Tender Tracks Thurs. Day 54

April 18, 2019
Waxing Gibbous Moon
Richardson’s Bay Sanctuary

Today was a BEAUTIFUL bright, sunny, spring day and it seemed like the perfect time to go to this place.  It is also the time when the Ceanothus plant is in bloom and ready to gather. The flower on this tree is good for making soap.

Josie brought her Mom and brother and met us there.  This was a treat for all.
When we got there we went straight away to give thanks to the Ceanothus tree and then gather some of  plants flowers. We then went inside the Sanctuary, down to a little spot for a small circle there and checked this place out.  I then showed them how to wash their hands with this plant as well as showed them some plaster casts of tracks.  This was our preparation for what we were to do later in the day with our OWN feet!

The walk down to the “beach” had some places where we all got to smell the air and feel where we thought the water was and then, down the chosen path we went. And, it did bring us right to the beach.
The tide was high yet left us room to put our things on the collecting tables and, the children were off!

The boys went straight away, particularly Theo, to gathering treasures and putting them on the high tables.  Ellie and Ruby wound up making an incredible small labyrinth with the rocks found. Josie went with her brother and Mom as well as with Luna and the boys to a tree further down the beach and there is where they all wound up playing for a good part of the day.

The tree had nooks and crannies to climb up and explore, opportunities to take turns, ride on it like a big ship and become many things that only ones active and alive imaginations could create.

All the while I was doing my best to make plaster casts of their feet.  The ground was not perfect for it and, my casts were not all that grand either. In the end, only two out of four came out sufficient to the task.  Josie and Theo did not want to partake on this day. No worries, I am hoping for better ground to get cleaner casts.  We did found lot’s of other animal tracks though and all had a good time looking at those!

When it came time to eating we all did our best to eat upon a particular low lying log. There was some figuring out needed in order to find an easy way to eat. This was found and most of the food was eaten. Then back to play they went!

As usual, after lunch is when they all finally really sink into where we are and then alas, we have to go shortly after that.  What was sunk into was being in the water!!! Theo, who DID NOT want to get his clothes wet, AT ALL, saw Holden and Eamon immersed with delight and, he joined in. From there we could barely get him out at the end!! 🙂

Luna took all her wet clothes accept her underwear off and Ellie really wanted to follow suite. So, she did.  Josie got quite wet as well and by days end chose to ride home in the bus with us.
When we got to the bus at the end of the day a great outdoor changing party took place with ease and fun.

It was a beautiful, imaginative, playful, tide exploring, track finding, warm weather receiving day of delight.  We look forward to more of this kind of weather. As I watched them though it seems that whether it is water from the sky or water from the lakes, bays and streams, they enjoy WATER!

The ride home was filled with a grand! story from Ruby.  She told a story that we typically read this time of year called The Country Bunny.  Her retelling, I do believe, was grander than the book has ever been!