A BLOGPOST, REBLOGGED . THE DAY WE MET PROFESSOR STUMP.

 

Sunday, 3 May 2020

SEATON SANDS, HARTLEPOOL..... 03 MAY 2020. ALLOWED EXERCISE WALK.

They were up and out by 5-33 am.
The lockdown has been odd.
So many clean cars.
So many neatly edged lawns.
They passed them all as they headed for the beach.
It had rained overnight.
It was a mild but grey start to a Seaside Sunday.
Birds sang as brightly as Bricklayers on a Friday afternoon  building site.
Wood Pigeons echoed off the surrounding houses and each other.
A Yellow Taxi headed for the Sea Front.
It wasn't a Big Yellow Taxi, like the one Joni Mitchell sang about. It was just a small van type. Presumably to maintain social distancing any passengers would have to be strapped to the roof rack?
They reached the beach at 5-45am. They would be quicker if Stubborn Dog wasn't constantly stopping to sniff the Canine version of social media; powered by pee.
The Beach scene was a grey one.
The Sun did have its hat on but it was grey, to match its overcoat.
There wasn't a breath of wind.
The motionless Wind Turbines faced North. 

A runway of sea coal awaited them as they prepared to head South.
Skylarks sang in hope of tempting the Sun to come see their performance.

Raindrops began to fall as Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog stumbled upon a Driftwood Lecture.
The lecture was given by Professor Stump.
Beach Buoy sat and listened for a while as the well travelled Professor told the surrounding Students of his time at sea, his childhood spent in a Forest and the dangers of beach bonfires.
During a short tree break, Beach Buoy chatted to one of the students; Ash.
Ash told Beach Buoy how proud his family were that he was attending lectures, as most of them had grown up as thick as two small planks.
Beach Buoy thanked  Ash and the Professor before heading  off with Stubborn Dog.

They popped up to the Dunes,
as they did so the rain came down in force and the hoods went up.

They returned to the beach.
They saw a Dog face in a rock pool.

They went to check on the Sand Martin building site.
Rain had stopped play.
Some progress had been made.
 The birds had began to make holes in the sandy face of the dune edge.
The rain was heavy.
Beach Buoy imagined that the Sand Martins were cabined up somewhere in a portable cabin, reading newspapers and swigging large mugs of  builder's tea, all with two sugars.

They turned to head back.
The rain poured down.
They had all day to dry themselves.

Beach Buoy.