Tag Archive for: Marin Monday 2012

Monday Marin Tender Tracks June 3, 2012

Waxing Moon
Last Day
The car wash and Soriech Ranch

Our very last day and it was showering water from above and continued on and off throughout the day.  This was NOT going to deter our plan of washing half the bus and painting it!!!  So, off we went to the very near by car wash. And then, who should come join us for our last day with his gifts of age and kindness? Miles, Aero’s brother. This really was a treat and I always enjoy when the older siblings come to join. The younger ones always enjoy it so.  Miles is truly a very kind hearted being and his presence was a wonderful addition.

Well, I sprayed and soaped the bus while they followed behind me scrubbing and scrubbing and then after I rinsed it they dried it and dried it.  We then looked at our work and it was WONDERFUL!  So clean and ready to be painted. Then, off we went to not so far away and parked.  Miles and Aero ran to get water in the big bucket and Purnat and Bodhi ran up to the top of the big rock.
When the water bucket came I gave them instructions on how to paint the bus and they did GREAT with all of that, not mixing the paints quite yet and being a particular kind of mindful with how to put the paint on the bus.  Their hand prints went all over and then it was time where we could combine colors in a few different ways.  We checked the bus to see where the empty spots were to paint, found them and then, it was time to clean everything up.  They ran down to the water spicket with all the things that needed cleaning and had at it with gusto!

Eating happened after that on top of the rock and then, off on the long trail to make it to the swings we went.   We found some wonderful trees along the way to climb and Plantain and some other edibles to explore.   Miles climbed one of the trees then came down as we continued on our way.   Purnat and Bodhi wanted to chase Miles and he was instigating this and loving it. However, Aero was quite concerned for his brother and did not like this sort of game.  Miles let him know that he liked it and that he was ok but Aero still did not like them trying to catch his brother.   We continued on the path and Bodhi was gathering all the soap root he could along the way just like we did when we first came there so long ago.   When we got to the swings they all settled in at different spots.   Aero found A  LOT!!! of rollie pollies all over the big rock there.  I have never seen that many in one spot ever. We found the Homeland of Rollie Pollies on this day.

There were many different games with the swings, there are two, and a rope that was near the bottom one.   There was climbing the rock, digging in the dirt and me telling a story about How the Tides Came to Be.  I think they have heard it before but they were wrapped up in it again anyway.  I brought it up because someone was talking about a stew pot, which made me think of this story.
By the time we had to leave they all wanted to take one last turn on the swing and Miles couldn’t believe that the day was already over.  Bodhi really did not want to leave and Aero asked if we could do this again sometime.  Purnat seemed very happy and easeful until we got back and wondered where his mother was right when we got back.

A wonder filled year and a joyful ending.  Happy Trails to you all and many, many thanks!

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Monday Marin Tender Tracks May 21, 2012

New Moon
Lake Lagunitas

There was a greater stillness that came in the beginning of the day. Purnat said he was tired because he woke in the middle of the night to see the Moon and the Sun in an Eclipse.  Bodhi came more sensitive and Aero was in his own world, easeful yet seperate.
Aero even said, by days end, that he was finished with wanting to have the Stuffed Owl.  I do not recall him saying he wanted anything else other than that he was finished with the Owl and for reasons I am really not sure. He was quite easy going about it.
Purnat however was still very much into the large fuzzy Orangatang and Bodhi still into his Racoon.
Right after I sang them the sweet spring time songs and “Where is Thumbkin? where is Thumbkin? …… and we all waved our wonderful “Families(hands)” in came Amanda to let us know that Lenny’s Mom, from Wednesday class, just had her baby two hours ago!!!!  We were all happy about this.  Then, off we went.

When we got there they were content to go on the journey I had in store for them, making it to the bridge where the water was.  They wanted to go because there was a possibility that we would find gold!  So, off we went but, we needed to gather lot’s of charcoal.  I don’t really know why but Purnat and Bodhi, in particular, wanted this and we gathered big clumps when we went by the old Controlled Burn sight.  They all gathered, and gathered.   As we walked there were two very nice older women walking behind us.  Bodhi and Purnat at this time were having a great time kicking up dust.  It was too much for these women so I shared with them that they could run up ahead and make the Dust babies there. Bodhi was discontent with this and his sensitivities that were very alive on this day jumped forward.  He shared his sorrows and did not want to do anything other then what he wanted yet, in gentle time this subsided, we went off the main trail, the Older women were free from any dust and the children were free to make dust and equilibrium was found again.

At this place Bodhi remembered and found where he and Simone, from Wednesdays group, began making a road and he picked up where he left off. He and Purnat were VERY happy to be making a road.  Aero however was not as drawn to that so he and I explored a spot a bit in the marshes a bit back further.  We then went fishing under rocks and things in the water to see what we might discover.

