SEATON SANDS. 24 APRIL 2019.

Beach Buoy drives to work along the sea front.
Some days the sea looks so inviting; today was one for those days. Beach Buoy had to stop and take a photograph.

Fast forward to 5-27 pm.....
A different scene altogether!
The fog had hidden the headland and also the wind turbines.

It was strange, the beach and even the air felt calm but the sea was so angry. The waves could be seen breaking as far as the eye could see, which granted wasn't as far as usual  due to the fog, but they were breaking way out.

Beach Buoy photographed some driftwood as a jogger ran along the beach.  The jogger ran with his arms down by his side.

The sun showed a little before the walk was done and brought with it the Skylark's song.
The fog out at sea remained.

Part of Beach Buoy's beach clean.

Sea Pottery.

Other recent finds....


BEACH BUOY

SEATON SANDS 23 APRIL 2019.

Beach Buoy and good old Stubborn Dog arrived in the car park at 6-15 pm
From April to November parking charges apply from 9am to 6pm.
He parked up the van.
A lady was walking a Horse around the car park; a warm up before a beach visit?
There was a group of male teenagers crossing the car park; four walking and one on bike as Beach Buoy locked the van and set off and headed for the beach access ramp.
Before he had descended the ramp some female teenagers appeared on the dune tops.
The young men headed to the dunes like sailors called by  Sirens. They climbed the low wall to get there and the boy on a bike wished he had walked too as rehearsed for Britain's Got Talent with his bike juggling act.

Meanwhile back on the beach...
Stubborn Dog had come to halt.
He sniffed the sea air, as if he was deciding that the smell was to his liking or not , like choosing a fine wine.  The dog from Del-monte said yes.... eventually and they headed south.

They bumped into a family with a Stubborn type dog and exchanged a few Stubborn type dog tales then headed in opposite directions.
Beach Buoy had reached the water's edge at 6-30pm; High Tide would be at 7-10pm, so the beach was a narrow beach tonight.
A couple with a Pug approached and judging by the aroma travelling downwind, they both had shares in a perfume company!
Once the air had cleared, the breeze was both fresh and refreshing.
Before too long, fresh and refreshing had been replaced with chilly and up went a hood.

Out at sea the waves were breaking around 5 or 6 waves out.
The sea rushed in as the tide was due to peak, claiming more dry sand as its own as it did so.
The sea roared, but over the dunes a Skylark sang for an audience of two and of course anyone else who was willing to walk the walk.

As they headed back Beach Buoy had to stop and make sure somebody hadn't swapped Stubborn Dog for a large wet sack of sea coal, such was the drag factor....
Maybe Stubborn dog should go on Britain's Got Talent.....?
As a drag act!
A couple walked nearby with matching hats, well the hats looked more like tea cosys to be completely honest.

Beach Buoy opened the side door on the van and sat on the step to change his boots.
Voices approached from the other side of the van.
It was the "Sirens."
They made a remark about the van...
Not to be repeated here,
then laughed as they passed, and saw Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog sat there innocently .

Sure enough..... a few minutes after the young ladies had gone then four young men plus the bike juggler followed.
Another beach visit done.
Time to head off.

BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SANDS, HARTLEPOOL. 22 APRIL 2019.

It was 6-20 am when Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog pulled up in the beach car park.
Seagull-pecked polystyrene fast food containers littered the tarmac, with a side order of drink cans ; it had been a busy Bank Holiday.
By the time Beach Buoy had reached the access ramp to the beach, the Cavalry had arrived in the shape of the first of the council cleaning squad.
Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog reached the water's edge at 6-30am.
The tide was high; it had peaked 23 minutes earlier.

They headed south.
The short short man was up ahead with his dog as was a Lady Jogger who had recently overtaken Beach Buoy.
The sea was calm.
Hardly a breath of wind.
Short short man did half of the beach and turned back to head north.
Beach Buoy paused and looked out to sea.
The view ranged from Blue to Gold and then back to Blue.
The sky mirrored the sea and vice-versa.

Beach Buoy continued south walking the filling of a
Sea, sand and Skylark sandwich.

Driftwood stuck in a tyre make a marker.

A sea-smoothed footprint.

Beach Buoy found a bum shaped rock to sit on.
Near the dunes and opposite the sea serpent.
He sat and thought.
As happened yesterday a lone Canada Goose flew just overhead directly above Beach Buoy and headed out towards the Gare Piers. Today his call sounded somewhat forlorn ; perhaps his mate had died?
Beach Buoy rubbed his face with both hands as if he was washing his face in sunlight.
Half an hour or so later the 7 am club were nearby.
Beach Buoy stood up as the bum rock was becoming a spike, he was spotted by his big Poodle mate.The large dog trotted over .
He gave his mate a rub and scratch and off she went to explore.
Beach Buoy headed up to the dunes to let the 7 am club have the narrow beach to themselves.
The higher elevation exposed a stronger but refreshing breeze.
Beach Buoy stood facing the breeze with his eyes closed and let the breeze wash over him.
A nudge on a hand signalled the return of his Poodle mate, coming to say goodbye.
A farewell rub and scratch and she was off ....

