A walk to the roaring tempist, and giving thanks

RCA beach looking to Palomarin headlands

all together now!

Danny and Apollo meet the ocean with gusto

 The great pacific

The Ocean was roaring yesterday on a walk to the beach. everyone came along from the farm- including Johnny and Apollo, two brothers who i take every Tuesday afternoon for some nature connection and play time with all their uncles and aunties. we walked to RCA beach, where the waves were crashing into a great white sea foam along its driftwood covered shoreline.

there was bullwhip kelp, as seen above, with Andrew practicing his Indiana Jones moves. Danny had fun too.

Jelly admiration

 A Jelly washed ashore, and all took part in letting the coming tide take it back to its home in the sea.

helping the Jelly back to the sea.

Shore Shrine

 and of course, if i have anything to do with it, we went ahead with a shore shrine, made from all minds together with no plan. just let it come together and be! the tide line from the last few days was right up to the cliffs so it most likely is no longer standing as of last night. I remember long afternoons in the fall, both as a young blood and not long ago, on the south fork of Long Island on the beach scouring for shells, building sand castles, and making up adventures along the high seas about the far off sailors of its waters. Thanks Pacific for letting us all, and especially Johnny and Apollo, have that afternoon again.

Shore Shrine

Admiration for our Shore Shrine

from another angle

Lounging in the fields on the way to the beach.

Solstice at Lairds

Danny and Meghan dropping rose petals on our way down to Lairds

Solstice, the longest day of the year, first day of summer. to celebrate there was a grand thanksgiving and soup dinner held at the fabled Lairds landing hosted by Jordan Atanat and the coasties. this was what we hoped to be our first of many annual solstice/equinox/full moon celebrations at Lairds. bringing back connection to the rhythms of the universe, nature, ancestors, and our selves in this season of plenty.

Clayton's old house

 Lairds Landing was once a artist colony, complete with a few whimsical cottages, a art studio/forge and a artist named Clayton Lewis (http://www.claytonlewis.net) that would hold parties and dinners and gatherings with all the local fisherman, boat builders, artists and other eccentrics of west marin. the magic and presence of Clayton is still there, and we all held space for Clayton, and even smelled his pipe waft through the cool solstice air as we lit a fire and created an alter on the beach. 

Nature Table

 As the light held on nearly to 9:45 in the far west of the sky, phosphorescence appeared in the lapping Tomales Bay water millions of little critters shimmering in the disturbed swirling bay. Jordan splashed through with rolled pants and the water glowed and sparkled in the final moments of our solstice celebration. 

In those final minutes of light for the first day of summer and the 2012 summer solstice a few things came to mind-

What is our relationship to the sun and earth? 

the rhythms and beats of the seasons?

How can we preserve and continue that 

presence and energy at Lairds that Clayton held?

If Clayton were to be there last night, 

what would he have wanted as a Solstice Tradition?

9:40 pm on june 20th 2012. fire light solstice at Lairds Landing. thank you Clayton Lewis

Marshall Beach and hog island, 2012 summer solstice.