ROC City Compost Pilot

My wife and I have been composting counter waste and yard clippings at home for a number of years. Our composting journey began back in 2006 with a home-made composting pit built with our kids, and evolved into a purchased covered composting bin in 2013. Eventually we purchased a service to pick up our compostable waste weekly. At the start of this summer, the opportunity to be part of the free City of Rochester's community composting pilot program presented itself and we took advantage of it.

Our participation in the pilot resulted in a new wrinkle being added to my weekly Wednesday routine as, unlike the paid service, the pilot requires participants to drop-off of their individual filled buckets, provided at no-cost, to one two locations. The official documentation regarding the pilot posted on the City of Rochester’s website succinctly, and accurately, describes the experience: “City staff will sign you in, weigh your bucket of food waste, empty it and hand it back to you so that you can continue to collect food waste and drop-off on a weekly basis.” It really was that simple and oddly enjoyable to view the scale numbers come up to judge growth from the previous week. I would envision that as we, and others, become more acclimated with the list of potentially compostable contents, the weekly weights will continue to rise.

I also observed another possible benefits of the nescient pilot: the potential to extend beyond the possibility of further limiting greenhouses gases and into community and culture building. The professionals staffing the table were very helpful in assisting/educating folks with navigating the process if there was any confusion. As these were the same folks as the previous week, and only the second week of drop-off, it was nice that they remembered who I was and created a nice opportunity for developing a sense of community among the composters. (They engaged the person who stopped in immediately after me, so this interaction did feel felt sincere.)

This new opportunity is a far cry from the chicken wire pit we put up 12(!) years ago, and though we still use the compost bin for grass clipping and leaves, the opportunity to have food waste taken away is for composting eliminates the possible concerns of rodents and bugs finding there ways into the yard. As with any pilot, there are sure to be hiccups and challenges to be addressed and systems to be refined (thus the term "pilot"). However, two weeks into the pilot, the program, and culture building around composting, is to off to a solid start.

Spring Break Plan: 30 Miles in 24 Hours

While I miss the camaraderie of live "racing," one positive consequence of our (so-far) year long  quarantine is embracing virtual runs to try different distances and challenges, and as a means of establishing training targets. One of the inherent realities of virtual racing at any distance is the importance of personal accountability in following through and reporting results. While in certain ways the stakes are lower than live racing ("If I DNF no one will be there to see it.") the added responsibility of honestly reporting your performance, good, bad or ugly, feels in a way a raising of the stakes. With Spring Break here, and the world slowly beginning to re-open to running adventures, there remains time left to squeeze in some final virtual running fun. With this in mind, I registered for the Yeti 24 Hour Challenge, organized by Yeti Trail Runners, last week. 

The challenge here is to run or walk 5 miles every four hours for 24 hours resulting in total of 30 miles. I will, however, be deviating slightly from the implied mission statement of Yeti Trail Runners by traversing roads, due to both easy access and, sadly, my propensity for getting lost on trails. To prepare myself, in addition to increasing the distances of my long, moderate runs, I  have spent the past few weeks incorporating a variety of different 5-ish mile routes into my runs. The intention is to  allow for some variety in scenery and, more importantly, safety--while I have rarely not felt safe running during the very early hours within my community, taking unnecessary risks at 1 a.m. seems unnecessary.

The plan is to use one day of Spring Break to cycle through the 24 hour period free of other responsibilities so that I can focus, recover and complete the challenge as comfortably as possible. Once certain days were taken of the table as possibilities due to previously schedule follow-up COVID vaccinations (both for myself and my mother), movie premieres (Godzilla v. Kong!) and other commitments, Monday, March 29, came away as the best choice. Within the context of my regular training program this will also permit a rare second weekend recovery day going in to better insure my body would be rested, ready and responsive to the challenge.

I have previously run a few ultra races (26.3 miles or longer), both in person and virtually, so my intention with this challenge is to "run" each 5 mile section with the intent of sharing the final outcome: good, bad or ugly! 

Prez's Week Break/BHM Douglass Statue Run

The profiles of Frederick Douglass (pictured) and Susan B.
Anthony guide walkers and runners along the Heritage Trail.

