Beach Walkers

We were walking the dog a little later than usual yesterday (17th October) so the tide was the furthest out that I’d seen it.
It was pretty blowy, so we were glad of our hats, though Maggie didn’t care, she was running along the water’s edge dipping her toes having a whale of a time.

It was interesting seeing the different formations in the sand, the ripple effect left by the retreating tide, the windswept sandy scrolls and swirls closer to the prom, and a variety of footprints, be they dog, human or indentations (probably a walking stick) that reminded me of The Clangers moonlike planet surface.
We walked pretty close to the water, Maggie eyeing up the gulls and terns strutting their stuff in the wet sand, and amongst the bird webprints, saw worm casts and small perfectly formed circles which Hubby informed me were made by razor fish.
I have only ever seen the shells of these creatures, not one inhabited by them, so to envisage them poking their noses up through the sand filled me with a childlike wonder.

Maggie was soon in full chase of the gulls. It was wonderful to see her run and having so much fun, though I tend to get a little anxious in case she over stretches herself. She seems to know when she’s had enough though, and came trotting back to us as we made our way back up the beach towards the prom to return home.
A couple were walking their dogs, a jack russell and a brown dog similar in size to a GSD/labrador, but I couldn’t make out exactly what it was. The two were having a lovely time playing together, the brown dog rolling the JRT, and in turn the JRT running away as if to say ‘Chase me!’ My laughter at their antics carried across to the walkers and we got a wave and smile from them.

The pair of us have already collected a number of shells off the beach, and Maggie showed me a treasure on one of our walks shortly after our arrival. It was a rock, but so unusual to see a white rock in the sand, that I simply had to bring it home and it makes a wonderful door stop!