SEATON SNOOKS TEA ROOM OUT AND ABOUT CARD

 CHOCOLATE PUDDING AND CUSTARD. 

Beach Buoy found out at the weekend that a beach regular had to say goodbye to their dog  a while ago.

Regular blog readers will  maybe know her as Chocolate Pudding or Chocolate Pudding and Custard.

A little brown dog that sometimes wore a yellow raincoat.

Hence her blog name. 

A lovely dog.

A lovely owner.

BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SANDS HARTLEPOOL 31,OCT, 2022.

Monday morning.

Beach Buoy woke at 4-39 a.m.

It was a day off.

Unusually for Beach Buoy he snuggled into the bedding.

He woke at 5-50 a.m.

A sleep in !

😯

It was 6-39 a.m. when Beach Buoy and Another Dog reached the beach. 

The Vauxhall Corsa Van man was almost back at his vehicle with his Border Collie. 

The man who walks the car park perimeter was doing just that. 

 

Beach Buoy and Another Dog walked to the water's edge.

It was a short walk as the tide was well in.

It was mild with a slight breeze from the south west.

Flashes of cloud glowed slightly, looking like some distant sports logo display.

Beach Buoy stood and watched as The Sea Serpent twisted and turned.

He watched as Gulls and Terns took turns to pass by.

Some heading south.

Some heading north.

The sea was calm being only slightly rippled by the breeze.

The water's edge was more like that of a lake than a sea.

Nine Oyster Catchers took flight,whistling as they worked.

A rouge member of the 7 a.m. club was heading back north.

"Morning Paul."

"Morning. "

They carried on southwards.

Up ahead five Crows patrolled the nearby strand-line like beach police.

To the north, the beach regulars with a Border Collie and a muzzled Dog had come into view.

Muzzled Dog came over for the first time ever.

Beach Buoy made a fuss of the arrival.

The dog seemed pleased someone had made a fuss.

The owners passed by 

"Hiya."

"Hiya."

Beach Buoy paused as the others continued their trek south.

He watched as a diving bird surfaced.

The bird looked around as if checking if anyone was watching before disappearing into the water once more. 

Before heading up to Stubborn Dog Stack, Beach Buoy savoured a golden water's edge just below the stack itself. 

The beauty of the morning was inspirational.

A thought came to mind.

"EVERY SUNRISE THAT I WITNESS IS LIKE FINDING THE MISSING PIECE OF A JIGSAW. ONE THAT I DIDN'T KNOW I HAD LOST UNTIL THEN."

They headed up to see Stubborn Dog.

"Morning Mate."

Beach Buoy added some stones.

He patted 

THE

stone.

The view across to the village was glorious.

There will be a time Beach Buoy won't be here anymore.

But then, he will always be at Stubborn Dog Stack.

"See you mate."

They headed back to the beach to have coffee as the stack stones were damp.

Beach Buoy rested against the steep dune edge as he drank coffee.

He watched two diving birds work their way south.

The two birds called to one another like lost kittens each time that they surfaced.

They began to head back to the north.

Delicate sea pottery design.

It was such a beautiful start to the day.

Beach Buoy paused once more.

He faced the sun.

With both hands he rubbed his face as one would when washing their face at a sink.

It felt like a May morning.

It would be November tomorrow.

As they approached the car park, it became obvious that a photo shoot was in progress at the dune edge.

One of the group's shadows was cast on to a light reflecting disc.

Beach Buoy went by the shoot.

A guitar case lay in the sand.

A young lady chatted to the photographer

They headed back to the van.

 

BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SNOOKS TEA ROOM OUT AND ABOUT CARD.

 THE LAST SANDCASTLE 'TIL SPRING.

BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SANDS HARTLEPOOL 30 OCT 2022. AN AFTERNOON VISIT.

Sunday afternoon.

Beach Buoy and Another Dog walked to the beach.

It had felt he was just sat, waiting for dusk to come climbing over the garden fence an hour early.

It was as bright and warm as a spiring day.

It felt like May with all of its hope of warm days and guaranteed light nights.

They accessed the beach via the steps north of the promenade ramp.

They crossed what was the  Little Tern Area.

The tide was way out. 

They headed south on the vast beach. 

Beach Buoy looked across to the Bay's Wind Turbines.

He wasn't sure if was the time of day, height of sun or directions of the wind but....

It was the first time he could recall seeing the shadows of the turbine blades travel the length of the turbine mast.

They had a slow walk .

Lots of room for all. 

"Afternoon Mate."

 They had reached the stack.

 Beach Buoy placed some stones from the beach up on the stack.

He patted 

THE 

stone. 

They watched the sea and sky.

Beach Buoy pulled up two hoods.

It was blowy up on the dunes 

"See you mate."

They headed back. 

