Walking on a thin crust of snow

I stop where my father’s garden was

in the yard of their house,

which I sold almost a decade ago, after they died.

The house is momentarily empty, between owners.

My parent’s great grandchildren wonder why we are here.

I bend down, a grandfather, and thrust my hands into the dirt.

The dirt I helped work when I was my granddaughter’s age

walking next to my father to till and plant.

How much of this dirt

clinging to potatoes, tomatoes, and squash

eaten over multiple dinners around crowded tables

is in my children’s, and my grandchildren’s bones?

How much of what we do now,

will carry forward?

We used to blame the establishment

for the world’s woes.

How much will they look back

and see not dirt, but blood

on our hands,

if all, in the end, we leave them with,

is overheated lifeless dirt?

© by Daniel DeMarle 12/5/2022

Some insights to date from my time running all the roads and trails in the City of Rochester. Insights from the first 10th of the City. There are 545 miles of roads.
1. It’s not what you expect. No matter what you think the City of Rochester is, and I have lived in it for almost 40 years, it’s not.
2. It is beautiful, and its beauty varies.
3. It is constantly surprising. You never really know what the next turn will be.
4. The railroad and rail lines play a much bigger part in our urban design than you would ever realize.
5. No matter how many dead ends you think there may be in the City, you are underestimating.
6. All dead ends are unique.
7. Urban pollution is not what you think it is.
8. There are way more industrial sites in the City than you would think there are.
9. There are way more active industrial sites in the City than you would think there are.
10. Noise pollution, particularly highway noise pollution, is a largely underappreciated issue and ruins entire neighborhoods.
11. Cars and drivers ruin parts of the city.
12. Good design is incredibly important
13. There are a lot more bike lanes than I, an active bicyclist, ever thought there were.
14. Good food abounds, so does bad food.
15. People are nice in the City.

© words by Dan DeMarle 9/26/22

The City of Rochester has approximately 554 miles of roads and streets. This does not include trails, etc..

3.62 miles 65 degrees

Met “Nova”

Lyell and Glide neighborhood

©  Words and photos by Dan DeMarle 9/18/22

The City of Rochester has approximately 554 miles of roads and streets. This does not include trails, etc..

4.5 miles 45 degrees

©  Words and photos by Dan DeMarle 9/16/22

The City of Rochester has approximately 554 miles of roads and streets. This does not include trails, etc..

4.45 miles 60 degrees

©  Words and photos by Dan DeMarle 9/13/22

If waiting for Godot was written today, it would be two men sitting around doom scrolling, not talking to each other, and only talking about where the nearest power source is to charge their phones.

© words by Dan DeMarle 8-20-2022

It was a hectic crazy time,

with an ill grandson,

among all the other craziness,

and in that time,

my son and his lovely wife came to visit.

It was short and fast,

but amid a granddaughter’s sleep-over,

They were here.

And although he did not realize it,

for a brief time many of my normal cares and worries,

were gone.

Burdens were lifted.

It was way too short,

and I never had a chance to say,

that he is grown, and I admire

the man he has become.

© words by Dan DeMarle 8/20/22

There’s a moment when you have children when suddenly they are grown. Now they may have been adults for quite a while. They may have kids and jobs and cars. But with all that, they were not quite adults.

It happened this week with my youngest. She borrowed my car for some mechanical work. Arranged the car swap, paid the bill, put my car back in the garage, plugged it back in, put my key on my kitchen table, and later said Thank You.

I felt proud and I felt sad. I realized that like High Queen Susan, who I must say was greatly wronged by C. S. Lewis, she was no longer welcome in Narnia. The time had come to put away childish things, and she had. She’s a woman and a mother. I’m so proud of her but still a little sad at childhood’s end.

© by Daniel DeMarle 7/23/22

While I am deeply saddened about the reported death of an RPD officer, and the wounding of another, it is important to note that a woman was also shot. There will be multiple outcries today about this tragedy, as well there should be. There will be multiple cries to do more to catch the shooter, as well there should be. However, there have already been 44 murders this year. At the end of the day, a person was killed who had a family and loved ones just as there have been 44 other humans killed. The fact that some people get far more attention than others when they are killed, is one of the basic reasons 44 other humans have been killed already this year. We can not value one life more than another no matter what the person’s job. color, gender, socioeconomic status, immigration status, sexual identity, religious belief system, or racial/ethnic background is. We are all human, we all only have one life. If you think life is precious then post just as much about these issues whenever anyone is killed.

©  by Dan DeMarle 7/22/22