SEATON SANDS, HARTLEPOOL. 17 MARCH 2021.

Beach Buoy arrived in from work at around 3-22 pm.

"Beach!"

Stubborn Dog pretended to be asleep in a pool of sunlight that had spilt all over the carpet in the back room.

Beach Buoy made a coffee to go and pretended to do just that.

Stubborn Dog fell for the old shamoozie.

He was waiting at the front door when Beach Buoy came back to check.

They headed for the beach.

As they do.

They reached the car park at 3-38 pm.

A man, a young man walked slowly along the promenade, holding the wall for support as he did so.

Every now and then he would place an inhaler to his mouth, take a breath, then carry on.

It made Beach Buoy think about taking things and people for granted.

He tried not to but was sorry for the times that he had.

It was bright and breezy.

Beach Buoy had put a fleece on for the beach.

It was the first time for months that the anorak had been left in the van.

The tide was more in than it was out.

It was a choppy sea today.

They headed south towards the stack and the North Gare Pier beyond.

It looked fairly quiet. 

The north looked a little busier.

They continued south.

Up near the dunes a dog-less man searched what shingle there was

in a zig-zag pattern as though it would ensure that he wouldn't miss a thing.

They had the sea for company as they walked.

A Dad and lad headed for the water's edge.

They stood, side-stepping the incoming waves as the tide worked its way in slowly.

Beach Buoy paused and faced the sea.

The breeze was wonderful.

Beach Buoy took slow deep breaths of cool fresh air with a twist of sea.

He turned to continue his walk.

A beach walker that looked like Ken Worthington,

(John Shuttleworth's next door neighbour and sole agent.) passed nearby.

Beach Buoy wondered if Bookface had mentioned any cases of

Malibu being washed ashore?

It was 4-05, the Sun was still high in the sky.

Beach Buoy gathered some rocks for the stack as a fisherman approached on the dune edge.

Beach Buoy took some more deep gulps of fresh sea air.

They stacked the stack.

Beach Buoy thought.....

This would be the perfect spot for that shack.

Walk the beach.

Watch the sea.

Drink tea.

Eat toast.

Sleep; a totally restful, deep sleep.

Woken by the sound of the sea and the Gulls, not an alarm.

Repeat.....

A ship left the river mouth stacked with containers.

There were only a few finds today.

They had a slow walk back.

The tide edged in.

As it did so, the strong breeze clicked over into wind.

The temperature dropped.

People milled about on the beach, under a now overcast sky.

 Beach Buoy turned to head back to the car park.

Five People had arrived with nine Spaniels.

No wonder the wind had picked up!

All of those wagging tails.

Beach Buoy hopped over the end of the promenade wall

 to head for the van.

A group of young men stood around their cars laughing over exaggerated laughs at various comments, as young men can sometimes do.

By the time Beach Buoy had reached the van, some were sounding their horns.

Dot dot  dash dot etc.

Beach Buoy wondered if it were morse code for 

I am an idiot?

He would have to learn it.

BEACH BUOY.