Moonlight Paddle

For many years now I have been planning on signing up to take a moonlight paddle down at the bay. Each year I never get around to it and put it off til the next year. Last night my dream finally came to be. I had always thought when the time came for me to actually do this paddle I would be with a friend or two but as it turned out they were all busy so I decided to go it alone and do it as a meditative paddle. When I had called there were only two others signed up so I planned for a quiet evening.

Kayaks, at the ready!

I arrived at Maple Bay in plenty of time so I could sit by the water but the kayaks were already out and there were many. Fifteen people would be going kayaking including two small children. My idea of a meditative paddle quickly disappeared. There was though another woman paddling on her own so I would have company. The skies were clear and the water calm, it would be a nice evening on the water. As we paddled away from the launch site I looked up to the moon and thanked God for this time and for sharing with me creation’s beauty. I breathed in deeply the sea air, allowed my body to relax in the cockpit of the kayak and felt so blessed.



Heading out on calm waters

We followed the coast line down towards the marina. People chatted and I could tell it would be a fun night. It was like playing follow the leader going under all the bridges out to the docks. The moon had already risen above the trees but it was still daylight out so the moon was very faded. We reached the place where we would cross over to the other shoreline and by now dusk had arrived. Instead of following each other we passed in one solid group so that we could be seen by other boaters. Each kayak had a flasher light on the back and a flashlight on the front so it was easy to see each other.



"Follow the leader" along the coastline

The moon was absolutely splendid. It was what they call a super moon, the time when the full moon is very close to our planet. It was huge with a full face and shone brightly down upon us as the darkness surrounded our kayaks. Going along the coastline heading north east the moon was now down behind the trees and we could look down into the dark water and see the phosphoresce. It was fun to put my hand in the water and watch the water dance with greenish lights. It was beautiful and reminded me of when I was a child and we would have sparklers outside and write our names with them in the darkened night. Eventually we reached a small little bay where we all gathered and tethered ourselves together for our snack break of chocolate brownies, lemon squares, ginger cookies and hot chocolate...what a treat!



Moonlight reflecting on ocean waters

We headed back in pure darkness, nothing to be seen but the moonlight reflecting down off the water. Looking ahead I could see the other kayaks’ flashing lights so I knew which direction to head. It took about half an hour to return to the beach and I used that time to quietly paddle on my own. There was some distance between all the kayaks so all I could hear was the sound of my paddle in and out of the water. It was so peaceful. I thought about how strange our world is. How there are people dying from terrible diseases, people terrified of being hit by missiles as their homes are attacked, people struggling as their water is contaminated from an industrial accident, so many terrible events are happening in our world and yet here I was, on my small island home, paddling across the water by moonlight. It doesn’t really seem right that our world is this way. That some are so blessed and others live in horrid conditions. It makes me thankful for all that I have and helps me to try not to waste a minute of time. To not only take time to help others but to make the most of each day and take note of the beauty in creation that I am so lucky to be surrounded by. This planet has so many fascinating and amazing places to see that there is no possible way I will be able to see it all but what I can do is spend time exploring the island that I call home and to always be thankful for all that there is. Thankful for moonlight paddles, for the silence that darkness brings, for the physical ability to be active in the outdoors and for all of the blessings creation gifts to us. A moonlit paddle on calm ocean waters, life doesn’t get much better.