SEATON SANDS, HARTLEPOOL 28, JULY, 2022.

It was 6-45 a.m.

Beach Buoy and Another Dog headed for the access ramp.

The 7 a.m club were just leaving.

The lady with a border collie called"Peggy! too.

"Morning Paul."

"Morning."

Mari the big friendly poodle came over to say hello.

Wallace the tartan collar wearing dog did too.

Beach Buoy and Another Dog headed south.

The lost sunshine shadows from a couple of days ago walked towards them.

Suddenly they turned, maybe realising that Beach Buoy and Another Dog weren't a good fit?

To be honest, the sunshine shadows had no right to be out on such an overcast morning?

The sea wasn't blood, but today it seemed thicker than water. It had a laziness about it.

The tide was more in than it was out.

A fiery-haired jogger headed travelled south on the water's edge.

A small tug, towing a small barge headed for the river.

Raindrops doubled in intensity.

The jogger ran a narrow gap between the sea and the grey rocks.

It was just about passable.

Beach Buoy and Another Dog chose to head for Stubborn Dog Stack.

Five stones were added.

"Morning Mate."

Beach Buoy added the damp beach stones.

He patted 

THE

stone.

He stood drinking coffee from a thermal mug.

His usual seat was wet with rainfall.

By the time he had said

"See you mate "

The beach belonged to them and the rain.

He raised an arm to Stubborn Dog and then to the Sea Serpent.

He really did.

But you know that.

Gulls stood around as if waiting for a ferry to the Fish Quay. 

It would be a long wait.

More and more of these washing up.

It was beach cleaned.

A lone Little Tern, drawn the by the sharpest of pencils, flew south.

Not long long afterwards, a full pencil case gave chase.

Beach Buoy paused.

That inner rush had crept in almost unnoticed.

He sipped coffee and watched the sea; the perfect antidote.

They headed back.

Beach Buoy beachcombing as they walked.

John Prine wrote a song called 

Far from me.

"Ain't it funny how an old broken bottle looks just like a diamond ring."

A tiny flower on a sea pottery piece.

 They climbed the access ramp, up to the promenade.

Nature takes hold in the undisturbed Little Tern Area.

Sadly when the birds take flight, back to Africa.

The fence will come down.

The plant life will be cleared from the beach.

BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SANDS, HARTLEPOOL 27, JULY, 2022. AN EVENING VISIT.

Beach Buoy and Another Dog headed for the beach for the second beach walk of the day.

They hadn't done many double beach days since his injury.

It was 7-36 p.m.

It was warmer than it had looked.

It felt a like a thundery warmth.

The smell of smoke hung in the air.

The tide was well out.

They turned to head south.

Two surfers entered the sea.

Couples were dotted along the dune edge like lookouts.

Out in the Bay, yachts tried to sail on an almost calm evening.

It was the slightest of breezes from the south west.

Eight Little Terns flew south together.

Beach Buoy and Another Dog headed for Stubborn Dog Stack.

Beach Buoy added five beach stones.

"Evening Mate."

He patted

THE

stone.

It was 8-15 p.m.

He stood enjoying the view.

To the north a couple walked the water's edge.

Up near the dunes a couple sat on a driftwood bench.

"See you mate."

They headed to the beach.

The audience become performers.

There was no rush.

Beyond the dunes a cloud cat sailed by as relaxed as could be.

 They headed to the van.

People dotted the water's edge like Gulls.

Gulls dotted the water's edge like wreckage.

BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SNOOKS TEA ROOM OUT AND ABOUT CARD.

 "Walk round!"

BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SANDS HARTLEPOOL,27, JULY. 2022.

Beach Buoy had been off work a while now.

Today he woke exactly at work o'clock;

5-10 am

There was no alarm, just that inbuilt timing.

No factory today.

The arrived at the beach car park at

5-32 a.m.

Beach Buoy had made a flask of coffee to take up to Stubborn Dog Stack.

There were 6 bottles and some plastic, dumped just metres away from a promenade bin.

Beach Buoy put them in the bin as he pigeonholed the culprits under his breath.