Last Thursday, in advance of the current President’s Weeks Recess, I challenged my eleventh-grade students to take advantage of the fortunate occurrence of a week away from school during Black History Month to get out and visit some local sites and reminders of our metro community’s significant role in a number of civil rights movements. I shared a few excursions of my own from the past, including the City of Rochester Heritage Trail and a number of artistic murals commemorating individuals and events of historical importance.

Social distancing and masking are key to safely visiting the numerous sites.

As the student submissions have been slow to trickle in (there are still four days left of break, however), I sought to prime the enrichment pump this morning by heading out myself. In the past I have used the map of Frederick Douglass statues available on NoSoilBetter.com as a loose guide (as well as a superior informational resources) to running downtown Rochester, New York. In addition to getting a nice run in on the very well-maintained city streets and sidewalks, I managed to "collect" two new statues and revisit a few previously noted ones. Here they are presented in the order I came across them on my 5+ mile loop out-and-back from home on the east side. The Frederick Douglass statues can be found in a variety of easy-to-find locations significant to his life and work in neighborhoods across Rochester. Images that follow were all taken by me and captions consist of content is from NoSoilBetter.com.

Outside the College at Brockport SUNY Rochester Educational Opportunity Center, placed to commemorate Douglass’ commitment to education. Directly across from Martin Luther King Jr. Park, site of many Black Lives Matter protests last summer.

Washington Square Park bordered by Woodbury Blvd., Court Street, St. Mary’s Place and S. Clinton Ave. also the site of Civil War “Soldiers and Sailors” monument. In the background is my old church parish, St. Mary’s.

The Douglass monument located in Aqueduct Park, neighbors The Talman Building (25 East Main St ). The North Star and The Frederick Douglass Newspaper were published here. 

50 Plymouth Avenue North, formerly the Central Presbyterian Church, currently the site of the Hochstein School of Music and Dance. The site of Douglass’ funeral.

Corinthian Street (formerly Exchange Place), just east of State Street, adjacent to the hotel parking lot. The site of Douglass’ renowned Fourth of July speech. Directly across the street is the recently completed Rep. John Lewis mural.

300 Alexander Street, at the corner of East Avenue, near the site of Douglass’ first home in Rochester at 297 Alexander Street.

Though each is cast from the same mold, it is interesting to note that individuals have taken steps to slightly personalize some of the statues. There in lies even more stories, perhaps to be further explored at a later date. Despite the currently empty state of my school e-mail box, I am confident a few students will make the  effort to enrich both their grades and themselves by following through with some personal reflection... until then, I anxiously await the tell-tale ding indicating "You've got mail!"

Book Morgue Discards: American Negro Poetry (1969)

With ye old library card intact; last date borrowed: 1984!

There is a thin line between “bibliophile” and “hoarder.” When I happen across a bag, box, or table of library discards, the line blurs even further. A few years ago my school’s library was purging itself of older, out-of-date editions, and I could not resist rescuing a few titles from wherever books go to return to the earth. As often happens, however, they were saved from one dusty shelf (or more specifically from a plastic bag in the book room), only to settle onto another. Last week, with a few spare moments before classes ended and Presidents Week Recess began, I pulled a few volumes from the shelf of former discards for a closer look…

Edited by Arna Bontemps.

American Negro Poetry edited by Arna Bontemps was first published in 1963 and the edition I have was put out in 1969 (the year I was born). Other than the slightly dated title, the poetry therein remains vibrant and relevant these many years later. As she notes in her excellent introduction, Bontemps poses an excellent question that drives her selection of poetry: “What happened after the death of Phyllis Wheatley to the impulse represented by her poetry?” As the most prominent early African American poet, Wheatley serves as a familiar starting point with which to guide readers through both recognizable names (at least by contemporary standards) Paul Laurence Dunbar, Langston Hughes and Gwendolyn Brooks as well as those who are less well known but equally worthy of our time. Bontemps offers fascinating biographical information about many of the writers which places them in the historical continuum of the genesis of African-American poetics. The introduction introduced me to a number of poets with whom I had no previous experience but were identified by Bontemps as being prominent.

Claude McKay, for example, is referred to here by Bontemps as the “strongest voice” in “United States Negro poetry” since Dunbar (who is still widely anthologized in high school textbooks—with good reason). Prior to reading Bontemps’ anthology, I was unfamiliar with McKay and his writing. His poem “Outcast” begins with the powerful lines, “For the dim regions whence my fathers came/My spirit, bandaged by the body longs.” Those lines, in addition to the five poems included here, inspires me to seek out more. The possibility of discovering new authors for further exploration is just one of the great values of anthologies, even one that has been previously discarded. 

