Tender Tracks Tues. Day 31

Jan. 16, 2018
Lake Lagunitas
New Moon

Vita was absent today.

And, the day was, a cloudy, grey, VERY MISTY, alive, wet, dry, fun day.
The children were alive, wet, dry, fun and funny tooo! 🙂
Yes, as soon as we got there, whooosh, out they went and, before we could blink an eye, water was happening for them. In, on, around and about the creek.  Today, one week since Owen joined, the waterfalls that were GUSHING and the CREEK overflowing, were both now at a calm and gentle level. The children were able to go across, find ways to get across where last week that was not possible. And, they LOVED finding all those ways to cross the waters and then share how they did it.

Come circle they meandered to get back with the calmness that only being surrounded by the natural world brings and then with ease and readiness, sat down.

But, what was on the ground with us???? a cook stove and a pot with water about to boil with a camp plate on it like a lid!!  Why? they asked. Well, the story would reveal all. But wait a minute, the water boiled and we poured in NOODLES!! That was a clue to now the story and NOT the other way around.

Owen was quite uncomfortable/frightened of the steam that was coming out of the pot and thought the noodles would boil over onto him so he moved over one mat.  And oh yes, before all of this, we sang our songs and Owen was the weather watcher.  He held the weather watcher stick high and we looked to see if the wind children were around but alas, only a small wind baby who blew ever, ever, ever so gently came by slightly above us and the sky, well, it was covered with one big gray cloud. Owen predicted: RAIN!

And the story began about a magick bowl that could cook anything you want if you knew the magick words to start it AND stop it. And that’s where the conundrum began. The little girl in the story did not know how to stop the cooking pot and the noodles spilled over and, COVERED THE ENTIRE TOWN!!!  It ended very sweetly and they were all happy.

When it came time for us to eat our noodles Owen insisted that he “hated” noodles and would barely eat a one so, he finally ate some of his own lunch. The other children did, however, love the noodles and gobbled the entire pot up!

Devin was entranced with the story and laughed and laughed at different parts, particularly when the entire town got out their spoons and all ate the noodles right there and then.
After circle and the singing bowl singing us out, Austen and Puma cleaned up the dishes, Avaline took her first aid kit and put it on her pack and Devin took his job of Guardian of the Earth. He got a little Earth bag and clipped it to his pack. The rest of the day he found garbage and was delighted with his very important job.  As a matter of fact, this was the greatest day for Devin of the entire year.  He was playing with the children, they were playing with him, he was not at the end of the line in our walk, he was running everywhere and was HAPPPYYY!!!  Puma was easy, happy and playful all day, Avaline was in GREAT spirits, Austen was in delight about the many things that Austen has such grand enthusiasm about and Owen, he is learning the ways of Tender Tracks and participating beautifully.

After snack, however, there was a great need for changing parties. On this day we did them one by one. Ruby was with all the other children and I was changing them in the bus. One would get done and then go get the next one.  I had a lot of fun during my part and Ruby, well, it sounds like they had a grand time!  They were climbing the big Redwood Climbing tree, going on Devin’s airplane to New York, Ruby was the flight attendant and brought them many things to eat and Devin just kept taking people to New York and where ever else they needed to be throughout the day, besides painting whatever  Ruby and I needed painting. He was a builder, an airplane pilot and a painter most of the day! 🙂

After everyone was changed we then went on a bit of an adventure but away from water. The dry clothes were down to dregs so no more water for the day. We went to where we had gathered Madrones, ate there and then, explored. There was a huge pile of cut down Doug Fir trees, broken wood piles which we thought might have been the many fences and such they are repairing there and then these large plastic culverts. We had so much fun climbing and then, playing in those big tubes and rocking them back and forth was GRAND fun!

Time to leave came quicker then we thought so off and back to the bus we went and back home.
A beautiful, beautiful day.