High Tide 06:22 (2.10m)
Low Tide 11:17 (1.20m)
High Tide17:53 (2.10m)
Sea temperature: not taken
Sea conditions: deep and a bit murky
Weather: very fresh wind, sun struggling through
Joined by: The Usual Suspects
Topics of conversation:
The icy breeze, it was coming from the west and I managed to persuade DK to move to the more sheltered area in front of the huts (the others needed little persuading but DK is always a little reluctant to break with tradition). From this vantage point TBC spotted our first seal of the year, who was bobbing about in the shallows. It didn't hang around to swim with us, so maybe it wasn't our old friend.
Had there been another unexploded shell, we wondered? There were tracks on the shingle and sand, leading south towards the usual spot where they are washed up, but no one had heard any report, or indeed any explosions.
Jess's wobbles - Jess, our eldest canine companion, had been a bit wobbly recently and the vet had diagnosed a slight blood sugar issue. As she doesn't like to eat before her morning marathon to the beach we had been discussing how to get her to at least have a tiny morsel, so I'd made her a batch of liver treats. The Poet was grateful and I even had a text from Jess herself to say thank you to her fairy dog mother! In case anyone fancies making a batch for their four legged friends the recipe is very simple:
Cut one large, raw pigs liver into slices, add 3 tablespoons of flour (I use gram flour, which is gluten free and seems to work best but any flour will do) and a splash of olive oil. Place all the ingredients into a food processor or liquidiser and blitz till you have a smooth paste. Dollop this into a shallow, greased, lined baking tray and level out to a thickness of about 1cm. Place in an oven for 20 minutes at a high heat (whilst you are roasting something else) or a low oven for an hour. Cool and cut into squares.
Before we all left the beach DK reminded us that The Pirate is off on a jaunt to Scotland for a week or so, and the question of kilts was brought up - cue smut from DK - then the Pirate got kisses from TBC and The LE, coming out with a true Pirate quote, "Everyone's kissing me and I haven't even got any trousers on!" 

Was it going to rain or wasn't it....? There was a rainbow and the clouds were gathering inland but we were briefly bathed in sunlight, true April weather.
The LE and The Pirate were discussing a poem, which The LE has since sent me as it is an appropriate hymn to our mornings:

April Rise

If ever I saw blessing in the air 
I see it now in this still early day 
Where lemon-green the vaporous morning drips 
Wet sunlight on the powder of my eye. 

Blown bubble-film of blue, the sky wraps round 
Weeds of warm light whose every root and rod 
Splutters with soapy green, and all the world 
Sweats with the bead of summer in its bud. 

If ever I heard blessing it is there 
Where birds in trees that shoals and shadows are 
Splash with their hidden wings and drops of sound 
Break on my ears their crests of throbbing air. 

Pure in the haze the emerald sun dilates, 
The lips of sparrows milk the mossy stones, 
While white as water by the lake a girl 
Swims her green hand among the gathered swans. 

Now, as the almond burns its smoking wick, 
Dropping small flames to light the candled grass; 
Now, as my low blood scales its second chance, 
If ever world were blessed, now it is. 

Laurie Lee