Tender Tracks Thurs. Day 44

March 9, 2017
Waxing Gibbous Crescent Moon
Lake Alpine

Ruby and Kuba were absent today.

Such a beautiful, beautiful day. The Sun was warm and out. The butterflies were flying, frogs were croaking, birds soaring over heard, buzzing was about too. Spring Poison Oak was coming out to bring more awareness to our steps and the lake was FULL. AND, we were able to come here, for the first time in a few months due to rain washing out the road. I believe the last time we went there was in November and  the lake was EMPTY and we were able to cross it and get to the other side.  It was so very fun to reminisce on this fact and what we did there on those days.

When we arrived the children scampered out and went right to the top of the big rock and played.  Archer said he found a great spot for circle and it was!  The place we usually sit was still wet and a bit in the sun. Archer found a spot that was dry and shady enough to be warm yet comfortable.  Kai met us there and when he arrived we went into circle. There Michelle led us in our morning Yoga/Animal forms and we sang our directional song, new songs and heard our story, ate our snack, cleaned up and made ready for our adventure.

Kai received his Guardian of Safety bag and would not let it go. He LOVED being a helper and tended to any needs most diligently. Archer was a great Snack Helper, Jake laid out the Thank you Plate, Isabella was the Helper with Lovies( stuffed animals) and Jesse, though typically the Circle Angel (helping set up circle), he just got to relax and partake in the ease of the day. 🙂

The story was an elongated version of Goldie Locks and the Three Bears. Her Grandparents taught her one, of many ways, to find your way back and not get lost. She learned how to drop beans along the trail as you go and then following them back. So, that is what WE did on our adventure to find the Turtles!  The children took turns dropping beans along our long trail. That trail brought us to another part of the lake where, on a log were up to 24 turtles of varying sizes!!!  For the rest of the day we got to watch them, observe how very sensitive they are to people coming closer to them, watching them swim in the water and then slowly and gracefully climb back on.  What a joy!!!

Walking to this place, the children, and Jake in particular, found some incredible rocks upon the ground.  When we were at our Turtle spot,  Jake, Kai and I were having fun watching a Lizard. Jake tried to catch it by throwing his hat on it. I then shared that Michelle is very good at catching lizards. She came over after a time and showed them how to make a lizard trap using Jakes hat, a stick that Kai had and using some of the long grasses as the rope.  What fun that was!!!!

The children discovered wonders in the water, and found bugs and butterflies all about.
A strong memory for me of the day was when my Tibetan bell chime went off.  I have set it for every hour so we can take a moment to breath a few times and then notice what is around us and what we are enjoying.  I was near Isabella during one of the chimes and I asked her what she was noticing and enjoying. She was standing in the water and she said that she liked the coolness of how the water felt on her.  She said it so beautifully!

Walking back was fun as they followed the beans and gathered up as many as they could. We saw Juniper Rose from above and then for sure knew our way back. And, we made it!!! 🙂