SETTING OFF.

"Did you remember the Dog treats?"

asked Another Dog.

"Yes, don't worry I have them here."

said Beach Buoy as he patted his coat pocket.

"Oh good." said Another Dog.

BEACH BUOY.

WAITING FOR THE SAND MARTINS.

"When will they come?"

 asked Another Dog.

"A few months." said Beach Buoy adding,"it'll be worth the wait. 

I will bring a flask of coffee, a bar of chocolate and some dog treats. 

We can sit and watch them swoop around."

"Oh good."

 said Another Dog....

BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SANDS, 27 DEC, 2021 P.M. VISIT

It was 1-04 p.m.

There was slight breeze from the south east.

The car park was very busy.

Horses walked the water's edge as paddle boarders headed for the sea.

They headed south as did many others.

Beach Buoy was in no rush.

He gathered a couple of stones for the 

Subborn Dog Stack.

"Afternoon Mate."

he patted 

THE

stone.

He added others.

He glanced North.

He picked up Another Dog.

"See you Mate." 

A Dog went zooming past on the dune below.

It was Dotty Dog.

Her owner wasn't far behind.

They paused a while and chatted about dogs as Dottie Dog zoomed up and down the dune edge.

"Bye."

"Bye."

Beach Buoy headed towards North Gare Pier.

The wet sand gave lovely reflections.

Space.

They headed back, slowly.

A man with two dogs was heading south as they headed north.

The man wore an Orange Coat.

It was similar to Beach Buoy's.

The man had a beach bag slung over his shoulder.

It was similar to Beach Buoy's.

The man wore a hat.

It was nothing like Beach Buoy's.

It would have been more at home in the Australian Bush.

He can't have seen the flamboyant hat sign.

They chatted.

Beach Buoy was too polite to mention the exotic headwear.

"Nice to talk to you."

"Yes, lovely to meet you."

They headed off in opposite directions.

Dogs followed.

 

It was good to be out.

BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SANDS, 27, DEC A.M. VISIT

A  Monday after a weekend Christmas.

Beach Buoy was off work for a good while.

He woke at 5 a.m.

Ten minutes before what would have been an alarm call  for work.

He listened to the silence beyond the window blinds, in the outside world.

5-30 a.m.

  Kettle on.

Coffee.

Toasted Teacake.

Beach Buoy let Another Dog into the back garden.

He did one of those four second weather checks whilst the door was open.

No rain.

No wind.

It did feel a little milder than it was yesterday.

He sat in a dimly lit room drinking coffee.

A Fog Buzzer sounded out, it buzzed around the room like a Winter Bee.

Beach Buoy and Another Dog set off.

They drove down an avenue of street lights.

The lights were like shower heads, spraying light into the dark and misty morning.

They drove into the beach car park.

As they did, the man who walks the car park wearing headphones was caught mid-stumble in the van's headlights.

He can't have heard the van coming.

He was wearing black and seemed to appear from the shadows of the golf club fence.

He averted a full fall, so carried on walking to the beat.

The radio was on in the van.

It was that time of year when the regulars have holidays.

Other presenters are shoehorned into slots that they most probably long to call their own anyway? 

Beach Buoy parked up.

All year fairy lights were switched on.

A Cycle lamp headed south along the Promenade with a cyclist on tow.

A shadow of a man walked to the end of the promenade.

He looked like he had been left behind on a sunny day. Scampering around waiting for the sun's return so that he could make good his escape.

7-07 a.m.

They made a move.

It was still over an hour to sunrise.

They left the van as the December Trouser Man shuffled his was along the Promenade.

It was dark.

Torch and moonlight lit the way.

Sounds swirled in the air alongside the ghost-like mist.

Gulls, Sea and an Oyster Catcher that gave the impression that  it was trying to restore order, sounded  out.

The Village lights were lost to the fog.

As eyes adjusted and light increased slightly, it became apparent  that the sea wasn't as far out as it had sounded.

A man with two Black Dogs overtook them as he walked the dune edge.

Soon afterwards the man and his Dogs were heading back to the car park.

Beach Buoy collected seven stones as he aimed himself and Another Dog 

towards

Stubborn Dog Stack.

It was 7-51 a.m.

"Morning Mate."

He placed the seven and patted 

THE 

one.

Beach Buoy stood looking out to sea for a short while turning 360 degrees to view the surroundings.

"See you Mate."

They headed back to the beach, then north.

Then it hit him like a rouge wave.

Full blown grief.

It was just the thought of leaving his little mate behind.

It felt selfish grieving about his dog when there is so much tragedy in the world.

But...

you feel how you feel.

Ain't that the truth?

He composed himself, a figure of a person was up ahead.

The figure and a dog approached.

It was the distant wave lady and her dog.

"Hiya, are you alright?"

"Hiya, yes thanks.

you?"

"Yeah."

They chatted about the wait for dark mornings to brighten.

They went their separate ways.

There had been a Parcel of Oyster Catchers down by the water's edge.

Beach Buoy gave them a wide berth so as not to disturb them.

Another beach walker scattered them.  

The parcel became letters, each flying in the air. 

 Beach Buoy and Another Dog headed for the van.

Their walk was done.

Others were just starting theirs.

BEACH BUOY.

UNSTABLE STRUCTURE.

 

BEACH BUOY.

Boxing Day 2021 , SEATON SANDS.

