31,AUG,2022. SEATON SANDS, HARTLEPOOL.

Beach Buoy, Borrowed Dog and Another Dog reached the beach at 6-29 p.m.

They were walking down the access ramp as a family were walking up.

"Are we walking to the chip shop mam ?"

Borrowed Dog was enjoying the bright beach with a breeze from the north.

They headed south.

The tide was well in.

A royal blue sea was edged in white.

Pebbles with legs ran in and out as the sea came to shore.

Beach Buoy and the dogs continued south.

Others wandered back to the north.

"Evening Mate."

Beach Buoy added stones to Stubborn Dog Stack.

He patted 

THE 

stone. 

Beach Buoy watched the Bay's Yachts from the vantage point the the stack provided.

The two dogs rested at the stack.

"See you mate "

Back to the beach.

Beach Buoy left two lots of bits and bobs for other, should they want them.

They headed back to the village and a waiting van.

 As they left, the clouds to the south looked spectacular.

They went to the van.

The two dogs slept as Beach Buoy made a strong milky coffee.

BEACH BUOY.

TUES. 30, AUG 2022. SEATON SANDS., HARTLEPOOL.

As Beach Buoy locked the front door of the house, he could see the Bay's Wind Turbines were edge on to the house.

A northerly breeze, thought Beach Buoy.

It was around 6-30 p.m. when they reached the beach car park.

A few vertical posts were all that was left of the Little Tern Barrier.

The beach felt off balance.

The birds and the fence had been there for months 

Another Dog broke Stubborn Dog's existing drag record.

Oh how we laughed..not.

Eventually she began to walk.

They headed south.

The tide was high.

The sea was choppy.

The sun was bright.

Beach Buoy headed to the dune edge as two ladies passed by with their dog.

Beach Buoy dropped back to the beach to collect some stack stones.

"Evening Mate."

He added the recently collected stones.

He patted

THE 

stone.

Beach Buoy stood facing the strong breeze that was blowing off the sea.

The dry air smelt of sea spray.

He sat and drank a very strong coffee from a thermal mug.

He watched as two Chinook Helicopters flew down the river and out to sea.

He stared until he could see them no more.

Even their unmistakable thudding sound faded away.

"See you mate."

They slid down a sandy slope.

 They headed back as the sunset turned white clouds pink.

BEACH BUOY.

EVENING VISIT, MON. 29 , AUG 2022. SEATON SANDS, HARTLEPOOL.

Beach Buoy and Another Dog walked to the beach.

The half-mast golf club flag pointed inland.

It meant two things.

A golfer had passed away and there was a strong breeze off the sea.

It was 5-30 p.m. when they arrived at the beach.

The anticlockwise bus station stated that it was 10-26.

They crossed the car park.

A sawn off ice cream van had been turned into a trailer.

It had a noisy diesel generator to provide the power.

A queue had formed.

The ice cream seller hurried back from the direction of the nearby toilets.

They walked to the water's edge.

It was around twenty minutes to high tide.

It was overcast.

A grey sea.

A grey sky .

A dad and lad sat on a driftwood bench, watching the shoreline birds pick at a turning tide.

Beach Buoy and Another Dog went up to Stubborn Dog Stack.

"Evening Mate."

He added stones before patting

THE 

stone.

They sat a while.

Grey seas are lovely too.

"See you mate "

A slow walk back with a turning tide.

They shared the water's edge with shoreline birds of all sizes.

 Some were even the size of pebbles.

Dottie Dog zoomed over from the dunes, then north, then south, in the water out of the water. (Repeat.)

Her mam followed her to the water's edge.

They chatted as they all went north.

If any proof was needed that the Little Terns has gone, it was sight of a dozen or so Gulls sat on the beach in the fenced off area.

Had they still been around, the Little Terns would have given chase.

At the access ramp they went their separate ways.

Beach Buoy headed for the village to take photographs.

It was 6-50.

The anticlockwise clock said 9-04.

Funfair.

Crazy Golf.

Beach huts on the promenade.

 The Green.

BEACH BUOY.

BANK HOLIDAY MON. 29,AUG, 2022. SEATON SANDS, HARTLEPOOL.

Beach Buoy and Another Dog arrived

 at 5-41 a.m.

