Palo Alto Tender Tracks Day 30, 2012

Wanning Crescent Moon
Rancho San Antonio

Before I talk about this day I wish to share a small bit of something I left out from last weeks journal.  At the beginning of our time at Foothill Park we were blessed with the most magnificent aerial show of a small bird and a Redtailed Hawk.  Two actually but one mainly.   At first the small bird was doing what happens so often to Redtails, dive bombing. There was this grand chasing, swooping and soaring above us.  Then the Redtail landed high on a perch and we watched it scouting out all about the land.  Another one came in and the two of them soared and then, at some point one gave a great a glorious dive down, down and out of sight only to reappear a bit later for further viewing.  This took place throughout the afternoon and what a treat it was but mostly for a good hour we watched in awe and delight.

Now for the current day:  Another wild and wonderful day. Giulio was absent and the Sun was still shining warmly yet the cold of winter is truly upon us.  Jackie Frost was ALL OVER and some of us first thing in the a.m. went on a grand adventure to find the ice ponds.  Jasper was the instigator of this as he rode his bike to school today and discovered these treasures.  All over the lawn and around it there were marvelous ice stories to be felt, touched and, when Lucy arrived, eaten! Such wonderful explorations and discoveries.  Circle time began with Jasper really wanting to share the gloves he was wearing that he liked so much.  This turned into a very lengthy time of everyone sharing their gloves and the stories that came with them, including my rather jovial aspect of the many uses of these warm creations.    Then into the direction song which still is holding their interest.  I think the coconut that is in the bags really keeps Lucy and a few others quite involved as they LOVE to eat this “gift” that we give to the “Houses.”  None the less, they really get involved in which house they want.  Jasper is the most interested in one, “the heart that holds it all together.” When he doesn’t get this one he is quite forlorn.  There are two other directions have been added with two rattles to make something available for 9 children instead of 7, The Moon and the Sun.  After this we have started singing, Head, shoulders, knees and toes…. with vigor and after this it has been taking a bit of time for settling.  Learning to transition from active to more stillness is truly an art.
Settling in did indeed find itself and then, picking new jobs took place with three others added to make a full 9: Keeper of the Moon Calendar(that is now in the bus. Not finished but at least up), Guardian of the Earth( keeps our ground clean), and Guardian of all plants, and animals and all living things.   They make sure that all of us “share, not scare” the beings of the Earth and Sky.
The children pick out of the leather pouch a stone or shell that tells them what their job is.  A big lenghtly  process too but they are quite focused and interested in it and love feeling what they got in their hands while others are taking their turn.

Bodie really enjoyed his job, the Moon.  He and I went walked to the bus after circle and he shared how much he was happy with this job.  Gracey really wanted the Guardian of the Beings of the Earth even though she is the one to pick up the towels after being used. I said she could still be this any time she wanted.  All the others were fine with what they received though there was talk of the day coming when they might receive a job that they don’t particularly enjoy.

All of circle time took a very long time so the original plan to go to Hidden Villa needed to be changed. Alexi was not pleased with this.  He was telling us about a recent adventure there where he had picked up 6? chickens.  He was so proud and, really liked this and wanted to go back. But alas, we were just in the bus getting ready to leave at 11!  I chose to take us to Rancho San Antonio and to a place that was very close by and in the Sun.   There we went and there we stayed. Bodie was very happy about this as he shared with me as we walked hand in hand that he doesn’t like the long walks. Or maybe I should say he said, his legs don’t like this and that he likes to stay in one place and just “play and play and play.”  His wish was granted and soon we were in a place to stay and play!

They all scattered to different spots: Jasper and Kashi went under the Pine tree, Lucy, Alexi, Anjalie and a little later Gracey, went into the Coyote Brush-their house, Paul went into a different spot under the Coyote Brush and Bodie stayed with me and Audrey while we all took out our lunches and ate.     It was long after that that Jasper ran over with some amazing pipes he found and we all went on an adventure to see where he found them.  I never found where he found them but we did make our way right back to the special house of Aleki, Lucy, Anjalie, and Gracey.  While we were walking I noticed that Paul had my small water bottle.  I asked him about it and he said he really liked it because it was small ( it also has a handy handle on it).  He said he really wanted to keep carrying it.  Later in the day he couldn’t remember where he left it so he and I went on a hunt.  I was delighted to have found it!

Anjalie, Lucy and Gracey ran off way down the meadow and looked like they had found something wonderful.. Audrey went over to discover their discoveries.  Aleki, Bodie and Paul went over later on and then they were all there looking down as if they were all looking down a hole for a long time.  At the end of the day I learned that they were in a “Zoo.”  They were digging for ants and making Ant houses.  I asked if they saw any Gopher holes and Anjalie said she did but they were far too focused on their Ant game and creations.    Jasper and Kashi were completely engrossed in their tubs that they found and pretending that they were guns.  I thought for sure that they were perescopes from a lost submarine and wound up sending them a special message through one of the pieces.    Audrey found a wood rats nest and we wondered if really the Wood Rats were speaking to us all year because ever since the first day when we found the dead Wood Rat we keep finding their scat and their houses.  Not that these arent’ easy to find its just that our attention is so directly brought to them regularly.

Kashi had brought me some Pine needles as well as Bodie and I thought they looked great to make into a broom so, I began to make brooms.  One by one and as the day went by, they all came around wanting to have their own broom.  Gracey discovered a way that I wasn’t thinking about to make them: she gathered just the needles and brought a stick.  I then made her one that just might stay together for a bit of time.     I only had time to make some though as our time was coming to an end.   They all went out gathering and then they had to save what they found so that I can continue to make them at another time.

As we were getting ready to leave, Audrey, who is so great at noticing the bird life always around us, spied a Redtailed hawk perced right on a tree. Actually, she and I were earlier observing two of them beautifully soaring above us.  But here, there was this one perched quite near to us.   We all went over to look at it. It did not move, no matter how much sound there was!!!  We got to see so many angles of it and the children got to watch, ask questions, observe and see so much quite close to us.  A treat of treat of treats!!!  Anajalie got a bit chilly and remembered that she didn’t have her coat.  She then remembered that she left it way down in the meadow and ran off to get it.  When she came back we all walked to the bus and off we went.