Beach Buoy had woke early  with every intension of doing an early beach.

The rain was bouncing.

Another Dog doesn't do wet very well.

They waited hours for the rain to stop.

By the time they reached the beach, Borrowed Dog was along for the ride too.

 

It was 2-45 p.m when they finally reached the sands.

The tide was a fair way out.

There was a chilly breeze heading from the south.

Family groups walked and talked.

Everyone is different.

Some walk the length of the beach, some just choose to walk to the sea and back.

The low tide meant that there was room enough for everyone.

Each group had a silent story to tell.

Up in the dunes, someone had dug out a sandy shack.

Beach Buoy approved.

Perfect size for

THAT

shack.

Te view was pretty good too.

Families groups began to drain northwards.

A man walked briskly on the water's edge, heading south.

He stopped.

 He rotated with urgency 180 degrees and began to head back to the north.

Beach Buoy, Borrowed Dog and Another Dog headed up to the strand line, then onto the dune edge.

Beach Buoy gathered suitable stones for the stack.

 

"Afternoon Mate."

Beach Buoy dropped the stones onto the stack.

He patted 

THE 

stone.

They all stood for a while; together again.

Beach Buoy wanted to head up to North Gare Pier for a project he is planning.

He needed photograph a few things.

"See you mate."

They headed south after dropping back down onto the beach.

Beach Buoy stood looking at the beach.

A couple and their Dog headed north.

Putting  the H in Happy and another in Home.

The Bay looked a little wild.

Beach Buoy took some photographs for his project.

They all headed back to the north.

They stuck to the dunes for the start of the return journey.

They passed 

Stubborn Dog Stack once more.

"See you tomorrow Mate."

They walked back in the company of the water's edge. 

A jogger dressed in black laboured towards them.

He  was running into an imaginary headwind.

Light was fading.

It had been a grey old day all day anyway.

Out in the bay a ship took aim at The Gares at the river mouth .

It's bright orange lights glowed radiantly in the gloom coloured bay.

BEACH BUOY.

 

CHRISTMAS DAY 2021. SEATON SANDS, HARTLEPOOL.

Beach Buoy and Another Dog reached the beach car park 

at 10-30 a.m.

The early morning regulars will have been and gone, if they had come at all.

Unfamiliar faces with unfamiliar dogs walked the beach that Beach  Buoy knew like the back of his hand.

All were welcome.

The beach was busy considering the fact that it was Christmas Day.

There was a selection.

The Couples, the family groups, together for Christmas and  loners too.

There was a lovely light.

Maybe the sunlight was a factor in the beach being quite busy?

Some walked in the shelter of the dune edge.

Beach Buoy and Another Dog headed for the strand line.

The air was chilled.

There was a slight breeze from the south.

The sea was rough.

 The horizon looked as if it had been sketched whilst riding pillion on a motorcycle.

The tide looked to be about as far in as it was out.

They headed south.

The warmer sea steamed to the south in the ice cold air.

A relative who worked as a Foy boatman had once said that in winter whilst pulling ship's ropes, they would plunge their hands into the sea as it was warmer than the air. 

Even though he was wearing gloves, Beach Buoy's finger ends were cold.

Nowhere near as a cold as a Foy boatman's back in the day.

They had walked less than half the beach when the Sun slipped into cloud.

The sea instantly looked rougher.

Greys and Silver replaced blue.

Beach Buoy collected some stones for 

Stubborn Dog Stack.

There was a figure up on the dunes, near the stack; a lady with two dogs.

Beach Buoy paused down on the beach to allow her own space.

She started to head south.

Beach Buoy headed for the dunes .

Once up in the dunes, he headed for the stack.

The lady was ahead, beyond the stack.

She seemed to be searching her pockets for something?

Beach Buoy saw a Pink Mobile phone laid in the dune sand to the left of him.

"Have you lost your Mobile?"

"Thank you." 

she said as she approached to collect the phone.

She turned and walked away.

After a few steps she turned and said.

"Oh and Merry Christmas by the way."

"Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas Mate."

It was the first since he had gone.

Beach Buoy placed three stones on the stack.

He patted

THE

stone.

A family group passed by on the beach below, oblivious to the stack and it's significance.

Beach Buoy looked out to sea and people watched for a while.

"See you Mate, miss you."

They headed back down onto the beach.

The chilly breeze was on their backs now.

A Seaton Carew Christmas.

They can be magical.

They can be sad.

They can be lonely.

It can be the best of days it can be the worst too.

 

BEACH BUOY.

Christmas Eve 2021, SEATON SANDS, HARTLEPOOL.

Beach Buoy and Another Dog arrived at the beach car park.

at 7-10 a.m.

They waited for Borrowed Dog and his Dad to arrive.

The four set off down the access ramp in the darkness.

The tide was a fair way in.

They walked the water's edge.

The choppy sea chopped as Gulls cried overhead.

Spots of rain paid a visit.

They all paid

Stubborn Dog Stack

a visit.

Two sets of stones were added.

Beach Buoy patted

THE

stone.

"Morning Mate."

They had a short chat about the stack.

they headed back.

"See you Mate."

They headed to the beach, then back to the north.

The beach combing Border Collie couple headed south.

The light increased on the narrow beach.

They all headed back....

This lovely colourful stone arrived last week.

Thank You.

BEACH BUOY.

 

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