A HGV lorry driver had left the designated parking bays. He parked to have a look at the sea from the vantage point in his cab before setting off on the road.

He headed towards the access ramp.

The Sun hung below swirls of mist, like a fancy light on of those makeover shows.

Can't decorate / won't decorate.

Where DIY means

Don't involve yourself.

Once on the beach, they head for the sea, crossing under the flight path of Busy Little Terns as they did so.

A fresh breeze blew from the west.

Mist claimed most of the bay.

They headed south.

First prints of the day.

The westerly breeze blew the tops off breaking waves.

Grey mist claimed more and more of the horizon.

What peach there was in the sky was claimed in time, by the greyness.

It was an active sea.

That type where the broken wave would run and run up the beach in search of unsuspecting feet.

Gulls cried overhead as shoreline birds ran like excited children to inspect each new broken wave.

They headed up to Stubborn Dog Stack.

"Morning Mate."

Beach Buoy added five beach stones to the pile.

He patted 

THE

stone.

He sat on a stack stone as he drank coffee.

It was a lovely atmospheric scene.

Beach Buoy stood up.

"See you mate."

The 7 a.m. club were heading south.

Beach Buoy and Another Dog headed south too, through the dunes.

They paused after a short while.

He watched the waves 

To the north the 7 a.m. club litter-picked their way back towards the village.

They headed back and walked a mist-muffled water's edge.

A lady with a Border Collie approached.

They chatted.

The dog was  called Peggy!

It's the one that he had seen yesterday, trying to round up a parked car.

They went their separate ways.

To the north a lady stood with her two dogs.

The dogs were in and out of the sea, a light brown spaniel and a dark labrador with a nose aged with grey.

 They headed back to the van as others played fetch.

Beach Buoy lit a pan of milk; "posh" coffee time.

An elderly man jogged south.

Beach Buoy raised an imaginary hat to him.

A lady head to the beach.

Her dog was on the long lead that he had seen.

She could almost walk it in Redcar whilst staying in Seaton.

Two retired men walked and talked about the triumphs and tragedies of working life.

"Well, l told him straight........'

BEACH BUOY.

COFFEE NEAR THE GREEN

Looking towards the South and 

THE 

beach.

It was an evening park up and stroll.

Nice van.

Someone left their shorts behind.

Houses on the south side of the village green.

 Coffee Stop.

BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SANDS HARTLEPOOL, 26, JULY, 2022.

Beach Buoy and Another Dog drove into the beach car park.

It was 6-38 a.m.

The clock on the bus station clock tower had being having issues for the last few days. According to the magnificent art deco tower it was 2-45. 

It's hands, like outstretched arms, as if to say,

"I've reported it, they still haven't been."

A lady had finished her beach walk.

She was trying to tempt her Border Collie into the back of her estate car.

The dog was crouched as if the car was infact a stray sheep.

"Peggy!"

"Come on Peggy!"

The "Sheep" became a car.

The dog became a passenger.

They headed for the beach.

It was mild, overcast with the slightest of breezes blowing from the north west.

Sea spray seemed to hang in the air, near North Gare Pier. 

From the access ramp appeared a very very dry retriever.

It ran towards the sea with a "We'll soon see about that." attitude.

Shortly afterwards, the very very wet dog was dropping its  Scooby Doo Ball at Beach Buoy's feet.

Beach Buoy obliged with his good foot, sending the ball (and the dog) back towards the water.

Beach Buoy could hear what he thought was a strange bird call.

It turned out to be the very very wet retriever, squeaking its Scooby Doo Ball as it ran towards it owner on the water's edge.

A large dog came bounding over.

It was about a metre high.

It looked like a cloud on legs.

The owner came over.

They chatted briefly.

The big dog was called Charlie.

The "cloud" drifted south.

Beach Buoy and Another Dog headed to Stubborn Dog Stack.

"Morning Mate."

Beach Buoy added four beach-collected stones.

He patted

THE

stone.

It was 7-16 a.m.

Beach Buoy studied the bay for a short while.

"See you mate."

They headed back to the beach.

They headed south.

Charlie the cloud was heading back .