A second draw of poetry anthologies like American Negro Poetry is finding that authors with whom one is familiar in one genre have also found success in another. Take novelist Richard Wright for example. While I, like most, have read Wright’s novel Native Son, this text introduced me to Wright the poet. Wright’s “Hokku Poems,” in particular, piqued my interest. On the page, the visual structure of the series of eight three line stanzas reveals the influence of Japanese haiku. While the opening line of stanza 1, “I am nobody,” suggest the political tone often associated with Wright, the content of stanzas that follow are much more playful and fun. Stanza 2, in particular, is a personal standout: “Make up your mind snail!/You are half inside your house/And halfway out!”

The complete "Hokku Poems" as it appears in text.

Bontemps continued to revise and update American Negro Poetry for decades with the most current edition (I could find online) coming out in 1995. As I think about the events that lead to this particular text being set aside, this understanding does provide me hope this older, worn edition was retired in favor of a more current one. The poetry in this anthology remains vital and relevant, while continuing to resonate.

A Peanut Butter Pounder of a Student Film

This Winter Recess, I made good on a promise made to my Greece Athena High students;  I spent an afternoon watching and thinking about a movie made in collaboration with a friend of theirs, Concrete Jungle. Now showing on YouTube, Concrete Jungle is described as “… an independent film directed, written, and edited by Jake Bisnett. It's a collaborative project including Gianni Rinaudo as director of photography. Leading cast stars Tucker Green and Joshua Chatt, as Leo Adams and Charlie Wright.”

Full disclosure: I love movies from a variety of genres but have been unable to sit through many low budget movies of any kind. While it has become increasingly popular in film buff circles to romanticize the wonder and magic of homemade movies, it’s just never been something I seek out for entertainment. More often than not, I come across low budget horror while digging through streaming service and the results are rarely good. If this makes me a snob, then so-be-it. This admission aside, the question then becomes, why watch a 40-minute movie made by local aspiring filmmakers?

Much like some teachers attend high school sporting events to support their charges; it is always a pleasure to support student artistic efforts as well. This usually entails attending recitals, musicals or concerns, so this is something new and exciting—which I am always down for.

On the production team’s YouTube (where this can be viewed for free), Concrete Jungle is about “Three inner-city delinquents knock out a cop, and are forced into a city-wide expedition of comic stores, parking garages, and night parties in order to beat the clock and cover up the crime.” I am happy to share that the Concrete Jungle’s 40-minute runtime reveals, in addition to being entertaining, quite a few really strong elements that helps to recommend it’s viewing:

• The film’s opening scene during which the leads are bicycling in and around downtown Rochester, New York, (which really is often as deserted as depicted here) along with clean opening credits and music, Concrete Jungle has an air of professionalism about it. The choices to use a simple font and local music establishes this as a small but professional piece.
• Shot entirely in Monroe County, for local yokels such as myself, the use of real-life locations ranging from the very well known (an unnamed, uber successful mega-lo mart), to the more recent, and even (since filming concluded) closed stores, parks, and canal paths lends both a charge (“I know that place!”) as well as a sense of realism.
• “Peanut butter pounder” is just one of the youthful, cultural allusions introduced early in the movie and developed slightly throughout. Whether an “in joke” among players or something with a broader cultural resonance among young people, I am 100% on board with the concept (presuming it is not some weird euphemism—if so, PLEASE let this old guy know!).

Concrete Jungle’s greatest strengths are all related to the creative talent of those involved, especially:

