Beach Buoy and Another Dog set off walking to the beach at 3-35 p.m.
Autumn-coloured leaves crunched underfoot.
The air felt quite still.
The Cricket Club flag hardly fluttered at all.
It felt mild for mid-November.
As they went down the access ramp, a couple with a waggy Spaniel came up.
"Alright there?" said Beach Buoy.
"Will be when they clear this lot up." replied the man, pointing to the storm aftermath that was scattered on the ramp.
3-55.
Feet and paws walked on beach sand, not fallen leaves.
Leaves like flakes of skin from a dying season.
A milky, pale Sun was already low in the sky.
The tide was well out.
A breeze became noticeable on the exposed beach.
A lady with four dogs hugged the strand-line, heading Northwards.
Beach Buoy and Another Dog headed south.
They went towards the water's edge to give the lady and her dogs space.
As the beach ahead became theirs, they drifted towards the dune edge.
A small brown dog appeared, it's owner in the distance.
Beach Buoy knelt down, offering a hand a friendship and thus letting the distant owner that was no issue.
The dog was one of those friendly dog mixtures.
Some sort of Cockercalifragalistic, you know the type.
It went off piste and just stood barking at them.
Beach Buoy rose to his feet with the aid of sound effects and carried on.
"Afternoon Mate."
It was 4-26.
Beach Buoy added some stones, rearranged a few more.
He patted
THE
stone.
It had been a right struggle once more to reach
Stubborn Dog Stack.
He had carried Another Dog so far through the dunes,the Sea Buckthorn was just too thick, too high.
So they tried the ankle-breaking rock approach instead.
Another Dog kept lookout.
Beach Buoy sat in the wobbly driftwood plank drinking wobbly driftwood coffee.
It was the first since around 6-30 a.m.
It went down well.
He watched as the tide came in slowly.
Water edge Oyster Catchers gradually becoming closer and closer.
"See you mate, Angus too."
Time to head back before it was too late, too dark.
All because it would be dark too early.
Slow walk back.
A man with a Bulldog headed southwards as they returned to the north.
The first torchlight appeared in the distance.
It wasn't really dark enough to warrant it just yet.
A young couple headed south.
They walked with an arm around one another.
Each leant in at an angle to the other.
Supporting their companion physically as well as emotionally.
The light did fade minute by minute.
Second by second.
Beach Buoy lit the colour changing light on his beach bag and the two attached to Another Dog's harness.
They headed back.
BEACH BUOY.
