It was Tuesday.
Beach Buoy was / is off all week.
The street lights were turning off as they passed beneath them in the van.
As Beach Buoy drove into the car park, he spotted an unmistakable silhouette.
It was that of the man who walks the perimeter of the car park, whilst wearing headphones.
Maybe it was the beat of the music that gave him such a determined stride?
Two HGV trucks had stayed overnight in the car park.
Lights where on in their cabs.
They would be gone soon.
Out in the bay, a dark grey ship sailed on a lighter grey sea.
The ship's bright orange lights provided an excellent contrast.
The ship and it's lights headed North.
It made Beach Buoy realise that most seem to head South once they had left the river.
Beach Buoy drank coffee from the thermal mug that had brought along.
It went down like new engine oil into an engine reading low on the dipstick.
Beach Buoy sat watching two Gulls.
They were on the promenade wall heading towards each other.
Playing a game of Chicken.
Which bird would flinch first?
The bird on the right turned 180 and headed back to the south.
The other gained speed as it gave chase, it wouldn't be fully happy until the wall was his alone .
Beach Buoy wondered if on a farm somewhere two Chickens were playing a game of Gull?
The dipstick drank more coffee before heading for the beach.
As Beach Buoy and Another Dog headed down the access ramp he heard the two HGV's fire up.
There was a lady just in front of the pair.
She had a Gold Labrador.
A Dry Labrador.
They hadn't gone far, when that usually very wet Labrador, hit them like a missile as it always does.
It was all good.
The Dog is friendly and loves people almost as much as she loves the sea.
"Morning." said Beach Buoy.
"Morning." said the wet dog's owner, adding
"C'mon Susie."
The dog followed.
They headed to the car park.
The dry Labrador lady took photographs of the bay as she walked her dry Dog.
She turned and headed for the dunes.
Chocolate Pudding and her owner had arrived on the beach.
They walked the strand-line as they headed to meet the early 7 a.m. club.
"She isn't half growing." (Another Dog.)
They paused to chat a while.
Chocolate Pudding aka Rosebud
Laid on her back for a belly rub.
Beach Buoy obliged.
"See you later."
"See ya."
Beach Buoy drifted down to the water's edge.
Diving Birds were popping up from the sea in various locations.
With a shake of their heads they underwater once more.
The sun had cleared low cloud.
It was like one of those energy-saving bulbs, give it a while and to will brighten.
For now, it was a pale milky sun that illuminated the beach and bay below.
They headed for
Stubborn Dog Stack.
"Morning Mate."
Beach Buoy added to the stack.
He patted
THE
stone.
They stood.
The tide was more in than out.
They thought.
They left.
"See you Mate."
Beach Buoy had always called Stubborn Dog mate; he was.
They headed back by the water's edge.
A couple were up ahead.
Arm in arm so much as they walked, it looked as if they wanted to wear each other's coats.
They headed back to the van.
Beach Buoy could hear the clatter of metal tubing as
The Mobile Covid Test Unit set up for another day.
As they reached the van, Rita, the Meter Maid had checked the final meter of the day.
Beach Buoy took a last look out to sea.
People walked the water's edge with heads in the clouds on a cloudless day.
BEACH BUOY.
