think.

He looked across to the north.
The couple and Scooby had continued north.
They were obviously having a bit of a problem.
Starting and stopping.
Stopping and starting.
Beach Buoy cut short his sit and think and decided to see if he could catch up and help.
The Skylark bade them a melodic farewell as they left.
You never know,  maybe they have a Scooby snack to spare.
Or they could do a deal, they walk Stubborn Dog and Beach Buoy would carry all of the bags.

As Beach Buoy headed north on a mission, the 7 am club passed.
Mari and now new regular  (Cloud Dog.) came over for a fuss.
Mari's owner said 
"It must be the after shave!"

Beach Buoy caught up with the tiring couple.
"Can I help?"
The man  said,
"No Mate ya alright, I think we brought too much beer."
The lady (Daphne.) was stood with buckets and bags by her side, hands on hips.
Slightly out of breath, she said "Thank You."
Her body language was screaming
"HELP!."
Beach Buoy headed back to the Mystery Machine and headed off.
He'd have gotten away with it too if it hadn't been for those pesky kids.

BEACH BUOY.

SEATON CAREW 24 MAY 2019.

Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog arrived in the car park at
5-43am.
There was one car in the car park and it was clear that it had been there all night long.

They reached the water's edge.
It wasn't 6am yet but the sun's warmth could be felt.
As the waves broke onto the shore , the white foam cast a shadow on the sand; Beach Buoy loved that.
The waves were breaking a little out from the beach too, if they had been three or four times bigger they would have perfect  for surfing.

Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog walked as far as the grey rocks; the tide was up at that end of the beach.

They sat down just opposite the Sea Serpent, resting on the dune edge.
Stubborn Dog curled up in the sand at Beach Buoy's feet.
The sun warmed their faces.
They had been here before, done this before, but if this was groundhog day then it was the best groundhog day of all.
They sat.
They thought,
As ships left port.

Stubborn Dog fell asleep.
Beach Buoy thought it was the perfect spot for a cuppa.
Maybe bring a flask tomorrow.
Beach Buoy was sitting with one eye shut and the other squinted in the bright sunlight as he looked out to sea.
Stubborn Dog stirred (Had he brought a cuppa?)..
No.
He stirred from his nap and ... stared.
It was the 7 (6) am club.

Beach Buoy stood up to avoid a face full of poodle as Mari bounded cross.

Scratch done and she was gone.
Beach Buoy sat back down.
Three small dogs from the club appeared including little cloud dog from yesterday.
They were a right mixture, like a dog version of the bash street kids lined up for assembly.
Only the little Cloud Dog was brave enough to come over.
She clambered over Beach Buoy's outstretched legs and wagged and wagged.
Cloud Dog got a cuddle for its bravery then all three were off.
Cloud Dog only had little legs and it stumbled and almost fell as it ran, Beach Buoy laughed out loud followed by a Awwwww.
With the dogs back in the pack the 7 (6) am club headed back north.
In time Beach Buoy and stubborn dog did the same.
A council tractor approached.
It was towing a Barbor Surf Rake; a machine that smoothed the sand on tourist end of the beach and cleared rocks from that part of the beach.
The rocks and stones were dumped down by the grey rocks.

A man up ahead squatted down and took a photograph of something on the beach.
Did he have a blog too?
Beach Buoy wandered back the van thinking how good it was that people had an outlet for their photographs, their thoughts and writing.
Was it just a form of vanity publishing?
Did it matter?
Maybe not as long as ...
someone 
somewhere
got something from it.

BEACH BUOY.


 

SEATON SANDS 23 MAY 2019 .

It was 5-40 am.
The car park was empty apart from a HGV tanker.
it had been parked overnight.
The tanker was chrome-like and reflected the early morning sun.
The car park was littered with what looked like a creep of albino tortoises as white upturned polystyrene fast food containers, creeped in the breeze.  
Beach Buoy said "Morning."
to a lady with two Yorkshire Terriers.
"Morning." she replied.
Beach Buoy imagined that the dogs were called 
E by and Gum.
That would be fun shouting them in from the garden.

Beach Buoy walked to the water's edge.
Sand, shingle and back to sand at the sea.
Gulls chatted as Skylarks sang.
There was a slight breeze but there was heat in
 the early morning sun.
Beach Buoy glanced back to see that the 7 (6)am club were on the beach.. times do vary now, with the lighter mornings.

Ten Oyster Catchers left the cover of the dune edge , followed closely by their shadows as they headed off to sea.
He had made a few finds, Beach Buoy laid them on the beach to photograph them and left them for others.

It was 6-20 am.
Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog sat and had a think.
They watched as the sea would drop a stitch and a line of the Sea Blue Cardigan would unravel before them.
Stubborn dog snoozed, Beach Buoy relaxed.
Beach Buoy stood up, as the large friendly poodle was heading his way.
Hellos were said and Dogs fussed over.
A small white dog from the group came over for the first time.
It looked like a white cloud with four small cloud legs at each corner. It was friendly and just wanted to join in the scratchathon .
Beach Buoy headed off leaving the 6 am club some space to put the world to rights.
He headed higher, up the dunes were the breeze was stronger and fresher.
He thought a while and by then the 6 am club were way ahead of him.
Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog were good at dawdling along the beach.
They were better than Davey Dawdle and his mate Dawdle Dog ; they had been picked to dawdle for England back in 1967 in the Dawdle world Cup... sadly they were disqualified for taking too long to get to the competition!

They returned to the beach later that day it was 6-15pm.
There was a breeze form the west and a hot sun in the sky.

The beach looked like a picture postcard.
it was the brightest of blues and the crispest of whites.

BEACH BUOY

SEATON SANDS, 22 MAY 2019.

It was 6-06 am.
The Sun shone.
The Sea sparkled.

As for the can... wish you weren't here!

Beach Buoy left the pieces he had found today.

It was a morning to just admire the view, enjoy your time on there.

The Beach began to fill as the sea came in.

Beach Buoy returned to the beach at 7-20 pm.
It was busier than he had hoped.

It was still so very warm.
It was almost 7-30 m and as bright as noon.
Two annoying jet ski riders came too close to the shore ... posing for posing sake.
Out at sea; the proper sea, five yachts were strung out evenly on the horizon. They looked like equally spaced beads on an abacus.

Time to head back... slowly.

BEACH BUOY.