Beach Buoy had been up a long time.
He and Another Dog reached a dark beach car park at 6-10 a.m.
They sat waiting for a little more light.
A Council Road Sweeping Truck worked its way around the car park in ever decreasing rectangles.
Out on the horizon, the first crack of light began to stretch across the bay.
The S for Saturday, the rest would soon follow.
Beach Buoy lowered the van's front windows.
Another Dog stood on her back legs as she sniffed the fresh morning air.
The little dog monitored the progress of the illuminated road sweeper.
Beach Buoy stepped out of the van.
Once again, a cyclist travelled the car park diagonally.
The rider passed the van as he traveled north on the promenade,
"Morning."
"Morning."
Beach Buoy and Another Dog headed to the distant water's edge in the half light.
It was low tide; the best of tides.
They hadn't been on the beach for four days so even a sometimes reluctant Another Dog was keen.
They walked the water's edge, heading south as they did so.
Up on the strand-line, the Polar Bear Retriever headed south with its owner.
They later returned north with the 7 a m. Club for company.
Only visible at very low tide, a lone timber from another Seaton Carew Wreck waved an arm of distress.
The beach was vast with room for all.
Beach Buoy and Another Dog headed away from the water's edge so as not to disturb the 104 seabirds that stood together, waiting for take off.
A fresh south westerly breeze blew across the sands.
A distant steelworks glowed in a
pre-sunrise glow. It looked like a ghost of a blast furnace door had been cracked open.
They headed for Stubborn Dog Stack.
They climbed the sandy slope.
Upon seeing the sky from the vantage point of the dunes height, Beach Buoy said out loud.
"Oh my Good God!"
If it was his last day on earth, this would be the dawn sky he would request, given the choice of course.
"Morning Mate "
Beach Buoy added some stones.
He patted
THE
stone.
Down on the beach below, beach regulars with a Border Collie and a muzzled dog, took pictures of their pets with the most dramatic of back drops.
Overhead Gulls headed inland, coloured as pink as flamingos in the morning light.
Beach Buoy drank coffee from a thermal mug as he ate a small bar of chocolate.
Let's face it all bars seem little nowadays.
25 % less sugar.
25 % smaller.
The coffee was much needed.
Beach Buoy studied the clouds and thought about "stuff.'
The muzzle dog couple had began to head to North Gare Pier.
A ship, that was almost a boat headed for the river beyond.
Sunrise over Saltburn.
Beach Buoy looked north.
He did a head count.
Seven people in total, with slightly fewer dogs.
He watched as big friendly dog Hugo ran and ran to reach them at the stack.
Beach Buoy made a fuss of the lovely dog.
Hugo then went to the the stack, it cocked it's back leg and .......
Then it was gone.
Back to one of the head count seven.
A very distant, distant wave lady.
A man with a big dog walked the beach.
The dog was off the lead and the man was calling it back, without too much success.
You would be able to locate him in thick fog, no problem, but maybe not the big grey dog?
Down below the beach combing Border Collie Couple had already turned back north after traveling as far as the grey rocks.
The big dog came up to the stack.
Beach Buoy offered a hand of friendship but despite its size the big dog seemed nervous.
It sniffed at the stack before adding to Hugo's stack addition.
The big dog's owner called out.
(Again.)
"See you mate."
They left the stack behind.
Beach Buoy and Another Dog went feral in the dunes for a while.
The little dog doing zoomies on her extendable lead.
"Who me? Zoomies?"
Up ahead in a gap in the dunes Beach Buoy spotted a pair of ears.
An unsure Hugo was waiting...
Once the dog had recognised the pair, he came bounding over.
Another neck scratch and shoulder rub took place.
On the beach below the distant wave lady was rotating, looking for Hugo.
Beach Buoy gave a distant wave from the dunes.
The distant wave was returned.
Beach Buoy gave exaggerated hand signals as Hugo's progress as the dog scrambled over the grey rocks, to be reunited
Beach Buoy and Another Dog went back down to the beach. In doing so they swapped sunrise for sea coal and silver skies.
The golden sun had climbed up into the clouds.
Beach Buoy could almost hear his Dad say.
"Best part of the day."
A man headed south on the strand-line, talking on his mobile phone as he did so.
"Yes mate it's lovely. Beautiful."
As Beach Buoy climbed the beach access ramp, a raindrop fell on an eyelid.
By the time they had took the short walk to the van, it was proper rainfall
"Best part of the day."
BEACH BUOY.
