SEATON SANDS, SEATON CAREW, HARTLEPOOL. 29 FEB 2020.

It was a Saturday morning.
It was 7-01 a.m. as Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog drove past the two Rain-dance Seagulls, that often resided on the large triangular traffic Island at the junction of Tees Road and Elizabeth Way. 
The rain dance had worked, verified by the rain spots that fell steadily on the van's large windscreen. 
They usually work as a team but today there was friction.
One of the Seagulls seemed to have a bags of crips?
The other was waiting for its chance to pounce.
The two birds danced the dance of avoidance.

The Car Park was empty.
It was 7-05 a.m.
Beach Buoy drove to the south west corner of the  and parked up; his new favoured spot.
Down on the beach, the 7 a.m. club were splintering in different directions with only one member continuing South.

Beach Buoy had dug out an ancient, once bright, orange coat from the back of the van. Its colour had faded over the years, but it was warm and surprisingly still fitted well.
Once fluorescent, now dourescent.
The rain pitter-patted on the vintage coat.
They headed south as the rain filled the upturned sea shells; seaside saucers.

A Large Grey Whelk Shell matched the grey morning.
Beach Buoy stuck to the water's edge.
It was good to see the Sea again.
It had been a while and a busy week too.

They headed up to the dune stack.

The Sea Serpent was showing two humps out in the Bay alongside its marker.

They headed down to the now empty beach.

They headed back as the rain changed from pitter-patter to rat-a-tat-tat.
Beach Buoy put up the orange hood of the coat.
His hands felt warm against his cold damp cheeks.

Beach Buoy stopped constantly to pause and look out to sea with his hand dug deep inside his Jean's pockets.
He watched a the breaking wave's curl moved south to north like a move by a troupe of Tiller Girls at a Palladium Show.

The sky to the North looked threatening as if the clouds were rolling up their sleeves in readiness for a fight.
For now the rain stopped.
Beach Buoy wandered past the van and continued North.

The Brightly coloured Beach Huts.

He wandered down The Front, sting some of the Village's signage as he did so.
The 9 Anchors; a small Pub.

Beach Buoy drove the van home and washed it once more.

Later in the day it was a Promenade Walk...

... which turned into a Beach Walk.

Sea-coal dusted the Beach.
The day was bright, the wind was cold.

He headed back to the van.
Made Coffee.
Listened to the radio as he read a book in the Mobile Beach Hut that was made in Germany.

BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SANDS 25 02 20.

4pm
Car Park time.
It was around 40 minutes to high tide.
Beach Buoy had Stubborn Dog in tow.
Yes; IN TOW!

The Sea would try to catch them out as they walked.

It wouldn't be long and the sea would almost be up to the Dunes.

There were some large waves.
Mount Fuji floated past.

They headed up to the Dune Stack.
20 to 30 Oyster Catchers Peep-peeped as they took flight and headed for the river.
4 more followed closely behind.
Peep-peeping ' Wait!'

To the south, waves licked the North Gare Pier.

They headed down to the high tide.
It was a short walk.

Birds of a feather......

Later that night it was dance lesson taxi duty.
Instead of dashing around back and forth, it was coffee with @jowhiley on the radio.
Beach Buoy even had a name mention on the show in the taxi spot this evening.
'I know that you are listening Beach Buoy.'

Today also marked the day that Beach Buoy reached  
1000 followers.🐦
@12BBYTHESEASIDE


BEACH BUOY.

NOT

Not many beaches this week.

Been taxi tonight.

May get a beach in on Tuesday?

Van going Wednesday / Thursday 

for MOT and a service.

so possibly another Beach on Friday.

BEACH BUOY

SEATON SANDS,SOUTH GARE THEN SEATON SANDS 23 02 2020.

Beach Buoy had gone to bed at 9pm!
He read until 10.
Woke at 1-58 am
and again at 6-06 am to the sound of seagulls crying overhead.
They reached the beach at 7-02 am
The 7 am Club were on time.
There was a drizzle.
The tide was well out.
The tidal part of the beach looked as smooth as a tidal part of the beach without footprints upon it... Yet !
A couple were up in the dunes taking photographs.
The man took his coat off.
He placed the coat on the sand and the couple sat down and had a sit and think as the world, Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog went by.
After a while Beach Buoy glanced back.
His and Stubborn Dog's footprints resembled those of a couple of drunks on their way home after a busy Friday night out.
The 7 am club caught up.
Mari the Poodle came over as per usual.
After her neck scratch she jumped and gave Beach Buoy a big lick on the chin, as if to say sorry for not coming over yesterday whilst on her invisible sheep hunt.

