Palo Alto Tender Tracks Wed. Feb. 5, 2014 Day 20

Waxing Moon
Rancho San Antonio

We have never been here before this day  and we had such a wonder filled day.  They were all alive and raring to go, well, Eric started slow and actually seemed a bit tired all day.  No worries for that because  we actually did not go far AT ALL!  When we got there we went out to the meadow right within sight of the parking lot.   We went behind some trees and near a big, big compostie type leaf pile, fresh leaves.  We checked it out but, they were ready for snack and such so, that is what we did, found a place to sit and commence….
More rain songs added to our current ones. We continued to sing to the Sky world and ask for Rain to come upon us.  But the question was, does the sky look like rain will come?  What are the clouds doing? Are they changing?
The snack was cheddar bunnie crackers and pretzels and hence we had a story about a Rabbit. You see, Rabbit used to have a very long tail and his front legs were long as sticks and so was his back legs……And ever since that day, that is why the Willow tree has little white puffs of rabbit tail on it in the spring, his front feet are short and he has a split lip. The story from beginning to end 🙂
We played in the big pile of leaves with utter delight. Some remembered that  last week I got buried because I wanted to be in  a house like the Squirrels make and live in that are all up in the tree tops. So they covered and covered and covered me. Last week Aurora wanted to unbury me and this week she wanted to bury me.  But then, after all that burying, I POPPED out!   What a laugh we had.
After eating Bosch began to explore with some after I said” Is there the rabbits tail puffs on that Coyote bush over there?” And off they went.  Eric, Anissa and I caught up with them. We went trekking through the Coyote brush. This was a bit of a challenge for Eric and Anissa, they were a bit scared of the bushes we needed to climb over but WE DID IT! and then we came into Natalie being fully excited and sharing with us about all the Wood Rats nests there! There were at least 4 and big!  We were in a beautiful Bay tree grove.   I have fond memories of Emme’s sister playing right in this place so many years ago being the captain of a Pirate ship and leading all on her boat!
We all wound up moving out of this area and then going to the Coyote Bushes behind this all.  Bosch,Jasper Emme, Natalie and Aurora wound up crawling through the bushes and the rest of us stayed on the outside.  They were actually quite scared to go in.  So, on the outside we made little play fire pits and Nareya made a birthday candle for me. She loves to make birthday candles for people and sing to them along with her favorite song “Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens…” She knows all the words.
When we were all out we were just basking in the sun and checking out the area.  I then introduced them to several games: Coyote and Rabbit and Coyote sneaking up on Rabbit.   Coyote and Rabbit is where there are several rabbits just eating grass, Coyote(s) come by and try to eat them.  If the Rabbit moves then they become a Coyote.  Emme really loved this game because of all the chasing and wanted to play and play.  The rest played for a while and then tuckered out.   Then there was Rabbit who sits with his back turned to the Coyotes. The Coyotes have to sneak up without being heard. If the rabbit hears them rabbit points a finger to the sound and if they point at the person/sound right then they have to go back to the beginning. Anissa really liked this game and none of them could keep from looking at the person. That is the way these intro games go with 3  & 4 year olds!  It was all very fun but alas, we had to get our belongs and make our way home!  So, packing up we did and back to the bus, not far away, we went.   When in the bus they loved reading and looking at their Golden Guide Field books or trying to wake Bosch up from his sleeping and dreaming.