HAYFEVER SEASON.
When even the Wind Turbines look like flowers
BEACH BUOY
Thursday 30 June 2022
Wednesday 29 June 2022
WEDNESDAY 29 JUNE 2022.SEATON SANDS.
Beach Buoy and Another Dog reached the beach at 6-50 p.m.
He noticed two people in light blue tops; Little Tern Wardens.
Beach Buoy headed over to enquire about this year's numbers.
"Excuse me, how are they doing this year."
The male warden pointed to the lady warden in the hope she had the information.
She had just took a bite from her sandwich.
" There are 64 birds, that's 32 nests.
16 young so far, but some were lost to foxes.
Some have had more eggs and are still on the nests "
"Thank you."
Beach Buoy headed off.
Beach Buoy and Another Dog headed south along the beach.
A man headed north with his dog
The man had an unusual walk.
It looked as though he was walking on sticky mud not sand. Each footstep seemed to be over exaggerated.
They left a quiet north end of the beach behind.
Up ahead the south end looked quiet too.
Maybe the clouds and threat of rain at kept people at bay... from the bay ?
Beach Buoy headed to Stubborn Dog Stack.
He placed stones around the stack in a dry stone wall type arrangement.
He raised the covering stone to pat
THE
stone.
There was that little beetle again.
Once more it scampered for cover.
Beach Buoy patted
THE
stone.
He carefully replaced the covering stone.
After a while...
"See you mate "
They headed back to the beach.
Recent seas had reshaped the beaches contours.
Angled rain fell Saltburn way.
Clouds darkened to the north.
More angled rain fell to the west.
Beach Buoy.
Tuesday 28 June 2022
TANGLED FEET THEATRE ENSEMBLE.
Tangled Feet are appearing as part of
The Hartlepool waterfront festival.
Their printed and online flyer make use of a Beach Buoy photo.
BEACH BUOY.
BEACH BUOY.
TUESDAY 28, JUNE. 2022. SEATON SANDS, HARTLEPOOL
Beach Buoy and Another Dog reached the beach car park at 6-10 p.m
He faffed on in the van for a while.
A steady stream of teenagers headed for a dune get together.
Finally Beach Buoy and Another Dog set off.
It was a mild evening, overcast with a gentle breeze from the west.
A man with a large sports equipment bag headed down to water's edge.
Just beyond the Little Tern Area he set out four coloured post, thus claiming a section of beach.
The tide was more in than it was out.
It was heading out, so more and more beach space would exposed soon enough.
They headed south.
Many of the teenagers had headed to the depths of the dunes.
Others sat down on the beach near to dune edge around crackling driftwood bonfires.
As they headed south, Beach Buoy watched as Little Terns dropped into the sea, just a few metres away.
A very wet and just as friendly alsatian pup came over to say hello.
Sheba and Another Dog did a friendly dog dance. The owners shared a silent smile as the two dogs played.
Beach Buoy and Another Dog continued south.
Up ahead, the lady in a RNLI yellow jacket.
She watched as her Brown Dog and Black Dog played in the sea.
Beach Buoy and Another Dog headed to Stubborn Dog Stack.
"Evening Mate."
Beach Buoy added six beach collected stones.
He raised a stone to pat
THE
stone.
There on
THE
stone sat a tiny black beetle.
The beetle scampered away.
Beach Buoy patted
THE
stone.
He replaced the covering stone.
He was pleased that the stack offered a home for beetles.
Beach Buoy sat down on a large stack stone.
He faced the sea as he sorted out photographs and his head.
A man in green with a limp and a small brown dog appeared from the south end of the dunes .
He and his dog headed north along the water's edge.
"See you mate."
Beach Buoy left the stack behind
They too headed north along the water's edge.
Young love headed south hand in hand, feet in sea.
Beach Buoy laid out some recent bits and bobs.
Nothing flash.
Just some bits and a few bobs.
They headed back to the van.
A second area of beach had been claimed.
More coloured posts stood as make do corner flags for a beach football match.
Skins v Tops
Shirt or no shirt the choice of kits available.
BEACH BUOY.
Monday 27 June 2022
MONDAY 27 JUNE 2022. SEATON SANDS, HARTLEPOOL.
Beach Buoy and Another Dog reached the beach at 6-54 p.m.
A family with a large dog that would have been more at home in a zoo blocked the access ramp.
It was a bright and breezy evening.
A Rusty Spaniel called Hamish came running over but was off like a shot once Another Dog had almost hugged him to death.
The tide was more out than it was in.
"Hiya Paul."
It was Dottie Dog's mam.
She had extra dogs on tow.
So he hadn't recognised her.
The dogs on the leads were her mam's.
Dottie Dog.was off the lead she ran part way to Beach Buoy then sat, waiting for a hello.
After a brief chat it was ..
"See you later."
"See you later."
