Along the edges of Clarks Point are wind-sculpted sandstone cliffs, red-barked madrona trees, towering firs, and tide pools waiting to be explored. Thanks to Doug and Peggy Clark, 78 acres of the magnificent Chuckanut shoreline will remain one of the last large, relatively undeveloped pieces of coastal property in private ownership in the Pacific Northwest. After orienting ourselves to the land, the Sea Stars had to choose to go to the west or east viewpoint, each side provided a very different experience—we decided to go east and see what adventures and lessons would unfold in Mud Bay.
Traversing the short path down to the shoreline, we greeted sword fern, lady fern and bracken fern; we acknowledged the lovely but toxic bleeding heart flowers; inspected a whilttled woodpecker tree; and plucked a few invasive herb Roberts, otherwise known as “stinky bob.”
Arriving at the beach we crab crawled along the edges of the sandstone to a magnificently sculpted cave that was our amphitheater for the day. With great enthusiasm the girls headed to the edges of the shore where mud beckoned them. Prior to our arrival we talked about how mud liked to gobble up shoes and so the girls should approach mud with caution. Alas, the mud of Mud Bay taught us some very important lessons this day:
* Walk quickly across the surface to avoid sinking.
* Observe the tracks of other people and walk in their footprints.
* As exciting and inticing as mud may be, do not rush into the mud, STOP and consider Safety First: What are the unseen dangers? If I get stuck how can I get out? If I get scared how can I push through this challenge and return safely back to shore? If I get hurt, am I close enough for help?
* Mud is wonderful, but it can also present challenges that can be overcome; this is called Resilience.
Continuing our wander down the shore, we admired the giant sandstone boulders, found caves of shade, and had a lovely Peaceful Place under the shade of Douglas Firs and Madrona trees. After our long sunny muddy day the girls summarized their experience in these words: “Mud galore, Awesome Resilience!!”
Mottos in play today: Safety First, STOP, The Only Way Out is Through, Get Dirty!,
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