A lady stood at the water's edge.

 She wore a long but unfastened coat.

The coat swirled and flapped in the wind.

She looked to be dancing  a dramatic Latin dance with an unseen partner. 

 People and dogs were coming and going, as were the first spots of rain.

Minutes after they arrived back at base camp, the heavens opened. 

BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SNOOKS TEA ROOM OUT AND ABOUT CARD.

 As the dune edge is claimed more and more by the sea, the sandy slope that leads to Stubborn Dog Stack seems to be becoming steeper.

BEACH BUOY 

SEATON SANDS HARTLEPOOL, 30, OCT. 2022.

Beach Buoy had gone to bed at 1-30 a.m.

Putting the clicks back to 12-30 as he did so.

He woke at 5-05 a.m.

Beach Buoy made a coffee and did some drawing.

Passing the time.

Waiting for daylight. 

Beach Buoy checked the time of the sunrise.

Hartlepool; 7-03 a.m.

They set off, reaching the beach car park at 

6-28 a.m.

The Vauxhall Corsa Van man and his Border Collie were already out on the promenade.

A cyclist crossed the car park diagonally.

He cycled along the promenade passing Beach Buoy and Another Dog as he did so. 

"Morning."

"Morning."

The air was still and mild.

The beach looked like planished cooper, foot and paw prints the hammer marks. 

Early morning silhouettes walked the strand-line.

Beach Buoy reckoned that the 7 a.m. club were to the north, he could see Mari's tail wagging as she walk along.

The tide was high, the sea calm.

Gulls screeched overhead.

They headed south.

The beach ahead was theirs.

The sea was a silvery light blue.

The Sea Serpent rolled out in the bay.

The Polar Bear Retriever caught them up.

Beach Buoy waited to chat to its owner.

Chocolate Pudding's owner was there too.

Chocolate Pudding had gone.

😟

The three discussed losing dogs. 

The pain. 

They chatted a while before going their separate ways.

A pre-sunrise glow coloured the ba's sea and sky.

Beyond the Sea Serpent, a ship turned to head for the river.

Tugs waited at the river mouth. 

A photographer crunched near the grey rocks.

Beach Buoy and Another Dog headed to Stubborn Dog Stack.

The couple with a muzzled dog and a Border Collie passed southwards on the beach below.

Beach Buoy added some stones.

He patted

THE 

stone. 

"Morning Mate."

The sun has still to rise 

Clouds to the south were gilt edged, like invitation cards to a perfect day.

Beach watched as Nine Oyster Catchers whistled their way across the bay.

A man with a Labrador and a big hat headed north on the beach below the stack.

From The Sea Serpent to Stubborn Dog Stack.

Some beautiful birdsong too. 

The photographer headed north.

Back to the village. 

"See you mate."

Beach Buoy and Another Dog headed back down to the beach 

A lone bird crossed the sky.

Beach Buoy leaned against the steep dune edge. 

He drank coffee from his thermal mug.

A second photographer passed by.

They shared a nod, a wave and a "Morning." as he passed.

The beach combing Border Collie Couple passed, heading south.

Beach Buoy and Another Dog headed back north.

 Beach Buoy finished the coffee in the van as the little people walked the promenade wall.

BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SNOOKS TEA ROOM OUT AND ABOUT CARD.

 

THE PADDLE BOARDER.  

BEACH BUOY. 

SEATON SANDS HARTLEPOOL, 29, OCT, 2022.

Beach Buoy and Another Dog waited for some daylight.

Beach Buoy had been up all night long.

He knew from the outset that there would be no sleep. 

A plus point of being up for work 

at 5-10 a m. during the week is that sleepless nights don't seem so long.

If it had been summer then they would have been straight down to the beach. 

Cups of coffee passed the night as Beach Buoy disappeared up and down YouTube rabbit holes, each leading to another.

He had started off with some of the campervan channels that he subscribes to. 

Then it was a Eurovision vibe as he heard most of Alcazar's hits. 

He can recommend

Crying in the discotheque

and 

Not a sinner nor a Saint.

Not his usual type of music but it got him through the night.

It's good listen to something different.

They reached the beach car park

 at 6-38 a.m.

BBC Radio Tees played on the van's 19 year old radio.

Amy, the presenter asked who was up about and why.

Beach Buoy messaged.

"At beach waiting for daylight, watching progress of man with headlight on head  who was walking the dark beach ."

They follow one another on Twitter.

The "Shout out came shortly afterwards."

Amy told the story saying Beach Buoy is at the beach as usual.

She added his dog will be there too.

Angry Dog?

Grumpy Dog?

She asked for clarification.

Beach Buoy sent a tweet with the Stubborn Dog / Another Dog story.

The man with a headlight on his head turned to return south after going north.

