Pray and Paddle

Home
United States
Beverly, MA
Pray and Paddle

Pray and Paddle is a Kayaking/Canoeing/Paddling Ministry of Rolling Ridge Retreat & Conference Center

10/29/2026

There’s a liminal space between dusk and dawn. A waiting for the darkness to recede and light to enter. Such an in-between time invites a mix of rest, restlessness, even dark thoughts … and yet, we trust that the light will come.

10/28/2026

Anyone who follows Pray and Paddle know that I'm a fan of our old friend Henry. His life was fueled by a deep love and reverence of nature. Walking or rowing he practiced a threefold rhythm of deep listening, noticing, responding. In doing so he lived fully in the moment. To quote Whitman, he 'sucked the marrow out of life'. Listen ....

"The forest has lost so many leaves that its floor and paths are much more checkered with light. I hear no sound but the rustling of the withered leaves, which lulls the few and silent birds to sleep, and, on the wooded hilltops, the roar of the wind. Each tree is a harp which resounds all night, though some have but a few leaves left to flutter and hum. From the Cliffs, the river and pond are exactly the color of the sky."
~ Thoreau's journal, October 28th, 1852

Photos: Miles River, MA

10/27/2026

In the midst of an uncertain time, we carry a jumble of emotions, a jumble of fears. Where do you go to be restored, renewed? I invite you to join me on the Ipswich River for this second of a two part video (2 minutes). Breathe with me in rhythm with this beautiful water.

10/26/2026

Ai (artificial intelligence) is all the rage. Essentially a massive accumulation of data. With the capacity if left untethered by its creators, to build upon itself, to make its own connections and set its own direction. Already we see untethered data systems hacking into other data systems, creating chaos.

Scientists are noticing too that as humans come to rely on Ai that our brains become lazy, reliant upon Ai for what in the past required human research and discernment. Now Ai gives us ready answers (and, not always accurate) which if we are not careful, can be blindly followed.

Behind my simplified description of Ai, is a deeper question... how much of living do we want to give away to technology? When is technology as a tool helpful for living a better life and when is it a disrupter to a life well lived?

While Ai can give us information, it cannot offer us wisdom.

Wisdom is more than information, it is an understanding of what truly matters. It's based upon hard earned experience. Life is about love and loss and beauty and wonder, pain and hope, despair and joy, resentment and forgiveness. Wisdom is about learning how to live well in the midst of the ups and downs of life.

Walt Whitman said, 'I swear to you, there are divine things more beautiful than words can tell.' A reminder that what truly matters, is beyond words (beyond the accumulation of data).

Ai can describe a sunset but it cannot experience a sunset in all its glory. Only we as humans can do that ...

Photo: Gathering with friends in September on a beach in Santa Barbara, the day before my daughter's wedding.

10/25/2026

The Ipswich River, known as ‘The Agawam’ by the Pawtucket runs 45 miles with a 150 square mile watershed. Grateful for the Ipswich River Watershed Association which advocates for the health and sustainability of this beautiful blue thread.

10/24/2026

So often we live a distracted life. Living in the past or dreaming and scheming about the future. All the great contemplative traditions teach however, that it is only in living in the moment, in the now are we able to be fully alive. Fully present.

So it was, with this in mind, that I hiked the trails of Rough Meadows in the Great Salt Marsh in Rowley, MA. The 2.5 miles of trail were not to be rushed. I paused often to feel the ground under my feet. To smell the mix of saltwater, mud, sassafras and hickory. It was all so ... delicious!

As someone who hikes often and has been fortunate to be on trails far and near, this day was a favorite. Why? Because I practiced 'presence'. All it takes is intention to transform a simple stroll in the woods, to moments of epiphany. Can it really be that simple?

Here's wisdom from our old friend Henry, who knew a thing or two about 'being' in the moment. Listen ...

"The brilliant autumnal colors are red and yellow and the various tints, hues, and shades of these. Blue is reserved to be the color of the sky, but red and yellow are the colors of the earth flower...The forest and herbage, the very pellicle of the earth as it were, must acquire a bright color, an evidence of its ripeness, as if the globe itself were a fruit on its stem, with ever one cheek toward the sun."
~ Thoreau's Journal, October 24, 1858

Note: I had to look up the word 'pellicle', means a thin membrane or film that covers nature, accentuating the colors and texture.

Friends, I invite you too, to practice presence. Our partner North Shore SING is hosting a mindful hike with yoga on November 14th to RSVP go to 'Programs' at nssing.org

10/23/2026

An Audubon hiking gem in the Great Salt Marsh. Exploring trails on the North Shore for future hiking adventures for North Shore SING (nssing.org) in partnership with Pray and Paddle and Ipswich River Watershed Association.

10/23/2026

On a bluebird day in mid October explored Rough Meadows an Audubon gem in the midst of the largest salt marsh in New England. Truly, a beautiful area to hike!

10/22/2026

October is a favorite month for paddling...the water tends to be high and the colors pop. A season to stir the mystic within. Here's the first of a two part video (2 minutes), from my home water, the Ipswich River. I invite you to paddle with me ...

10/21/2026

Yesterday I slipped my kayak into my home water, the Ipswich River. I put in at Bradley Palmer State Park, paddling upstream. Accompanied by a red tail hawk, mallards, geese, turtle and two river otters.

The otters seemed as curious about me as I them. Watching me for a moment before diving in search of lunch. Here's a poem by Mary Oliver, for whom nature generously offers inspiration and renewal. Enjoy!

Almost a Conversation

I have not really, not yet, talked with otter
about his life.

He has so many teeth, he has trouble
with vowels.

Wherefore our understanding
is all body expression—
he swims like the sleekest fish,
he dives and exhales and lifts a trail of bubbles.

Little by little he trusts my eyes
and my curious body sitting on the shore.
Sometimes he comes close.
I admire his whiskers
and his dark fur which I would rather die than wear.

He has no words, still what he tells about his life is clear.
He does not own a computer.
He imagines the river will last forever.
He does not envy the dry house I live in.
He does not wonder who or what it is that I worship.

He wonders, morning after morning, that the river
is so cold and fresh and alive, and still
I don’t jump in.

Address

PO Box 576, 143 County Rd
Beverly, MA
01938

Website

http://www.prayandpaddle.org/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Pray and Paddle posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.