SEATON SANDS, HARTLEPOOL. 10 JAN. 2021.

Beach Buoy went out to the van.

It was a lot milder than it had been of late.

Once the van was loaded with Dog and Coffee, they set off.

They reached the car park at 7-50 am.

Regulars were parked in their regular spots, the van's headlights picked them out as they seemed to scan the damp car park as they pulled up.

Beach Buoy found a sea glass heart.

Clouds filled much of the sky.

The tide was well out. 

There was a light breeze from the south-west.

They walked to the water's edge.

The non-tidal part of the beach had thawed.

The sand was much easier to walk on.

A shingle motorway stretched out ahead to the south.

Beyond the shingle was soft, wet, light reflecting sand.

A beach combing couple walked the shingle motorway.

The man carried a bag of finds.

The lady would collect her finds, walk to the man, deposit her finds in the bag then set off to search in her own zone.

Beach Buoy picked up seven, smaller than usual beach stones.

He had chosen smaller stones to fill some gaps and stabilise the stack.

The sun rose, but slipped behind a cloud shortly afterwards.

It was like watching the greatest show on earth through gap in the fence.

They headed back to the beach.

Rock pools drained down miniature grand canyons; miniature but still grand.

Sea Pottery Find.

They began a slow walk back after searching the shingle down by the North Gare Pier.

Beach Buoy ended up walking in line with the footprints that he had made whilst heading south. Footprints of anticipation, hopeful of finding another bag of coins down by the Pier.

Here he was, empty-handed  heading north just hoping that he had remembered to put  biscuits in the van.

Two Cormorants flew overhead looking like they both had no idea of which way to go.

 They almost seemed to be colliding in mid-air with one another.

The cloud began to break and change from grey to blue.

 They headed back to the van.

Coffee and yes ... he had remembered the biscuits.

BEACH BUOY.