He sat at the side door of the van, putting his beach boots on.

Two cars arrived; sunrise seekers.

They headed to the water's edge ahead of Beach Buoy.

Their Chocolate Labrador; "Charlie!"

came to say hello.

One of the group had disrobed into swimwear as she walked to the sea.

There was a breeze off the sea.

It was overcast but mild.

Another car load of sunrise seekers arrived.

They headed to the heights of the dunes.

A vantage point to capture the moment.

The sky glowed orange.

No visible sunrise today.

They walked south.

The tide hadn't long turned from being high.

The sea seemed reluctant to give up the beach.

It made a few ankle grabs as they walked the freshly exposed sands.

Once the orange glow had faded, the sunrise seekers had left. 

It looked like November but thankfully it still felt like August.

Mari, the big friendly poodle trotted by, up in the dunes.

No neck scratch today, she was on a mission.

The 7 a m club and distant wave lady passed by.

A man took photographs down near the grey rocks, just below Stubborn Dog Stack.

"Morning Mate."

It was 6-32 a.m.

He added the stones.

He patted 

THE

stone.

He sat with binoculars, looking out to sea

"So you remembered binoculars but forgot dog treats!"

Beach Buoy scanned the open sea.

Over on South Gare Pier he counted 25 motorhomes / camper vans.

Closer to home, he could see Pebbles with legs scatter like shrapnel as waves broke onto the beach.

"See you mate ."

They went back to the beach and dawdled back like they had all of the time in the world, sadly they don't.

None of us have.

They gradually made their way north.

It really looked and sounded like the stunning Little Terns had gone.

 BEACH BUOY.

SUNDAY EVENING, 28,AUG. 2022. SEATON SANDS, HARTLEPOOL.

Sunday evening.

Beach Buoy and Another Dog reached the beach at 6-45 p.m.

The headed for the sea 

Behind them, horses clip clopped down the beach access ramp.

Another Dog was having none of it.

She laid down as if she had been shot.

The horse riders laughed at her antics.

Eventually they made their way towards the sea.

The tide was well in, but was going out.

There was a bit unpleasant breeze from the north.

It had been a sunny day but it was a little overcast now.

A very slim old man ran along the water's edge.

He broke into a walk shortly after passing Beach Buoy and Another Dog.

Horses ran south then back to the north a few times.

A sort of beach point to point.

Three lads were heading north.

They were near Stubborn Dog Stack.

The three teenagers paused on the beach below, before writing in the sand with their fishing rods.

Messages written,  they continued north.

Beach Buoy and Another Dog went to Stubborn Dog Stack.

He added stones.

He patted

THE

stone.

They sat a while.

"See you mate."

Beach Buoy and Another Dog headed down to the beach.

He read the messages that the teenage fishermen had written in the sand.

Sadly it wasn't good.

Beach Buoy won't repeat it.

 The horses had left more cheerful messages behind.

They headed back slowly.

A man in a wooly hat overtook them.

He had an angry way of walking.

He stormed off into the dunes.

A lone figure picked the strand-line ahead of them as they walked.

Down by the beach access ramp, an orange pop-up tent had popped up.

BEACH BUOY.

SUN 28,AUG. 2022. SEATON SANDS, HARTLEPOOL.

Beach Buoy and Another Dog arrived

at 6-10 a.m.

The sun had just risen.

The best part of the day.

A ship headed out, destination the sun.

The Pilot boat had headed back to the river after guiding the ship into open water.

They headed south.

The tide was well in.

The distant wave lady and her dog were down to the south.

There was a slight breeze from om the south west.

It was a calm sea, breaking only as it's edge hit the steep slope on the beach.

The Little Terns seemed silent, noticeable by their absence.

A young Seal looked out to sea.

They stayed well clear

The distant wave lady approached.

She had informed Beach Buoy that there has been more Dolphins.

She has seen two jump out of the sea.

They said goodbye before going their separate ways.

They went up a sandy slope to Stubborn Dog Stack.

"Morning Mate."

Beach Buoy added stones.

He patted 

THE

 stone.

Beach Buoy savoured the sea air.

He rubbed his cupped hands onto his face as though he was washing his face.

 They headed back slowly.

Another beach done.

BEACH BUOY.