Beach Buoy headed back collecting rubbish as he walked.
Too soon, he placed the #2minutebeachclean items in the bin.
Plastic bottles x 3
Drink cans x 8  
Plastic toy building blocks.

BEACH BUOY.

SEATON CAREW AND SEAHAM 21 APRIL 2019.

Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog pulled up to a halt in the Beach Car Park at 6-43 am.
He changed into his beach boots.
The council car park rubbish sucker upper drove around in ever decreasing rectangles as it collected yesterday's trash left by another type of trash!
By 6-50am they were 15 steps away from the sea.
The sky was full of kisses; aeroplane vapour trails from long gone flights whose routes had criss-crossed the sky.
There was little or no wind so they just hung in the sky, telling tales.
The sea was calm.
The tide was around one quarter of the way out.

The looonngggg weekend's great weather continued.
So once again it was clear sky with a milky light.
It could have been a groundhog day type of situation, but it was Sunday today; wasn't it ?
Then again Beach Buoy couldn't play the piano yesterday.
Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog hugged the water's edge and headed south.
The short short man headed north.
He wasn't particularly short.
 It's just that his shorts were short shorts.
They wouldn't have looked out of place on a 1980's football pitch.
They passed in silence on the narrowness allowed by the available beach, like meditating monks walking the cloisters of a Cathedral.
Beach Buoy looked back...
"Yup those shorts are short."It was then that he spotted the 7 am club on the north end of the beach.
He turned and continued his southern trek; sea sounds on the left, Skylark to the right....

Up ahead an Island was in the making, thanks to the wave action; it was an Island of shingle,

The waves had also cut deep grooves into the soft sand.
They looked like miniature cliffs and made Beach Buoy feel a little like Gulliver on his travels.
( Beach Buoy had often thought one day that he would write a book called Gullible's Travels.... he had been gullible a few times.)

An arc of grey rocks brought the beach walk north to an end.

Stubborn Dog sniffed the air.
Beach Buoy had a sit and a think and watched the Sea Serpent roll out at sea, near to his marker.
A Lone Canada Goose came from the dunes and headed out to sea before banking to the north, audibly letting all in earshot the route of its flightpath.
Stubborn  Dog's sniffing became more intense as the 7 am club approached.
The little dog stood up and shook from nose to tail.
Beach Buoy soaked up the scene for a moment or two more, he then stood up and headed north a little to let the 7 am club have the end of the beach for themselves.
Mari the big friendly poodle appeared on the scene first.

1. Neck Scratch. (TICK.)
2. Ear rub. (TICK.)
3. Shoulder rub. (TICK.)
Refreshed; the dog ran off.
A greeting of "Morning." 
were exchanged. 
Beach Buoy walked a while and sat down on the edge of the dunes, on a natural step made by the sea.
Stubborn Dog stayed on the beach
aka bottom bunk.
As the 7 am club headed back, Mari the poodle spotted Beach Buoy.
She ran up and sat next to him.
She was taller sat down than Beach Buoy was. 
They sat there looking like a couple of old mates,
putting the world to rights,
shooting the breeze or chewing the fat.
Then she was gone...

Beach Buoy had another think and listened to the Skylark.
They eventually headed back.

"Not all blues are bad." thought Beach Buoy.
Then a camera shy Seal popped up and left.....

An old man with two dogs walked the dune edge then slowly disappeared up into the dunes.
It looked like an ending to a sad film.
Beach Buoy could picture BIG letters rising from the beach.
THE END.
(based on a true story.)

Stubborn Dog sniffed at a piece of driftwood.
He left his interpretation of the find by the medium of stubborn draglines. (Trademark.)

Beach Clean items were binned.

At 1 -07 pm .... it was Seaham Hall beach.

The hole is whole .. for now.
Beach Buoy thought the name
BUFFALO ROCK was an apt name for its present state 

They went as far as the stack and headed back.

BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SANDS. 20 APRIL 2019.

Beach Buoy was dog sitting today.
So 6-30am meant a short drive to collect dog number two.
A short drive back ensued.
They saw a man in a battle-scarred high visibility coat, walking to work; judging by his trudge.

