SEATON SANDS, HARTLEPOOL. THURSDAY, 25, MARCH 2021

Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog reached the car park at 4-40 am.

They were on the beach shortly afterwards.

There was a breeze from the west.

The tide was so far out, it almost needed to apply for a passport.

It was an odd beach tonight or maybe it was just an odd Beach Buoy?

Everyone was distant even when close; when close meant 2 metres away.

It almost felt as if they had turned up late for the party.

There was plenty of beach for all.

Even the Sun seemed to have confidence issues today.

It came and went over and over again, using a big back cloud 

as a disguise.

A small black dog called Ted appeared.

He was keen to say hello to Stubborn Dog and Beach Buoy; today that felt like novelty.

The Little Black bundle of fun and fur twisted in and out of  Beach Buoys legs as he scampered about.

They wandered up to the stack and added a few more stones.

The stack was undisturbed today.

They began a slow walk back to the the North.

The sea was good company.

There was a sandbank just offshore, so the waves had chance

 to break twice as they reached land.

They headed back to the van.

 As they crossed the beach to the car park, they passed a patch of patterned  sand.

Beach Buoy left the beach with a verse of one of his own songs playing in his head.

The cold wind whistled

I couldn't name the tune.

The sand was blowing 

from of the highest dune.

My footsteps washed 

by the incoming tide.

Covered my tracks 

like I had something to hide.

But I'm just thinking things through.

He was too; thinking things through.

BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SANDS, HARTLEPOOL, WEDNESDAY 24 MARCH 2021.

They reached the beach car park at 3-45 pm.

It was so very bright.

An out of place Moon hung midway across the bay.

It looked as if someone had just nailed a picture of the beach out at sea for us all to admire.

Beach Buoy made note of it in his beach note book.

As he did so,  a fly walked across one one the bright white pages.

First of the year; like a full stop with legs.

They headed for the beach as a grey haired lady and her dog both seemed to tiptoe off the beach.

She spoke to the dog in a telephone voice.

They headed for the water's edge.

"Sorry!"

a lady shouted as she called her dog back.

"It's ok." Beach Buoy replied just as the lady threw a ball for her dog in his direction.

A Dad and lad jogged southwards.

It was glorious light.

Beach Buoy was determined to make the most of it.

He shuffled  along the water's edge as if he didn't have a care in the world. 

He did, but they could wait today as Beach Buoy watched his sunshine shadow surf the nearby waves.

The village to the north looked as pretty as a picture in the bright sunshine.

They stacked the stack at 4-15 before returning to the beach to walk south.

Dad and lad headed back to the north via the power of walk.

Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog searched the shingle around the World War Two tank traps for finds.

Traps placed all of those years ago to protect the country and now doing a fine job of preserving the Sand Martin's sandbank.

A beach combing couple walked the strand line, heading south.

Two ladies approached from the north, coffee cups in hand.

They both held their cups in their left hands whilst "Talking" with their right.

A couple approached with an un-stubborn Stubborn Dog.

The two dogs seemed to know that they the same breed.

The two dogs touched noses and looked like a mirror image of each other.

The un-stubborn Stubborn Dog had trotted over.

Stubborn Dog unzipped his dog disguise ( He is really a cat in a dog suit.) 

He reached inside after sticking a cigarette in the corner of his mouth

and pulled out a book; his book.

HOW TO BE REALLY STUBBORN

by

STUBBORN DOG.

"You are doing it all wrong."

take the book, study and learn.

"C'mon Rory!"

called the couple.

The reflection had gone; a sale lost.

Another coffee cup couple headed north.

As they were about to leave the beach another un-Stubborn Stubborn Dog had reached the beach and had come trotting over.

This other dog had longer hair, looked like a hippy.

The hippy unzipped his disguise (They are all cats in a dog suit.) and pulled out a book

HOW TO BE REALLY COOL

by 

COOL DOG.

They headed back to the van book-less. 

The first two coffee drinkers returned for the south, cups in right hand now, coffee drank, talking done.

As for today's finds.

Did you find much?.......

Artist Liz O'Neill has been creating cards with an imagined beach as a subject.

BEACH BUOY.

 

SEATON SANDS, HARTLEPOOL. TUESDAY 23 MARCH 2021

Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog arrived at the blustery beach car park at 3-48 pm.

A Police Car drove by, slowly.

If they had turned up in the hope of a coffee then they were out of luck.

The Hungry Seagull had taken flight.

They reached the beach by 3-53 pm.

A chilly breeze blew from the west.

The tide was a good way out, the sky overcast.

