SEATON SANDS AND NORTH GARE BEACH 28 FEB. 2021.

It was exactly 5 am.

(5-02 according the the Village Church Clock.)

It was still dark.

Beach Buoy was still in bed.

The last full moon of winter lit up the village like a car's high beam down a unlit country lane.

It was exactly 5-30 am.

(5-32 according to the Village Church Clock.)

Gulls hung in the air over the house, calling.

It was exactly 6 am.

(No prizes for guessing what the Village Church Clock

was saying.)

The kettle was on.

Beach Buoy was up looking out of the house's side window looking out towards the sea.

The sky was 50/50.

Pale Blue Top.

Pink Below.

Beach Buoy made a couple of thermal Cups of coffee.

One for the van.

One for the walk.

Beach Buoy loaded up the van.

The air was crisp and cold, the van's windscreen was frozen with frost.

They reached the beach at 6-38 am.

Beach Buoy had opted for an old Orange Coat from many years ago.

The coat had deep pockets, deep enough for a thermal cup of coffee.

Beach Buoy rested on the Promenade wall with Stubborn Dog and sipped  some of the coffee before placing inside the left hand pocket of the brightly coloured coat.

After a while @G1VAN_ parked up nearby.

All headed to the beach and walked a while.

The Seagulls held a debriefing about their 5-30 am flypast.

They headed South as sunrise time arrived.

There wasn't many sunrise seekers around today.

To be honest, it looked like low cloud may have put a damper on any sunrise photographs.

The tide was way out.

By 6-56 am the Sun was up.

Beach Buoy took a panoramic photo from the sun to the moon that watched over them on the beach.

The sun was just over the horizon, whereas the moon shone above the dunes.

The Sun rose surprisingly quickly.

Nearly there.

Full Sun.

Almost as bright as Beach Buoy's choice of coat.

Almost.

Mari the large friendly poodle, broke ranks from the nearby but socially distanced remnants of the 7 am club.

Word went around those nearby that Dolphins had been spotted down by Newburn Bridge earlier in the week.

Beach Buoy had decided to Stack the Stack on the way back.

They headed down to North Gare Pier.

@G1VAN_ headed back to the North.

The River called Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog.

They continued to head South.

This beach had a different feel altogether, as it often does.

An extra beach.

A secret beach.

A Narnia beach.

Stubborn Dog likes this beach.

 

The light was gorgeous.

Dog walker's walked their dogs.

The light was calming.

The morning was calming.

The beach was calming.

It was calm.

Regularly, lots of driftwood is deposited on North Gare Beach.

In from the sea and down from the river.

Thankfully People build driftwood structures.

Beach Buoy considers them to be beach art.

This one had crab pots too.

Location, Location,Location.

Another was built more into the dunes under the theme tune of more Skylarks.

It was William's Fort.

Dog walkers carried on walking.

They continued their trek over very soft, slightly sinking sand.

It was a good workout. 

Boots were sinking in to half their depth.

A walkway welcomed them to the best driftwood shelter of them all.

It faced the sunrise.

 Furniture included.....

The river looked so narrow at the low tide.

Another structure stood further to the east.

Beach Buoy paused here to finish his coffee.

The couple that had been walking the water's edge in earlier photographs walked by.

'Morning.'

'Lovely isn't it?'

They all agreed that it was indeed a "Lovely Morning."

The couple's Black Labrador came to say hello.

Stubborn Dog went into protect Beach Buoy mode and the Labrador said goodbye!

A slow and reluctant walk back ensued.

The river mouth was bright.

A Large Boxer Dog trotted over to say hello.

Once again Stocky Stubborn Dog let him know it was time to go. 

Mari the large friendly Poodle never had this problem.

She was aways welcomed by

 Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog alike.

They reached the Seaton Sands.

Beach Buoy placed an earlier beach-found football on a  seat with a view.

Hopefully it would make someone's day.

The Skylarks sang in approval.

They stacked the stack after totally rebuilding it.

Someone had decided that it needed to not be there,

They headed back to the van.

Back to reality.

Another white VW T4 had parked alongside Beach Buoy's.

Birds of a Feather.....

BEACH BUOY.

 

SEATON SANDS, SEATON CAREW, HARTLEPOOL. 27 FEB 2021.

Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog arrived at 6-52 am

It was Saturday.

The promised clear morning led to quite a few sunrise seekers out on the beach and promenade.

It always warms Beach Buoy's heart to see families out early to capture a sunrise.

Perhaps one day, those children will do the same for theirs?

The sunrise was at 6-59.

It was nice to have the sun rising before 7 am even if it was only by a minute. 

It was a glorious start to the day.

Of course the beach-trapped sea water helped with its wonderful reflections.

Tees Tugs wait to guide a ship into and up the River.

The beach was very contoured, with sand banks and large areas of that beach-trapped water.

The Moon slid into the dunes like a coin in a Penny Arcade's slot machine.

Memories being made.

They paused to listen to the song of the Skylarks.

They stacked the stack under the gaze of the Sun.

They followed frosty footprints south.

A gap in the dunes exposed The Sea Serpent Marker.

They climbed the dunes to check on the river.

A ghostly looking Stubborn Dog.

Time for Spot the Stubborn Dog Competition.

Beach Buoy had planned to go down to the shingle beyond the grey rocks.

Stubborn Dog was having none of it.

Beach Buoy went back to his beach mate.

They both headed back to the north via the dunes.

Differing paces.

They headed back towards the van, with warm sunshine on their backs.

A determined water's edge walker heads south as beach-trapped sea water drains back to source.

Four Gulls chase another who has food.

The Golden morning that had greeted them at the start of the day  turns platinum.

Promenade person heads down the beach access ramp.

BEACH BUOY.