IMAGINED TRACKS.

 

SKIMMING STONES.

THE SEA WAS FLAT,

FLAT AS THE STONE,

I SKIMMED ACROSS, 

THE SEA ALONE.

IT MADE RIPPLES,

AS IT KISSED THE SEA,

IT WAS STRANDED,

BUT I SET IT FREE.

IT SKIMMED ITS WAY,

 BEYOND THE TIDE,

IT, LIKE ME,

JUST GLAD TO HIDE,

GUESS I'M LIKE,

A SKIMMING STONE,

ALL AT SEA,

AND ALL ALONE.

I THREW ANOTHER,

THEN I THREW SOME MORE,

JUST WAISTING TIME,

NOT KEEPING SCORE,

I HAD TO MOVE,

STAY BY THE SEA,

THE TIDE, LIKE YOU

WAS LEAVING ME.

Long instrumental.

Repeat 1,2 and 3.

Long instrumental.

Fade.

BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SANDS, HARTLEPOOL.

 Beach Buoy and Another Dog headed to the beach.

It was 5-52 p.m.

It had been raining heavily.

As they walked to the beach, sunshine and birdsong filled the air.

They reached the beach at 6-05 p.m.

Earlier heavy rain had left the beach looking like a sheet of planished cooper.

The tide was well out.

A pleasant breeze blew from the south west, across the beach and out to sea. 

They headed to the sea.

Another Dog decided to pay tribute to Stubborn Dog.

Eventually they moved.

It was a glorious evening.

Beach Buoy glanced back to the north.

Their was room for all.

They headed south.

Down by the sea, people paddled in the sea.

Some barefoot. 

Some in pink wellington boots.

The group with a dog like Bonnie, head North, near the dune edge.

Down at the water's edge, two Yorkshire Terriers your yapped and snapped their way south.

A man with a limp and a Greyhound passed by.

Beach Buoy and Another Dog reached Stubborn Dog Stack at 6-36 p.m.

An evening visit to the stack in sunlight.

He had waited so long but so impatiently for this moment.

Beach Buoy savoured the scene.

Their sunshine shadows joined them too.

Even the small fly that landed on a page of Beach Buoy's Beach Book was welcome.

It crossed the white page like a comma on tour. 

 Beach Buoy relaxed.

He exhaled so much that he almost deflated.

They headed back.

A little white Dog came over.

Beach Buoy didn't recognise it at first.

He bent over to greet the Dog.

It was Pip.

They had met once before.

A Twitter mate came over .

Narla, her other dog was with her.

They chatted briefly.

They recalled the last time that their paths had crossed.

A windy night with a high tide.

Beach Buoy gave directions to Stubborn Dog Stack.

They wished each other well before going their own way.

They headed back to the Promenade. 

BEACH BUOY.

IMAGINED TRACKS.

 

IMAGINED POSTCARDS.

IMAGINED POSTCARDS,

FROM IMAGINED PLACE,

IMAGINED FUN,

WITH IMAGINED FACE,

IMAGINED HOTEL,

WITH IMAGINED ROOM,

IMAGINED T V.,

WITH REAL LIFE GLOOM.

IMAGINED PILLOWS,

ON IMAGINED BED,

IMAGINED PAGES,

OF A BOOK NOT READ,

IMAGINED DREAM,

THAT I COULD ALMOST FEEL,

IMAGINED NIGHTMARES,

THEY SEEM SO REAL.

IMAGINED BEACHES,

WITH IMAGINED SUN,

IMAGINED GOOD TIMES,

WITH IMAGINED FUN,

IMAGINED CAFE',

WITH IMAGINED FOOD,

IMAGINED COFFEE,

LIFTS IMAGINED MOOD.

IMAGINED JOURNEY,

ON IMAGINED ROADS,

IMAGINED STRUGGLES ,

WITH IMAGINED LOADS,

IMAGINED GIFTS,

WITH IMAGINED SCENE,

BEST WISHES FROM,

SOMEWHERE I'VE NEVER BEEN.

BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SANDS HARTLEPOOL 29, MARCH , 2023.

 

Beach Buoy and Another Dog headed for the beach.

It was 5-17 p.m.

It looked like it might rain.

They reached the promenade

at 5-30

or

10-10 if you were to trust the

Bus Station Clock...

They stepped down onto the beach 

The tide was well out.

Plenty of space.

The Sun came out and at the exact same time, raindrops began to fall.

The raindrops faded.

Beach Buoy and Another Dog headed south.

A man walked with hands behind his back and his wife up ahead.