A couple stood at the water's edge.
They each had a cloud.
They left the picturesque village behind.
Foot and paw prints headed along the strand-line before going up towards
Stubborn Dog Stack.
"Evening Mate."
Beach Buoy added some more stones.
He patted
THE
stone.
They stayed a while as they often do.
"See you mate."
They headed onto the beach, then south.
Beach Buoy sat on a Tank Trap Throne and watched the world and Sand Martins go by.
An Origami-like Yacht crossed the bay.
It was a slow walk back, which to be honest wasn't a bad thing.
Two Ponies paddled in the sea, ending up saddle deep.
A saddle paddle.
Dunes and driftwood looked nice with evening sun on them.
As they left the beach at around 8-10 p.m.
There was a loud explosion.
Demolition of Redcar Steel Works.
Black smoke drifted across the bay like a curtain at the end of a show, sadly it was the end of an era.
BEACH BUOY.
Sunday 26 June 2022
SUNDAY, 26, JUNE 2022. SEATON SANDS HARTLEPOOL
Beach Buoy woke at 3-13 a.m.
He laid knowing that sleep had headed off for the day with a pillow tucked under its arm.
4-12 a.m
The van kettle was lit.
Beach Buoy and Another Dog were parked at the beach car park.
It was light.
The street lights were already off.
Beach Buoy made a coffee.
A car that had been parked up when they had arrived, drove off.
Beach Buoy sat sipping hot coffee as he looked at the bay.
There was low cloud on the horizon.
The due sunrise would be taking place, behind closed doors.
Beach Buoy had cracked open the van's side windows.
A rush of air crossed inside the van
There seemed to be a strong breeze from the south.
Oddly the Wind Turbines in the bay seemed to be idle?
Beach Buoy drank his coffee and for once waited for the sun to come to him; he was idle too.
Patience paid off.
It was 4-49 when the sun cleared the low cloud.
Boots were put on, an orange coat too.
If it warmed up later, he may look slightly overdressed?
The words of his long gone Father drifted around the van as they left for the beach.
"If you take a coat, you can always take it off. You can't put it on if you don't take it with you."
They paused on the promenade.
The belated sunrise was in direct line with the Little Tern Area Fencing.
They headed for the beach.
A figure headed south with a dog and the sea for company.
They headed south too.
The tide was slightly more out than it was in.
A large ship, left the River, passing the still idle wind turbines as it swung around them before heading south, down the coast.
They continued south, choosing a strand-line path.
Beach Buoy stuffed his hands into his pockets.
His head was full of yesterdays.
Beaches walked.
He imagined a beach, one like that baseball pitch in the film Field of Dreams.
Imagine a beach that you could visit with those who had gone.
They would climb down a sandy slope from the dunes.
Join you for a walk and talk.
Back to reality, but reality was fine.
The sound of Gulls to the east, Skylarks to the west.
The gone weren't coming down a sandy slope today.
Beach Buoy and Another Dog climbed one to visit one of them.
"Morning Mate."
He patted
THE
stone.
He four placed recently collected beach stones in and onto the stack.
They stayed a while with poor old Stubborn Dog.
"See you mate "
They headed back to the beach.
There was still beach access to Sand Martin Corner.
Beach Buoy noticed some Sand Martin were on the beach.
It was a rare sight.
They usually go from flight to burrow, he had never seen them on the actual beach before.
It looked like adults with their fledglings?
Then. .
A Richness of Sand Martins.
Beach Buoy watched the wonderful show.
The sun reflected onto the wet sand, alongside North Gare Pier.
World War Two Tank Traps marched off into the dunes as if off to find a battle, as none has come to them.
Beach Buoy and Another Dog headed back.
Walking, not marching.
The 7 a.m. club passed in the distance.
Distant waves were exchanged.
The very very wet retriever did cross the divide.
It stopped a few feet short of them before politely shaking itself from nose to tail.
The dog ran back to the water's edge.
As they reached the end of the walk, the distant wave lady waved from the water's edge.
A wave which was returned.
Beach Buoy and Another Dog headed back to the van.
To the north of the car park, a fun fair had set up . It has been there a good while.
BEACH BUOY..
Saturday 25 June 2022
SEATON CAREW, SATURDAY 25, JUNE,2022.
Beach Buoy had gone to bed at 12-45 a.m....
There hadn't been a beach visit on Friday.
It had been so hot at work.
His hayfever had been dreadful.
He was worn out.
He had sneezed violently so much during the day, that when the did wake on Saturday, his ribs were sore and he was very weary.
He went downstairs at 4-54 a m.
The kettle was put on.
He was actually in two minds about going to the beach.
Deep down he knew the call of the beach would win.
It did.
He wasn't going to rush.
It was 6-27 a.m. when they pulled up in the car park.
Six cars were parked quite closely to one another in the vastness of the tarmac surface.
