SEATON SANDS 25 MARCH 2019.

It had been a work day.
Beach Buoy and two  happy dogs arrived in the busy car park at 5-10pm.
Three ladies trudged off the beach with one dog for company.
A couple arrived at the same time as Beach Buoy.
They went to the water's edge and headed North.
Beach Buoy went South.

There was a lovely light.
The colourful houses that edged Seaton Carew Green attracted the eyes.
Up in the Dunes a man played with a remote control Beach Buggy, another man watched as did a couple of children.
The two men stood together as they watched the buzzing little toy climb up and down the dunes.
They looked all the world like two men stood at a public urinal. The remote control unit that was attached at the front of the operator added to the effect.

The sea was rough but there wasn't a breath of wind.
The breaking waves looked like little avalanches as they sped towards land.
A jogger went ahead with a dog beside him.
The jogger was dressed more like a Canadian Lumberjack than a jogger.
Ten minutes or so later they passed again as they headed back.. "Must have forgotten his axe?" pondered Beach Buoy.

The three headed to the Grey Rocks and almost got a soaking from the rushing tide.
Beach Buoy had a stand and think for a while. He would have sat but the waves might have caught him out.
A couple and a dog went by.
The man was talking very loudly.
The  sea was rough but the beach was calm.
The sea was much rougher down by the North Gare Pier as the waves hit hit then headed across the bay to meet more incoming waves.

The Sun hung in the air 
like a perfect fried egg... just waiting to dip into a toast horizon.

BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SANDS 24 MARCH 2019.

Beach Buoy woke at 4-01 am
He needed to get up with his achey leg.
It took him 19 minutes to get up from bed and arrive down stairs.
No he didn't live in a very tall lighthouse.
He didn't live in a house with an escalator that was stuck in the UP mode.
He didn't live in a block of flats with an out of service lift.
It was just sore, particularly first thing in the morning... or middle of the flipping night!
4-25am it was still dark but Beach Buoy could hear the seabirds calling, perhaps they were restless, hungry  and wanting to be THE early bird that went on to catch the worm?
By 5 am he had made a coffee and waited for it be light enough to head out.
He ended up sitting and staring a little longer than planned.
Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog arrived on the fresh  beach at 6-40 am
There were only two cars in the car park when they arrived, they were parked as far away from each other as the boundaries of car park would allow.

They headed to the water's edge as they so often do.
It was a lovely crisp and glowing morning.
The sea was breaking as one, along the length of the bay with a loud thump as it hit the unsuspecting sand.
There wasn't a breath of wind but the air was chilly.
Beach Buoy made fists and put his hands into his coat pockets.

Cloud headed for the sun.
It was 6-59am.
Beach Buoy glanced North, a minute early.. it was the 7am club off in the distance heading south.

The sea would run on every now and then and try to catch out the unwary walker.
Once again bliss ...a no footprint beach.

The sun still glowed over Saltburn and Redcar as the bay clouded over a little.

The glow of the sun spread north after a short while.
Beach Buoy stopped at the grey rocks the tide was still high enough to block a beach walk to the Pier.
Beach Buoy back tracked a short distance to access the dunes.
The 7 am club had caught up and Mari the Large friendly Poodle got the neck scratch the she had trotted over for.

A lovely sky full of clouds hung over the dunes as did a skylark.
 It hovered and sang and sang.
Beach Buoy managed to pick it out in the air.
It just seemed to be floating with its wings stretched out , gradually getting lower and lower in the air.

The shipwreck from yesterday had gone.
It had set sail on another trip to the port of who knows where?
A Cormorant travelled the nearby sea, both above and below it as if looking for the wreck.
There were a number of plastic bottles on the Dune / Beach boundary, these became the basis of today's beach clean.

The view back towards Hartlepool Headland.

Unusual clouds filled part of the bay.

Lines of  anti tank blocks run on into the dunes protected by the shifting sand.

The same shifting sands exposed old fencing buried in the dunes, possibly dating back to when  Marram grass was planted to try and stabilise the dune environment?

They stayed with the dunes until they cleared the grey rock area.

It was an odd walk back.
8 am; beach deserted.
No joggers, no dogs and no owners.
Even Beach Buoy's southbound footprints had gone, washed smooth by the sea, even though the tide was going out.

The solitude lasted until just before the dunes turned into car park.
The conveyor belt had begun.

Beach Buoy binned his beach clean.
He had parked at the very end of the promenade.
Some runners were approaching, touching the end wall then heading back North along the long promenade, passing as they did, some slower runners still to reach their turning point.
words of encouragement were shouted out.
"Well done Gemma!"
"C'mon Stewy."
"Nice one Matty."
Beach Buoy sat in the van a while.
The toy solar powered monkey danced on the dashboard,
the ticking sound remind Beach Buoy of his Grandmother's large wooden clock with an arched top that had sat proudly on her mantlepiece.

BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SANDS AND NORTH GARE BEACHES. 23 MARCH 2019.