Beach Buoy went to the anti-tank blocks from World War Two.
They looked like rolled dice...

In the end, nature won.

They headed back with greys but thankfully no blues.

A man went by, planting flags in the beach?
A Horsey type event?

Yep!
A Horsey type event.
More and more Horse boxes arrived.

They had become a little damp but stopped nearby for a warm drink and a bun....
'BUN!'

After a hot bath, it was off towards Redcar to deliver some ghost fishing gear that a contact wanted for their garden.

Delivery done, they reached South Gare around Noon.
It was WINDY!

The van rocked like a boat out at Sea as the wind from the North blasted the Pier.

First Job; Kettle for Coffee.

A ship sailed by the Rear window.

They braved the wind and headed out.
Here are the South Gare Huts.
They have been seen in an episode of the TV show Vera.

Paddy's Hole; a small harbour near the mouth of the River Tees.

Back to the van to defrost with a warm drink and a bit of a read.

Towards Redcar.

Then back to Seaton Carew.

Stubborn Dog wouldn't budge, so they just rested on the promenade wall; a couple of Sunshine Shadows.

BEACH BUOY.

22 02 20 SEATON SANDS, SEATON CAREW, HARTLEPOOL.

Beach Buoy had headed for bed at something to 1 am.
He woke at 4-05 and again at 6-20.
It was still dark.
Outside he could hear yet another windy weekend cartwheel down the Street.
Stubborn Dog was snoring nearby, like a Drunken Sailor or perhaps it was a Drunken Sailor snoring like a Stubborn Dog?.....

It was still dark when they rolled into the newly extended Car Park.
Beach Buoy parked up at the South End.
A Council Truck was parked on the Promenade near the access ramp.
It's Orange lights flashed brightly as the driver emptied one of the nearby bins.
Beach Buoy changed into his beach boots as two cyclists reached the low wall at the south end of the Promenade and turned to head back to the north.
Their red flashing lights passed the truck's orange ones and they were gone.

Beach Buoy touched sand at 6-58 am
To the left the 7 am club were on their way south.
The tide was more out than it was in.
Out in the bay, the Wind Turbines turned at a steady pace as an orchestra of Windy Miller Windmills played in Beach Buoy's head.
Listen via the link below.....
Windy Miller 

Lovely birdsong drifted across from the dunes.
It was too early for the Skylarks but it was beautiful nonetheless.
Two Oyster Catchers that had been at the water's edge took flight.
As if to prove they too could sing.

Beach Buoy saw another dozen or so Oyster Catchers up ahead and did try to give them a wide berth.
But they took flight also.
Beach Buoy watched them as they first headed out to sea but then flew in an arc and headed east over the dunes.
He watched them until their black and white flashes merged with the grey of the morning's sky.
Out in the Bay, The Sea Serpent alternated between two and three humps as a red ship sailed into the River Tees.
The lowish tide allowed beach access to the North Gare Pier.

One man his dog were up in the dunes heading north.
The film crew were furious as the sheep kept stopping to eat the salty Dune Grass.
Anyway nowadays the program would be A Shepherd and a Canine.
Oh actually it was really just a man with his dog.......

A crack of orange light appeared in the clouds to the south, looking like a distant glow from a Volcano Crust that was readying to blow.
High in the sky, five Lapwing flapped as they tried to head east, looking like large butterflies struggling in a gale.
The were followed by three Cormorants.
The Cormorants had a determination in their flight as if they were heat-seeking or perhaps Lapwing-seeking missiles.

Beach Buoy added to the dune stack as raindrops pattered on his waterproof hood.
The dune tops were more exposed to the weather today.
It was back to the beach and south
The 7 am club caught up but stopped short of the Pier for a chat.
Mari the Poodle didn't come running today she was away from her group; sniffing up in the dunes.
(It'll be the smell of all of those sheep?)

Beach Buoy clambered the Grey Rocks on the way back, tempted by the large driftwood sculptures.

Th imaginary sheep drifted up to the Sky and became white fluffy clouds that headed out to sea.

The light changed dramatically, as it is prone to do so on a blustery day by the sea.
The Sun shone on the wet sand.

It was breathtaking.

They stopped at The Baker's on the way back.
There is a warm downdraft in the doorway...
This Cat has figured that out and is usually seen here.
They should call him
WELCOME
or perhaps
PLEASE WIPE YOUR FEET?

Back at Base Camp Stubborn Dog did his cartoon dog trick and went a buried a biscuit.
He sometimes appears at the back door with Twigs in his ears.

BEACH BUOY.