• The acting is quite accomplished, even when it is not (by traditional standards) "professional." I knew (know) none of the leads prior to this viewing and I do feel as though I have met them though the movie. While a small part of this could be my own familiarity with the teen archetypes being portrayed, there is an earnestness to the performances, from leads (especially Tucker Green who plays Leo Adams) to minor roles (Amanda Clement as Lola Burke is a standout) are strong. My guess is that each is playing a slight variation of their own personality, and as a result, even those who appeared to be helping a boyfriend, girlfriend, sibling or offspring by appearing on camera put it nice performances.
• There are directorial flourishes that really stand out. Clearly influenced by classic independent classic Clerks (1994) and Kids (1995), and, frankly, what young filmmaker isn’t influenced by these movies whether they realize it or not, much of the movie’s structure is pure Family Guy. Numerous cutaways to provide additional exposition or ironic comedy suggests Seth McFarland’s television show continues to make its way into the way stories are told. When most effective here, such as Lola’s “date” with an aspiring “rapper,” these tangential moments add humor and a touch of sweetness. Likely due to the challenges of making films with a young (and busy!) cast, there are some more awkward deviations such as the use of a one-off voice-over (he does however, thank the viewer though for the brief intrusion) or fill-ins for some actors (credited in closing credits) within the context of this student endeavor these creative fixes work. Very promising work from director Jake Bisnett.
• The cinematography is sharp and well framed. Shot by Gianni Rinaudo, who also acts as the aforementioned “fill-in” as well as a brief cameo as "Himself", is credited as the “Director of Photography.” In addition to the scenic establishing shots, Rinaudo does a solid job framing the smaller character interactions in a way that is intimate but unobtrusive, for example, the scene where James and Leo get Sam’s phone number from Lola and Ivy.

Because it is on YouTube, Concrete Jungle is unrated. My 50+ year-old-maybe-not-so-hip rating for the movie would be a very soft [R] due to totally to language. While it occurs in a very organic way given the subjects, it is pervasive. I have been in a contemporary cinema back when we had them, so I “get it.” This is simply an observation made for very young viewers to whom I would recommend this movie. The final result is a tremendous example of young people working to together to create something that, while not completely “new,” does suggest bright futures ahead for all involved whether in film-making or some other profession—or both! I look forward to checking out the "wonder and magic" of their future efforts.

Check it out on their YouTube page!

Winter Movies: James Joyce's The Dead

The first snow came early this year in Western New York. Though I may say this every year, for the first time "ever" I was shoveling in the dark in mid-November. This early December morning when I woke up in the dark, it was as I suspected: a light snowfall extending the anticipation of the holiday season had fallen again. Though it was only what amounted to a half inch or so, it was just enough to set the pavement aglow under the street lights. The pre-Christmas snowfall of winter, or more to the point, the apparent magic of it, often brings me back to a short story by Irish writer James Joyce from his collection The Dubliners, and by extension to the 1987 film adaptation of the same story directed by John Huston, James Joyce's The Dead.

The year 1987 was my first as a college undergraduate, and, like many, home from my first semester in December, I felt a sense of invincibility and wonder. It was my first time away from home for an extended period of time, and my first taste of (arrested) adulthood, code for being able to make all the dumb mistakes that first year college students do. This was also a time of little meaningful reflection allowing for the quick dismissal of mistakes with little understanding of what things really meant.

While on break, my brother and I went to a local art house to see The Dead. I was armed with one World Literature course (and the powerful understanding of the literary term "epiphany"), so, of course, I was an expert in artsy-fartsy books and movies. So away we went. For all I really knew at the time, The Dead could very well have been a Victorian era zombie movie, but what I experienced that evening (and much more powerfully so in later viewings) was a moving meditation on insecurity, nostalgia and love.

IMDB describes the film thusly: "Gabriel Conroy and wife Greta attend a Christmas dinner with friends at the home of his spinster aunts, an evening which results in an epiphany for both of them," and despite the seemingly dry set-up its the actors and director Huston who turn the subject matter into compelling viewing. The lead actors, Angelica Huston (Greta Conroy) and Donal McCann (Gabriel Conroy) bring to life the two "literate" characters with performances that are both celebratory (the dinner party) and melancholy (Michael Furey's final romantic gesture).

Those ready for a moving holiday film experience will not be disappointed. For myself, rewatching the film over the years, its themes naturally grow more meaningful to me, just as the feelings at Christmas time become grow more complex. For whatever reason this movie is very difficult to find online, so a public library may be your best bet. Even better yet read the short story in The Dubliners before seeking it out.

One NY Run... Done!

Setting out for the final 6 of 310.75 miles this morning at 5:30 a.m. (7/23/20)

This morning’s 6.9 mile run brought me just though the finish line of my latest virtual running venture, the One NY Virtual Challenge. When first signing up, I (like all participants) was given the opportunity to commit to running roughly half the length of the state, measured at 500 kilometers (310.75 miles), or the entire length, 1000 kilometers (621.5 miles). I had just come off logging 33 miles in a single day for the Mind the Ducks Virtual Race, so played it safe by going with the 500k option. Now having finished with 40 days to spare, I like to think I could do the extra 500km, but am proud to have finished what I started. (It is not like I am going to stop running anyway!)

