Monday Marin Tender Tracks, May 7, 2012

Waning Moon- two days after Full Moon
Nicasio land

Everyone arrived in lovely spirits.  We sang a new song about little beings coming out from under the earth:
Five little ones lived beneath the ground, One climbed out and went to town
Listen to his story he was feeling rather shy, snap, snap clap, he turned into a butterfly.

Four little ones…she needed to be free…she turned into a Bumble bee.

Three little ones….he sang a little chant…he turned into an Ant.

Two little ones…she needed a hug…she turned into a Lady Bug.

One little one…he sat beneath a log…he turned into a Frog. Ribbet, ribbet, ribbet, SPLASH!!!!!
A very lovely little song.

I invited them to use their ears and close their eyes to hear a sound I was going to make and to point to where it came from and guess what it was.  Aero didn’t want to close his eyes and the second time around Purnat and Bodhi looked before I was finished but we had fun and there was much that they gained.  I invited them into this because we were planning on going to the water’s edge and learn to listen to the Rock People.

When we got there they knew just which way to go to get to the waters.   We went past the fences and they immediately discovered a big old dried mud section with lot’s of Cow tracks.  They delighted in looking at these tracks and climbing all over these dried mud bumps.   But oh, I forgot, before we got out of the bus, they discovered some rope.  I gave them each some rope for their own and they played with these for quite a while happy to each have their own special piece.    As we went up the trail and got on the crest to where we were to begin hiking down to the water, what did we see?  There was so much water that there was no land to sit upon where we used to!!!!! The waters went right up to the Cattails and there was no land and no rocks to be with.  What will we do now?   We walked a little more until we got to a cross road.  One path went down into the woods and the other up to Sun.
Purnat wanted to go to Sun and Bodhi wanted to do whatever Purnat was doing today.  However, Aero wanted to go to the Forest so, I suggested that we go to the Forest first and then up to the Sun second.  As we began our descent what did we see but the side of the hill made of Sandstone/the rocks that break like sand when you hit them.  I brought their awareness to these rocks and we began to experiment and explore them.  They pounded, pulled, created puzzle pieces and then it seemed best not to pull apart the whole side of the hill.  We looked at what would happen if we did by looking at all the plant life above the wall and the roots growing out.  They finished their fun there and down the path we went.

After a time they came upon some area that brought their interest.  Bodhi and Purnat started to dig in a dirt mound they found and Purnat found TWO TUNNELS!!  Gophers? he thought!  They dug and dug and the digging turned into building roads and construction.   It takes very little for these boys to get creative with WHATEVER they come across.
They played and built and pulled and tugged at things for awhile and I gathered Nettles and Clevers.  Their curiosity to what I was doing came about and this was an entry way to bring in awareness through story and game of getting Rabbits for dinner!   I, through story, showed them how to practice target throwing in order to get the rabbits, and use every part of them for food, toys, knives, and clothes.  We made a pretend fire and we made pretend knives and hand drill fire makers.   Aero got a lot of rabbits and Purnat got a lot of fire wood for the fire and Bodhi helped build a lot of the fire!!!   They then moved the fire to a safer location and, on and on this went.

I told several stories during all of this.  They gathered plants to put in with the pretend Rabbit meat for Rabbit hamburgers and we learned much about giving thanks and giving back.  It was finally time to get ready to go but right before Aero wanted to throw a stick. He asked Purnat if it was ok and Purnat said yes but, Aero did not realize the true dimensions of the stick and where it would go and BONK! right on Purnats head.  Tears were had, snuggling was given, tears flowed until they were done, Aero felt poorly and, on his own said he was sorry.  Purnat said he had a very hard head and that he was ok and off we went.  But first, where are we going? How do we get back to the bus?  I brought out my little notebook and Purnat drew a map.  Bodhi wanted to draw but he wanted to draw a map of his treasures, so he did.  Then, Purnat kept the map with him and guided us home.  All along the way they got re interested in the tracks and mud they saw on the way out and then, we made it back.
What a beautiful day and, being in the woods we were cool the entire day, until we LEFT the woods!