Tender Tracks Thurs. Day 42

Feb. 28, 2019
Lake Lagunitas
Waning Half Moon

Josie and Luna were back.

The day began with the children going down to the creek and discovering WONDERS there.
I was up at the bus initially with Luna waiting for Ellie to come. She came and then the three of us ever so quietly went to sneak up on the other children to surprise them. We found a great tree fort that Luna wanted to stay in.  Ellie was happy to see Josie yet Josie was immersed with the boys as they all found a stick hanging from a tree that they could swing on and, I was told, they had found GREAT tracks of the many animals that visit that place.  They had wonderful questions that they were asking about the Who, What, Where, When, Why and How of tracking animals, plants and sky.

Ellie tried to swing on the branch and got her boot stuck.  “How did that happen?  we laughed,” and then I unstuck the boot!  Luna loved playing in her house and calling us over. The boys went running down the side of the creek exploring, Josie went back to swinging on the swing and then we all ran to the bus.  There they found their special tracking cards to match up on their seat and we tried to figure out some of them. We will continue with this as there is much to gain from these fun little tracking cards.   I then brought out Tender Tracks Talking Stick which has a deer hoof for the shaking part and matched it up with the deer track card. From there they all got a turn sharing, if they chose, what they wanted for the day, then three shakes and passing it on to the next person.

Luna came in this day and wanted to help pass out the stuffed animals so, that is what she did. All the children wanted a turn and now, that is what will happen. This is a common experience at this time of the year and this stage of their development. They ask to help pass these treasured friends out.

At the lake they ran out to explore their beloved place. There some incredible finds of little critters: Eamon found a great old scat FILLED with hair and bones and then a shinny small beetle all red on the underside, legs too. Josie and Ellie found a bug that they got scared of and didn’t know what it was. We came over and discovered that it was a HUGE potato bug!  Theo LOVED making a home for it. They found a small Ca. Newt crawling about, an Ant world that we followed, a fairy home, and, so many sticks and lichen.

The boys at one point were getting a bit too rambunctious and unconscious while playing so, they were put to a challenge and a task of pilling up a great deal of wood to meet a certain mark on a tree.  Josie and Ellie were asked to line up all the back packs by color and, they did and Luna loved helping create circle with Ruby. Then all the girls made a beautiful center piece for our circle.

To get to circle they all came together so that we could become our Rainbow Serpent spiraling our way and singing to circle. Then standing, learning a new song that was introduced on Tuesday via a story, our other songs, sitting down and partaking of food, story and discovering what their new jobs were.  Both Josie and Theo were not happy about being snack helpers yet, they were actually fabulous with gathering all the dishes AND folding all the mats.  Then, off they went.

Not long after we made ready to go on an adventure. Since Ellie was Weather Watcher, she got to decide what direction we would go from the top of the new stairs next to the spill way.  She was quite happy about this.  But first, as our story shared with us, we began to lay a trail of millet so that we could find our way back from wherever we were going.  Ellie began and the rest, boy girl, boy girl, took their turn.  They all loved this.

We wound up going back to the spot Eamon took us last week and, they loved it there, yet again!!  This is the place with the large laying down tree where they can climb up high and see the world from the top and play down low near the waters edge.  We ate lunch, they had a grand time and then, how do we get back??? Backpacks on and the search for our trail sign began.

During the story the character that was also laying a seed trail had noticed that some birds were eating it.  As WE were walking, Josie and Ellie were up ahead, Josie turned around with an elated look upon her face and whispering said, “The bird is eating the seeds!!”  We quietly came up and, who did we see  eating the seeds but, ROBIN REDBREAST!!!  That happy bird was indeed content eating the seeds and the children were so happy to see this, to see that the bird was eating what they put down upon the ground.  We learned a bit about how to walk quietly not looking at the bird yet seeing it from the corner of our eyes as we walked by intending not to disturb.

Then, the on going great games of hiding along the trail, being ever so quiet and seeing if any one sees them or not and then laughing with delight when found.

Back to the bus we had such fine good byes and thank you’s.