Beach Buoy opened his eyes and checked the time.
4-21 am.
Beach Buoy closed his eyes.
Beach Buoy opened his eyes and checked the time.
5-22 am.
Beach Buoy opened the front door.
5-36 am.
As he walked to the van he glanced upwards.
Hundreds of Gulls were high in the sky, silently flying west, inland.
It looked like that scene in The Wizard of Oz when all of those flying Monkeys appear.
Beach Buoy parked the van in the beach car park.
5-48 am.
The van made it five vehicles parked up.
Sunrise was 5-49 am
They were on the beach.
Low cloud hid the sun initially.
Silhouettes were spread along the water's edge.
Some with cameras, some with dogs and yes, some with both.
Six Oyster Catchers flew overhead, then another six.
They ambled around, eventually heading south.
A beach regular gave a distant wave, which was returned with cold hands.
It was bright but chilly with a cold breeze from the west
It felt a little like Beach Buoy had been the first successful recipient
of a frozen fish finger swap.
The Sun cleared the low cloud just before 6 am.
The light was lovely.
They left the water's edge and headed towards the strand line.
Stubborn Dog sniffed the driftwood that was scattered randomly along the line that they walked.
Beach Buoy put hands in pockets, his head in two hoods and the clouds for a while as he switched to beach auto-pilot.
The sun followed suit and headed for the clouds too,. though physically rather than imaginary.
Stubborn Dog found a hat.
Beach Buoy found some sea pottery.
They went up and stacked a tidy-looking stack at 6-30am.
They headed back down to the beach.
The sun came out.
The two hoods came down.
The tide gave plenty of beach access to Sand Martin Corner.
They were halfway along the length of the grey rocks when the Skylarks burst into melodic morning song.
Always a welcome soundtrack.
Two ladies were following the same route, but were a little to the north.
Beach Buoy searched the shingle at Sand Martin Corner.
The Tank Traps kept the ladies at bay as they stopped to take photographs of the sea and sky.
Beach Buoy climbed the dunes and paused at the top of the highest dune to feast on fresh cold air.
They headed down to The Blue Lagoon, before paying the riverside a visit.
The body of a dead seal was too sad a sight, they didn't linger long.
They reached the Pier at 7-09 am.
Two photographers were perched near the dune edge above Sand Martin Corner.
Long lenses aim at the sea, they were like Ocean Snipers.
They headed back to the North.
A rushing beach regular and Beach Buoy exchanged
"Morning!"
Skylarks hung above The Grey Rock; invisible but audible.
Yin and Yang water's edge thanks to the beach contours.
The same contours created a small sandbank Island.
Another Seaton wreck appears from the depths as the sea level lowers.
Run to the Sea.
They walked north.
Some large stones from a distance had looked like ship timbers,
They were near the site of the better known Seaton Carew Wreck.
Beach Buoy couldn't remember seeing these stones before.
Runners ran.
As did the clouds in the wind.
Beach Buoy was glad to feel the shelter that the van offered from the chilly wind.
Kettle was boiled.
Coffee was drank.
The radio played.
Beach Buoy could have stayed...
all day.
BEACH BUOY.