If the bay was a painting, then today it had been painted with a pale palette of colours.

Soft sand was drifting in the strong breeze but it wasn't an issue as such.

The Village Church Bells rang for 4pm.

It was 3-58.

There were nine people to the north and two to the south,

South it was then, as it always is anyway.

It was a cold walk.

Two hoods went up.

Two hands went into pockets.

A man was stood on some large driftwood, like an additional branch.

Four ladies headed North.

They were within earshot but the barrel was facing the other way and their conversation was press-ganged out to sea by the strengthening  breeze.

Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog stacked the stack but didn't linger tonight.

They returned to the beach and continued their southward trek to Sand Martin Corner.

The southern edge of the beach was more sheltered from the chilly breeze, thanks in part to the height of the grey rocks and the slope of the beach.

After a mooch in the shingle at Sand Martin Corner, they began their usual slow walk back.

Two horses approached from the North.

Beach Buoy recorded the finds that he had found.

As the walk ended the Sun decided to pay the coast a visit.

 The sun may have come out , but the clouds to the south were making their presence know.

Beach Buoy.

SEATON SANDS, HARTLEPOOL , MONDAY 22 MARCH 2021.

Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog arrived at the beach at 6-12 pm.

Beach Buoy had been to Darlington for his covid jab.

To be honest he wasn't expecting time to fit a beach walk in before it became dark.

A HGV driver had parked up for the night.

TWIGLET

read the plate displayed in the front of his cab.

Sleep well Twiglet.

A family unloaded a wheelchair from their car.

An elderly lady grasped the wheelchair handles and headed off with herself as a child in the seat.

Presumably the chair was for the "walk" back.

The Sun was setting just behind the Golf Club fence,

as if peeking, wondering just why Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog were late.

The Large Sun was the colour of an egg yoke; a free range egg at that.

They headed to the water's edge.

The tide was well out.

There was a fresh breeze from the north west and a pink sky to the south.

A Bulldog called Ray was half way to saying hello to Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog when its owner called it back.

Silhouette people walked the dune edge.

It had been a while since Beach Buoy had done a dusk beach walk.

The days were becoming longer.

Thank goodness.

Two women were up ahead with an Alsatian Dog and four children that were stood in order of height as they walked, like a mobile Russian doll.

The sky was random colours, beautiful random colours.

Stubborn Dog was insistent on checking every piece of driftwood for a dog calling card.

Sunset came.

Two months ago it was two hours earlier.

The sea turned a dark metallic blue with crisp white edges.

6-45pm.

They stacked the stack and replaced the 26 stones that had been removed and scattered nearby.

A determined Lady walked north at the water's edge.

She had a shoulder bag that was as white as the wave edges she skirted alongside.

Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog returned to the beach and headed north after checking the flash of the Sea Serpent marker.

One apple and two apple and three apple and four.... FLASH.

Yep 

All good, as the red light flashed on time.

 

As they headed back the light began to fade quickly.

Figures ahead were becoming difficult to recognise.

Apart from..

The bloke who had bought his dog a flashing collar and the one that didn't.

Maybe if lots of dogs wore them the owners would only know it was their dog by the flashing sequence?

Beach Buoy imagined a darkened beach full of people counting out aloud.

"One apple and two apple and ... here boy!"

Car lights flickered along the sea front.

White coming, red leaving.

A couple had lit a dune edge bonfire.

Not a malicious one, a cosy one.

One of them had set off on a Stubborn Dog style driftwood hunt, with their phone's flashlight option activated.

Beach Buoy reached the Promenade as a couple passed the access ramp.

He wore a flat cap.

She wore flat shoes.

BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SANDS AND BLUE LAGOON. 21 MARCH 2021

They arrived in the car park at 5-45 am

On went the kettle.

Time for half a cup in a full cup.

The kettle boiled quickly with just enough in.

The half cup was drank and off they went.....

It was dull and overcast.

As they left the van a white car pulled up.

A Blonde lady and a dark haired man stepped out and headed for the dunes and maybe hopefully a visible sunrise?

The man carried something as he walked.

There were a few people dotted along the water's edge waiting for the sun to show.

The white car couple sat together on the dune edge with snacks.

The man raised his arm in a nasty party type salute; he was a member of the selfie party.

Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog headed for the water's edge.

No full visible sun today.

Beacon.

Full sun or not, it was still a wonderful start to the day.

A dead Seagull was beak-down in the sand.

It looked like some dare devil acrobatic show had gone horribly wrong?

Attention!

The Dark Sea was a contrast to the bright sky.

