SEATON CAREW 22, OCT 2019.

Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog arrived at 4-07 pm.
A lady had let her dog out of a car nearby for a short walk on the edge of the car park; a beach walk would have been too much.
The old dog came over to say hello.
It reminded Beach Buoy of his old beach mate; Bonnie.
Bonnie was Gold, this dog was Black, with a very Grey nose.
Beach Buoy chatted to the lady.
She said that her dog was very old.....11.
Beach Buoy let her know that Bonnie was over 20 years old when she passed on 6 Jan. 2012.

Bonnie by the Sea, her lead clip is on Beach Buoy's key ring.

Beach Buoy and Stubborn headed for the beach.
Starlings lined the car park fencing, like ornamental fittings.
They were still and silent; they didn't make a murmur.

They headed south, claiming the shingle line as they did so. There was another beachcomber on the beach; 
bag in hand, looking for finds.
 The tide was way out.
There was a wind from the West.
Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog dawdled along.
The other Beachcomber dawdled too, up near the strand line.
A man with four dogs overtook them all and headed off.
 

Beach Buoy gathered some sea glass and sea pottery, then left it all.

Then he found a keeper.
Beach Buoy paused.
The other beachcomber carried on to the North Gare Pier. 

Beach Buoy headed up to the dunes to place a couple of rocks on 'that' pile.
The Sun decided to show up for work at 5-15 pm.
It seemed to pan across the dunes like a search light, perhaps looking to see where the day had gone?
The low, but bright light went on and on.
A couple with a Border Collie walked the water's edge.
The lady's Orange wooly hat glowed in the sunlight like a 
Belisha Beacon.
The sunlight extended as far as Saltburn to South.
To the North Hartlepool's Headland suddenly looked like an old oil painting that had just been cleaned.
Historical Buildings glowed like new, giving them a prominence that suited them well.
Out in the Bay itself, Gulls that had bobbed up and down in secret were now as bright as Hook-a-Ducks in a fairground
stall.

Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog headed back.
Around twenty Oyster Catchers swooped in from over the Dunes ; whistling as they landed.
Another twenty or so followed shortly afterwards, whistling the same tune.

A Young Gull did that' Feed Me.' noise, (The one that's sounds like a bicycle wheel in need of oil.)
The nearby adult bird was screeching; others joined in the chorus.

BEACH BUOY.

MYSTERY MACHINE.

Now that the darker days and nights are here it was time to brighten up a corner of the van.

Spotted in the local BM store.
£1
A wipe clean, pet food mat.
(New!)

Cut to size.
Not fixed down.
An extra spot to place a cup of Tea, with a nod to childhood and these pesky, meddling kids and their Mystery Machine.
Was it a VW?
More importantly why the heck did they bring Scrappy Doo into the show.......
Scooby Dooby Don't.

BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SANDS, HARTLEPOOL, 21 OCT 2019.

Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog headed for the beach a little earlier than they normally would have done.
Nights were drawing in and Beach Buoy needed a beach walk in full daylight.
So it was 3-55pm when scatter-cash Beach Buoy stood at  the Parking meter.
When he had stepped out of the van, there was a bit of a flap, the Seagulls seemed to have thought it was a meals on wheels delivery; more commonly known as fish and chip leftovers about to thrown for them; they were wrong.
Beach Buoy headed for the promenade wall, placing his little mate on the grey concrete wall while he surveyed the beach.
The tide was low.
It was overcast with a wind from the North West.
Three couples seemed to leaving the beach around about the same time.
The beach seemed to belong to Beach Buoy and his mate?
Beach Buoy headed South at the bottom of a slope that had formed on the beach.
He was closer to the sea than the dunes, but was a fair distance from each.
The distant sea roared; sounding like heavy rainfall.

Another driftwood art installation had appeared, sponsored by The North Sea, after all the Sea choses it, rotates it and picks its location.
It will all be rearranged by the next tide.
Beach Buoy headed up to the Dunes momentarily  to add two stones to the pile.
He walked as far as The North Gare Pier.
The sea was slapping the Pier as the tide began to turn.
Beach Buoy  followed a shingle path that had formed in amongst the Grey Rocks.

A Helicopter thudded across the sky to the east; sounding like a dumper truck of the sky.
Over one hundred Geese flew into the Bay, it looked like the Helicopter had disturbed them?
They curved around near the river, then headed back to their start point.

Then it was a slow walk back, with a dramatic show of clouds to watch as they shuffled along.
Beach Buoy was pleased with the earlier walk.
It meant that they had beaten dusk to the van.
BEACH BUOY. 

