Beach Buoy had gone to bed after midnight.
He must have found sleep because he woke.
He laid wondering how long he had slept?
Seconds later Another Dog landed on his chest.
She likes to sleep near the front door of the house but does have an AAA wristband on her left front paw.
It was 4-23 a.m.
It was no big deal.
Beach Buoy is up for work at 5-10 a.m. during the week.
That was it, he was awake now.
4-45 a.m.
Kettle on.
He made a coffee and stretched out on the sofa.
Another Dog went into full blown leg lean mode and fell asleep.
6-21 a.m.
Kettle on.
"Bloody Winter." thought Beach Buoy.
A summer 4-23 a.m. dog alarm would have just meant go to the beach early.
He drank Coffee.
7-15 a.m.
Beach Car Park.
Beach Buoy flicked on the various all-year fairy lights in the van.
7-25 a.m.
Beach Buoy pulled on a wooly hat.
He clipped a torch to his beach bag.
Beach Buoy and Another Dog headed down the sloping access ramp to the beach.
A walker walked the dune edge with a headlight torch fixed to their head.
It was still dark.
A Border Collie couple headed north.
The 7 a.m club were silhouettes down by the water's edge.
It was a milder day.
No frosty sand today.
There was hardly a breeze.
Beach Buoy pulled up two hoods.
Not to shelter from the morning air, just making his space more of his space.
Like putting blinkers on a horse.
Beach Buoy and Another Dog galloped south.
The tide was more out than it was in.
Waves broke and Gulls cried.
Two hoods came down.
Suddenly everything felt too muffled.
he needed to hear the naked sea.
Beach Buoy paused around halfway to
Stubborn Dog Stack.
Not a soul in sight.
It was only just beginning to become light.
He had been up for three hours already.
He stood, enjoying the
S P A C E.
He didn't make a move until two figures appeared in the distance to the north.
Maybe they wanted
S P A C E
too?
He headed off to see his mate at the stack.
There was a Lone Crow up-ahead, the only suspect.
It wasn't going to move for Beach Buoy and Another Dog.
The bird flew ahead, landing on a stone near the stack and stood, looking out to sea.
"Morning Mate."
He patted
THE
stone.
He added more that he had just collected from the beach.
8 a.m.
A pile driver started upon in the distance
THUD
THUD
THUD.
"See you Mate."
They headed south on the dune edge.
Birdsong sang out.
Beach Buoy didn't recognise the tune.
It sounded more like a grasshopper than a bird.
There was a gap in the dunes.
Beach Buoy could see random fishermen stood around on North Gare Pier.
The looked like art installations of heritage lost.
They headed over the Pier, down by the riverside...
Beach Buoy sat.
Coffee time....
"Did you remember biscuits
DOG biscuits?"
He had.
Beach Buoy drank coffee.
They ate biscuits.
The sun rose over the hills at 8-30
It was spring for four or five minutes.
It was like a custard pie, flat in the face he savoured every second of light and warmth.
The Sun climbed into low cloud.
They headed back.
A Dog howled in the distance towards The Snooks.
It sounded like a bloodhound in a 1950's black and white film, in hot pursuit of a striped escaped prisoner.
Two crows called out in Stereo.
They walked the dunes until the stack.
They returned to the beach.
A man passed by with his Dog.
The man flapped the collar of his jacket as if trying to cool himself as he said.
"Never know it so warm in December."
There was large length of Ghost Fishing rope.
Beach Buoy dragged in to the promenade .
He placed it into a Promenade Rubbish bin.
BEACH BUOY.
