SEATON SANDS. 23 DEC 2021. (Diving Home for Christmas.)

It was the last day at work before Christmas.

Beach Buoy was allowed home at Noon, paid until three.

"Beach."

he thought as he drove the six miles to Seaton Carew.

It was a grey day.

The white van crossed a bleak creek.

Then it came.

Rain.

Beach postponed for a while at least.

Boots and paws finally touched sand at 2-22 p.m.

 

It was mild, damp and grey.

The tide was a fair way out but was heading back in.

A Lady and her two barking dogs headed south at the water's edge.

The Grey turned into Drizzle.

A man with a sense of purpose and a backpack headed south.

Beach Buoy and Another Dog moved from shingle patch to shingle patch in a random manner.

A family group and a dog with some time to kill headed north.

A pile driver piled to the west.

A calm sea broke onto the beach  at the last minute to the east.

They headed up to 

Stubborn Dog Stack.

"Afternoon Mate."

Beach Buoy added five beach stones before patting

THE

 stone.

Beach Buoy stared out to sea.

There was no great difference in the shades of grey of the sky and sea.

They would be neighbours on a paint companies list of greys.

Two ladies headed South, 

each with two greyhounds;One Black, Two Brown  only One Grey.

There was a sound nearby..

It sounded like a grasshopper or like someone runing their fingernail down a hair comb.

It was a bird.

"See you Mate."

They headed for North Gare Pier via the dune edge so that the ladies and the greyhounds could enjoy the ever-narrowing strip of sand in front to the grey rock in peace.

They climbed down the grey rocks and headed back along the beach, dodging the sea as they did so.

Either the sea was coming in quickly or they were walking slowly?

Or maybe it was a combination of the two

Drizzle turned into Grey.

Waves broke with a thud as they reached the sands.

The Sea Serpent  Marker was there but the Serpent will have gone to visit relatives in Scotland for Christmas.

He is .. Diving Home for Christmas... to that underground cave that leads to a certain Loch.....

They headed back to the van.

They headed for Pizza.

BEACH BUOY

39 YEARS AGO TONIGHT.

 BEACH BUOY.....

SEATON SNOOKS TEAROOM CHRISTMAS CARD 2021.

Merry Christmas to all of our readers.

Thank you.

BEACH BUOY.

 

SUNDAY 19 DEC.2021. SEATON SANDS.

Beach Buoy had gone bed at 8 p.m.

He woke a sleepy wake a few times during the night.

Another Dog arrived with a bounce at 3 a.m.

The kettle finally went on at 5-15 a.m.

Beach Buoy gave the world a look through a window.

"Ooo light!"

It was moonlight....

Beach Buoy parked up in the beach car park at 6-46 a.m.

A couple walked the promenade in the dark.

They are regulars.

The lady had fallen off her bike early in the year whilst travelling the promenade.

She walks the promenade now.

Her male complain usually wore shorts but today it was December trousers.

Colour; December Black.

Beach Buoy flicked on the van's colourful lights.

A lady and dog passed, heading for the beach.

It was  Chocolate Pudding and her Mam.

A Car pulled up in the dark car park.

It was the Distant Wave Lady.

She and her Dog, Hugo headed to the beach too.

Beach Buoy waited ten minutes or so then readied Another  Dog for the beach.

It was Dark.

6-58 a.m.

They were on the beach.

A torchlit start to the walk.

Two Police cars sped along the sea-front with sirens and lights.

A Fog Buzzer Buzzed in the distance.

Oh for the sound of a comforting, protecting Foghorn.

The beach was dark.

The patches of sea coal were darker.

Gulls cried.

Beach Buoy headed for the sight and sound of the sea.

The sound was clear.

The sight was just a dim white line, where the surf broke onto the beach in the darkness.

The tide was well out.

Over on the dune edge a confident looking silhouette strode south.

7-25 a.m.

Still dark.

Hugo appeared.

"Hello Mate."

Beach Buoy made a fuss of the  Distant Wave Lady's Dog.

Then Mari arrived, the big friendly Poodle.

A fuss was made of her too.

The owners arrived.

 They stood chatting in the dark.

"Bye."

"Bye."

Beach Buoy headed for

Stubborn Dog Stack.

He collected beach stones on the way, to add.

It was a torchlit 

"Morning Mate."

Beach Buoy added the new arrivals and then patted 

THE

stone.

Daylight seemed to be taking forever to arrive.

The Fog had claimed the Wind Turbines and Hartlepool Headland too.

The lights of the village could only just been seen.

"See you mate."

They headed back to the beach, then south.

Hugo was back in town.

His owner doing a second beach walk.