Our three zeros arrived at the beach at 6-44am.
There was a tiny caravan parked up in the south eastern corner of the car park; no car?
It looked as if it had driven all the way from the 1970's? ; the colour scheme sort of gave it away.
By the time it took Beach Buoy to change into his beach boots, the cavalry had arrived in the shape of a small 53 reg car with supplies of breakfast from a well-known fast food outlet.
The breakfast was eaten alfresco, possibly because there would not be enough room in the small caravan for two people and their breakfast?

A family of three walked the promenade.
They were all dressed in various shades of mustard
They were all holding their phone in their hands, reading what the screen had to share.
Beach Buoy pictured the sea calling them for their attention.
"YOHOOO!
 "Over here."
The Council workers were busy tidying up the area as Beach Buoy and his mates set off.
As of late; the light was milky and the weather pleasant.
 

Beach Buoy collected some sea pottery.
He has been leaving loads but this piece
looked like waves so he picked it up

The tide was around one third out.
The breeze was ever-so light.
The skylark had travelled further north than usual.
Beach Buoy managed to spot it in the sky nearby.
It fluttered like a butterfly, then fell silent as it fell to a few feet off the ground.

They stopped at the grey rocks with the 7 am club  on their way.

They had a sit and think.
They set set off back north.

The sea serpent showed just one hump today.

Later that day they ended up above the Blast Beach, as they headed for Hawthorn Hive.
it was 11-00 am.

Hawthorn Hive 
They headed north and rounded the cliffs in the distance to walk onto the Blast Beach.

They continued north as far as the stack in the picture above then went up the mid way steps ..then onto the van and kettle that waited beyond.


Beach Buoy.
 

SEATON SANDS 19 APRIL 2019.

Beach Buoy arrived at the beach car park at 6-55am.
He had two dogs riding shotgun.
As Beach Buoy sat at the side of the van whilst he changed into his beach boots a cyclist cycled along the promenade with his hand in his pockets..
LOOK NO HANDS!
If he had come a cropper it would be...
LOOK NO TEETH....
An elderly, flat-capped gentleman walked towards the car park from the direction of the clock tower.
He wore gloves.
MASSIVE gloves.
It was as if MAC'S MAGIC  SHOP had re-opened, many years after closing and the man had gone in to purchase
fake Grizzly Bear Paws.
Thankfully the man drove off in his car with grizzly bear paws on the steering wheel. 
It was an absolutely  glorious morning, with a milky sun and almost perfect weather.
There was slight breeze from the north.
As they reached the water's edge, the sound of an early morning bad news siren travelled along the sea front.
Beach Buoy looked north to confirm this. It was the he saw the distant 7 am club heading south towards them.

The light was strange.
It was easy to imagine that they were on another planet.

Parts of the beach had deep cuts in it, caused by the wave action.
In places they were waist high.... or low depending on your outlook on life.

Other parts of the beach had rippled sand that had filled with water and shone like jewels.

They continued north.
To gain access to the North Gare pier area, some rock climbing or rock clambering was needed.
The 7 am club had almost caught Beach Buoy up but had stopped were the sand ended.
Well all of the 7 am club apart from Mari the big friendly poodle. She clambered over the rocks to get to reach Beach buoy for her neck scratch.
Her name tag clinking on her collar gave her away and Beach Buoy was pleased she made the effort to see him.

Shipwreck brass work.

After a stand and think  and a look and listen to the skylarks and they headed back....

BEACH BUOY 1
STUBBORN DOG 0


BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SANDS , APRIL 18 2019.

It was 18 43....
Two dogs for company tonight for Beach Buoy.
The tide was low. There was a fresh but gentle breeze.
Two horses with an entourage walked by the water's edge.

There was a hazy light.
Palest colours.
The sky blue and the sea blue blended  gradually from one to the other with a hint of haze.
Out at sea the horizon looked higher; impossible, but it looked the way due to the complimenting light and colours  of the evening. 

Distant figures enjoy the beach.
The sea wasn't rough as such but the waves were breaking about 6 or 7 waves out.

Lots of rippled sand lately.
The light was strange, more of an early morning light than a late evening..... but it was smashing no matter what the time of day.
A Jaffa coloured jogger jogged by....

Another Beach Balloon.
Many happy returns!

Beach Buoy stayed down the grey rocks a while.
The rocks pools looked amazing and the pause gave the German Shepard Owners Club ( The dots in the distance.) a chance to clear off. Thankfully they had cut their beach walk short and headed back before getting to Beach Buoy  and the dogs..
The sea was working its way in to reclaim the beach.
The sun slid down onto a comfy cloud above the horizon to rest its head before its night flight to Sydney....
Seagulls cried as if the sun was a life long friend; leaving for good.BEACH BUOY.