The day was gentle and meandered into stories about how Yellow Jacket Sisters got their black stripes and how Fire was brought to the people.  This story was instigated by the many flying and buzzing bugs around us that LOOKED like bees and wasps but in fact were only Look a Likes.  While the children were eating Bodhi finished early and wanted to build where we were.  Oh dear this would never do and Bodhi again, in his sensitive state of the day was so very displeased with that and NOTHING else would do. And, this place was just not right.  Tears and sadness and madness but then,  “Have you ever heard the story about the South going Zach and the North going Zach?” I asked.  A hush came upon his voice and there Dr. Zeuss’ brilliance, my lack of remembering his entire tale and the storytelling Muses joined with me to create a story of conflict, disappointment and then, resolution.  And then….off to play with ease and smiles, for all.

I asked if anyone had discovered the great house in the Redwoods and Aero went to check it out but, not before we had spent a nice amount of time observing the marvelous Robin Redbreasts that were feeding all around us and a very, very short version of how Robin Redbreast actually got that Red Breast!  Then, they all went to explore this great Redwood climbing gym until we had to go.

When we finally packed up Bodhi REALLY wanted to take three very large sticks home but alas, we would have to ulitmately leave it there.  This would never do for him so he tried and he tried and he tried and he tried and he cried and he cried and he cried as he worked at carrying those heavy sticks back and would take no help until, one by one and several tears later, he came to bit by bit resolutions of dropping first one big stick, then another big stick and then, the last one.  His tears completely dried when he found resolution and we were all there waiting for him.  The three of them took each other’s hands and walked the rest of the way back in one strong and happy line of beautiful little boys.

Who ever said being young is care free and gay?!( can you tell how old this saying is?)  They really “work it” sometimes. Truly!

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Monday Tender Tracks May 14, 2012

Waning Moon
Roy’s Redwood

What another glorious day.  We or I sang our new songs.  They watch with joy and Aero does the hand movements and a quiet yet somewhat audible voice.  Even Bodhi listens now with a smile of happiness where once he would have hands over his ears.  He is very particular about the sounds that he wants to come into his system.     Purnat has claimed Bodhi to be his very, very good friend now and it is so wonderful to think what it was like when we started.  Purnat kept to just me  yet now he is running about with his Tender Tracks friends and so happy that that is what they are, his friends!

When we got to Roy’s we decided to take a different path then the one we have been taking the past several times. It was the old and direct path to the beautiful big Redwood Tree Grove.  What a delight this path turned out to be because we found so many treasures along the way.  First I found some gizzards lying on the ground.  Purnat thought this was GREAT and after checking it out for quite sometime and all of us trying to figure out what animal these insides came from through many questions and quieries, Purnat picked it up with some wood and took care of it all day so that he could bring it home to Mom!!!  Kind of like a domesticated cat dragging in the dead mouse for it’s Guardian to see!    We then came across beautiful Lady bugs, crickets and other unknown types of bugs (FYI: there are over 1 million types of bugs that are known! and who knows how many undiscovered) on the grasses we were walking by. But then we kept seeing all of these tall grasses laid down on the ground like a Deer lay but that wouldn’t have made sense.  These flattened out spots were right next to the trail and, though the Moon is getting smaller there is still good enough light at night to not make this a very safe place to lay really ANY time of day for a deer.  We scouted about more and Aero discovered some cabbage in one of the spots we found.  People?  Yesterday was Mother’s day. Would people have set up a picnic spot right off the trail with blankets on the grass eating their lunches?   We didn’t find any animal scat/poop or animal hairs so that was the story we came up with for the moment until more clues were shown.  Then, off we went down the trail.  We found several other spots like this off the trail and our curiosity peaked.

Then, into familiar territory and climbing up the Great Big Redwood tree Aero went.  Bodhi and Purnat went around and we decided to set up camp here for a time and explore.   I found some of the burnt Redwood that I wanted to gather for pencils . However, Purnat wanted to paint our faces and for him to be a Tiger.  I ground some and then Aero ground some. I painted Purnats face and then he painted mine.  Aero just liked pounding.

In this grove there was an existing shelter.  All the boys really wanted to dismantle it so, together they took each log down, piled them up and then brought them out of the area.  As in their typical boy mode they were INVOLVED and vigorous with joy with the task they gave themselves.  In between I told a few stories and then, as they were cleaning up this area, I pulled some big rocks in for a fire circle and then went out to find a natural broom.  It didn’t take long before they began to follow me.

Aero found another shelter and began taking it down. Bodhi and Purnat came and joined in.  Then there was a very big log that Bodhi was moving up and down and it turned out that it was a bit rotten.  As he was bumping it up against another log he created, in that moment, a great tool that began to sharpen and cut this big log.  He really liked how this happened and kept working with his new tool.

I made a bow and arrow and he and Purnat attempted it’s use.  They all kept building, exploring and then we found a HUGE Polypore shelf fungus that could be written on in a tree nook. They then got into me making spears for them to go hunting for rabbits with. This followed the theme from last week.   We then wound up back in our Redwood grove to finish their lunches.  Aero brought in, on his spear, a pretend rabbit and put it in the pretend fire.  Bodhi put more duff on the fire to keep it burning and they finished their lunch.

We explored the little holes in there to see if any small critter sign could be seen.  I saw something earlier scurry in so we got curious.   They didn’t want to leave but alas we had to pack up and we did and then we found our way back.

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