Marin Tender Tracks Tues. Jan. 19, 2016 Day 31

Waxing Half Moon
Wild Care

Io was absent today.
The rain was POURING first thing in the mourning and the Deer Park rivulets of water were flowing, flowing, flowing!!  The children came in with joyous smiles, dressed fully prepared and ready for the day.  We had a little circle time inside the bus preparing ourselves for the day and then we were off.   The rains slowed down quite a bit so that by the time we got there we were met more a bit of winds yet little rain. We got out of the bus and Ariel had to really pee and then, Velia did and then Rhett did so we tended to that, they got some snack and then into this beautiful sanctuary we went.
At first most ran around and quickly were finished and wanted to go inside to play with the toys. Well, this is an Outdoor Preschool so there was great encouragement to really get to know more of what we just initially took in and that is what happened. Little by little they slowed down and began to engage more with the animals all around us.  The Volunteers there were Spectacular!  and brought the children into the world of the Pelicans, Cormorants, Gulls and the like.  Through out the day the children were able to see and touch a Tortoise, see up close the Perigrin falcon, Screeching Owl and many bones of talons and bills of different birds.   We got to see the female Opossum come out of her cozy hidey place and the female Owl, that is always sleeping they said, come out and fly all around.   The Acorn woodpeckers brought out our ears into really listening and our eyes really looking to find them as they hid in their cages. As we listened and looked they finally showed themselves and we were delighted.  We got to see the gulls up close and even see the Red eye ring around one of their eyes.  The Turkey Vulture was active and coming up close when we were spending time with the tortoise too.
We were invited in when the rains began to fall again in order to see the Screech owl.  After that joy we saw more of the snakes in there and then they went for the playing with the stuffed animals and being Animal Drs.  They fixed many, many of the animals there and then they began to draw pictures for their families, you!  Noon finally came around so we went outside and ate lunch. After that they were full of energy and fun!!!!!!  We said good bye to this beautiful place, noticed how much the water had receeded under the bridge that we walked over to get there. And, the puddles we played in earlier were GONE!  We took a journey to the grassy area near by and spied a small play yard that they wanted to go to . When we got there we saw that it was a toddlers play yard that was filled with water.  And there their complete joy came in. They became fish and california Newts and otters. They went up and down this small slide that got more and more slippy and they fell in the water with GLEEEEE !! Oh their faces were so funny and so delightful as they played in this “Water land” of fun.   Truly they were deeply in joy.
We did need to get back because a grand changing party needed to take place.  We lined them all outside the bus because the weather was actually not very cold. We stripped them down, dressed them up, got them in the bus and back to Deer park we went.
What a glorious, glorious day!!!!!