"I'll meet you back at the car!"

said the lady.

"What?"

"I'll meet you back at the car!"

The lady headed for the beach steps 

The man dawdled with their little dog.

Beach Buoy and Another Dog wandered along to Stubborn Dog Stack.

It was 6-01 p.m

"Afternoon Mate."

Beach Buoy wondered if it was still afternoon or did 6 p.m.

make it  Evening?

He added some stones.

He patted

THE

stone.

He sat on a bum-shaped stack stone drinking coffee until the bum became stone shaped. 

"See you mate."

They began a slow walk back.

The tide was well out.

The beach seemed vast.

Up near the car park, a couple walked four dogs.

All of the dogs were different breeds.

One of them looked like Bonnie.

It came over.

It cried.

It wanted stroking.

Beach Buoy stroked the dog.

It was odd.

Bonnie was Beach Buoy's dog before Stubborn Dog.

She lived to be over twenty.

She loved the beach.

"Bonnie." sniffed her way back to the others.

Beach Buoy and Another Dog headed to the Promenade.

Above..

The real Bonnie from 2010.

♥️

BEACH BUOY.

IMAGINED TRACKS.

 

THE WALK.

OFFERED HANDS,

PUSHED ASIDE,

YOU CHOSE TO WALK,

I CHOSE TO HIDE.

GREENER GRASS,

OR SO YOU SAID,

I JUST WISHED,

THAT I WAS DEAD.

TIME MOVES ON,

OR SO THEY SAY,

MAYBE TRY,

ANOTHER DAY.

FORGIVE FORGET?

IS HARD TO DO,

RECALLING WHAT

YOU PUT ME THROUGH.

SO HERE I AM,

IT'S 4 a.m.

I AM WIDE,

AWAKE AGAIN.

HOPE YOU SLEEP,

HOPE YOU DREAM,

SO DEEPLY, YOU,

DON'T HEAR THE SCREAM...

Repeat

Repeat 

Repeat.

Long instrumental at start and end.

A harpsichord would be excellent.

BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SNOOKS TEA ROOM OUT AND ABOUT CARD.

 

The Dog in the Mick Aston Jumper.

BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SANDS. HARTLEPOOL. 28, MARCH 2023.

 

Beach Buoy and Another Dog set off on foot for the beach.

It was bin day.

Green plastic bins stood full of expectation and a week of trash.

The air was still.

It was overcast.

The sky over the bay glowed pre-sunrise Orange .

It guided them to the sea like a beacon.

Three hoods were up.

Two Orange.

One black.

A workmate's car drove by on the way to work.

Beach Buoy and Another Dog took a different route.

A figure in black followed their steps.

It looked like death or lost shadow was trying to play catch up.

Lit streetlights began to switch off in no particular order.

A Golfer stood practising putts.

They cut through the Planet Funland trucks.

They reached the beach at 6-43 a.m.

The sky was glowing.

A visual take on a drumroll for the sun to appear.

A one man 7 a.m. club was heading north.

 He waved.

More of a, come and chat wave than just a one of the distant variety.

Beach Buoy waved back as he headed for a chat.

Three hoods came down for the conversation.

Mari, the big friendly poodle came for a neck scratch.

As they talked the sun rose. 

A ship eclipsed it briefly as it headed to the Tees.

The two men and three dogs went their separate ways.

In a matter of minutes.

The glow had gone.

Gold became grey.

Spots of rain began to fall.

Three hoods went up.

A man strode from the dunes to the sea with momentum, his dog and a driftwood stick.

The stick went into the sea, as did the dog.

The man stayed onshore 

The two worked their way north repeating the routine over and over again.

In no time at all they were dots in the distance.

Beach Buoy made another pathetic ascent of The Sandy Slope.

On all fours isn't a good look.

It can make one feel like an old man and a kid all rolled into one.

Thankfully no rolling was involved.

He made it to the top.

"Morning Mate."

It was 7-20 a.m.

Beach Buoy added some stones.

He patted

THE

stone.

He drank coffee.

The rain had stopped.

A distant dog barked unseen in the dunes.

Beach Buoy thought that it might be Stubborn Dog, running with the foxes.

"See you mate."

 They returned to the beach.

Some bits and bobs.

They began a slow walk back.

The raindrops returned.

A defiant all-weather Skylark sang above the dunes.

Team Muzzled Dog headed south.

"Hiya."

"Hiya."

The Timid Border Collie said Hiya too, in its own way.

Up on the Promenade big news.