Registration opened on May 15, and I began my mile counting on the following day, though I held out hope some other non-virtual opportunities might happen. They did not, so by embarking on the average weekly the initial weekly average of 22 mile—well within weekly average, especially with Summer Break on the horizon—I would comfortably conclude the challenge on the final day, August 31. As it turned out, I was able to maintain my current practice of four weekly runs, and slowly add miles to build my weekly average to around 33 miles during the challenge. This average is an all-time high; even the years I trained for ultras usually resulted in lower monthly averages over the course of the twelve month calendar due to the need for rest weeks and injury. While I am aware it is not “amazing” by most standards, I am proud to have been able to slowly build. Ultimately I finished today, five weeks ahead of schedule in a cumulative time of approximately 47 hours, 28 minutes. An average of  9 minutes, 10 seconds per mile, which is fairly close to me median pace given planned key fast and slow-easy runs. I guess I'm nothing if not steady, at least when it comes to running!

View from run up East Main Street--from Twitter--on Day 1 of One
NY Run journey on May 16. (5/16/20)

Just as the state and national quarantine has taken away some of the enjoyable running events I look forward to annually (Lilac 10k, Shoreline Half Marathon, Firecracker 5 Mile, and so on), I have tried my best to allow the quarantine to give me something in return. The greatest gift here has been time. Whether the time home working with my wife during the height of quarantine or additional hours while teaching remotely which had previously been used to commute and/or arrive early to get to the copier before the daily rush. This extra time has been an incredible gift I have attempted to take advantage of before things (and the chaos of work schedules) necessitates a return to “normalcy”.

Now, onto the next adventure...

Summer Re-Reading: American Monsters

A few summers ago, my interest in cryptozoology was rekindled. Initially nurtured in my childhood by a steady diet of my parents’ copies of World News and the National Enquirer, this interest has re-emerged thanks in part to a new interest in folklore as well as listening to a number of excellent crytpid and folklore related podcasts and reality television shows. Once a niche filed of ineterst, well-written and academic reading about such creatures as the Mothman, Bigfoot and others has also  become much more readily available. Though there was magic in the halcyon days of Bat Boy, the writing has also become more polished, professional and consistently entertaining.

Due to the clean writing style and accessible nature of her writing, Linda S. Godfrey has quickly found her way to my nightstand as one of my go-to cryptid informer and literary palette cleansers. “One of America’s foremost experts on mystery creatures”, Godfrey’s books take a journalistic approach to retelling anecdotes and presenting histories of a variety of “monsters”, both familiar and unfamiliar. American Monsters: A History of Monster Lore, Legends, and Sightings in America spans an extensive timeline of experiences, often relayed through first-hand accounts of a multitude of incidents with mysterious creatures. While re-reading sections this summer, I was also pleased to see the number of secondary sources from smaller publishes she references, in particular, those dealing with local or regional folklore.

"Wendigo" illustration, page 254.

The encyclopedic text is divided into three parts, Air, Sea and Land, and further organized into chapters. Each chapter is then broken into small accounts of related creatures ranging in length from one to four pages. The anecdotes also include reference to numerous sources, information from which is used so effectively I found myself keeping a small "to read" list of these small press publications. This org -group. The book opens, for example, with “Part One: Monsters by Air”, beginning with “Chapter 1. Feathered Fiends” before moving into tales of Bigclaw, the Micmac Culloo and other historical Big Birds. In a language that is conversational and a tone that is suggests a suspension of disbelief, the writer comes across as neither pandering nor naive. Godfrey clearly lays out the experiences of  individuals in a manner that evokes each the eerie mood of each encounter and evokes the historical and cultural context from which each emerged.

One of the book’s chief accomplishments, beyond being wildly entertaining, is taking advantage of opportunities to add additional layers of insight to those topics readers might incorrectly presume they have heard everything about. The expert here is clearly Godfrey and she’s come equipped with multiple approaches to each subject. An excellent example of this is the section entitled “Challenge of Chupacabres.” Having seen the X-Files episode as well as one or two short videos on YouTube, it might be easy to assume one has all the relevant information necessary to make a personal call on the existence of this “hell monkey”.  While not offering a definitive answer on the existence of chupacabres, Godfrey does provide some examples of encounters and sightings with ancillary creatures that may be related to the Chupacabra phenomenon. Throughout the text, Godfrey also provides samples of photographic evidence and illustrations that range from the evidentiary to the ornamental. (As an aside, that evidence which is referenced throughout, but not included here, is readily available via a quick online search.)

