Beach Buoy had gone to bed at 11-45 p.m.
By 1-50 a.m. he was up. A pan of milk was on the boil.
The pillows had won.
Beach Buoy sat on the sofa, watching the clock
Borrowed Dog and Another Dog sat at opposite ends of another sofa.
Sleeping bookends.
3-38 a.m. the first cry of a distant Gull.
More milky coffee.
5-28 a.m. the first rainfall on the roof.
Beach Buoy reached for his phone to check the weather forecast.
Chances of rain to decrease as time passed.
He waited.
6-39 a.m.
Beach Car Park.
A Gull ran after another on the promenade wall.
Four other Gulls watched from the wall, ready to pounce as another Gull pulled at rubbish from the top of a state of the art
BIG BELLY BIN.
On this occasion it's big belly wasn't sufficient.
It's red
"Empty Me" light flashed.
It was a grey start to the day.
A strong breeze blew from the south west as it seems to so often.
A lady with a Border Collie came up the beach access ramp as they desended.
Beach Buoy had a non flamboyant wooly hat on under his two hoods. Gloved hands were stuffed inside pockets.
The tide was more in than it was out.
The 7 a.m club passed by.
"Morning."
" Morning."
Mari the big friendly poodle wanted to say hello but it was awkward having two dogs.
Up ahead in the shingle in front of Stubborn Dog Stack a figure searched for finds.
Yellow RNLI style Wellington boots, a grey fisherman type jumper ; the beachcombing lady.
She looked as if she was leaving no stone unturned.
Beach Buoy joined the dunes early so that the lady knew that the beach and shingle were hers.
"Morning Mate."
Beach Buoy added some stones.
He patted
THE
stone.
"See you mate."
They headed to Sand Martin Corner.
Beach Buoy scanned the dune edge and the sky above for signs of the first of the Sand Martins.
Nothing.
Two hoods came down.
Passing the Tank Traps, they began to head back to the North.
They passed the little dip in the dune edge, where in the past they had stopped for a sit and think above the grey rocks.
The Sea Serpent Marker.
They headed back, closer to the strand line than the water's edge.
Hugo appeared; the distant wave lady's dog.
He managed to dog juggle and give the Large
Dog a shoulder scratch.
The distant wave lady was, as you would expect, off in the distance at the water's edge.
She waved from a distance.
It was returned.
Her Dog returned too, shoulder scratch complete.
The beachcombing lady had made use of her RNLI yellow wellies and headed into the sea as if to be at one with it?
The sun tried to penetrate the cloud cover over the river mouth.
People and dogs headed for the sea .
The now distant beachcombing lady headed for the car park, arriving there shortly after Beach Buoy and the dogs.
She looked like one of those people who lived life at their own pace, being just what she wanted to be.
BEACH BUOY.
