Our Owl Eyes were quickly awakened by beautiful spider webs glimmering in the trees above us. Banana slugs slimed their way across the trail in front of us, and a few girls pointed out some artist mushrooms growing on a dead stump beside the trail. We hear birds chirping in the canopy above our heads and stopped to observe shelters and fairy houses built by the Fiddleheads group weeks before. The Salish Seals took their time on the path down to the beach, stopping to be sure the whole group was together and living out our motto it's about the journey, not the destination.
We stopped at a break in the trail to practice our Collaborate and Compromise skills to decide which way to go. Holly, Eleanor, and I stepped out of the circle as the girls did an impressive job of voicing their opinions in an organized fashion, giving every group member a turn to voice her opinion before making a joint decision. In the end, the girls chose the beach over the waterfall, with an exciting vision of creating their own civilization on the beach.
The day unravelled with snacking, splashing, and three hours of imaginative play and free exploration. Our small strip of beach soon transformed into our own civilization, complete with a shelter, a campfire, a baking oven, and a hospital station. Girls took on the roles of huntress, doctor, medicine girl, herbalist, baker, mayor, and builders. Berries and leaves were collected for tinctures and bandages, rocks were collected for a bakers oven, and driftwood was secured in place to create a shelter. After some busy work on the beach, the girls cooled off in the lake...in October! Their voices carried over the water as they gleefully shouted, "I'm alive!" and "this is life!", splashing one another and encouraging others to join in.
With the sun still shining high and the lake sparkling in front of us, we spread out to dry off a little and enjoy Peaceful Place before packing up and heading to the field across the trail for a final activity.
We played a quick few rounds of Rabbit Hole and then gathered for our Closing Circle to give our thanks for this place, the water, our friends, the sunshine, and many other things during our Attitude of Gratitude.
With all hands in the middle of the circle, we concluded with our words of the day: WATER, FUN , and FRIENDS at WILD WHATCOM!
Enjoy the full album of the day here.
