SEATON SANDS HARTLEPOOL. 17, JAN 2026.

 Beach Buoy and Another Dog walked to the beach.

As they reached the Esplanade, two old men passed one another.

The men were even older than Beach Buoy so he feels at ease calling them old.

One was a member of Team Mick Aston Jumper.

He and his Black Pug were heading north.

The other old man was heading south with a determined walking stick.

As Beach Buoy and Another Dog reached the beach steps, 

Crows landed nearby as if wanting payment for entry.

"How much?" asked Another Dog.

"Seed." replied the Crow.

Payment was agreed.

They reached the beach at 8-04 a.m.

Low tide would be at 8-54, so the tide was well already.

There was a breeze from the south east.

Beach walkers and beach fishermen were to the south.

The low tide exposed the wreck once more.

One of three beach fishermen.

Beach Buoy is no expert, but he would try further south.

He has been sat at Stubborn Dog Stack and seen fish jump clear of the sea there.

They headed to see the wreck once more.

It's timbers will see us all out.

On the way they had a single bouncing Crow for company.

Every now and then it would stop.

Then it would do a Crow equivalent of coughing up a fur ball.

On one such occasion, Beach Buoy stood facing the Crow.

He pointed south towards the Stack.

"You'll have to wait until up there."

A couple walked their dog by the water's edge.

A simple perfect pleasure.

Beach Buoy collected five suitable stones as he and Another Dog 

began to make their way to the low level route.

8-39.

"Morning Mate."

Beach Buoy added the five stones.

He patted

THE

stone.

He had a sit and a think.

Another Dog sat thinking her own thoughts.

Stubborn Dog would do this a lot.

It was a looking out to sea pose that won him Dog of the Month in Coast Magazine in January 2018.

*Gasps*... eight years ago!

One of the things that stung the most when Stubborn Dog died was thinking about his own little sitting and thinking moments.

What was he thinking. Those secret thoughts  have all gone now anyway.

He still misses him and his stubborn habits.

Beach Buoy thought some more.

A lady with a pointed hat and a backpack headed south on the beach.

Her small dog ran ahead.

He stood to go.

No Crows.

"See you mate."

He left seed anyway.

He wondered if any other birds had used the giant pencil perches?

There aren't that many vantage points for the birds to land on in the dunes.

Maybe a Kestrel or perhaps an Owl had perched there?

Back along the low level route to the beach below.

A lady looked at her mobile phone as she headed south with two Border Collies.

One danced like a free spirit chasing cartoon birds.

The other crouched plotting ambush after ambush.

The three beach fishermen stood chatting.

Lines out at sea.

In next to no time the lady with the two Border Collies was heading back to the north.

Up near the dunes, the lady who always walks with a white dog and a black dog travelled south.

She only had the black dog today.

Beach Buoy hopped that all was well.

Beyond the fishermen, two sea swimmers screamed as they entered the sea.

To the north, above the Village.

Clouds seemed to stack like freshly washed and folded washing.

Perhaps towels?

BEACH BUOY.