Splendifferous Passaic River Boat Parade

Today we joined our friend Rick Rodriguez aka "River Man" for the first of an annual Passaic River Boat parade. A wonderful article in the Herald & Record highlighted the efforts of Rick to clean up the river. It also announced about the parade and helped bring people. After opening remarks by Rick and the Fire Chief of Elmwood Park I recited Psalm 8 and prayed this ancient Celtic Prayer of blessing and peace.

 Deep peace of the running wave to you,

Of water flowing, rising and falling,

Sometimes advancing, sometimes receding,

May the steam of your life flow unimpeded!

Deep peace of the running wave to you.

Deep peace of the flowing air to you

Which fans your face on a sultry day,

The air which you breathe deeply, rhythmically,

Which imparts to you energy, consciousness, life.

Deep peace of the flowing air to you.

Deep peace of the quiet earth to you, who herself unmoving,

Harbors the movements,

And facilitates the life of the ten thousand creatures,

While resting contented, stable, tranquil,

Deep peace of the quiet earth to you.

Deep peace of the shining stars to you,

Which stay invisible till darkness falls

And disclose their pure and shining presence,

Beaming down in compassion on our turning world.

Deep peace of the shining stars to you.

 We had a wonderful turnout of people with 15 from Madison Ave. filling our 2 canoes and 11 kayaks. In addition Rick had about 8 Sea Eagle Kayaks and the President of a branch in New York.

 I paddled our canoe today with DeAndre.

 We had a wonderful turnout and were escorted and followed by the Elmwood Park Fire Department.

Rev. & Mrs. Ricardo & Sonya Orellana

 We paddled to "Rick's Island" to take a break and have some time together.

 Rick had everyone find a few sticks and something to drum on. He has done alot of cleanup on the island and it is a beautiful grove of trees.  Linzie Tynes (standing) sang a song after witch Ricks sister Cyre (sitting on right) sang a new song she just wrote for this occasion. Two weeks ago she released a song she had written and recorded for the families of victims of 911. You can hear "I'll see you in Heaven" by clicking the link in the title of the song.

After that we had a "drumming circle" and people wandered around the Island before returning home.

Rick "The River Man" Rodriguez was grateful to see his dream of the river as a place of joy and re-creation taking place. Thanks for you leadership in this Rick. Keep up the good work. !

Paddling the Hackensack Meadowleands

Today I hosted Mrs. Alisa Englehard and one of her classes at Eastern Christian High School for a paddle on the Hackensack River & Meadowlands. The students are studying earlier settlers in the New York Metro area and why they settled around the rivers. We put in at the River Barge Park "Paddling Center" of the NJ Meadowlands Commission. This is named after a former river barge restaurant that was here.  I began with a small devotion from Psalm 46:4 "There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, God is in the midst of her."  All of our cities are here because of the rivers that God created for food, water, transportation and all of the wildlife they support.

 Since it had been a full moon the tides were higher than usual with high tide at about 6 1/2 feet when we put in.  We paddled north and then across the river to Mill Creek Point Park.

 Everyone did great paddling and the river was exceptionally calm.

 The marshes around Mill Creek Point are beautiful and full of bird and fish life. We saw snowy egrets, ospreys, double crested cormorants, and lots of little "killies" (small fish). Enjoy the pictures of our day.

See the Freedom Tower in the background

This is amazing paddling in an Urban Wilderness with the Empire State Building in the background

 After paddling awhile we had lunch at Mill Creek Point Park and then enjoyed a leisurely paddle
back across the river. Mrs. E. was teaching lessons all the way. What a great classroom God's creation is.