Beach Buoy reached a very foggy car park
at 7-03 p.m.
Borrowed Dog had come along again.
He will come from time to time.
The visibility was down to around 200 to 300 metres.
At the bottom of the access ramp he could just make out the edge of The Little Tern nesting site.
To the south he could see the northern edge of the sand dunes and not much else to be honest.
There was a damp breeze off the sea.
They would have to head for it to find out how low or high the tide was.
It was well out.
Distant groups of two and threes drifted in and out of view as thicker fog swirled around.
Beach Buoy and Borrowed Dog walked midway between the sea and the dunes; both barely visible.
They headed for some shingle patches up to the west.
The sea disappeared and became a backing track.
Borrowed Dog was clipped to Beach Buoy's beach bag as Stubborn Dog used to be.
Every now and then Beach Buoy would close his eyes, it was foggy after all. Eyes closed he could pretend the pull at the end of the lead was his other mate.
He gathered some stones as they headed up to
Stubborn Dog Stack.
"Hiya Mate."
He stroked that special rock and patted it.
"Look who's come to see you again."
They all stood together.
Seagulls drifted by overhead.
Even the Seagulls looked Fog Grey.
Beach Buoy collected a couple of larger rocks for the stack.
They headed for Sand Martin Corner.
"Won't be long mate, we'll be back..."
It was his first walk to Sand Martin Corner since Stubborn Dog had gone.
All the firsts hurt, sometimes the seconds and thirds too.
He found a sea alley.
They headed back to the stack.
A couple of more rocks added and some time together.
"Night night mate, I will come forever."
the last word wasn't audible.
The way back... they hoped!
Beach Buoy paused to record the few finds.
A distant foggy figure.
Beach Buoy has thought a great deal about grief lately.
When you lose someone that was so close, it's like being on a ship on an Ocean.
They have fallen overboard; gone, but the Ship goes on, course set.
No turning back, no rescue.
The ship carries on relentlessly and all you want to do is mutiny and make it go back to before it all happened.
The hopelessness of it all.
BEACH BUOY.
