Beach Buoy and Another Dog reached the beach car park
at 6-43 a.m.
It was a day off.
It was another day off.
It was still quite dark, not quite half light yet.
A figure walked by, his face illuminated by his mobile phone screen,
headphones around neck as he chose a playlist.
A man walked by at the back of the van sporting beige shorts, beige shirts and a beige bald head.
Beach Buoy had parked the van next to Mr Gunn / Nunn's car.
Beach Buoy scooped up Another Dog.
He locked the van.
There was a fresh strong breeze from the south west, almost a wind but not quite.
To the north, along the sea front the street lights still twinkled.
They headed for the wet sand.
Great for the sun's reflections, presuming that it was going to show up at all.
Silhouettes of people and dogs were down by the water's edge.
Beach Buoy recognised the outline of the Very Very Wet Labrador and its owner.
If he had been in any doubt, the dog went running into the sea for a top-up.
Luckily they continued north this morning.
Someone else was in for a soaking off the dripping but friendly dog.
The tide was low enough to leave the Seaton Carew Wreck exposed.
They carried on.
The 7 a.m. club approached.
Another Dog reached for her clipboard.
Chocolate Pudding came running over to say hello.
Her owner started the Another Dog ball rolling.
"Aw she's coming on."
"She's Gorgeous ."✅
"So Fluffy."✅
Another Dog scrubbed cute from the list and replaced it with
"Coming on."
an age thing she supposed.
She put the clipboard away and bounced and bounced and bounced.
Chocolate Pudding had a word with her about calming down.
It was fine.
"See you."
"See you later."
They continued south.
A Gull went to investigate what a Crow was pecking at on the strand line.
The Crow sent it packing.
The Gull ran to the water's edge crying like a child who had had their toy taken off them.
Crows don't mess about.
A figure in red walked the heights of the dunes like some dune folk warrior guarding the dune castle.
Dune folk and beach folk are very different.
They passed seaweed on the strand line, again to looked like a discarded camouflaged jacket.
They surrender.
They headed for
Stubborn Dog Stack,
beach stones in hand.
Nine today.
"Morning Mate."
He added the stones.
He patted
THE
stone.
As it he did, the sun cleared the cloud that had hidden the horizon.
It was 7-17 a.m.
Beach Buoy watched the sun rise above the cloud.
"See you mate."
He waved.
They headed back to the beach.
Solar and wind power together...
The sea serpent marker.
The creature hasn't been spotted for a while...
They headed north but Beach Buoy kept looking back to the sun.
They walked the water's edge.
They reached the access ramp.
An elderly man was up ahead with a young pup.
The man's coat was hanging off his back.
The young dogs said hello
The old men said hello.
" I was born just down there."
said the older of the two men as he pointed north to the sea front.
"There was a woman just gone in the dunes with two dogs.
She let one crap and just left it."
Dune folk really are very different.
BEACH BUOY.
