Beach Buoy had booked a Holiday in.
The Vet rang at Noon.
Stubborn Dog was ready to be brought home, or at least his ashes were.
Beach Buoy went to collect them.
He parked up at the Sea Front, his mate at his side.
It was good to have him back.
Beach Buoy relaxed and drifted off to sleep as a horse clip - clopped along the the road near the Village Green,
BEACH BUOY.
SEAHOUSES' PIER.
Beach Buoy only ventured onto the beach for thirty seconds or so, to collect a stone for the stack.
BEACH BUOY.
Beach Buoy couldn't face the first weekend without Stubborn Dog.
What would he do when early morning beach time came?
Time to Escape.
Camped up near Budle Bay, Bamburgh.
He didn't go Bamburgh Beach.
Craster.
He collected a stone from the beach.
He will collect a stone from anywhere he travels for the stack and Stubborn Dog.
BEACH BUOY.
Beach Buoy was at a bit of a loose end.
He had been wandering around the house both mentally and physically.
He hadn't planned to return to the beach until he had taken Stubborn Dog up to the stack for the final time.
Then he would go as much as possible to see him, a reason to go, a reason to carry on with the beach.
His ashes should be retuned next week sometime?
He went for a walk.
On auto-pilot, he ended up at the beach.
It was sometime after 6 pm.
He hadn't brought his beach book for notes, he hadn't intended to come.
There were tears when his boots touched sand.
He had come to the beach before as Stubborn Dog slept, but the this was the first time for years and years that he was on the beach as a truly "Dog-less Man."
He wandered to the sea.
He headed south as they always did.
He paused after a while to look at the sea.
Then two paws were up on his legs.
A small black dog with a bright orange ball in its mouth was there, wagging its tail and looking Beach Buoy in the eyes.
'Hello' said Beach Buoy as he gave the friendly little dog a stroke.
The dog trotted part - way back to its lady owner before returning to repeat the action, then again.
The lady owner walked across, smiling and shaking her head in disbelief.
'What a lovely Dog.' said Beach Buoy .
They went North, he continued South.
He headed for the stack.
A stack that was going to be needed a lot earlier than Beach Buoy had planned.
He added some stone and gave it a tidy.
He paused as he often tends to do, looking out to sea.
He looked at is shadow.
For the briefest of moments, the small shadow to his left threw him.
It was just the shadow of a clump of dune grass, so often it would have been his little mate's.
He took a photograph, it is shown above.
He headed back.
The lady with the friendly dog was stood talking to some beach friends.
Beach Buoy passed at a distance.
After a while a ball bounced onto his leg.
The lady had thrown it for her dog and scored a direct hit.
Beach Buoy just carried on.
There was a commotion in the car park.
Police Van.
Ambulance.
Three Coast Guard Trucks.
BEACH BUOY.
Beach Buoy woke at 5-20 am.
Stubborn Dog was asleep and stayed asleep.
Beach Buoy headed for the beach alone, albeit reluctantly.
He reached the car park at 6-08 am.
The Sea rumbled.
The Little Terns chattered loudly.
There was a breeze off the sea.
It had just been or was about to be, high tide.
He walked the strip of wet sand that lay between the sea and the strand line, heading south.
He headed up to the dunes and went on to stack the stack.
He had made a thermal cup of coffee.
Warm gulps of coffee went down well, the breeze off the sea was just as welcome.
He turned to head back on the now narrow beach.
The 7 am club approached.
A Dog-less Beach Buoy stuck out like a sore thumb.
He had already avoided distant contact with distant wave lady and her mother.
He carried on...
"Where's the Pup?" the story was told....
"So sorry."
Compassion shown, then off Beach Buoy went.
He headed back to the van.
Chocolate Pudding went by and came for a scratch and rub.
"She loves a cuddle!"
said her owner, a late arrival for the 7 am club.
She didn't ask about Stubborn Dog, she must have known something was wrong.?
Chocolate Pudding trotted off before returning for seconds.
Beach Buoy headed to the van.
Warnings signs have been placed on the promenade wall to warn people of the Little Tern nest site.
A dog-less man walked the beach.
Later, Stubborn Dog came along for a drive in the van in his bed.
He looked well, he isn't.
BEACH BUOY.
What do you do?
Do you try to carry on as normal?
Do you share how it is?
Do you spend precious time away from Stubborn Dog to even write the blog?
He might have ages left, he might have days?
Strange times.
It was Friday Evening.
Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog arrived at the beach at 6-20 pm.
The breeze was off the sea.
The tide had not long turned from high.
Beach Buoy carried Stubborn Dog to the water's edge.
It wasn't a long walk, thanks to the height of the obliging sea.
Beach Buoy was determined that they would reach the stack together.
Seemed like Stubborn Dog was determined too.
He walked for a short while.
They rested on the Dune edge a while.
A man passed with a Waggy-tailed Spaniel
(They all are.)
"Evening."
"Evening."
and they were gone.
Beach Buoy carried his little mate up to the stack.
They had a sit and think.....
Stubborn Dog wouldn't be walking again this evening.
Beach Buoy carried him back along the water's edge, back towards the van.
Onwards.....
The sand sparkled like never before.
Grains of sand twinkled like stars in a clear night sky.
Beach Buoy drove to the Sea Front.
Stubborn Dog slept.
Beach Buoy drank coffee.
Oh for a normal day.
Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog headed for the beach in search of normal.
A van at the end of the road had had an engine fire, it was a write-off.
Beach Buoy carried Stubborn Dog to the Promenade Wall.
Two volunteers stood nearby, watching over the Little Terns.
There was a slight breeze from the west, but the Wind Turbines stood idle in the Bay.
Beach Buoy carried Stubborn Dog to the beach, passing the cordoned-off area.
The Sun came out as Beach Buoy placed his mate on the sand.
It was the brightest and warmest of sun bursts.
Beach Buoy carried Stubborn Dog to the sands for a pre- Vet toilet stop.
It was pouring down.
Depending on what the vet said this could be his last beach.
It didn't feel fitting having such a downpour on such a day.
The went to the vets in Middlesbrough.
No results back.
The Vet kept repeating just how serious the situation was.
Beach Buoy broke his heart all of the way back to Seaton
Carew.
BEACH BUOY.
Stubborn Dog; still out of action but very bored.
They headed to the beach.
There would be no walk today.
It was just another change of scenery for Stubborn Dog.
The rain and sun did battle.
Beach Buoy sat with his beach mate and a coffee as the rain fell down upon the van's roof.
Greatham Creek.
Took Stubborn Dog for a carry ; a change of scene.
He is bored and not well.
They didn't stay long.
Fast forward to 4-20 pm.
Beach Buoy headed to the beach, alone and on foot.
As he passed the Cricket Club someone had just reached a century, applause rang out.
A family milled around a lone tent and windbreak.
There was a mild wind from the south west.
Rain drops become more regular as the walk progressed.
More couples headed North , hoping to avoid a soaking perhaps?
Beach Buoy wasn't bothered if it poured down or not.
He stacked the stack at 4-58.
He went to the dune edge and plonked himself down.
The rain eased into gentle spits and spots.
Sand Martins travelled just above him ,as they searched for flies along the dune edge.
A fly landed on Beach Buoy's beach book, as if trying to see what scribbled notes he had written about today's beach visit.
