Wednesday morning.
It was a frosty windscreen, icy road junctions type of day.
Those junctions where gritted becomes untreated.
It was dark and 7-10 a.m. when they arrived at the car park.
Down on the beach, Beach Buoy could see the tell-tale flashing lights of the 7 a.m. club heading back to the north for their sea swim.
Beach Buoy and Another Dog became part of the beach.
A mostly clear sky made it feel lighter earlier.
There was a cold breeze coming from the west.
The tide was well in.
Beach Buoy collected five suitable stones from the softer tidal sands.
Those untouched by the sea seemed to be set in concrete.
A figure and dog were up ahead.
It was difficult to tell who it was in the less than half-light.
It was Team One Black Ear.
They stopped as they returned to the village.
They chatted.
Hugo, the dog with one black ear, did a little dance when breakfast was mentioned.
Hugo wagged his way home and the promised breakfast.
Beach Buoy and Another Dog continued southwards.
A bright orange crab, scamperousbeachbuoyous, lay on its back, just beyond the water's edge.
It looked like it was dead.
It wasn't.
Beach Buoy always checks.
He returned it to the sea as the waves pulled back.
A rock pool would have been better but there was none to hand.
At least it had a fighting chance now.
A large ship left the river.
It rounded the Bay's Wind Turbines, then headed south east.
They walked the low level route.
"Morning Mate."
It was 7-40.
Beach Buoy added the five suitable stones.
He patted
THE
stone.
Stack timbers were heavy with frost.
Beach Buoy had a stand and think.
After a while, "See you mate."
They returned to the beach below.
The tide was heading out.
Sunrise was approaching as they headed back.
They walked the water's edge.
Clumps of seaweed from a stormier sea lay scattered ahead.
Up ahead, the lady with a red coat and a brown dog called Jasper, swapped beach for the dunes.
Team Muzzled Dog passed by as they headed south .
"Morning."
"Morning."
The man who once had four dogs passed by with three.
"Morning."
"Morning."
Beach Buoy checked back to the south.
7-58.
The Sun rose.
Sunrise would soon begin with an 8 for a couple of months.
It felt like the first proper sunrise that Beach Buoy had seen for ages.
The Beachcombing Border Collie Couple headed off into the sunrise.
They had each other.
It was all they needed.
Sea Pottery.
The south was orange and yellow.
The north was purple and pink.
The longest and faintest of sunshine shadows led the way back.
Tracks to and from the Village.
Tracks to who knows where?
BEACH BUOY