Beach Buoy and Another Dog headed towards the sea.
Four teenagers made their way from the dunes, making enough noise for twenty.
It looked like they had spent the night in the dunes?
A couple of them had blankets draped over their shoulders like tangled capes of failed superheroes.
It was a gorgeous morning.
The wind turbine blades looked to be edge on to the beach as they spun in a strong breeze from the south west.
There was hardly a cloud in the sky.
They headed south.
A Black Labrador called Peggy came to say hello.
The very very wet retriever ran up to Beach Buoy, looking as if to say.
"You got a spare ball mate?"
"Sorry, not today." said Beach Buoy.
The dog ran back to its owner, down on the water's edge.
The owner and Beach Buoy exchanged distant waves.
Up on the dune edge the 7 a m. club were having a bit of a gathering.
Litter picking had took place.
Pointing was in progress.
Down to the north, The Distant Wave Lady had joined the beach.
She headed to the get together.
A short while later some of the 7 a.m. club headed to the promenade, litter bags in hand.
Beach Buoy and Another Dog continued south.
Sand Martins twisted and turned as they traveled the dune edge.
The very very wet retriever came back to double check the ball situation.
The Distant Wave Lady's dog, Hugo came to say hello.he was very very wet too.
Beach Buoy headed up to Stubborn Dog Stack.
"Morning Mate."
Beach Buoy added some beach stones.
He patted
THE
stone.
He sat down on a large stack stone.
Out came the thermal flask of coffee.
He screwed the base of the mug into the nearby sand; a beach cup holder.
He sat watching the Sand Martins put on a show.
Marram Grass, heavy with seed heads, dipped back and forth in the strong breeze. Like artist's brushes coloured quickly to catch the scene before the light had chance to change.
The beachcombing border collie couple came along as far as the grey rocks before returning to the north.
"See you mate."
Beach Buoy and Another Dog returned to the beach.
They continued to head south.
A man and two dogs were heading north along the water's edge.
There was something up ahead on the sand.
From a distance, it looked as if someone had been doing some stone stacking?
The stone stack moved.
It was a dog.
The dog trotted over in the direction of Beach Buoy and Another Dog.
" Oh my goodness!."
"Winston? "
That was Stubborn Dog's name.
That was Stubborn Dog's face.
The dog stopped about three metres away from them.
It just sat and looked Beach Buoy in the eyes.
Beach Buoy went head to toe and back again in goosebumps.
He reached for his phone
He had to get a photograph.
In typical Stubborn Dog style the dog turned and trotted off in the direction of the man with two dogs, walking the water's edge.
Beach Buoy did manage to capture the little dog trotting off into the distance.
Beach Buoy headed for the tank traps.
He gathered thoughts and made notes.
It had all been very odd.
The began a slow walk back as airship clouds drifted into the bay.
They walked near to the sea.
A sea coal delivery was in progress.
The Sea Serpent Marker in a sparkling sea.
Beach Buoy and Another Dog headed toward the dunes.
A couple walked hand in hand, shoes in hand, ankle deep in sea.
Beach Buoy picked a large bag of beach cleaned rubbish.
He placed it in a promenade rubbish bin.
The 7 a.m. club must have been struggling with the number of bags that they had tried to collect?
BEACH BUOY.
Thursday 23 June 2022
23 JUNE 2022 SEATON SANDS, HARTLEPOOL.
Thursday.
It had been an uncomfortably hot work day.
Flame retardant overalls, safety helmet, work boots, ear plugs and safety glasses can make for very hot days.
The sun had been blazing down.
It was slightly overcast now.
The heat remained, as did the sun seeking beach folk.
It was 7 p.m. when Beach Buoy and Another Dog reached the beach.
A family headed for the car park.
They all wore flamboyant hats.
Beach Buoy and Another Dog headed for sand ..
Another Dog Dog wondered why every passing dog didn't come to say hello?
People stood on the dune edge.
School leavers night.
Thankfully there seemed to be adults in hi viz tops, checking all was ok.
Some years it can be bedlam.
It was a muggy walk south.
It felt a little like walking towards an open furnace door.
Back to the north, the sun tried to break through an overcast sky.
The light looked a little like a UFO scanning the beach.
Beach Buoy and Another Dog continued south.
They headed for the stack.
There was a new arrival at Stubborn Dog Stack.
All are welcome.
Beach Buoy added some more stones.
"Evening Mate."
He patted
THE
stone.
Beach Buoy wondered what Jack was like, obviously he was well loved.
Down by the water's edge a horse, pony and entourage headed north.
"See you mate."
They headed back through the dunes.
The Marram Grass looked structural with wind turbine towers as a back drop.
They dropped down on to beach
They made their way back.
They walked a beach no man's land midway between the the strand-line and the sea.
BEACH BUOY.
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