A Darker Sea by Liz O'Neill.

They headed up to the stack.

They stacked the stack after rebuilding it.

Someone had removed 119 stones; Yes, Beach Buoy counted as he replaced them all .

Then it was back to the beach to gain access to Sand Martin Corner.

After a mooch it was time to go to North Gare Beach 

aka The Blue Lagoon.

A strip of sea coal looked like a laid road.

They searched the riverside shingle before sitting to record today's finds.

A curious but camera-shy seal swam nearby by, as Stubborn Dog took a nap.

There was a deep dull sound in the bay, like  a fog horn but not a fog horn.

Perhaps it was the usually shy Sea Serpent calling for a mate?

It was that time of year after all.

Eventually Beach Buoy scrambled to his feet and stretched a cartoon stretch; a proper big over exaggerated  stretch.

They said goodbye to the river after a restful stop; some stolen time.

The Bay had changed during their short absence.

Colder.

Rougher.

Busier.

The Bay had the sound of a rushing waterfall although there wasn't one for miles.

  

Beach Folk.....

A slow walk back.

Then it was back to the van for a full cup of coffee this time.

The kettle whistled.

Coffee was made.

BEACH BUOY.



 

SEATON SANDS AND THE BLUE LAGOON. MARCH 20, 2021.

Beach Buoy woke at 4-41 am

The street birds were singing.

Beach Buoy gathered together some beach items and generally faffed for a while.

When it was time to set off Stubborn Dog wasn't keen.

'Beach!'

The little dog opened one eye as if to say

'Really?'

'Out in the van for a walk?'

The dog closed the open eye and opened the closed.

He reminded Beach Buoy of a broken ventriloquist's doll.

Eventually Stubborn Dog made a move after being promised a

 Gottle of Geer.

They began the short drive to the beach.

It was that time of year, that time of morning were the street lights were turning off as they passed beneath them.

Like a Billie Jean Music Video in reverse.

They reached the car park at 5-47 am

Stubborn Dog did his ventriloquist's  act once more.

They eventually headed for the beach with Stubborn Dog being peeled from the back seat of the van at around 6 am.

Sunrise was to be at 6-09am.

It was cloudy.

It was quite mild for an early morning in mid-march. 

Beach Buoy set off carrying Stubborn Dog to the beach as two old men passed by on the promenade with their Dog, Alfie.

"He said sorry dad."

" Well that's  fair enough."

The men were deep in conversation as they turned 180 degrees at the end of the promenade.

The talk and the walk headed in a different direction, Alfie trotted along behind.

A dozen Oyster Catchers  flew in a westerly direction overhead  as Beach Buoy plonked plonker onto the sand.

They had only walked a few steps before around another dozen Oyster Catchers followed the others to the west.

To the north a Murder of Crows were camouflaged on a strip of sea coal, plotting. 

The moment of sunrise came and went.

Cloud had claimed  the sky.

Oddly there was a light to the west that looked a little like a sunset.

An aeroplane unzipped the sky in an unsuccessful search for the Sun.

A beach regular approached from the north.

Stubborn Dog broke into a trot to say hello...

that's him going to the vets then.

They followed some tracks that seemed to lead directly to the stack.

A Jogger passed them as they passed some driftwood.

They stacked the stack at 6-45 am to a soundtrack of Skylarks.

Due to the height of the tide there was no beach access to Sand Martin Corner.

They headed off to the south via the dunes.

Driftwood stood upright in the dunes looked like a man, watching and waiting.

Beyond "Him" a combination of industrial  smoke and mist gave the Cleveland Hills a snowy appearance.

They checked Sand Martin Corner for finds and more importantly 

Sand Martins.

The River Tees beckoned. 

Someone had asked a Blue Lagoon Question.....

The Crane and the Egret.

Beach Buoy sat by the river and recorded his finds.

One of which was found nearby, was a Fisherman's Priest.

They headed back to the bay...

A photographer with a lens long enough to be first in the queue at Verrill's on the Headland sat on the top of the Sand Martin's Bank.

They passed the stack at 8-10 am

The beach ahead looked fairly quiet.

Someone, who didn't want to come, didn't want to go.

8-28 am

Click.

Bend.

Stretch.

Beach Buoy hadn't made a coffee to go so made a coffee to stay.

9-10 am; time to go..... as the sun showed up.

Beach Buoy had a "Proper" breakfast at Camp Drive.

(Biscuits for scale.)😉

 

He tidied the van.

Let's get ready to rumble....

BEACH BUOY.