We started out in the parking lot with a quick refresher on making cordage using basswood and raffia. A few people made fire kits and gathered tinder materials from the field edge. After a beautiful round of gratitude, we set out into the woods.
Back at camp, we started with a fire challenge: The whole group had to start a fire in 12 minutes with a maximum of three matches while not running or speaking above a whisper. On top of this was another challenge: Our fire structure had to burn through a string which was holding a bag full of treats to a tree. If we burned the string, we got the goodies!
It took 12 minutes and only one match to start the fire. People made good use of tinder from their fire kits and leftover shavings from their carving. The string burned within two minutes and everyone had acorn flour brownies from the bag to celebrate!
We then set to work on our many projects. While some people finished up bow-drill spindles, others started on the fire boards of their kits or started making coal-burned spoons. At lunch, folks explored some new methods of cooking on the fire, using cast iron pans, rocks, tin foil, and sticks. This time we made black birch tea from both the twigs and the bark. We broke open the autumn olive jelly made by Kathy in September, which was particularly delicious on the acorn bread we cooked in the ashes and on sticks.
After lunch, we headed up the hill to play Hawk and Bird Tribe. Unfortunately, the hawks ate every single bird, but there appear to be no hard feelings and a lot was learned about bird behavior and language. After the game, we did a meditative wander on the land following our intuition toward places we felt to be sacred or powerful. We found some amazing trees, stones, waterways, groves, and ridges before all ending up back at our camp.
To finish off the day and enjoy the darkness, we did a very quick fire stalk towards a roaring fire rekindled from the coals of our earlier fire. Before we knew it, it was time to go, and we packed up and walked out in the midwinter darkness.