They chatted briefly once more.

Charlie was a Golden Doodle.

A cross between a a Golden Retriever and a Poodle.

It was White Poodle in appearance.

Gold Retriever in mannerisms.

Pony in height!

They headed down to Sand Martin Corner.

The corner waited, like a curved giant baseball glove, waiting to catch the sun.

On the way Beach Buoy found and collected a squeaky scooby doo ball.

The very very wet retriever will have lost it.

Beach Buoy will return it next time their paths cross.

They watched the Sand Martins swoop.

They walked towards the Pier.

A Parcel of Oyster Catchers picked at the rocks that ran alongside under the watchful eye of a Large Gull.

The bigger bird was just waiting for its chance to pounce, should anything substantial be found.

 They headed back on the water's edge.

An edge drawn freehand and under constant review.

They crossed wet sand, up towards the strand-line . Suspicious Gulls stood watching one another with a look of bewilderment.

A dark figure with a dark dog headed out from the dunes. 

They looked like sunshine shadows that had been left behind.

The figure and the dog turned, returned to the dunes.

BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SANDS HARTLEPOOL, 25,JULY, 2022.

To try and describe his night's sleep, Beach Buoy would be contravening the trades description act.

He was tired.

They reached the beach car park

at 5-55 a.m.

Shafts of sunlight, picked out ships on the horizon.

A lovely breeze blew from the south west as they headed for the sea 

A couple headed for the access ramp.

They had three dogs, all German Shepherds.

One dark tan, one light tan and finally, one white. 

Beach Buoy checked north.

All quiet.

All quiet apart from the constant chattering from the Little Tern Area.

A welcome sound that will be missed when they all head back to Africa.

They began to head south.

Beach Buoy could see figures in the distance, heading north.

 The sun began to break through the cloud, out in the bay.

Over the dunes, a vast double rainbow appeared.

Beach Buoy realised that you only get rainbows when there is rain involved.

Sure enough moments, later fine rain drifted

across from the dunes.

More of a drizzlebow than a rainbow.

The drizzle stopped, the rainbow faded.

Epitaph.

They continued south along a strand-line strewn with seaweed.

Hugo the distant wave lady's dog appeared for a neck scratch.

Shortly afterwards his owner appeared with the 7 a.m. club.

"Morning Paul, are you alright?"

"Morning, yes thanks , you?"

They chatted a short while.

Hugo had had a bit of a run in with two Alsatian Dogs, he can look after himself, should the need arise.

Beach Buoy and Another Dog continued south.

In places the seaweed was a foot or two deep.

Shoreline birds were loving life as they picked at the vast array of seaweed and it's creatures on display.

In the bay, The Seaton Carew Sea Serpent surfaced. 

A lower tide usually offers the best chance of a sighting. Of course local superstitions need to be kept in mind....

The beach tractor had parked up near the grey rocks, just south of Stubborn Dog Stack.

The driver dumped the collected rocks and stones before sifting through them to remove any rubbish.

They remove the stones from the north end of the beach to make the sands more user friendly for visiting families.

"Morning Mate."

Beach Buoy added five stones to the stack.

He patted

THE

stone 

He enjoyed the breeze and the company y his two dogs.

Eventually, 

"See you mate "

They headed back to the beach passing a tractor on tickover as they did so.

They headed south.

They headed to the water's edge.

They turn to the north.

A jogger headed south along the strand-line.

Beach Buoy rotated 90 degrees towards the dunes.

He wanted her to know, even from a distance that the water's edge was hers.

AN IMAGINED POST CARD FROM SEATON CAREW.

Having a lovely time.

Wish you were here.

Saw the Seaton Carew Sea Serpent.

Landlady had told me if l ever see it, to pat my head and rub my tummy before wishing him

"Good Morning."

Its supposed to be good luck.

A passing jogger stared.

 They had a slow walk back to the north.

Beach Buoy couldn't help but walk the tractor tyre tracks once more.

Up to their left, on the strand-line, a scatter of seaweed became a scatter of seacoal.

At the van they had a chat to Dottie Dog and her mam.

BEACH BUOY.