It was a beautiful day in the Arboretum.

We gathered in the big group with the circle song and welcomed each individual to the circle as well as, fire, water and earth.

After a game and more thanksgiving we shared about our favorite activities over break and split off into new groupings called guilds.  There was a shelter guild and a scouting guild.  I led the scouting and we started with a quarter mile run into the gardens, as a scout is fit and healthy.  Then we talked about what a scout is and the code of a scout.  The three main tenants being that others are safer when a scout is present, a person in need has a friend and people are sad to see a scout go.

One person asked what if there are multiple people in need and they are fighting?  So, we talked about the Peacemaker story and how the Peacemaker found a way to touch the heart of the great warlord of that time.

Then we did activities to develop our senses and memory.  We played Kim’s game, fire keeper and blindfold drum stalk (all these games are detailed in the coyote’s guide if anyone would like more information on them).

The final exercise of the scouting group was to sneak up on the shelter group.  During this exercise a few of us (all newts) actually spotted a deer sleeping in her day bed.  So we snuck up on her instead.  We got with in about 30 feet when she decided to get up and walk away.  It turned out there were actually two deer, though we had not at first seen the second.  So we followed them.  At first they walked and so we walked. Then they ran and so we ran.  Then they pronked, as only blacktail deer can, and we pronked after them.  Then we heard the call to gather back and although we all still wanted to follow the deer, we turned back towards the group.   We stopped to find the exact place where the deer had been lying and searched the lay for hair.  We found deer hair and a deer skull!

Then back to the fire circle where the two guild groups shared about their adventures.

The Newts then gathered to welcome our new newt, Raina, to our circle.  We told her our names and our favorite things to do outside.   We had an impromptu discussion of Animals, Plants and Funguses and how they are distinguished from one another by the way they get food.

I then shared the story of Wolf’s Brother and who speaks for wolf. We all got new animal names with the understanding that these creatures were now part of our caretaker network and it was our job to know them so that we can protect them like wolf’s brother did for wolf in the story.   Because many of the newts can not yet read I had to give them clues as to what their animals were and they were all very good at guessing and it was a wonderful review of some of the stories and interactions we’ve had there on the land.

We ended the day with a few round of Fire in the forest and Hide and Go Seek (Games).  Then joined up with the Kestrels for a round of honoring and end of the day goodbyes.

It was a lovely day to be a human being upon the earth.

Its been a while since we’ve had any reports from the newts and so I want to give you a brief summary so we can start the new year all caught up.

Three weeks before the break the Newts went on a “Grand Adventure!” to explore some of the areas we are not so familiar with at the arboretum.  We found lots of interesting things to play with like long bamboo poles and a culvert going under a foot -path.   Some were brave enough to crawl through and investigate the black berry thicket on the other side, but most of us just watched.

We explored deer trails and followed a large path over a small bridge.   There was coyote poo on the bridge so we named it Coyote Bridge. It led to a thin path that was flanked by leafless poison oak vines.   We followed it up a hill and at the top we discovered what we would later name the Amanita Forest.  On a flat beside a water tower we found many, many large white mushrooms with red tops and the more we explored the area the more we found.

This flat was just beneath another one that was about 10 feet above it and there was a very steep wall of sand and sparse vegetation.   This area turned out to be hours of entertainment for the newts.   They climbed and slid up and down the slope, threw sticks and mud clots off the high plateau, hid from each other, and even took naps in the sun in a fresh green patch of grass.   In their exploration they found deer antlers, a squirrel skull with a puncture wound in the top and crystals.   They were perfect little naturalist, playing, exploring and finding excitement in the smallest discoveries.

From there we went back and added some of the new things we had found to our group map.

The following week I had hoped to take another adventure up to a large tree I had heard about on the property but the newts asked if they could stay close to camp because they felt tired that day.  So we went to our shelter and the girls sat inside it journaling and making cordage and the boys gathered horseweed to add to the outside.  We made simple atlatl …or “launchers” as the boys called them from the bamboo scattered around our shelter site and David showed the boys how to use them.  They spent most of the rest of the afternoon working on their aim and throwing skills while the ladies continued to journal.  We also made a couple simple blow tubes by hollowing short lengths of bamboo and we used these to try and send small wads of paper into our targets.

The day finished with a rousing game of “BEAR”…Where David mysteriously disappears and simultaneously a charging bear appears and chases the children about.  They LOVE this game and we are all very sorry that some how David seems to always miss seeing the bear… And then a story about the son of the west wind and the origins of butterflies.