American Monsters is a very entertaining and informative summer reading selection which continues to foster a personal interest in unusual creatures and the zeitgeist from which they sprang. In so many ways, each story is telling a small piece of the American story, which I continue to find fascinating. My guess is that if you take the chance to pick-up this unique tome, you will find the same.

*Originally posted 7/23/18, Revised 7/16/2020

Peanut Butter, Jelly & Mindfulness

Waking up this morning, I smile.

Twenty-four brand new hours are before me.

I vow to live fully in each moment.

and to look on all beings with eyes of compassion. (3)

The hours at home during the COVID-19 quarantine, as well as during daily solo runs or dog-walking excursions, continue to provide time for introspection. Recently, the titles of previously enjoyed books have come to mind, like some old friend with whom you’d lost contact but suddenly have a desire to check in on. The most recent “old friend” popped in last week during lunch. Sitting at my desk during virtual summer school, preparing to hungrily attack the peanut butter and jelly sandwich I’d packed, I thought to myself, “What is the rush?” One positive outcome of my quarantine experience has been making an effort to s-l-o-w down, a concept I had been neglectful in applying to my eating habits. At that moment, Present Moment, Wonderful Moment: Mindfulness Verses for Daily Living, came to mind and I made a mental note to pull it from the bookshelf for a summer re-read.

When I tell my students that sometimes the largest ideas come in the smallest texts, I share this from personal reading experience. Present Moment, Wonderful Moment by Thich Nhat Hanh is a slender volume (75 pages!) intended by the author to be a “handbook of practical down-to-earth verses” useful for recitation throughout the “entire day to help us attend to the present moment”. (vii) Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Buddhist Monk, presents and comments on, in very secular language, forty-nine gathas (“mindfulness verses”). Having read a number of Hanh’s books, I can attest to his writing style being very accessible to the Western reader reared on Catholicism, like your’s truly. This is assisted by the beautifully, simple illustrations by Mayumi Oda, such as the one to the left for "Using the Telephone," sprinkled throughout the text.

The first time I revisited Present Moment, Wonderful Moment was 20 years ago. During that time, as a means of improving my own awareness, I copied the most personally relevant of these verses onto 3 x 5” index cards and placed them strategically around the house as reminders. This was during a difficult time in my life and it helped to ground me in the important little moments that are often taken for granted, especially when I was feeling sorry for myself. Organized into four sections ("Verse for Starting the Day", "... Meditation", "...Eating Mindfully", "...For Other Daily Activities") consisting of short verses for superficially mundane daily activities ranging from "Opening the Window" to "Turning on the Television", I continue to find it very useful in focusing awareness on instances often taken for granted. No act, though, is as "mundane" as we think it to be. Always in need of broader, deeper practice, today, my peanut butter and jelly sandwich had me considering “eating”, as in developing a stronger practice of eating mindfully. 

The verses shared by Hanh in Present Moment, are simple, easy to remember, and wonderful vehicles toward deeper thought. One of my favorites is "Serving Food", perfect for consideration prior to eating a meal: "In this food,/I see clearly/the presence of the entire universe/supporting my existence." (48) In explaining the reasoning behind using verses for awareness, Hanh also touches on other ancillary aspects of eating that have wider implications, such as the awkwardness of silence we often feel and fill with "noise" like radio, television or chatter while eating.

Like any good reading, didactic or otherwise, these regular visits with Present Moment, Wonderful Moment, revealed with each pass. With any grace, the verses and ideas present therein will linger at the table for longer this time... HIGHLY RECOMMENDED reading for any seeking to slow down and (eventually--I know I am still working on it!) savor each moment.

Roc Community Garden Run 1

Through the arbor and into the Wide Water Gardens. (6/30/20)

Returning back to a project I began at the start of COVID-19 quarantine, I set a course prior to this morning's run for some "landmarks" of local interest. Having collected most Frederick Douglass statues and experienced of few haunted locations on foot, I set my sights on something new: community gardens.  Using a list created and posted by the Monroe County Cornell Cooperative Extension as an initial resource (as well as my own recollection from previous runs), I put together a short loop that would bring me into four gardens of varying degrees of scope. Today's six miler addressed those gardens in closest proximity to my home, though my larger intent is to get by some of those that are set throughout the Greater Rochester Community.

