SEATON SANDS, 31 JULY 2020.

It had been a scorching hot day.
Beach Buoy was going to wait a while before heading to the beach.
He looked at his mobile phone; Rain in 95 minutes.
He went to the Study to collect his colourful beach note book.
He removed the Whitby Lifeboat Pencil that was wedged between its papers as if it were a bookmark.
He sharpened the pencil, then placed it back inside the book.
They set off for the beach.
The beach was still busy when they arrived
at around 6-40 pm.
People of all shapes and sizes wandered around the beach.

The tide was way out.
The was a breeze from the south.

Scatterings of people edged the dunes in little pockets of 
friends and family.

Two Hunter Gatherers headed to their families, waiting down near the water. The men had been to collect fish and chips.

A summer sand castle.

The breeze from the south upgraded itself to wind.

An unusual stone.

They headed south, halfway between the strand line and the water's edge.
Beach Buoy checked his phone
;Rain in 75 minutes.

Out in the bay, waves rebounded off the North Gare Pier and met up with others that had crossed the bay.
They met up and closed the curl of the wave as they did so.
They looked like theatre curtains at the end of a performance.
This show went on and on; Summer, Winter, Day, Night, Calm or Wild.

They stopped just short of the North Gare Pier, then headed for the stack.
Someone had planted some driftwood in the sand near to the stack.
From a distance it looked like a thin man, staring at the stack, with his hands in his pockets.

They past the thin man and stacked the stack.

Rain in 55 minutes.

They headed back.
The wind dropped and eventually stopped completely.
It then became very muggy.

Birds of a feather...
Beach Buoy returned to the van to see another had parked alongside.
Beach Buoy's (The white one.) is seventeen years old.
The other ( A beach Car park Regular.)  is twenty four or five years old.

BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SANDS, 29 JULY 2020.

Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog arrived at 6-40 pm
A group of keep fit young ladies were stood on the promenade waiting for someone.

'Here she is.'

There were two people in the approaching car.

'I hate how her boyfriend goes everywhere with her!'

'Why?'

'Because he should be with me!'

The group burst into laughter.


Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog headed for the beach.

It was a mild night, slightly overcast.
The tide wasn't just out; it was out out.
They only did a short beach walk.

No stack stacking tonight.

BEACH BUOY.

WEDNESDAY 29 JULY 2020. SEATON SANDS.

Arrived 7-23 pm
As they arrived a few decided to leave;
Three Horses and riders with their friends,
Two paddle boarders, Swimmers; some dressed as seals and others as Elephants... well they had trunks on.

It was a lovely evening.

Horses had travelled the length of the beach.

People too.

A driftwood Stubborn Dog ... it move more than the real one.
BEACH BUOY,

SEATON SANDS, SEATON CAREW, HARTLEPPOL. 28 JULY 2020.

It was 6-15 pm as Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog passed The Hungry Seagull.

It was a bright and very breezy  evening.
The wind was coming from the North West.

Parts of the beach had lost lots of sand in the wind.
It was one of those evenings were the clouds wizzed along and the sunlight scanned the beach like a barcode reader.

The shifting sands shifted.

Thankfully there was plenty of space for all.

The tide was well out.

It was a glorious evening.
That's what Beach Buoy calls a doorstep.

Even his shadow is Stubborn.. then again it would be wouldn't it?

Beach Buoy had heard rumours of Dolphins in the bay.
He had brought some binoculars.
All he saw was a Lone Oyster Catcher who looked like he had lost his car keys.

The World War Two Tank traps do a good job of protecting the sandbank that is home to the Sand Martins.

Driftwood.
They had a slow walk back.
They stacked the stack on the way back for a change.

BEACH BUOY.

MONDAY, 27 JULY 2020. SEATON SANDS.

Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog arrived at 6-24 pm
Two horses with riders just managed to beat Beach Buoy down the ramp onto the beach.
An each way bet would have seen a slight return if anyone had  decided to have a flutter.

The wind was from the west and a little blowy.
Saltburn looked nice in the evening sun.

The sound of an alarm of a vehicle reversing in the car park carried on the wind.
It did sound like a Metal Detectorist had struck gold. 

The tide was well out.
The light changed minute by minute as the clouds came and went.
It had been a changeable day
Rain
Sun
Rain
Sun
Rain and for now.... Sun

They stacked the stack up in the dunes.

Beach Buoy tried his best not to disturb the birds..... but...

Grey Clouds hung over grey rocks

North Gare Pier.

The grey sailed away 
The sun was out and about once more.

A slow walk back.
The wind was becoming stronger.

Beach Buoy gave Stubborn Dog an allowed carry... (Due to the weather conditions.)

BEACH BUOY,

SUNDAY. 26 JULY 2020. SEATON CAREW.

Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog
 arrived at 6-38 am.
There were three cars already in the car park.
A Council van travelled the promenade, its driver stopping to empty the promenade bins and insert a new black bag.
Around thirty seabirds of varying types, walked as one in the car park.
They reminded Beach Buoy of a coach-load of pensioners who had just been dropped off and they were on the hunt for toilets and a cafe.

It was a mild milky morning.
The tide was more in than out.
A calm day with a slight pleasant breeze from the west.
They headed South.
Soon others were on the water edge convoy.
Stubborn Dog doesn't like people walking behind him and to be honest Beach Buoy isn't a fan either.
They shuffled up to the dune edge and let the others and the world go by for a while.

As he walked to the dune edge Beach Buoy thought that the footprints in the sand, of others, looked a little like the stickers you would see on a dance school floor.
A little further on, it looked like the Seagulls had opened their own dance school.
Footprints everywhere.

The others had gone, so Beach Buoy headed to the sea once more.
A glance to the north confirmed that the 7 am club were on the beach.
Beach Buoy checked the time; 7-02 am
 

The large driftwood whale hadn't ventured far.
Maybe it wanted to open a dance school of its own?.......

A Jogger appeared from thin air and jogged South over the shingle strips.
The strips made the water's edge look a little like a Zebra Crossing.

They stacked the stack.
As they did so a band of sunlight travelled the length of the beach.
Out in the Bay a jack up rig had laid down roots.
Beach Buoy made notes in his colourful beach book as the sun shone.
A small fly landed on the white pages and wandered around like a full stop wondering where to end it all. 

They had a sit and think.
The driftwood bench was very comfortable.
Tye sand was more comfortable; Stubborn Dog feel asleep.

Sticks and Stones.....

A slow walk back....
Three Sand Martins zipped up and down the dune edge.☺️

Toasted Teacake and cup of tea in the van whilst Stubborn Dog chilled outside.

A group of male sea water swimmers had readied themselves at their vehicles and had set off for the sea with tales of enjoyable encounters with seals.

Horses horsed around.

Beach Buoy carried Stubborn Dog to the promenade wall.
Two ladies passed.
'Those Bloody Turbines!'
She went on to explain to her friend....
'You look out of the house window and they are on the beach.
You get here and they have gone right over there.'

Its a bit of an optical illusion that has puzzled Beach Buoy at times.

Beach Buoy returned to there shed and slept a while.

Then a quick trip to Redcar.

Above .. the Vertical Pier
aka The Lipstick.

An alternative view of the jack up rig.

Pier.
Short in life if not in length.

The Sea Front was used in the film
 Atonement.

From The Stray looking towards Saltburn.

The pair grabbed the last of the daylight..

BEACH BUOY.