Beach Buoy and Another Dog arrived at the car park at 6 p.m.
Free parking starts at 6.
The sea was free, as it should always be.
Hartlepool Council, the sea isn't yours to tax!
A strong wind blew.
Storm Agnes was on her way, dressed in grey, with long a skirt and shawl swirling in the wind.
The clouds were looking dramatic at the north of the bay.
They headed to the water's edge.
The curve of the tide offered shelter from the shifting sands.
A man leant against the Promenade wall, watching.
A heart cloud sped by in the strong wind.
Soon it was gone.
Soon it wasn't a heart at all.
The sea rippled to the left.
The sand snaked to the right.
It felt calmer down at the bottom of The Sandy Slope.
Up on the dunes at Stubborn Dog Stack could be a different story?
It wasn't as bad as Beach Buoy had expected.
"Evening Mate."
It was only 6-30 p.m.
He added some stones.
He patted
THE
stone.
He set up the wobbly driftwood plank at 90 degrees to its usual spot.
Riding side saddle meant his back was to the wind.
A Twitter mate turned up with his two excellent dogs.
They had a good chat.
They said farewell.
Beach Buoy sipped wobbly coffee after they had headed down to the beach.
Another Dog waited patiently.
The twitter mate and his dogs headed to North Gare Pier.
After more wobbly coffee, Beach Buoy made a move to go.
"See you mate."
They returned to the beach below.
The light was fading.
They crossed a motorway of shifting sand.
The dune edge was more settled.
They reached the van..
Beach Buoy sat in the front of the van.
He lit the colourful fairy lights that ran across the dashboard and those that ran through his head.
He pulled up a hood.
He could easily have just fallen asleep.
BEACH BUOY.
