Marin Tender Tracks Sept. 28, 2011

Day 3
Day after New Moon
Roy’s Redwoods

What a very fun and beautiful day.  We meet at the gate and there they sat to eat.  The loud “Metal Monsters” (cars) would zoom by and Benny let us know most times with great exuberance and joy when they went by.  They were involved in eating so it seemed a good time to just sing our welcoming song and hear the story that would lead us into magickal adventures.

The story was about two children that learned about Fairies that help our plants and gardens grow and how we can work together to make the Earth so beautiful.  The Fairies left them some wonderful “Fairy rings” at our spot but, before that, there was a trail of white rice that aided us in finding our way to our spot.  They followed the trail and lost the trail then found it again but, before we got there what did Benny and Leo find on the trail? a very tan colored creature that Sidona swore was a Praying Mantis and it did appear so.  I tried to catch it but it was so aggresive with it’s ability to jump AT what was trying to catch it that I laughed and laughed as I flew backwards.  It kept going in the grass that it blended in so well with and the children tried to catch it too but we all finally just watched it for awhile and then carried on. That was a real treat for me though! It was beautiful.

Simone found the last part of the trail with the rice and then we made it to our magickal Redwood Fairy ring.  And what was there but Fairy circles to discover wonders all around us.  These circles are just that, circles wrapped in soft yarn.  They can be put on the ground and the children can look more closely to find treasures. They weren’t exactly familiar with how to use this even though the story guided them thru so I played out some ways to be with these gifts: put a stick in the ground and try to throw them over it or make a wish to see wonderful magickal fairy worlds, close your eyes and throw it  and then see what you can find .

Simone and Sedona really liked this one. Simone was beautiful to see how she went right into such a beautiful child space where she closed her eyes and made the most radiant and authentic wish and then THREW the ring.  Sure enough she DID find magickal little beans under the duff in the ground where her ring was.

As the children were exploring, climbing and playing I brought out some soaked Cat Tail leaves and began making rope for “nature books” that I brought for them to write what they find from their explorations and Fairy ring journeys.

They helped make the cordage or at least they wove it into the book holes to hold the book together. Then I cut out the charcoal from the tree we have been getting charcoal from and made them “pencils” to write with.  Benny wondered why they didn’t look like the pencils he was familiar with but then he said, “oh, Nature pencils” and was content.

Leo discovered this wonderful log was was GREAT for balancingand playing on.  He and Benny ( who said he really likes to be called Benny and it was ok for me to call him that.) were really into shooting with guns and Leo told me how his Dad can shoot the rats that get into, oh dear I can’t remember now what, at home.  Well, I AM impressed that his Dad can shoot a running rat!

I thought it might be nice to bring some focus to their imaginary gun play as well as explore what they actually were shooting so I brought them into the world of the Mighty hunters that bring the food back to the people, always give thanks to the animal for giving of itself and eating last after bringing it home to their “people.”  The girls had made a pretend fire to cook the Deer they brought back. Benny REALLY liked all of this and the two of them later came back with water guns which they then cleaned the skin that the girls had brought back from their imaginary bow hunting expedition.  Sidona really wanted to hunt as well.

Simone painted me all up with charcoal, we balanced on lots of logs and Sidona climbed way up into a tree and was quite delighted with herself for being able to be there.

They really liked being in the bus and having the stuffed animals and played with them in imaginary games all the way back.

Another lovely day.  Thank you!