Beach Buoy had gone to bed early after last night's pitiful attempt at sleep.
He was asleep by 10-30, early for him.
He woke convinced for some reason that it was Subaru o'clock; 5-55.
He laid for a while thinking how refreshed he felt after all of that sleep.
He reached for his phone to confirm the time.
It was 12-15.
He had been a sleep less than two hours!
He found sleep again thankfully.
He decided to walk to the beach.
The van was frozen.
The street had the lightest dusting of snow,
as if someone had sneezed into a bag of flour.
They set off at 7-11 am.
Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog were well wrapped up against the cold.
As they walked the slippery walk, they were called by the call of the Gulls and the roar of the sea.
The smell of smoke from a real fire reminded Beach Buoy of winter walks to school.
A big bright Moon waved them goodbye as they left it hanging there alone as they continued the very short walk East.
Beach Buoy could see the twinkling red lights that sat on top of the bay's wind turbines.
The lights shone brightly behind the height of the not so distant dunes.
Flashes of red, molten metal type light crossed the sky ahead, giving a clue and hope of a visible sunrise to come?
There were some clouds.
Some of these were in a strange pattern, almost like tree growth rings.
Upon reaching the Car Park, Beach Buoy could see the silhouettes of other beach-goers, other sunrise seekers milling around.
Beach Buoy joined the silhouettes and headed to the beach.
Out of nowhere there was Mari the Big Happy Poodle bounding over.
Beach Buoy hadn't seen his beach mate for ages.
He gave the lovely Dog the required neck scratch.
The Dog genuinely seemed pleased to see him.
She bounded away, one neck scratch completed.
It was 7-25 am when they said hello to the North Sea.
The beach glowed a pre-sunrise red.
Beach Buoy counted sixteen sunrise seekers in total.
He and Stubborn Dog were in ninth and tenth place in the sunrise point to point .
Despite all the virus turmoil going on it was great to see people out and about, all with one goal, one interest.
It was a little emotional to be honest.
A man and his dog overtook Beach Buoy.
"Morning." said Beach Buoy.
Nothing but a look of disgust in return.
He swaggered off, arms swinging.
Back to the North it looked like another time, another place.
The dune edge family were stood ahead.
Dad wrote names in the sand with a stick as the others watched.
They posed for a selfie.
A lost hat on a found wooden post looked like an abandoned child sat alone in the dunes.
One of the small sandy mound ladies tried to kick a ball for her eager dog.
It was clear just why she failed her trial for Hartlepool United.
The unimpressed dog ran to a man ready to throw a stick for his Border Collie.
He was called back.
Beach Buoy was heading for the stack to see the sunrise.....
but then the two small sandy mound ladies headed up, sitting just below the stack on the dune edge.
He decided to hang back to the north a little.
He was glad that they were there.
He would be glad of any visitors when the time comes.
They all waited for the sunrise.
Beach Buoy made up his mind just to keep travelling South.
The unimpressed Dog ran around as its owner sat just below, desperate to find anyone who could actually kick a ball or at a push, throw a stick.
Soon be sunrise.
Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog cut through the frosty dunes towards the river beyond.
A sunrise photographer and his Dog, stood on North Gare Pier, savouring the light.
Someone had been busy up in the dunes.
Excellent.
A couple appeared from the South. The man had three bouncy dogs on leads.
"Morning ! " said the man
"Morning." Beach Buoy replied adding "It's lovely isn't it?"
The Lady laughed a laugh that made Beach Buoy think she would rather be having a Sunday sleep in, breakfast in bed and a read of the Sunday papers?
A jogger jogged by, pausing at the top of the dunes that overlooked the River.
A Mackerel Sky covered the river.
The Blue Lagoon had drained as the tide receded .
It left behind a frame of sand, frost and sea coal.
When the sea enters the relatively narrow gap between The Gares it tends to open up and fill the river mouth with arcs of waves.
The air was as still as it was cold; not a hint of a breeze.
The Wind Turbines spun like broken clocks.
Gull heads out to Sea.
A Helicopter heads out to Sea too.
Its blades are the only ones turning in the stillness of the Bay.
The Sun was milkier than the Coffee.
Cheers.
Beach Buoy watched in wonder as hundreds of birds flew around in an every decreasing spiral before landing between The Gares.
It was a grand morning.
They headed back.
The curves of the beach, in total contrast to the structures to the West.
They headed back to the Bay, the Beach and a stack that still needed stacking.
Stubborn Dog doing what stubborn dogs do best.
Coastal Colours.
Beach Buoy loves the random colours that appear on old tiles or painted driftwood.
Every single one a perfect colour for somewhere in that seaside cottage.
A wall, a front door, a bathroom.
The tide seemed to have gone out a fair distance in a short time?
Or maybe Beach Buoy had lost track of time?
Excellent.
The Gorgeous Sun reflects on an equally gorgeous beach.
Beach Buoy collected eight bright sandstone rocks and placed them in gaps in the stack structure.
One man and his dog.
He had two actually.
One White.
One Black.
Beach Buoy reluctantly left the beach behind for now.
