I know, I haven’t even written it and I know it won’t be the last, I think.

Today, Thursday April 25, had one planned activity. That was to finally see Fallingwater, the country house designed for the Kaufman family by FLWright.  It is a mere 3 miles from where we are staying. It is 90 years from where we are today. The Kaufman’s were a couple who founded and owned Kaufman Department Store. Those of us from Rochester may remember when they bought Sibley, Lindsey and Curr, know to most of us as “Sibley’s” They had one son who never married and had they had no descendants. 

As older people ourselves we wonder what will become of our “stuff” and how to downsize to relieve the burden from our children. The Kaufman’s had a great idea. They had built a marvelous house and a great art collection and they left the entire estate to a not-for profit to manage as a museum, they also left $5 million in the 40’s to maintain it and its 5000 acres. We get the benefit of that largesse. A house built in the 30’s that looks in many regards like it was built yesterday (without conforming to current code). Railings on a deck too low for any standard, so Mrs Kaufman could see over them without getting out of bed. Stairways with no hand rails. Passage ways too narrow for easy passage and so many more. 

The sound of the creek wherever you are on the property permeates everywhere. As soon as you open one of the many windows it fills the space. Here is Carol leaning over one of the many patio walls above Bear Run.  This is just 8 seconds.

We concluded by walking to a viewpoint to get this classic picture: Well maybe it will upload by the time I post.  Try this link for excellent pictures

A cup of fancy coffee drink set us up for the brief ride back to the coach to begin prepartions for a less than 4 hour travel day and another day arriving in Rochester and moving out of the coach for the summer. We need our luggage, already in the car and the perishables and the electronics for the first trip. 

I’ll fill in the details in a later post.