Click to embiggen annotated
map of all locations for four
local gardens visited on a six
mile loop through Rochester, NY.

A few things I learned while planning my route is that there are a number of organizations responsible for establishing and maintaining community gardens. These range from the grand, public displays such as the RMSC Gardens, to the secluded and functional such as those on Cypress and Rosedale Streets. Quiet a few are managed in cooperation with the City of Rochester local government, and one, the Broadway Community Garden managed by the 490 Farmers, is the oldest of its kind in New York State. In digging through some basic information for each, I once again found myself grateful for the amount of positive activity taking place in our community outside the limelight.

I set out at 6 a.m., so some of the images are not very good, and in most instances, the gardens were very quiet. On two occasions, urban farmers were arriving to water their plots as I slowed to take a few cell phone pictures. Because it is was only the last day of June, those gardens/plots that serve the primary function of growing edibles were still very green, though photogenic nonetheless. Unsurprisingly, that which was which was designed for aesthetic quality above function (though herbs are practical plants) provided the most colorful.

1. Wide Water Gardens, Upper Monroe Neighborhood, 345 Rosedale Street. "One of the largest community gardens in Western New York, Wide Water Gardens is an urban agricultural, educational and recreational resource for residents of the City of Rochester and surrounding communities." (Source: Facebook Cite)

Wide Water Gardens lies in a corner lot along the 490
Expressway. (6/30/20)

Sound barriers help maintain peace and quiet in the Wide Water
Gardens. (6/30/20)

Wide Water Gardens consists of 60 beds, each maintained by
individual urban gardeners cumulatively featuring a wide
variety of herbs, flowers, vegetable and fruit. (6/30/20)

2. The Broadway Community Garden, Corner of Broadway & Meigs Streets. "It is the first community garden on state owned land in New York, 490 Farmers is an urban farming collective that founded and maintains The Broadway Community Garden and Free Food Forest based along I-490 in Rochester, NY. We provide garden plots to residents for personal food or therapy gardens, a Children's Garden, and a volunteer Food Forest supplying pantry donation." (Source: Website)

The Broadway Community Garden is very much a self-contained,
functioning urban farm. (6/30/20)

Cool visual of stages of decomposition and readiness of
compost for use in maintaining garden beds. (6/30/20)

The Broadway Community Garden's Free Food Forest is
open for members and visitors. (6/30/20)

Signage throughout the Broadway Community Garden 
provide opportunities for both learning and appreciating the
efforts of volunteers. (6/30/20)

The Broadway Community (490) Garden. (6/30/20)

Children's Garden and picnic tables create a wonderful family-
friendly atmosphere. (6/30/20)

3. South Wedge Victory Garden, 122 Hamilton St and 162 Cypress St. "The South Wedge Victory Gardens provide an opportunity for neighborhood residents to grow their own fresh vegetables saving money and encouraging healthy eating. It also offers an opportunity for additional outdoor exercise and building community among neighbors." (Source: Website)

By acreage, the smallest visited today, but also most of what comes
to mind when I think of a community garden. (6/30/30)

Positioned between two residencies, the South Wedge Victory
Garden is on the location of a home that was demolished. (6/30/30)

4. Rochester Museum and Science Center (RMSC) Herb Garden, 657 East Avenue. “The RMSC historic gardens offer a beautiful background for photography. Garden backdrops include: Tim Sullivan Memorial Garden, Garden of Fragrance, Kearns Family Garden, Mary E. Slifer Memorial Garden, Don Lowry Garden, Main Entrance Garden (planted by FLCC students).” (Source: Website)

RMSC Gardens. (6/30/20)

Another visitor in the RMSC Gardens. (6/30/20)

RMSC Gardens. (6/30/30)

RMSC Gardens. (6/30/20)

RMSC Gardens. (6/30/20)

Serene and peaceful during an early morning run, I anticipate revisiting these locales later in the day later this summer. Each possesses it's own charm and as fruits, vegetable and herbs continue to  blossom and grow I am confident they energy and expectation will build, too.