Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog arrived at the beach at 6-12 pm.
Beach Buoy had been to Darlington for his covid jab.
To be honest he wasn't expecting time to fit a beach walk in before it became dark.
A HGV driver had parked up for the night.
TWIGLET
read the plate displayed in the front of his cab.
Sleep well Twiglet.
A family unloaded a wheelchair from their car.
An elderly lady grasped the wheelchair handles and headed off with herself as a child in the seat.
Presumably the chair was for the "walk" back.
The Sun was setting just behind the Golf Club fence,
as if peeking, wondering just why Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog were late.
The Large Sun was the colour of an egg yoke; a free range egg at that.
They headed to the water's edge.
The tide was well out.
There was a fresh breeze from the north west and a pink sky to the south.
A Bulldog called Ray was half way to saying hello to Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog when its owner called it back.
Silhouette people walked the dune edge.
It had been a while since Beach Buoy had done a dusk beach walk.
The days were becoming longer.
Thank goodness.
Two women were up ahead with an Alsatian Dog and four children that were stood in order of height as they walked, like a mobile Russian doll.
The sky was random colours, beautiful random colours.
Stubborn Dog was insistent on checking every piece of driftwood for a dog calling card.
Sunset came.
Two months ago it was two hours earlier.
The sea turned a dark metallic blue with crisp white edges.
6-45pm.
They stacked the stack and replaced the 26 stones that had been removed and scattered nearby.
A determined Lady walked north at the water's edge.
She had a shoulder bag that was as white as the wave edges she skirted alongside.
Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog returned to the beach and headed north after checking the flash of the Sea Serpent marker.
One apple and two apple and three apple and four.... FLASH.
Yep
All good, as the red light flashed on time.
As they headed back the light began to fade quickly.
Figures ahead were becoming difficult to recognise.
Apart from..
The bloke who had bought his dog a flashing collar and the one that didn't.
Maybe if lots of dogs wore them the owners would only know it was their dog by the flashing sequence?
Beach Buoy imagined a darkened beach full of people counting out aloud.
"One apple and two apple and ... here boy!"
Car lights flickered along the sea front.
White coming, red leaving.
A couple had lit a dune edge bonfire.
Not a malicious one, a cosy one.
One of them had set off on a Stubborn Dog style driftwood hunt, with their phone's flashlight option activated.
Beach Buoy reached the Promenade as a couple passed the access ramp.
He wore a flat cap.
She wore flat shoes.
BEACH BUOY.
