Friday.
Beach Buoy and Another Dog left the house at 5-55 a.m.
By 6-04 they were on the beach.
The tide was a fair way out.
It would soon be sunrise.
There was single beam of light coming up from the horizon.
It was as if the Sun was an old man climbing a flight of dark rickety steps, torch in hand.
Beach Buoy collected five stones that would be suitable for Stubborn Dog Stack.
There was a slight breeze from the south west.
Gulls filled the air.
Gulls
More Gulls
They headed south.
Some Gulls chose to stay a while longer.
The Sun climbed.
It was a lovely morning.
Sunrise seekers.
The Sea Serpent.
Oranges still on the strand-line.
Liked tiny ripened Suns, fallen from the branches.
Flight paths.
The Sun turned to lemon as it rose behind filtering clouds.
Beach Buoy and Another Dog climbed the big slope to the "Easy" route.
It had been a while.
Using the low level route may have disturbed some Resting Gulls?
A Golf Club Tractor and a Rig.
The view to the north from the top of the big slope.
They turned and walked the "easy" route.
"Morning Mate."
Beach Buoy added five stones.
He patted
THE
stone.
It was 6-46.
The Skylarks were in full song.
Beach Buoy sat on the driftwood plank with plenty of rust.
As he made notes in his beach book, a fly landed on his hand.
It was if it were saying,
"If the Sand Martins ask, you ain't seen me. Right?"
It took off.
Beach Buoy knew that the Sand Martins wouldn't be too long in arriving.
Recent years saw them arrive on
11th of April
and
13th of April.
So any time now.
He decided to head to Sand Martin Corner.
You never know...
The tide was going out, so by the time that they were heading back, there would be beach access to the north.
They set off along the dune edge.
Skylarks dipped about on invisible roller coasters.
About 300 metres from Sand Martin Corner, Beach Buoy thought that he had spotted a different and long awaited flight.
He ran and ran.
Up and down two sandy dune banks.
He skated across the grey rocks .
He looked up.
Sand Martins.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
He began to Sob.
No warning.
He just sobbed.
The birds arrival is a big deal for Beach Buoy.
More of a marker in time than a birthday.
Maybe it was because he knew Geoff would never see them again?
He would be missing all of the comings and goings.
He felt both lucky and sad.
Beach Buoy could have stayed all day.
A lift was needed at 8 a.m. so reluctantly he headed back to the north.
He kept stopping, looking back to Sand Martin Corner.
The double edged joy and sadness would set him off again.
The Sand Martin.
It was the first photograph that Beach Buoy took.
The other twenty or so were just of sky, where once a Sand Martin flew.
Close up.
Up ahead Team One Black Ear chatted to Mr.Gunn/Lunn.
Team One Black Ear headed north.
Mr. Gunn/Lunn stopped for a chat.
Beach Buoy made a fuss of Excellent Dog Alfie as they talked Sand Martins.
Team Muzzled Dog passed by.
They chatted briefly.
The man with three dogs who once had four headed south.
Beach Buoy caught up with Team One Black Ear.
They chatted a while.
Milo, the borrowed dog was still on loan.
BEACH BUOY.
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