The final week before the break was action packed. On arrival the newts were instructed to look for the camouflage bunnies that were hiding all around the fire circle.  The bunnies were all different colors and hidden in places where they would blend in.  Pink bunny was perhaps the most instructive because it helped us to see that the fallen maple leaves, although simply yellow at first glance, are saturated in undertones of many colors…so rich and varied are their colors that even a pink bunny can hide easily amongst them.  Then we gathered for a circle (the kestrels had set off on their own for the day) and talked about the up coming solstice, sang a song to honor light (Rise Up Oh Flame – I’m not sure of its origin but I learned from my work with Waldorf schools) and gave thanks to things that give light and then a second round of thanks for things that are dark.

Then we set out on a journey to our hide out called Snail (though we never made it there) playing a moving game of hide and seek called “Eagle Eye” or “Ted”…or in our case “rabbits and coyote”. In the gardens we had snack.  We sang our food thanks song and while we ate we played an awareness game where someone leaves the circle and makes a subtle change to their appearance.  Who ever spots the change first gets to be next.

After snack, the newts took turns hiding the bunnies from each other and then we played a long running game called “squashed banana tag”.  From there we did a blindfold team exercise and then a short team racing game.

Then we traveled back to main campfire playing rabbits and coyote all the way.

We had lunch and then a story of how ground squirrel and golden eagle use to be friends but ground squirrels jealousy of eagle’s spots led to a falling out.   Then they all got a ground squirrel picture to color and materials to make a holiday card for a loved one.   Some of them made paper snowflakes or even more creative things instead.   We ended the day sharing our highlights in circle with the kestrels

The day slips by far to fast on Fridays. After our morning routines the teens engaged the kestrels in a game of ultimate stick.  The quickly found out this was to far past the edge of the kestrels as they kept dropping out of the game so we ended quickly with a simple game that all of them could play.  Then we wandered down to the sit spot area and had the teens go to their sit spots and come back blind folded guided by the sound of Lauren playing the bones.  Diamond rallied them by playing a blind folded game of tag and then we rushed up to join the feast of local edible foods.  The teens made bay nut truffles and a wild edible salad.  We shared chanterelle mushrooms and acorn cake with all the ages while Anole and Roxanne and the nest to fledge shared stone soup with everyone on this last day of fall.  Slowly we trickled into various groups. Lauren made fire a few folks.  Noah got his first hand drill coal and Jesse got her first bow drill coal!  A few more started a game of parkcour and the others sat in the light of the setting sun making baskets and quivers

It was a really short day as we spent most of the day with the other groups.  The image that sticks in my mind was the teens hiding on each other for a long period of time.  This was a great test of patience and being in the moment. Great job on becoming invisible guys.  The Newts gave us a chance to sneak up on them.  Jade and Keenan got the closest before being seen.  The biggest moment of the day was the teens gathered around a hand drill each putting in his own energy and sweat to make the fire happen.  Lots of lessons still to be learned around fire.

We gathered up again in the magical redwood fairy ring to prepare and cook our soup. We also had another special mission – a Lulu inspired idea. We called it a walk through mom buffet hosted by the kids. Each kid brought a mini potluck dish and set up a station in the neighboring fairy ring. When our redwood restaurant was ready the moms came through and were served by the kids. It was a great idea that worked out really well!

We all came back to check on the soup and have our annual sprite gift exchange – so many neat and thoughtful gifts were brought. We then took our stone soup to meet up with the other groups for a festive meal!

:} Anole and Roxanne

Our day began with a song brought by Emma, thanksgiving and a fun game that had a new twist on Jays and Chickadees. We then headed to choice groups – fetching the acorns that had been leaching for the past week in running water by  Hidden Beauty, stone soup making, and Paiute traps. Our stone soup was well on it’s with our expect chefs, Lucas M and Aidan, and many sou chefs chopping up our yummy veggies. Meanwhile Erich and Issac B started on a friction fire to keep us warm on this very crisp afternoon ; this fire kept us warm all day long and cooked our acorn pancakes and sausages!

Jenn returned with the Hidden Beauty group and the acorn pancakes were started with much anticipation! That anticipation paid off with hearty pancakes and honey!

The group soon took on another form of fire watchers/hanger outers and shelter builders who started many industrious shelters in the woods.

With the soup nice and hot and our day coming to an end we headed out of Where the sun don’t shine to meet the parents and share our stone soup.

It was a wonderful day all around and a nice start to our 3 week vacation – Happy Holidays everyone!