Beach Buoy went to bed at 12-49am.
Beach Buoy woke at 4-41am.
By 5am he was sat drinking a milky coffee, eating a toasted teacake, whilst watching snow swirl around in the light of the street lamp that stood outside the house.
It must have been before 6 am when they pulled into the car park?
Theirs were the first tyre tracks to mark the snow.
As Beach Buoy faffed on with Stubborn Dog's waterproofs, a Red Mercedes drove into the car park.
A figure left the car with a dog alongside and headed off down to the water's edge.
Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog made it to the beach.
They headed for the sea before turning south.
It was still snowing.
The snow was blowing onto their backs.
The breeze was slight, but strong enough to make the snow fall more horizontally than vertically.
Lots of Gulls stood down towards the North.
They followed the water's edge in a southerly direction.
The figure was up ahead.
Despite the snow it actually felt warmer than it had done yesterday.
The figure headed up towards the stack and stayed there a while.
The walk continued.
Beach Buoy looked up to see the figure and the dog heading back on the water's edge.
Beach Buoy has spent a lifetime social distancing so he headed to the dune edge.
Also if the approaching figure was a woman, she may be happier seeing a stranger submit the water's edge to her and give her space.
As they passed the figure waved.
It was the early morning beach walker wave.
Beach Buoy waved back.
The figure was a lady.
She spoke excitedly about early morning beaches and the snow, how it will be gone when "They all" get up.
Best part of the day thoughts were exchanged.
"My friends all think Im mad getting up so early."
They went their separate ways.
A Pied- Wagtail picked at the strand line.
Beach Buoy stacked the stack.
it will have been glad to find somewhere that didn't have a layer of snow on it.
Six tiny birds stood on top of the marram grass as if trying to avoid the snow.
They sounded like Skylarks but the song and chatter was not the in-flight entertainment they usually perform.
The snowy dunes looked like an angry sea.
They walked the snowy dunes, walkways laid out like a long white carpet.
It was 7-01 am when there was a flash of lightening and a rumble of thunder out in the bay.
They continued on, to see what the river was up to.
The Blue Lagoon was white.
This is the path that leads from the North Gare Car Park to the Pier and the beaches that sit either side of it.
They headed back to Seaton Sands Beach.
The light changed and suddenly the wind turbines were bright white.
A white dog walked the water's edge.
A Ship called 'Threatening Sky.' headed south with a cargo of Thunder.
They passed some beach regulars .
Beach Buoy calls them
'The Boarder Collie Couple.'
He exercised the dog.
She exercised her back as she stooped to pick up her beach finds.
They left a snowy beach behind,
Beach Buoy towel dried Stubborn Dog with a fluffy towel and wrapped him up in a thick warm blanket.
The little dog fell asleep whilst Beach Buoy drank coffee.
BEACH BUOY.
