Saturday.
Beach Buoy had gone to bed at 10-20.
He woke at 12-20.
He woke at 3-20.
By 3-40 a.m. a pan of milk was on the boil for coffee.
Beach Buoy added words to some blog posts.
5-55 a.m. saw the first hint of light in the sky.
It was just after 6.
Two thermal mugs of coffee were made.
A toasted teacake was neatly wrapped in silver foil.
Beach Buoy loaded the van.
As he locked the front door, he glanced left.
He could see the lights of the Bay's Wind Turbines.
The sky out in the bay looked dramatic.
They arrived in an empty car park
at 6-18 a.m.
Beach Buoy went to the Promenade Wall.
He gave the beach a coat of looking at.
The Moon hung over the dunes to the South.
Beach Buoy returned to the van.
He lit three sets of light that were dotted around the van.
He unscrewed the top of one of the thermal mugs.
Coffee steam rose.
He took a sip of coffee as he unwrapped the teacake.
It was like a present to himself.
They headed off to the beach at 6-40 a.m.
They had a special stone for
Stubborn Dog Stack.
A lady leaned on the Promenade Wall to take a photograph of the bay.
The tide was way out.
Gulls took flight.
A depleted 7 a.m. club headed south.
A distant arm was raised.
"Morning Paul."
Beach Buoy raised a waving arm before echoing the
"Morning."
There was a breeze from the south west.
It was a slight but cold breeze.
They headed to the water's edge.
The pre sunrise light reflected on the wet sand.
It was just after 7 when the Sun rose.
Beach Buoy raised a thermal mug of coffee up to the sun.
They headed to the stack.
"Morning Mate."
He patted
THE
stone.
He added more stones.
He took a swig of coffee from his thermal mug.
They stood and watched a golden sun turn lemon as it climbed into the sky.
Then...
There it was...
The first Skylark of the year.
🤗
So clear to hear.
So hard to see.
With a heart lifted by birdsong, Beach Buoy continued south through the dunes.
They reached North Gare Pier with the River Tees beyond it.
The lemon glow filled the river mouth.
As is sometimes the case, what was a breeze on Seaton Sands, was a wind on the riverside.
When wind is from the south west it can be funneled down the river.
The two hoods that went down at sunrise, went back up
They walked along the edge of the river.
Two fishermen no doubt put the world to rights as they waited for a bite.
The sea rolled into the River.
The wind did what it could to halt the flow.
Back onto the Pier then return to Seaton Sands.
A slow walk back started in the dunes and ended on the beach.
They waved to Stubborn Dog as they passed.
BEACH BUOY.