SEATON SANDS, HARTLEPOOL, 20 0CTOBER 2019.

It was 7-50 am.
Beach Buoy had turned up later than usual on purpose.
He had two dogs in tow and if they had bumped into the  7 am club it would have all been a bit of a tangle.
Stubborn Dog knows that Mari the Poodle comes to say hello , but Beach Buoy's also ran for the day would make a fuss over the large dog coming over.

The Sea was Grey and wild.
The Sky was just Grey; unable to make up its mind as to its mood.
It was just over five minutes to high tide.

The rough Sea had left a few finds....

The Bay was wild

Whenever Beach Buoy sees waves crashing over South Gare Pier, he pictures the scene about 16 miles to the  North.
They will be elbow to elbow trying to get 'That' shot.
Waves crashing over the Seaham Pier, to be seen in the national press as
'Storm Lashing The East Coast.'
when a better headline would maybe be
'Man with large elbows takes well timed photograph.'

More Sea Pottery, thanks to 
@offshoreodd 
for saying it was a piece  from a Doulton Lambeth Wild Hunt piece of pottery  c 1880-1910.


Beach Buoy took two rocks up into the Dune for the pile....

Three Surfers had entered the water up in the South of the Bay.

Try as they might they could not get beyond the breaking waves.
They travelled south, if they wanted to or not.

Much of the recent driftwood had been piled up near the Dunes.
This piece remained...... for now.

They all rested on the promenade wall.

The three defeated Surfers walked the walk back to the North.

As a Lowry Sea Scene unfolded.

BEACH BUOY.

MARYPORT, LOCH LOMOND AND OBAN TRIP. 16 -19 OCTOBER 2019.

It was late on the 16th of October when Beach Buoy arrived at Maryport. 
A plot had been booked at 
Maryport Harbour-side Caravan Site.
It was an excellent set up, the facilities and staff were spot on.
It was dark when they arrived.
It was clam night.
During the night, the rain came.
Beach Buoy was woken up at three different times by the sound of the rain bouncing on the van roof.
He didn't mind one bit. 
It is one of the best sounds around.

It was all a bit odd.
Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog had made their first visit to Maryport in May 2019.
Beach Buoy recalled walking through the Marina, thinking what an odd place for a campsite.
It was only when he realised it was all linked to the Marina and its facilities that it all made sense.
Beach Buoy didn't take any photographs at Maryport this time around.
Here is a link to the May visit.
MARYPORT MAY 2019.

The photograph above is of Loch Lomond, Scotland.
They journeyed up to Scotland on the Thursday.

Before setting off Beach Buoy joined the Camping and Caravan Club over the telephone. After being told membership was up and running, a booking was made via the club for Luss Campsite on the banks of Loch Lomond.
It was 2-30 pm when they arrived
There was a bit of a fuss at Luss, as the Lady there said that 24 hours had to pass after joining to be able to stay.
They stayed.

Beach Buoy had two dogs in tow for the break, which wasn't ideal in a SWB VW T4 to be honest.
Beach Buoy walked the dogs around the site and had a first look at the Loch.

It was very dramatic.

The van was parked up close to the water's edge.
They could hear the waves lapping on the Loch-side.

Beach Buoy took the dogs out for another walk before dark.
They cabined up for the night as the rain came.
More noise on the van roof; it was relaxing.

Morning arrived in a Grey Overcoat.
Beach Buoy is happy to report that there wasn't a Midge problem on the visit. It must be an issue during the Summer as there was noticeboard giving details of the Midge's life cycle; should you want to swot up on them ... or maybe just swat them?

The Loch was still and calm; a tranquil scene.
It was time to leave.
The Campsite was all good.
All the things that mattered were good.

Next it was the open road to Oban.

They arrived at 12-15pm.
Thankfully it was a bright and sunny day in the gateway to the Isles.
They sat on the seafront eating lunch as people walked by talking in their languages ; East European, Oriental and American.
It was quite awhile before they heard a local accent.
That came in the shape of a local lady who chatted to them.
The lady asked if Beach Buoy was from Newcastle!

They walked a while and had a Coffee stop.
After the drink they headed for the busy Ferry Terminal, where cars queued, their occupants running to or away from home?

They headed to the Campsite that had been chosen for the night.
Beach Buoy's Sat Nav is a little out of date.
It sent them down a narrow road that they later found out had been closed two years earlier.... Thankfully it was just a van and no caravan involved; the caravan would still be there.
The campsite was
ROSEVIEW.
They sorted out payment , parked up and went for a walk.
The Sound of Kerrera came into view after a decent walk.