The wired for sound man stood, earplugs out as he chatted to the couple with the black dog in a Mick Aston jumper.

Although it was raining, Beach Buoy and Another Dog wandered through the village.

The local church.

It appears that the Bus Station Clock isn't the only one that is out of sync.

It was 8-08 a.m.

BEACH BUOY.

IMAGINED TRACKS.

 

LOOKING OUT, LOOKING IN.

STANDING ON THE HIGHER GROUND,

I'M SURPRISED AT WHAT I'VE FOUND,

OBSTACLES DON'T BLOCK MY VIEW,

I CAN SEE WHAT I MUST DO.

CAN SEE FOR MILES, BUT NOT IN DAYS,

THE FUTURES JUST A CLOUDY HAZE,

TIME WILL TELL, THE STORY GOES,

SLOWLY EACH DEALT HAND WILL SHOW.

Chorus.

I SEARCH MYSELF, I LOOK FOR CLUES,

I ASK MYSELF, BUT I REFUSE.

(Twice.)

Repeat 1.

Repeat 2.

Repeat chorus

Repeat chorus.

BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SNOOKS TEA ROOM OUT AND ABOUT CARD.

 

SALTBURN-BY-THE-SEA SURFERS.

BEACH BUOY.

CRIMDON. 27, MARCH, 2023.

 

Cafe Kestrel.

BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SANDS HARTLEPOOL. 27, MARCH, 2023.

 

Beach Buoy and Another Dog set off on foot at 6-27 a.m.

The air was still and cold.

There were more Gulls than clouds up above as they walked towards the beach.

The street lights were still illuminated, but unneeded. 

A speeding BMW went by.

It sounded as if it had a mechanical issue.

It was just the drum beat to loud early morning music. 

A lady walked her greyhound.

Beach Buoy sees her most mornings as he drives to work.

Today they were dog walkers both.

Beach Buoy and Another Dog reached the beach at 6-42 a.m.

They had passed the man who walks the car park perimeter a number of time each day as he listens to music or maybe a talking book?

A one man 7 a.m. club was walking the water's edge.

He looked over to Beach Buoy as if wanting to chat.

Beach Buoy walked over.

They chatted.

They talked about Dune erosion.

History.

Beach Buoy informed him that the stack was his doing.

The reason.

The name.

Lots of people had asked about it apparently.

They wished each other well before heading their separate ways.

The grey sea rolled in. 

A greying Beach Buoy walked on. 

The sun broke free of the low could

 at 7-07 a.m.

The grey sea turned gold.

It was a peaceful walk south.

The sandy slope was steep.

Beach Buoy ended up crawling up on hands and knees.

Another Dog waited at the top.

She wasn't impressed.

"Morning Mate."

Beach Buoy added the stones that he had collected.

He patted 

THE

stone.

Beach Buoy drank coffee.

It was most welcome.

It was chilly.

"See you mate."

They returned to the beach.

They paused to chat to Mr.Gunn/ Nunn.

It was a lovely chat.

On the way to the Promenade they passed Team Muzzled Dog.

"Morning."

"Morning."

Beach Buoy crossed the car park as a man walked the perimeter, wired for sound.

BEACH BUOY.

IMAGINED TRACKS.

 

DISTANT WAVES.

FROM AFAR,

SO HARD TO TELL.

YOU COULD SCREAM,

I COULD YELL.

MESSAGES,

BLOWN ON THE BREEZE,

CARRIED OFF,

ACROSS THE TEES.

THE MORE YOU SHOUT,

THE LESS I HEAR.

LOOKING LIKE,

THE END I FEAR.

THEY SAY SOME BREAKS,

WILL NEVER MEND.

BRITTLE PAIRINGS,

THEY DON'T MEND.

SO WE GIVE.

A DISTANT WAVE 

ALL WE HAD,

A CHANCE TO SAVE.

WAVING ARMS,

ACHING HEART.

WAVES THAT DROWN,

DRIFT APART.

Chorus.

SOME CAN SAY "GOODBYE,"

OTHER SAY "HELLO."

SOME ASK "PLEASE STAY,"

OTHERS LET YOU GO.

JUST ANOTHER TYPE OF SEMAPHORE,

TOO FAR AWAY TO ASK "WHY WHAT FOR?"

repeat 1

repeat 2

repeat 3

repeat chorus x 3

then fade.

Like a distant wave.

BEACH BUOY.

IMAGINED TRACKS.

 

AM ON BEACH.

CALL ME INCOGNITO,

THOUGH I'M NOT HARD TO FIND.

