SEATON SANDS, SEATON CAREW, HARTLEPOOL. 30 NOV 2019.

Beach Buoy had been to work.
The Sun had been around once more.
He headed for the beach.
A Road Gritter passed as he and Stubborn Dog drove to the Beach Car Park; it was going to be a cold night.
They reached the beach at 3-25 pm; early enough for the sun to still be visible (Just.)

A strange cloud crossed the bay form North East to South West.

The sun lit it up beautifully.

The Sun would soon be a distant memory.

There was a cold breeze from the South West; Beach Buoy dug his hands into his pockets.

They headed South. 

The Sky turned Pink as Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog headed for the dunes. 

A lone dog-less woman headed North followed shortly afterwards by a lone dog-less man.

Beach Buoy paused at the Ashes stack.

A couple of fisherman had set up down by the grey rocks.

Then it was a slow walk back.

They headed back to the van.
They had beaten the darkness tonight.
BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SANDS, SEATON CAREW, HARTLEPOOL. 29 NOV. 2019.

Beach Buoy finished work at 3 pm.
The Sun had made an appearance and it had tempted  him to head for the beach before the darkness came to claim the day.
A relatively short drive from the riverside factory where he works saw him arrive in Seaton Carew.
As he drove to the house to collect Stubborn Dog he noticed a man pulling what looked like a long dog lead, tug of war style.
Beach Buoy's first thought was that the man had somehow volunteered to take Stubborn Dog for a walk.
It soon became clear that the man was pulling a cable through a manhole and his colleague was at the opening of another; it was'nt Stubborn Dog after all.
Beach Buoy collected Stubborn Dog.
There would be no beach boots today, after yesterday's soaking.
They now had protected  wreck status as they dried slowly in an embarrassed corner.  

They reached the Beach Car park at 3-35pm.
Four Council Bin Wagons waited in line to head back to the depot.
Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog headed for the promenade and its beach access.
Some sort of photo / video project was taking place on the promenade.
 A young lady was the centre of attention. 

They headed for the water's edge.
As they did so, small spots of rain fell.
It was hard to say where from.
Yes of course it came from the sky but the sky above was clear.
It must have been carried by the slight but chilly breeze from the North.

They headed South.
A Labrador Dog appeared from the dunes and made a bee-line for the Sea.
It went running in, oblivious to Beach Buoy's and Stubborn Dog's nearby presence. 
In a flash it was out, wet and heading back to the dunes and presumably its unseen owner?
The Sea rumbled, but for some reason the sound seemed much more distant than it looked.
Once the waves had broke onto the beach, the sea would run in almost silently, like some overflowing bubble bath.
As the walk progressed the water's edge and dune edge became one.
Earlier tides had eroded much of the dune edge, leaving marram grass roots exposed and bare.
Beach Buoy collected a couple of stones for his dune stack, half expecting the stack to have disappeared into the Sea.
The stack was safe.
 He had chosen a spot a few metres back from the edge of the dune incase the sea should do just exactly what it had done.

To the West; a sunset, industry and a decaying Oil Rig.
Gulls passed overhead heading out to Sea.
Goodness knows just where they were heading for the night?
The Sea was so rough.

They headed back as the tide attempted to claim the beach and the dunes once more.

A ship sailed into the River Tees and the safety that it provided.

The waves came and Beach Buoy went, Stubborn Dog followed reluctantly.
The orange of the sunset turned to pink then to grey.
A slither of a moon hung in the sky like a silver closed bracket...)

Beach Buoy binned the beach clean.
As the van door slid open the Church bells rang for 4-30pm; it was 4-27pm.

Time to go.

BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SANDS, HARTLEPOOL. 28 NOV. 2019.

It becomes dark so early, so quickly.
Even though Beach Buoy finishes work at 3pm, by the time he gets in, faffs on, grabs Stubborn Dog and heads for the  Beach it all ends up in darkness.
Today was Thursday, he hadn't been on the Beach since Sunday!
Lately the days had been so miserable, the nights too.
A few minutes of sunshine, mid afternoon brought hope today.
A bit of brightness in the gloom.
So Beach Buoy went for it.
In from work.✅
Faff on. ✅
Grab Stubborn Dog.✅
Head for Beach.✅
They climbed into the van and off they went.
Upon passing the Golf Club, Beach Buoy noticed that the club flag wasn't flying at half-mast for a change.
The flag flapped at the top the pole in a flag shredding wind from the north east. There and then he decided to park the van with its back end to the wind. Less chance of ending up with sand dunes under the bonnet.
As they pulled into the car park Beach Buoy was more than a little surprised to see areas fenced off, portable cabins, men in hi-vis clothing, diggers and the like.
A reliable source later told him that the car park was being extended. 
It was 3-45 pm.
They headed for the Beach.
By the time they had completed the very short walk to the water's edge, it began to rain.
Light rain.
Beach Buoy had two hoods up.
The rain on the outer hood sounded like dried rice being fire through a pea-shooter, this would change to marrow fat peas full in the face on the way back. 

It was around an hour to high tide but already the waves were rushing in, as if trying to reach the dunes and beyond.

It was certainly wild and refreshing.

They stuck to water's edge as long as they could.
A dog appeared  from the dunes, caused trouble, then left.

Eventually they had to leave the beach and go to the dunes as the sea was so high.

