Marin Tender Tracks Day 4, Oct. 5, 2011

Waxing Gibbeous Moon
Samuel P. Taylor Park

The children came with enthusiasm and energy to play.  We sat down at the base of a beautiful Redwood tree and sang our welcoming song as well as some Halloween nature songs to call in this beautiful and fun time of year.

The weather was a bit foreboding but never rained on us the entire day and I was thinking we would explore instead of make a fire if no rain was to come. However,  the children had heard about making popcorn over a fire so,why not?!!!!!   The sky was threatening enough so, I got out the materials that they had gathered for fire starter, dried wood from Roy’s Redwood, and then they proceeded to find little sticks from a dry area.  Earlier they had found the one spot that was dry, inside a Redwood tree. There they gathered and gathered little sticks for the fire.   We worked together to get the driest wood in order to attempt to make a one match fire.

If you are ever lost and only have so many matches, knowing your materials, how to find dry materials and then how to make a one match fire, can save you and give you warmth.  So, we carried on with the gathering and building and readying of the fire, lit the match, put it in and YEAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! a one match fire!!!   Benny was REALLY happy about this and jumping for joy.

We put the oil in the pot, they put the popcorn in, we put the pot on the fire and waited for the first pop.  Well, we waited, and waited and waited and it wasn’t really coming so, we needed to build the fire up bigger. The children gathered again, we built it up, gathered again, we built it up, gathered again we built up and then……… Fire and poppppppiiiiiinnnnnnngggggggggg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The popcorn was made, they thought butter should be on it and luckily I had some, salt was added and the eating began.

Sidona said it was the” best popcorn…” she has ever had.  There really is nothing like cooking on an open fire and making it all happen together.   Simone though, thought that the other children got more popcorn then her and she and I did some reflecting on how that might have happened.  I then invited her to always share her great ideas on how the whole group can get what they need and that I will help her with this.  So, something to work with.

After our wonderful time with the fire and the gift of corn,  we cleaned up, used the bathroom, found an amazing banana slug, got in the bus, found stuffies and made our way back.

The group feels like it has settled into this routine of getting together and exploring this beautiful earth.  We all continue to learn about each other, how to flow together and how to take the beauty of Earth and Sky in together.
What a gift!