We celebrated our reunion in our Opening Circle as a large group this morning and talked about our goals for the next four weeks. We were graciously interrupted for a moment as a Red-Tailed Hawk swooped right into a tree nearby. What a nice visit! We talked about what other animals it might be hunting and imagined what it would be like to have to pay attention all the time if we were but a bit smaller. A good reminder to pay attention ourselves, to catch special moments like these that we might otherwise miss!
In small groups this morning, we made sure we got to know each other’s names, played some games to warm up and break the ice, and set out to our respective camps. Knots needed to be learned and we worked together to set up enormous tarps over our campsites. We raked and hauled brush, gathered firewood, and split wood that we had put away last fall. After our busy morning tidying up, we were able to look around at our little slice of heavenly forest and settle in. We kindled a fire and had lunch.
Afterwards, we introduced the three-rock cooking fire. Three rocks are placed close together to elevate a cooking pot. In the spaces between, a very small fire is tended with small sticks to efficiently boil water for tea, using some local evergreens. Several trees were introduced and learned about. The tea was marvelous!
Each group split up to go on a hike, following deer trails, exploring the forest, fields, and the marsh. Here are some highlights of our adventures:
- A close encounter with a hunting Barred Owl
- Ash trees infested with Emerald Ash Borer larvae and foraged on by woodpeckers
- Lots of deer trails and scat
- Coyote scat and Fox scat
- Dead leaning trees acting as squirrel “ladders” that showed generations of squirrel claw marks
- Lighting an enormous pile of birch bark on fire atop Hurlburt’s Hill!
- Fox-running (a barefoot running technique) employed to make good time on our wander
- Exploring the marsh and edge of Ashley Field to harvest Dogwood for carving projects
- A visit to the great old Cottonwood tree
- Witnessing the bubbles from an animal swimming below the surface of the waters of the Housatonic River
We finished our day with a good nature-themed game in the field and shared stories from the day with both groups. A great first day with a great group!
January 22, 2021