Beach Buoy found a couple of stones for the stack.

Rough ride ahead.

The Sea bit at the dune edge.
They headed back and rejoined the beach when they could.
Then another dog appeared and caused a fuss.
Beach Buoy picked Stubborn Dog up.
The other dog left. Beach Buoy turned to watch its progress and  SPLASH; he was knee deep in sea water.
The water had caught him out.

4-20pm and it was almost dark as he squelched his way back to the van.

BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SANDS, HARTLEPOOL. 24 NOV. 2019.

Beach Buoy and  his mate Stubborn Dog reached the Car Park at 7-17 am.
It was mild and misty.
Usually, sea birds are stood in the Car Park, sheltering if there is bad weather; there were none today.
Beach Buoy opened the side door of the van.
He decided the waterproofs would be worn by himself and Stubborn Dog too.
The weather had been so miserable of late that they had become part of the beach uniform and surely not wearing them would tempt fate?

They headed to the water's edge as Gulls cried overhead.
The Sea rumbled. 

The tide was well out.
A Google check confirmed that it was to be low tide in around twenty minutes.
A wreck lays near the low water mark and is exposed when the sea and shifting sands allow.
Beach Buoy went to the Dunes.
He returned to the beach nearby to see  four Clockwork Crows as they hopped over imaginary obstacles. 

They walked as far as the North Gare Pier.
As they returned North, the wind picked up ever so slightly.
The mist became a fog.
It was then that the fresh air turned into sea air.
You know......
BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SANDS 23 NOV.2019.

Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog were up and about at 6am.
Beach Buoy made a coffee and sat drinking it as Stubborn Dog found a blanket to lay on.
A wave of rainfall fell over the house.
It was lovely to hear it on the sloping roof.
The blind at the rear of the house was up.
Beach Buoy watched as the bare branches of the Apple Tree danced in the wind with only partial a light of the sky as a backdrop.

7-10 am and it was time to make move.
Beach Buoy peeled Stubborn Dog from the warm blanket.

7-25 am saw them sat in a very wet and otherwise deserted Car Park.

As they walked to the water's edge, Beach Buoy could see that the 7 am club were heading back.
The lights of The Headland twinkled.
In a twink or blink of an eye the 7am club had arrived.
Mari the Poodle and two mates came to say hello.
In fact Mari was back another three occasions, the last time she stood up and put her front paws up on Beach Buoy's shoulders.

Crows on the strand line chose to walk south, the wind was bit too strong for them.
Rain lashed into Beach Buoy's face; perfect.

The ashes stack is growing day by day.

There was no one to the North.

Or to the South.
The Wind Turbines were faded, looking like tall ghosts of sailors each carrying a red warning lamp.

The beach drained.

A man with an Umbrella walked along the Pier.
He cut his walk short and turned back, calling out a day; a rainy day.

Beach Buoy had a stand and think down by the Grey Rocks.
A jogger in red did appear on the beach but the also turned back.
Perhaps he and the umbrella man were distant relatives?
They were even more distant now as they were heading in different directions.

First bottle top for a while.
They headed back with a tailwind for company.

Two ladies were heading South into the wind and rain, walking almost apologetically.
They turned and walked back with an arm swinging swagger; the wind behind them.

Sanctuary.
For those interested ..
The Van is all glass on the far side.
On the side shown the rear panel is wrapped in black vinyl.
It reflects like the tinted windows do and works well giving space in the van for higher cupboards ad a TV mounting bracket.  

And this fella a good anti-theft device.

BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SANDS 22 NOV. 2109.

It was a Friday.
It was a day off.
Beach Buoy had been awake since 3-45am.
It got to around 6am and he had to go.
He picked up Stubborn Dog and placed him into the van,
as he did so the dog groaned like an old fashioned Teddy Bear that had been tilted forwards.

They parked up with a Coffee in the Beach Car Park.
Radio on.
Coloured Lights on.
Hood up and relaxing while waiting  for daylight to show.
He even mangled to nod off for a couple of minutes.
He woke to the sound of Can't Buy Me Love by The Beatles.
Beach Time...
He tried to pick up Stubborn Dog from the bench seat that they had shared.
Stubborn Dog seemed to have bolted himself to the seat; he wasn't keen.
Beach Buoy found the spanners and readied the dog for a refreshing beach walk.

Two more VW vans arrived with Canine Cargo.

The wind was from the South, as was the rain that it blew along.

The Sea was Atlantic Grey, the tide well out.

It was bleak.
The Wind Turbines had disappeared in the gloom.

The Headland to the North had almost  vanished too.
It's two lighthouses shone at either end, marking its position like jumpers laid on a field marking a Goal in a game of ten half time., twenty the winner.
They took some stones up for the Dune ashes marker and viewed the scene.

As they headed back with the wind to help them on their way, Beach Buoy spotted what he thought was a small colourful and long-legged bird....

It was Seaweed.
A man went south, wearing shorts.
His two black Dogs just wore their skins.
Beach Buoy looked like Nanook's older, fatter and more wrapped up relative.
Stubborn Dog was like a well painted front door; three coats.

It became darker to the North and brighter to the South.
As the walk ended the rain stopped.
Then The Headland gradually appeared from the gloom as if a fog was lifting.

Beach Buoy.👀
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