Marbers Musings

A Party School with Passion

Mark — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 16:20:22 +0000

My alma mater, Ohio University, recently became the #1 party school in the nation. As an ancient alumnus, I am asked whether or not the ‘Harvard on the Hocking’ was a party school back in my day. Yes, Ohio University offered both parties and passion in the 1970’s. It is alleged consuming too much alcohol [...]

The Flattest Place On Earth

Mark — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 23:06:42 +0000

I grew up in Northwestern Ohio, now considered the flattest place on Earth. From college on I sought out places to live and visit with hills and mountains. Looking back, the level horizon of my birthplace projects splendid beauty. Glaciers scrapped Defiance and Paulding counties into a smooth plane while piling dirt and rocks toward [...]

Garden of Stones

Mark — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 18:39:41 +0000

The Defiance, Ohio cemetery is a forest carved with roadways surrounded by a garden of stones. At its very southern point blooms a monument of love and art over the grave of my nephew. On a warm summer night, the type that glows in memories, our world shook with the sudden death of the talented [...]

Snowfall Derby 2011 – The Snowman

Mark — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 18:14:36 +0000

It is April and the sun is out. The only snow is the dirty mountains at parking lots after months of shoveling. There may be a flurry in the days ahead, but the 2011 Snowfall Derby is officially over. The season after El Nino was rough. Our snow climbed 40 inches more than 2010. The [...]

Snowfall Derby 2011 – Ground Hog’s Day

Mark — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 21:13:49 +0000

There is good news and bad news in snow land on Ground Hog’s Day. Rochester missed a major snowstorm that pounded states south and east of us. The ground hog did not see its shadow, which means spring will shortly arrive. We welcome some sunshine because the area is approaching the 2010 season snowfall six [...]

My Little Snowman

Mark — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 03:58:43 +0000

Jaymeson Palmer Weber turns 2 on March 7th. Talk about a snow baby, my grandson was born in the winter and his first twenty-three months are in an arctic environment. Thank goodness Jaymeson loves the snow. Jaymeson is enthusiastic about so many things. A roaring train mesmerizes him. As school buses come and go in [...]

Snowfall Derby 2011 – Icicles

Mark — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 16:50:54 +0000

Clear glass spears of jagged teeth Across the roof drip down beneath A little prose by Geoffrey Schmidt describes one of the wonders and challenges of living in snow land. Each icicle is a unique prism, projecting colors when the sun peeks through a winter day. Each icicle is a potential weapon bombarding from above. [...]

Snowfall Derby 2011 – Salt Mines

Mark — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 00:47:14 +0000

Over 14,000 tons of salt was sprayed on Rochester area roads during the final quarter of 2010. Salt keeps our roads drivable, but it negatively impacts the enviornment. Salt mining is a major local business. More than a flavor, salt shakes up our lives in snow land. 106 local highway snowplows attack eight to nine [...]

Snowfall Derby 2011 – Halfway Home

Mark — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 13:05:30 +0000

We received three inches of snow over the weekend. Nothing special about that, especially in January. I am pretty excited. We are now over winter’s halfway point on accumulated snow. I sense spring in the frigid air. Weekend snow increased the season-to-date accumulated snow to 53.6”. Rochester averages 100.3” per year. We are halfway home. [...]

Journey Back To Start

Mark — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 14:11:42 +0000

We focus on moving forward; never believing a sudden stumbling block will throw us back to the starting line. Tom Deroller stumbled and now describes his incredible journey back to start. An avid road bicyclist, Tom Deroller was pedaling into a parking lot when fate threw him into the air. The landing broke his femur [...]