Beach Buoy found a few pieces of sea glass.

Rain seemed to fall on a nearby Island.

 They followed the road around to Ferry crossing point.
A Ferry makes a short trip across to another Island.

Then it was back to the little beach for a sleep in the Sun.

They sat and watched as the light changed.
A young family rock pooled nearby by
'OK Google; what is an anemone ?'
asked the Mother. She relayed the answer to her inquisitive daughter in a wonderful accent.

Slow walk back to the van followed.
There was no rain that night.
That will most probably be the last van night of the year?
The clocks go back soon and the nights will seem so much longer.
But who knows?
Never say never.

Then the long drive back to Hartlepool.
They stopped off at 
THE GREEN WELLY STOP
A shop where Buns are Rolls and they let you know the fact.
The road seemed to follow the train track and it in turn seemed to follow the river.
Like three ribbons they twisted and turned, at times crossing over or under one another.
The Road led to Hartlepool.
The track led to the south; the River to the Sea.


BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SANDS 16, OCT. 2019.

It was a late early beach for Beach Buoy on a day off, if that makes sense?
Beach Buoy is dog sitting; a dog who wakes you at 3-40am wanting to be in the garden.
Beach Buoy thought that was it ; am up.
He made a milky coffee, started to read a book about someone travelling around the coast of England... and zzzzz.
Beach Buoy woke at 7-30am!
A glance out of the side window showed a deep red sky to die for.
Red Sky in Morning,
Beach Buoy is Yawning.

After a flap and a panic they reached the beach at 7-50am.

Dog walkers headed North.

Beach Buoy and two dogs walked to the Grey Rocks.
They placed two rocks up in the dunes.
A three- legged dog approached.
A blast form the past.
Back to when a dog had three legs
and Paul had wings.
Three Legs.

The Sun clocked off early and a Greyness claimed the bay.
They headed back... new beaches were calling.

A couple both dressed in Beige Trousers slowly walked to the water's edge; their more active Border Collie had beaten them to it.

Two Council Tractors danced a Beach Ballet as they worked together to remove the wind blown sand that had stacked up against the Promenade wall.



BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SANDS, HARTLEPOOL, 15 OCT 2019.

Happy Birthday.
Beach Buoy's Father's favourite photograph of himself, wearing his 'Whitby Slicker'
Photo by Beach Buoy after a shrimping trip in a boat in Middleton Bay Hartlepool.

15 year old Beach Buoy at the tiller of a boat in Middleton Bay, Hartlepool.
Beach Buoy's Dad died in the early 1980's.
If they ever do meet up, Beach Buoy will punch him square on the chin, then give him a hug.
Then walk; go his own way.

Car Park 5-07pm.
Free Parking starts at 6pm
When paying for parking you need to enter the last three letters of your number plate.
Most people think you need all of it.
Its odd haw many times people go to the machine then shout back to their companions
' Whats the reg number?'
Tonight it sounded like a couple of Pirates had parked up.
(BEACH BUOY WILL HAVE TO MAKE UP PART OF THE REG. NUMBER TO SAVE ANY PROBLEMS. SOME PARTS WILL STAY.)
'What's the Reg. number!?'
'P!'
'C?'
'No P'
'Yeah.'

'W!'
'Yeah'

'7'
'Yeah.'

'9'
'Yeah'

'R!'
'R?'
'R!'
'Yeah.'

'O!'
'Yeah.'

'R!'
'R?'
'R!'
'Oh'
' No ..... R!'
'OK.'

Deffo pirates..... 'R'
There was a man looking out to sea on the promenade.
There was a VW Caddy in the Car Park; his VW Caddy.

The Council Tractor has been leaving patterns on the sands.

In the blink of an eye the sea watcher had returned to his VW and became SURF-MAN.
He ran down to the Sea; surfboard in hand.
The tide was quite high.
There was a breeze from the south west.
Beach Buoy stood at the water's edge.
The Horizon had a mixture of colours and weather types going on.
To the North; Dark and cloudy.
East; Angled lines of rain reaching from sky to sea.
South; Clear and brighter.

Beach Buoy found some finds and headed up to place two stones up in the dunes on that pile.

The Beach was narrow as they headed back; the tide was coming in.

More Beach clean Taprogge Balls.

Someone had actually left this stood up on the Beach.
Now Beach cleaned.

BEACH BUOY!