Beach Buoy and Another Dog headed for Sand Martin Corner.

It waited for them to return as did Beach Buoy.

Beach Buoy paused at the Tank Traps.

It was a grey old morning.

They began a slow walk back to the north and a waiting van.

Sea Pottery.

Mr Gunn/Nunn waved from a distance.

"Morning."

"Morning."

His Little Dog came trotting over to say hello.

People began to arrive on the monochrome beach 

on a monochrome morning.

 Sea swimmers stood around a pre-swim bonfire on the dune edge as they waited for others to arrive.

BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SANDS, HARTLEPOOL. 18 DEC. 2021.

Beach Buoy had gone to bed at 1-21 a.m.

Another Dog laid in her bed at the bottom of the stairs.

It was her choice of sleeping positions.

She would lay there before a bed was bought for her.

She watched Beach Buoy climb the stairs.

Beach Buoy woke at 5-44 a.m.

It felt like he hadn't moved a muscle.

He laid, listening to the outside world, hopeful of judging the weather from the comfort of bed.

There was only silence.

Cold Fog makes no noise apparently.

He climbed downstairs.

It looked like the little Dog hadn't moved a muscle too.

She greeted Beach Buoy.

They both went to the kitchen.

"OK Google, Play Radio Cornwall.

Kettle on.

Beach Buoy let Radio Cornwall know that Beach Buoy was listening in, pre-beach.

Radio Cornwall let the world know that  Beach Buoy was waiting for daylight, as they did so  last Saturday too.

Coffee.

Out.

They reached the beach car park at 7-23 a.m.

It was still as dark as 7-23 a.m....

Torch  and another Dog clipped toBeach Buoy's beach bag.

The headed for an as yet unseen sea.

Beach Buoy could hear it.

It sounded a long way off, well out.

Invisible Gulls cried.

The Beach-combing Border Collie Couple

headed south on the strand-line.

Around one third of the way along the dunes the torch was switched off.

Light, a grey light was coming.

The light made it clear just how thick the fog actually was.

The Bay's Wind Turbines had gone has had the Headland, even Seaton Village itself was hidden in the fog.

Subborn Dog Stack 

came into view.

"Morning Mate."

`Beach Buoy patted 

THE

stone

 before adding more.

They stayed a while with Stubborn Dog...

"See you mate."

They went South to North Gare Pier.

Two joggers jogged, then walked, then jogged once more.

It was foggy, no one would know.

The sea ran out as far as the eye could see.

Which today, to be honest wasn't very far at all.

A man and his Dog headed north.

A Large Gull chased a smaller Gull  along the strand-line.

An Oyster Catcher blew for full time.

 

Apologies again for rubbish photograph quality.

BEACH BUOY.

FRIDAY 17 DEC. 2021. SEATON SANDS.

It's not always possible for Beach Buoy to go to the beach during the dark-early night periods after work.

Today he made a dash for the beach straight after work.

The light beckoned.

Beach Buoy and Another Dog reached the beach car park 

at

 3-34 p.m.

The sun had already began to set to the west, behind the golf club.

It dripped down the sky like a free-range egg that had been thrown against a wall.

They headed to the sea.

The moon waited patiently.

The colours were stunning.

Beach Buoy's camera on his mobile phone was letting the side down again.

The view out into the bay looked like it had been painted on silver foil.

It was gorgeous.

To the North a man squeaked a squeaky toy for his equally squeaky Dog.

The Little Dog danced, almost begging for the toy.

A beach regular, with his two Yorkshire Terriers was leading the way south.

Beach Buoy and Another Dog did the same at a distance.

Beach Buoy stopped in his sandy tracks when he caught glimpse of the Moon reflecting down onto the beach below.

One of those time you have to stop.

Gulls flew overhead, heading out into the pale bay.

Beach Buoy made a move for 

Stubborn Dog Stack.

"Afternoon Mate."

The stack had had a bit of an attack recently.

A Twitter Pal, that Beach Buoy has never met had messaged to let him know and to also inform Beach Buoy that they had reinstated the stack.

They had done a good job.

Beach Buoy patted

THE

stone.

He added more.

The light to the west was a different colour scheme.

Like the one to the East, it was fading too.

Another stone had been left on the stack

by

 A N Other...

The North from the stack.

Time to make a move.

"See you Mate."

They went  back onto the beach.

The Sea Serpent was back!

😊

 

It

 still wasn't fully dark but the Moon's light crossed the bay to say farewell to Beach Buoy and Another Dog.

Beach Buoy and Another Dog headed back to the van, saying farewell to the sea... for now.

The AA illustrated guide to Britain's Coast.

1984...

