Marin Tender Tracks Day 20, April 18, 2012

Waning Crescent Moon
Alpine Lake

All were here and that was so much fun. I wanted to take them here so that we would have a beautiful open space to share the birds nests that I have in the bus that Simone had requested to see and some other items.  It made it much easier to be close to a beautiful place to sit and also right next to the bus to take these things out and then put them back in before we went on an adventure.   The boys got RIGHT into pushing and pulling around the many logs there and trying to get them to go into the water.  Lenny found a fishing hook and Leo found some fishing line.  They were in their element! Just DOING, DOING AND MORE DOING!!    Sidona and Simone were delighted with looking at all the birds nests and feeling them.
A wonderful fisherman came by and we spoke with him for a bit.  He circled the Lakes as we did so there was on going greeting from the children to him throughout the day.  There were actually quite a few very nice people that the children greeted on our adventure. People do so love to see the children out and about.  It seems to bring great joy and a smile on many people’s faces when they see children romping around outdoors.

I told two stories today and one included a real turtle shell that I used as an instruement.  They all got to play this instrument and were delighted.  This paved the way for us to go see if we could find the turtles here and off we went.  Lenny had also found a great big thick rope and that was dragged about for the rest of the day. Well, almost the rest of the day until there was such a bit of a tussel around it that I kept it until a beneficial way of tending it could be found by all.  But, until the unresolvable struggles came the three boys were pulling, tugging, running and playing with this rope down the trail.

Sidona showed us the place where she went fishing with her family.  When we were there the girls picked beautiful flowers and the boys played with their rope by the waters edge.  We then saw lot’s of turtles on the otherside.  “Do you think we can go and find the turtles?” I asked.  And off we went on our long journey to the other side of the Lake.

We had to go over water, through mud and avoid a lot of poison oak.  Simone was not too keen on getting her shoes soaking wet as last time it seemed that they took a long time to dry.  However, by the end of the day she finally abandoned this need and got them wet and muddy.  There really wasn’t much of a way to avoid this!   Along our path we came across wonderful and fresh Rattle snake weed which is DELICIOUS, this time of year.  We gathered Wild purple Iris so that we can paint with it next week and we discovered so many beautiful wild flowers.  We were able to eat and gather fresh Doug Fir tips which are so yummy too and one can make fine tea with them.  The children all had fun eating these gourment treasures.  When we finally got to the turtles it was hard to actually get to them due to the Poison Oak.  We found one opening yet getting close really was hard.  One was left sitting there though and we were able to see it more closely as well as see where we were sitting just one hour earlier.

We spent a little time there and then needed to make our way back.   The walk was long and the girls, at the end, meandered, talked, found beautiful flowers and, due to the time, the boys piled in the bus and then I  pulled the bus up right to where the gate was where the girls came out and they gleefully hoped in like getting picked up at a bus stop!