It had rained and rained as Beach Buoy walked to the car park at work.
He was soaked.
It's a long walk down by the River Tees.
As he drove back towards Seaton Carew the sky lightened.
The rain stopped.
Beach Buoy decided to go for Another Dog, then head to North Gare Car Park in the van.
It's a narrow road to the car park..
Sheep and Cows roam freely within the cattle grids.
They parked up.
Golfers roam freely beyond the gate.
They went through the gate that led to the pathway that cut across the golf course.
The Green.
A narrow pathway between the dunes leads to North Gare Pier.
North Gare Beach to the right.
Know locally as The Blue Lagoon.
Some south of Hartlepool calls it the Snooks.
The Sun was out.
There was a fresh breeze from the west.
Route to remember this.
Beach Buoy and Another Dog cut left through the dunes that lead to Seaton Sands and more importantly to Beach Buoy, Stubborn Dog Stack.
As they headed north it was obvious just how high and rough the recent seas had been.
Much of the dunes grass resembled a comb-over hairstyle sported by various 1970 's footballers.
There was even a flat fish laying dead amongst the debris that lay high up in the dune.
They passed Camp Distant Wave as they headed north.
It was intact.
They dropped down from the dunes.
A bit of no man's land between the dune edge and the drey rocks.
"Afternoon Mate."
The Stack was still untouched by the sea.
It was 4-16 p.m.
Beach Buoy added a couple of stones.
He patted
THE
stone.
He fetched the wobbly driftwood plank and drank a wobbly driftwood coffee.
He watched the sea roll.
A man walked the dune below.
He hadn't seen them up at the stack.
Soon he too was up on the dunes.
"Rex!"
A distant and slightly lost sounding dog darked in response.
With one last look to the north, Beach Buoy and Another Dog headed back southwards to the van.
It felt so odd heading south to the van, not north.
They crossed the Golf Course once more.
Back at the van, it would soon be dark.
BEACH BUOY.
