Marin Tender Tracks Tues. Oct. 21, 2014 Day 13

Waning Crescent Moon
Samuel P. Taylor Park

What another exuberant full and active day.  We went to Samuel P. Taylor because we can build fires here and it turns out we can build them with real wood!!. However, when we got there they said that it would be $50 for the few hours we would stay.  I thought that the young toll booth fellow wasn’t quite right about this but alas, he was convinced he was so, we needed to figure out plan B.  As we were coming up with an alternative plan, the young fellow sweetly came over and said that actually we COULD stay there for the regular fee.  At the end of the day he said we can always do that so, YEAH!!! Therefore  we parked at a fine spot, brought out all the things we needed to build our fire in order to cook our Oak Galls and began our days adventure at this beautiful place.
The children ran out to explore all that they could there. Some of them know of it’s wonders and some it was all new.   After a time we began our circle with finding where the Sun’s face was shining so brightly so that we could sing our morning song to it and all our other songs.  We then had circle and a story about colors so that we can see how we can make colorful capes and prepare for our wonderous Halloween party next week.
After circle we began to get all our materials together, some of which they gathered themselves earlier this year, to make our fire.  First, we made our little nest for the young Fire children to be able to eat. Then, after placing that in the fire pit, we put lot’s of little twigs around it for when it becomes a toddler and can eat bigger food.  After that came bigger sticks and bigger sticks. They then learned a song to sing to the Fire to help it wake up.  And then, with ONE MATCH, we lit it and YEAH!!!! it took.  Our materials were dry and well put together.  From there the children fed it and fed it and fed it.  They filled the bucket up with water from the spicket near by and they brought it for Linsey and I to put atop the fire pit.   Then, they hammered, and hammered the Oak galls to tiny pieces to put in the water that was getting hotter and hotter and hotter.
Enzo, Jai, Velia, Ariel and Hana were the ones that really wanted to hammer. They learned all the safety rules and where to put the hammers when they were finished.  They were WONDERFUL with doing all of this.  While they were doing that, Julian and Theron spent about 75% of the day playing happily and contentedly in a Redwood stump/tree house near by.  They did  not really want to share each other with other children so at days end when an upset took place between them and Enzo I called a “Tender Tracks Council.”  I shared that there was some trouble in our village and we needed everyones help with ideas of how to help our friends with their strugggle.  We borrowed a stick from Enzo that he was willing to share and made this into our “talking stick” and all who wished shared their tender and beautiful ideas.  ( When you are holding the talking stick this means that no one else can speak until that person is finished with their share)  In the end, Enzo decided to give Theron his stick, Theron decided that he would draw a picture for him of he and his Mother and Julian gave a little Redwood leaf to Enzo.  They all parted ways yet Velia had yet another idea that she wanted to share, only with the stick that was just given away!
Back to earlier in the day: Linsey and I took turns staying by the fire and the children would come in and out helping with each one of us.  We also took turns playing with the children and running about.  There was a creek trail right near us and off we went down there. All of us except Julian and Theron. They did however find us later and enjoyed our gathering of stones for writing tools, finding mushrooms, digging into fine dirt and then making mud to either put in the creek or all over their hands.   Earlier Jai and Enzo were not as welcomed by Theron and Julian so, with a little assistance it turned out that Julian and Theron were actually Stellars Jays that were trying to steal Jai’s pretzels, just like their other family Stellars Jay relatives and Enzo and Jai were really Racoons.  We found another grand home for them that was far more spacious then the small space they were all trying to squeeze into for lunch earlier.  Enzo and Jai had fun eating there together.  Earlier Enzo and Jai were building a great Cafe where they were cooking on a log that they could pull apart and make cooking things for their Cafe.
Thea, Nico, Ariel, Hana and Velia were running  around the fire, the benches, playing chase, fidning the treasures down by the creek and in general being filled with fun and games.
There were still some yellow jackets about and Thea and Nico were non plussed by the fact that they really liked their food. Ariel was quite easy going about it as well and allowed the yellow jackets to share their food.  Velia thought if she just put a big piece of meat somewhere else they would just go there.  Hana enjoyed dancing all over the picnic tables like a princess.
I had made a Buckeye doll before we got in the bus in the morning and Hana really wanted one.  I sent her on a grand task to see if she could find a Buckeye tree with any Buckeye babies.  She looked at so many trees where we were but alas, no Buckeye trees there! ( This was my way of bringing her, or any child into expanding their vision to where they are and really noticing through a fun and playful task, into noticing all the different kinds of trees that were all around the area.   She got to know and explore different kinds of leaves that were around us and the different types of parks and seedlings that were on the tree or the ground.
The girls were with Linsey earlier and they needed something from her, that I cannot remember right now.  She wound up drawing great pictures in the dirt for them to follow suite.
When we got in the bus they were filled with loudness that I could see was coming from fatigue and a need to rest. Therons’eyes were half shut.  I stopped, got some books out, and Linsey proceeded to read to them until we got back. They were silent and peaceful the rest of the way.