An illuminated cyclist crossed the car park. 

He rested on the promenade wall at the southern most end, where the dunes begin.

The man with Vauxhall Corsa Van and Border Collie Dog pulled alongside the van before heading north along the promenade. 

Beach Buoy and Another Dog made their move.

Silhouettes and Shadows walked the water's edge.

They walked towards what available daylight that there was. 

The light was doubled as it reflected on a flat, almost mirror-like sea.  

 It seemed odd that this dark early morning was relatively busy when Beach Buoy and Another Dog just had a couple of afternoon visits to a sunny mostly deserted beach. 

The dimly lit water's edge was becoming a little busy 

Beach Buoy and Another Dog headed to the dune edge, out of the way if the beach traffic. 

Brass Monkey Swimmers walked south then north.

Couples with dogs became a good natured tangle.

Eventually the beach quietened down.

They headed south.

The Sea Serpent rose to the surface.

A calm bay for him today.

The tide was well in.

There was hardly a breeze.

Beyond the Sea Serpent, confused Wind Turbines looked in different directions for a chance of a breeze. 

It was a lovely morning.

It was 11degrees C and only a weekend away from November.

They headed up to Stubborn Dog Stack.

It was 7-49 a.m.

Beach Buoy added some stones.

He patted

THE 

stone.

No coffee today, but he sat on a stack stone. 

The view was lovely.

It was much lighter now.

A paddle boarder came out of the river, between the Gares.

The sea was so calm.

The paddle boarder rounded The Sea Serpent Marker, before heading back to the river mouth.

 Diving bird popped up.

Time to go.

"See you mate."

 They returned to the van.

A man litter picked the beach near to the access ramp.

BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SNOOKS TEA ROOM OUT AND ABOUT CARD.

 

THE LORNA DOONE. 

DADS BOAT.

BEACH BUOY. 

SEATON SNOOKS TEA ROOM OUT AND ABOUT CARD.

 A BETTER VIEW.

BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SANDS HARTLEPOOL 28 OCT, 2022.

A new pen.

A new beach book.

When Beach Buoy finds a certain item that is just right, he will buy "Stock."

He now is the perilous position, only having one new book left in stock.

It's not helping that he is also down to his last fifty pens.

Beach Buoy and Another Dog reached the car park at 4-32 p.m.

It was mild.

There was a breeze from the west. 

A mam and daughter headed down the access ramp with their two dogs, before going southwards.

Two young lads pushed their bikes up the ramp from the beach.

They bounced them on the promenade to loosen sand that had adhered to their tyres.

Tyres cleaned, they mounted their bikes and cycled north. 

Beach Buoy and Another Dog wandered down the water's edge.

A light blue sky and a royal blue sea waited their arrival.

They turned to head south.

Wherever there were dips in the dunes heights, soft sand snakes made their way to the sea.

The afternoon was sunny.

Over on South Gare Pier, Motorhomes and Camper vans highlighted the brightness of the day and the whiteness of their vehicles. 

The lady who seems to appear from the dunes with her two black dogs, was around half way along the dunes. She stood at the water's edge throwing something in the sea for one of the dogs to chase.

The other black dog looked odd just resting up on the dune edge seemingly happy to watch them play.

The tall thin man with his tall thin dog headed north looking all the world like a Lowry animation.

A Rusty Labrador travelled the the beach with its owners, causing no trouble at all.

It just wanted to be in the sea or chasing a ball, sometimes both at once.

Beach Buoy and Another Dog left the beach behind.

They climbed the sandy slope to Stubborn Dog Stack.

Beach Buoy added four stones to the stack.

He patted

THE

stone.

"Afternoon Mate."

It was 5 p.m.

The breeze was stronger up on the exposed dunes. 

Beach Buoy sat on a stack stone 

Sun-kissed Marram Grass rippled in the breeze like the sea to the east.

The word

PEACEFUL

came to mind.  

Beach Buoy stood up.

He scooped up Another Dog as he would Stubborn Dog, to give the little dog a better view of the sea.

He hugged the little dog and told her he loved her, as he would Another Dog.

The dog sighed.

"See you mate."

Beach Buoy placed Another Dog onto the dune sand.

They headed back to the beach after one last look of the stack view....

Stubborn Dog Stack view. 

A slow walk back on an empty beach.

The sea lapped gently onto the beach.

Swirls of seacoal were deposited on the sand with each push of the tide, a beach barcode. 

 The Sea Serpent was nowhere to be seen.

About halfway back.

A Yorkshire Terrier came running up.

They had met before.

It's a friendly little dog.

It owners followed, the young lady with long eyelashes.

"Hiya, alright?"

"Hiya are you alright?"

"Yer."

 

They went their separate ways.

Up ahead a half a beach couple has turned to head back.

BEACH BUOY.