Page 166.

Seaton Carew.

"A few amusements and a fine stretch of sand at the peaceful resort of Seaton Carew....."

BEACH BUOY.

SUE NICHOL @staithesartist

 Excellent painting of Seaton Sands 

by 

Artist

Sue Nichol

arrived today.

Poor Camera Phone on my Motorola G9 Power doesn't do the painting justice.

BEACH BUOY.

DOWN BY THE CREEK 12 12 21.

It was a Sunday afternoon.

It was bright but would be dark in two hours.

Beach Buoy couldn't face just sitting watching the day fade into night.

He put the bike on the van's bike rack and headed off for Greatham Creek.

Beach Buoy headed for the river as did a dozen or so Seals.

A couple were just ahead of the seals, trying to take some photographs to share.

Beach Buoy chatted to the couple.

They discussed the dread of the dark-early nights, but also the joys of having nature on your doorstep.

He cycled back towards the van, stopping at another bird hide along the way.

BEACH BUOY.

 

SEATON SANDS, HARTLEPOOL. 12 DEC 2021

Beach Buoy had gone to bed after midnight.

He must have found sleep because he woke.

He laid wondering how long he had slept?

Seconds later Another Dog landed on his chest.

She likes to sleep near the front door of the house but does have an AAA wristband on her left front paw.

It was 4-23 a.m. 

It was no big deal.

Beach Buoy is up for work at 5-10 a.m. during the week.

That was it, he was awake now.

4-45 a.m.

Kettle on. 

He made a coffee and stretched out on the sofa.

Another Dog went into full blown leg lean mode and fell asleep.

6-21 a.m.

Kettle on.

"Bloody Winter." thought Beach Buoy.

A summer 4-23 a.m. dog alarm would have just meant go to the beach early.

He drank Coffee.

7-15 a.m. 

Beach Car Park.

Beach Buoy flicked on the various all-year fairy lights in the van.

7-25 a.m. 

Beach Buoy pulled on a wooly hat.

He clipped a torch to his beach bag.

Beach Buoy and Another Dog headed down the sloping access  ramp to the beach.

A walker walked the dune edge with a headlight torch fixed to their head.

It was still dark.

A Border Collie couple headed north.

The 7 a.m club were silhouettes down by the water's edge.

It was a milder day.

No frosty sand today.

There was hardly a breeze.

Beach Buoy pulled up two hoods.

Not to shelter from the morning air, just making his space more of his space.

Like putting blinkers on a horse.

Beach Buoy and Another Dog galloped south.

The tide was more out than it was in.

Waves broke and Gulls cried.

Two hoods came down.

Suddenly everything felt too muffled.

he needed to hear the naked sea.

Beach Buoy paused around halfway to 

Stubborn Dog Stack.

Not a soul in sight.

It was only just beginning to become light.

He had been up for three hours already.

He stood, enjoying the

S  P  A  C  E.

He didn't make a move until two figures appeared in the distance to the north.

Maybe they wanted 

S  P  A  C E  

too?

He headed off to see his mate at the stack.

There was a Lone Crow up-ahead, the only suspect.

It wasn't going to move for Beach Buoy and Another Dog.

The bird flew ahead, landing on a stone near the stack and stood, looking out to sea.

"Morning Mate."

He patted

THE

stone.

He added more that he had just collected from the beach.

8 a.m.

A pile driver started upon in the distance

THUD

THUD 

THUD.

"See you Mate."

They headed south on the dune edge.

Birdsong sang out.

Beach Buoy didn't recognise the tune.

It sounded more like a grasshopper than a bird.

There was a gap in the dunes.

Beach Buoy could see random fishermen stood around on North Gare Pier.

The looked like art installations of heritage lost.

They headed over the Pier, down by the riverside...

Beach Buoy sat.

Coffee time....

"Did you remember biscuits

DOG biscuits?"

He had.

Beach Buoy drank coffee.

They ate biscuits.

The sun rose over the hills at 8-30

It was spring for four or five minutes.

It was like a custard pie, flat in the face he savoured every second  of light and warmth.

The Sun climbed into low cloud.

They headed back.

A Dog howled in the distance towards The Snooks.

It sounded like a bloodhound in a 1950's black and white film, in hot pursuit of a striped escaped prisoner.

Two crows called out in Stereo.

They walked the dunes until the stack.

They returned to the beach.

A man passed by with his Dog.

The man flapped the collar of his jacket as if trying to cool himself as he said.

"Never know it so warm in December."

There was large length of Ghost Fishing rope.

Beach Buoy dragged in to the promenade .

He placed it into a Promenade Rubbish bin.

 BEACH BUOY.