As they headed for the beach in the van, Beach Buoy noticed that the sky was the colour of the grey tarmac of the road surface.
The grey road led them to a darker grey car park that was randomly scattered with vehicles.
It was 3-38 pm.
They headed for the beach.
The wind was biting from the south.
The tide was way out.
They headed towards the sea.
The beach surface varied.
Much of the soft sand had been blown by the strong cold wind, leaving behind a crust like surface.
Like when it has snowed and the snowfall has been frozen overnight.
Beyond the crusty sand was shingle, beyond that , wet sand and the sea.
Some of the wet sand was soft, not quicksand as such, just maybe a little spritely?
They headed up to Stubborn Dog Stack, collecting four beach stones as they did so.
Beach Buoy chose flatter stones today, as he intended to wedge them in a few spaces in the lower part of the stack.
They headed back to the North.
The light changed.
It faded quickly, like on a summer's day when a big cloud rolls into to town to block the sunlight.
Today's cloud was called December.
It was only 4-05pm for goodness sake!
The headland seemed to become more clear as the darkness took hold.
The lights of the houses twinkled across the bay.
The Hartlepool Lighthouse flashed out its beam.
Beach Buoy counted the spaces... again.
Flash.
One apple and
Flash.
One apple and
Two apple and
Three apple and
Four apple and
Five apple and
Six
Flash.
So in the unlikely event that one day you are drifting down the north east coast, lost.
The above pattern would guide you to Hartlepool.
If there is a red light to the side, flashing on a regular
Four apple and pattern, then congratulations you have found The Sea Serpent.
Whatever you do, if you hear the Mermaids on Longscar Rocks, give them the widest of all berths.
By the time they had reached the van, The Hungry Seagulls had its shutters up ready to roll.
Beach Buoy thought about how this Hungry Seagull Turns it's back to the wind when parking for a day's business where as real hungry seagulls face the wind.
BEACH BUOY.