It was meant to be a work day...
but stuff happens.
Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog ended up on the beach around 8-10 am
There was a fresh breeze from the west as they headed for the water's edge.
A Scruffy little dog searched the strand-line as a Jogger and his two dogs headed for the car park.
The tide was going out under a milky sun.
Another jogger went by with his reflection below him in the wet sand , like some uninvited hitch-hiker.

They headed south.
A man with a curious dog overtook Beach Buoy and his canine companion, the man passed on some beach advice.
Beach Buoy  thought " Thanks mate, I already know."

Beach Buoy leaves most sea glass and pottery these days.
This blue piece was too attractive to leave behind.

Clouds like an asterisk?

Ship wreck on the grey rocks.

More investigation required.

Beach Buoy will forward the photographs to Tees Archaeology..

Sit and think after a shipwreck hunt.

They crossed over to North Gare Beach, down by the River Tees.

Nice driftwood.
Too heavy to carry back.
Two Ducks took off as Beach Buoy arrived, quacking as they flew.
Gulls bobbed about, just inside the river mouth.
Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog mooched around a little, had another sit and think, then headed back.

Sea-coal edged the blue lagoon, like growth rings on a large sandy coloured tree stump.

As they headed back a dog called Alfie came over to investigate them.
Beach Buoy said "What's it all about?' to the little dog.
The dog tilted its head , wagged its tail  and ran off. 
As the walk ended a couple stood at the water's edge with two scottie dogs; one white the other black.
Beach Buoy reached the vans the clock struck ten.


Beach Buoy.

SEATON SANDS 20 MARCH 2019.

Beach Buoy had been to work.
He and Stubborn Dog reached the beach as the village church chimed for 4-30 pm
As you can see much of the non tidal part of the beach is very stoney as much of the sand had been blown away recently; it will be back.
That's what Tiggers ... sorry Beaches do best.
A couple and child were down at the much more sandy water's edge with two greyhounds.
One of them came into shot as Beach Buoy took the photograph.... as you can see.
The tide was quite high but going out.
The wind was off the land and had some warmth in it.

Sunlight scanned the Beach in waves like a barcode as clouds surrounded it; eventually a black cloud moved in, the wind picked up and the temperature dropped.
The fair weather teenagers that were sat at the dune edge moved on.
The sea was as flat as a pancake, albeit a pancake with ripples and a seagull topping bobbing around upon it. 
Today even the Sea Serpent was missing, possibly resting his weary head on the sea bed?

Just before the grey rocks, they had a sit and think.
More of a collapse and think to be honest but Beach Buoy made use of the stop and took some photographs.
Above them a high, high pitched aeroplane let its position know as it negotiated  the big black cloud.
It seemed to disturb the sea serpent as it raised its head from the deep... sleep.
A distant hi-viz man approached so Beach Buoy clambered to his aching feet.

As they headed back, as if by magic the sun appeared from under the big black cloud.
The light seemed brighter, crisper, more welcome than before because really speaking, that could have been it for the day?
The air warmed a little.

Beach Buoy doesn't agree with vehicles on the beach, but at least this one's tyre tracks looked impressive in the bold, strong light.

They made their way back.
Beach Buoy opened the side door of the van and sat on the ledge.
It took an age to change his boots.
He climbed up front and viewed the sea and the people that walked, ran and cycled on the promenade.

A couple with a pushchair went by, together but alone as the two adults were both talking into mobile phones as they shared some family time.

A Lorry parked up for the night.
No doubt it would be another driver with fish and chips for tea.

BEACH BUOY.

SEATON BEACH 19 MARCH 2019.

It was an after work beach walk.
It turned out to be a shorter walk than usual.
Things hadn't started well when Beach Buoy realised that he had left his beach bag behind when he left the house.
So he was out of sorts from the outset.

The tide was out beyond the Seaton Carew Wreck once again.
A fresh breeze blew from the direction of the Golf Club.
A couple took turns to photograph their dog as he continually walked form one to the other.

It was a fresh but pleasant evening.
A horse and rider travelled up and down the still light beach.
Beach Buoy didn't get as far as the Grey Rocks, he needed to call it a day.
They turned and headed back to the van.

The horse had left its mark on the beach.

BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SANDS 18 MARCH 2019.

Sign in the car park.......

Beach Buoy and two dogs went to the beach.
They reached the car park at 5-13 pm
There was strange light all around, an eerie glow.

They headed down to the water's edge as the glow behind them to the west became even more atmospheric.

A man with two young Labrador type pups headed north as Beach Buoy and his two beach mates headed their usual south.
The tide was well out.
You can just make out the timbers of the Seaton Carew Wreck down at the water's edge.

The sea was roaring and the sky looked like it had been booked for a Cloud Convention with clouds of all types attending.
A jogger appeared with a gorgeous chocolate brown young dog running along with him. It looked like a cartoon dog as it galloped alongside its owner.
The owner had given up holding the lead but it was still tied to the dog, it flapped around behind the excitable young pup.

Sea pottery. 
Beach Buoy no longer collects it.
It was left for others, should they want it?

They carried on south.
The sea was busy with waves breaking as far out as the Sea Serpent. 

They had a sit and a think down by the grey rocks that are strewn along far south end of the beach.

The second dog was happier to watch a far off figure.

They ambled back...


BEACH BUOY