SHOUTING FROM THE ROOFTOPS?

I'M REALLY NOT THAT KIND.

HIDING IN THE SHADOWS,

HIDING IN THE DEEP.

ONLY TIME I DROP MY GUARD,

IS WHEN I'M FAST ASLEEP.

SENDING OUT SEARCH PARTIES,

THERE REALLY IS NO NEED.

BLOWING THROUGH THE DUNE GRASS,

NEARLY GONE TO SEED.

GLADLY SAY "GOOD MORNING."

RARELY INSTIGATE,

SAYING THAT "I'M OK ."

WHEN REALLY NOT THAT GREAT.

Chorus.

AM ON BEACH,

OUT OF REACH,

AM ON BEACH,

OUT OF REACH.

THE MORAL OF THE STORY?

JUST BE YOURSELF I GUESS.

TRYING TO BE DIFFERENT,

CAN END UP IN A MESS.

THOUGH I AM NO EXPERT,

NOT QUALIFIED TO PREACH.

ASK ME MY LOCATION,

AM ON BEACH.

BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SNOOKS TEA ROOM OUT AND ABOUT CARD.

 

Team Distant Wave.

BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SANDS HARTLEPOOL. 26, MARCH, 2023.

 

Beach Buoy and Another Dog set off on foot at 7-09 a.m.

It was overcast and a touch chilly.

They reached the promenade

 at 7-23 BST. 

British Summer Time. 

The clocks had just gone forward. 

Not to be confused with 

5-38 BST 

Bus Station Time.

The breeze on the sheltered streets was more of a wind on the exposed beach.

Beach Buoy looked out into the bay.

He could see the dramatic-looking rainfall.

A cyclist, leaning on the promenade wall watched the progress of Beach Buoy and Another Dog.

They began to head south. 

The temperature fell.

The wind speed picked up.

The offshore rain became onshore rain.

Two hoods went up.

They cut short their walk.

There will be other days. 

The cyclist mounted his bike.

He headed north.

He had seen enough.

BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SANDS HARTLEPOOL, 25, MARCH, 2023.

 

Beach Buoy and Another Dog headed for the beach on foot.

They set off at 6-48 a.m.

It was overcast and mild.

The slight breeze did carry the hint of a chill.

It had rained overnight.

They reached the beach at

6-58 a.m.

The 7 a.m. club were already heading back north.

Four swimmers were in the sea, to their right.

The beach combing Border Collie Couple had taken the lead.

Beach Buoy and Another Dog were sitting in second.

Team Muzzled Dog had started late but were close behind.

Nine Oyster Catchers flew inland.

They tried and succeeded to gain everyone's attention with their combined whistles.

Beach Buoy and Another Dog dawdled.

Team Muzzled Dog overtook 

Two Orange hoods went up.

They continued south towards black eye sky.

The beach combing Border Collie Couple passed by, returning north.

Beautifully always chatting as they walk, they passed a baton of discussion from one to the other as they progressed.

Team Muzzled Dog were already in the distance.

They disappeared in. Gap between the Grey Rocks and the dune edge.

The Sandy Slope had lost it's base.

Beach Buoy found an easier route up to Stubborn Dog Stack.

7-30 a.m.

"Morning Mate."

Beach Buoy added a stone from the trip to Saltburn by the sea.

He patted

THE

stone.

He drank coffee as a silver sun tried to break through the clouds.

Two men walked by.

"Morning."

"Morning."

They had three dogs, one of which was called Bonnie.

Beach Buoy will always bring Stubborn Dog some rock back from other beaches. 

The village looked as pretty as a picture in the silvery light.

"See you mate."

They headed to the beach.

It was brighter now 

Two Orange hoods came down.

Black clouds had gone from head and sky.... For a while their sunshine shadows joined them. 

They reminded about the good old days as they progressed northwards.

A couple passed 

Beach regulars not mentioned much on the blog.

They have three dogs.

The dogs are all similar breed to Another Dog.

Two are cream, the other black.

The black one wore a knitted dog coat.

It was multi-coloured hoops, it reminded Beach Buoy of the jumpers often worn on Time Team by Mick Aston.

The dogs just usually pass, barking.

Today the black one made a bee-line for Beach Buoy.

The little dog looked deep into Beach Buoy's eyes as he gave the dog a neck scratch.

"Morning."

"Morning."

"You'd think he was starved of affection."

They all laughed. 

Beach Buoy and Another Dog headed to the access ramp.

A Pied -Wagtail waved them farewell as they left the beach.

BEACH BUOY