Tender Tracks Tues. Day 13

Oct. 25, 2016
Roy’s Redwoods
Waning Moon

Ruby and Skylar were absent today and it rained all day. Inside the bus it sounded so very loud. Outside the bus it just was a beautiful gentle shower upon our heads that most of the time the children forgot about.

Before circle there was,getting some warmer clothes, putting on some broader brimmed hats for Jake, Archer and Kuba and Kuba needing a little more warmth underneath. The children were however BEAUTIFULLY dressed in all of their colorful rain gear and looked like spring flowers dancing upon the Autumn Earth.

We had our circle in our usual spot. We said that actually on these days with their rain suites on they ARE the mat. 🙂
After circle there was some more changing and watering tree moments and then off through the woods we went on an adventure. We meandered along the creek trail until we wound up at an all new spot where much explorations took place.

Jake, Jesse, Archer and sometimes Kuba were up on this HUGE fallen down Redwood tree. It was a ship! And they were all sending out orders, well not Jesse, as to how this magnificent ship should go. Jake sometimes was the machinist/engineer and Archer was shouting out that “the ship is sinking! The ship was sinking!” There were actually Mermaids down below (Michelle and children) saying that they could help them but he said they didn’t need any help. Oh dear!!
Then there was another ship and IT was sinking. It was a rough day for sure!!!
Kuba was shouting out some technical ship language and pacing back and forth with this shout/chant. It was no easy feat getting up and Kuba for one was excited to share how he so wonderfully got up on top of this ship.

Isabella and Eddie were HAPPILY playing together all day. Kai was DELIGHTED when he and Kuba were holding on to a stick together and building things.
Michelle was inspired to make a teeter tooter and I helped her with this idea. Then we made two and they were in absolute joy.

At lunch time there was a large Redwood tree hollowed out and it just fit everyone in it. There it was dry!!! The children were body to body yet when they got inside and settled in they were completely quiet for awhile eating, listening to the rain and being in this incredible grandeur.

After lunch there was such fun play to carry on with. During the day they found two banana slugs. We were looking for California Newts but never found any which was very surprising. The ground cover when we got there this morning was of such a deep and rich red/orange like a vibrant Irish Girl’s hair straight from the Island and dancing in delight. The smells we noticed were so different then the days before that were hot and dry.

We left early because we knew there would be a great deal of changing of all so we packed up and went the short cut back. Right before we got there they found a large puddle/teeny pond! Jake just threw himself into this like taking a bath and was in heaven. Jesse went in and found out that one of his boots became filled with water and the other one did not. Kuba didn’t really go in and the rest of the children waded about it so Jake, in the end was the one who turned into a fish and left his human self behind to explore new adventures. And, he was happy for it.

Michelle and I took shifts, as we do, to change them and then pretty soon we had our usual assembly line, so to speak, of taking the clothes off, putting them in the wet bags, putting on the new ones and getting them in their seats. They were happy and content.

The thank you’s at the end of the day were truly warming as well. Today was even more evidence of us knowing each other more and more and becoming a more unified group. There were far more different play connections. One of my favorite memories was when Jake and Jesse were next to each other at lunch time. Jake had Jesse is stitches laughing and laughing. Jesse was having such a good time and was very happy to be sitting next to Jake and Kuba on the way back. A very sweet day.
Please check on our Face book for pictures of this day.