Ordinary gifts SLOW walk Water weekend

It was a day of ordinary gifts to the water, Elinor brought us to a quiet place with a meditation, tuning in with sight turned off and then proceeding in a silent walk westwards along the water’s edge,  just becoming aware of the vibrancy all about us. We congregated naturally at the other end of the ponds and shared something of our experience. By signing up to the SLOW walk we had given ourselves permission to slow down and connect, and this connection was all the more powerful because we were making this commitment with others.

We were then given beautifully prepared paper on home made clipboards – gifted – and instructed to observe the water and draw its flow. Another deeply absorbing activity, we each found our spots and were immersed. We talked about impressions of water, how it draws us in, its energy and the patterns it makes as it moves on and over and around, and then all by itself in eddies, and the way that light bounces off it, its physics, its relation to sound. The drawings are beautiful <3

We were brought back to the benches where elinor opened her magic cloth, inside were tools augurs and borers  and twine of different kinds and a swaddle of barks and leaves, we were shown in a few deft moves a way of making a floating thing – a bark! and some of us couldn’t contain ourselves in eagerness to get stuck in, childlike. There were coracles and sampans and catamarans. The most elaborate boat had corks attached and was an amalgam of two – Lydia and Denise collaborated on a boat that was obstinate at first, twirling back and moving against the flow – flying in the face of all odds it eventually got pushed out and headed downstream after the other. In the rain we ran and hooped like kids to see our boats go under the bridge and over the edge of the rapids.

Making boats and floating them down the river bringing the joy of childhood play in Ordinary Gifts with Elinor Rivers watch the boat go on video here

I loved creating the ivy leaf sail for my little boat, but chose the shape of the bark without consideration for its balance. The little boat capsized immediately but still managed to float along on its side.

it was a beautiful afternoon full of wonder and warm sunshine and carefree showers.