Palo Alto Tender Tracks Day 36, Feb. 9, 2012

Waning Gibbeous Moon
Hidden Villa

Audrey was sick today so it was Laurie, me and all the children.  Today we celebrated Kashi and Alexi’s half birthday.  What FUN was that as each one of them brought such fine treasures to eat and drink for snack: cookies in the shape of A and K and really good organic Strauss Milk.  The children loved it all!!! The story was the traditional Birthday story though with a twin type of feeling to it.   There was much fun and play and then, they got to choose where we go.  Kashi did not want to choose and Alexi REALLY wanted to go back to the chickens. Kashi didn’t want to go to the chickens but he was happy to go to the Big Rock at Hidden Villa so, a compromise was found and everyone was content.

Gracey passed out the stuffed animals today and it has been fun to watch each child, so far Lucy, Jasper and Gracey, bring themselves forward in this way.  As we drove Kashi was into his full singing voice of Christmas songs and our Valentines song Love is something if you give it away, give it away, give it away……  However, it was getting really loud and most of the children were not up for this. Therefore, I asked the question, “Who wants to sing or hear Kashi sing these songs?”  Two other children were very up for it but the rest were not so it was agreed that Kashi, Giulio and Gracey? or Lucy? could sing as they wished when we got out of the bus. Then the question was what was wanted in the bus and whole heartedly it was quiet.  They all decided they wanted to play the “Tick” Game, accept for Aleki. This means they would see who could be the quietest. Wow, they are really good at this and they get so excited about being so very, very quiet!!!  It was a very peaceful rest of the drive.

When we got there they instantly went to the climbing stuff there but then I suggested that if we really wanted to go to the chickens and the Big Rock we had better continue on.  We went to the bathrooms and then past the garden with all the smells. We touched and smelled all the lovely plants. Then we past the great garden, looked for the cows and sheep, found the cow with great big utters and milk sack, asked a lot of questions about that, crossed over the bridge, looked at the water, Bodie said what he always says here “Where are the Blackberries?”,and said what I always say “What time of year is it now?” and continue on along those lines, then we  looked at a beautiful Hawthorn tree with rich fruit that shows that it is part of the Rose family and into the chicken area. Phew!!! we made it and off they went.  Lucy and Anjalie spent the rest of our time there catching chickens.  Last time Alexi was the Chicken boy but this time Lucy took the crown!  She must have caught and picked up the chickens at least 10 times.  And Anjalie who was once afraid kept going for it and caught some too.  Bodie did not want to be there because he doesn’t like the chickens going for his food.  I said I would make a barrier and so I and a bunch of other kids all came in and made a barrier for him and themselves. I then taught them all how to gently shooow away the chickens.   Aleki stated that he was scared of the pigs. All the while he talked about his fear though he was laughing with delight.

If we were going to go to the Big Rock we needed to leave this fine area because Kashi’s choice for the day was to do so. Packing up we did and off we went.  They then checked out the pond that had once frozen, the goats and then running to the Big Rock.
There they all went up and down and up and down.  At the very top Anjalie and Lucy brought their lunch up because they never did eat at the chickens.   They all were replaying games from last time we were there and just having FUN!!!

If I look at the whole day and describe it like a water color painting I would say: splashes of colors going from bright to kind and beautiful pastels sweetly merging with other colors then separating and milling about.  Then I see spikes of rich green pine leaves popping out of the Earth as if searching for friends and play and excitement over seeing others like themselves.

Singing on the way back was brought up again and more decisions and choices made.
Sweet, like the heart shapes that we found all around us and throughout the day that we ate with joy: miners lettuce, hawthorn berries, sour grass, Shephards purse and Filarie.