Tender Tracks Thurs. Day 4

September 20, 2018
Waxing Gibbous Moon
Sorich Ranch Park

Today we needed to go to a different place due to the concern by the Water District of potential fires. We had wanted to go to Sorich just not this soon in the year.
Our focus has been to create stability in one place for the two new students at the beginning of the year. Ah well, off we went and, all turned out just fine!

Josie, however, did take quite a while to acclimate, adjust and then move out and into the group. When she did, however, she was FULLY on board, in the mix, smiling a great deal and very involved.

When our day was beginning on the bus we asked the children from last year to introduce Josie and Theo to the big rock and the area. Holden and Eamon chimed in with GLEE to do so for and with them! When we got there, we all came out and began to explore. Our typical circle spot and place to put backpacks was too filled with Dog Poop so we moved down below to the shade. Over the last year, I have noticed a lot more dog poop and people picking it up far less frequently:(
As we walked down to a different circle spot we came upon the bushes where the children LOVED to hide and play in last year but now it was CUT WAY BACK!! No more hidding spot for a while until it all grows back again. They were very easy going about it and then we moved on to set up our circle, see if the Fig trees had figs, bounce on the bouncy tree and climb up the big rock.

I saw Theo just sitting up there alone. I asked how he was doing and he said he really liked the view up there and, that he had been to this place before. Ruby found a great deal of figs for us as she could reach and climber higher than myself, as I tried earlier without success. Oh, how, most of us, loved eating these delectable treats, and in particular, Eamon! We guided them to the other tree to check out if there were any viable figs there but I do not believe there were. We, of course, will need to come back again to harvest more!

Today I recapped the story of Tues, A House with No Doors, No Windows and a Star inside and then went on to elaborate on the tale and the children in the story. In the story the children wound up taking the baby seeds/pips from their “House/apple”and planted them.
And so, later on, that is exactly what WE did! Josie and Uma did not want to partake so they did not come home with little containers of soil and apple seeds from our snacks. No problem…. yet the other children had a great deal of fun with their little pots, soil, seeds and spray bottle.

After our circle and play we packed up and made the sweet and gentle walk to the farm very nearby. There we met the farmer and his dog. Luna was very sweet and with great clarity when she said to the farmer ” I don’t care for dogs” as she tucked herself away from this large and rambunctious canine.

At the farm, the children scampered with delight over to the chickens. How they LOVED feeding them tomatoes that they were given permission to pick and the Mallow that I showed them. Eamon must have eaten 40 of those little cherry tomatoes and Ellie loved learning which Mallow is the best to eat, and she then ATE them up! Uma, Luna and Josie had a grand time with the chickens and running up and down the garden rows while Eamon, Theo and Holden gathered tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes.

When we left we gave sweet gratitude to the farmer and then made our way back to the bus. We had a bit of extra time so, we got out some of the Redwood Cones that we had gathered, put clear water in a bucket, then the Redwood Cones we put in and watched the water change color!! We will dye material with these soon enough.

Then, back in the bus to draw pictures of the day, sing our goodbye song and share gratitudes.