The High Falls of the Genesee - Rochester, NY

When Anne proposed that we see the High Falls of the Genesee, I had no idea what to expect. What we found was a larger waterfall than we might have imagined, indeed, if Niagara were not so near, we believe that the High Falls would be more of an attraction that it is. When looking at a popular trip planning side that gives advice on what to see (notice I did not mention the name but you can easily surmise it), this particular attraction was listed as 21. It should be in the top five for the Rochester area. I will not comment further except to post photos so you can see what we saw.

I am told that the height of the High Falls of the Genesee is about 96 feet. The height of Niagara is about 167 feet. So that gives you some sense of the imensity of this often overlooked falls. Why not plan to look them over, next time you are in upstate New York!

High Falls Historic District - Rochester, New York

If you were asked to quickly name two large companies that have long been associated with Rochester New York, I am guessing you would have Kodak and Genesee Brewery on your short list. The High Falls Historic District where we spent part of Friday morning is sandwiched in between the Kodak tower and the Genesee plant, and also between them is the Bridge des Rennes connecting the two.

This first set of photos was made on the West side of the bridge, which is what we saw first when we went to explore the area. Anne's purpose was to garner information for some future article for "Drive the Nation". It was also fascinating to me to see some of the history both natural and architectural, of Rochester...

After the Airport...The Boynton House

On Friday, I took Judy to the Rochester Airport early in the morning. Emphasis on the word early. For her flight to Tri-Cities so that she could rejoin the 2014 Senior High Mission Trip. On the way to the airport, Judy was my navigator. And she is quite the good navigator.


On the way home, I was on my own. At some point I missed a turn, or maybe I took a turn I should not have taken, and ended up on the part of the interstate that goes right through downtown Rochester. I thought I could figure my way back to Webster from there, but then thought better of it, and took an exit on the East side of town. When I stopped in a pretty neighborhood of older homes, something about it said to me, "You have been here before." It was only then I remembered when we were in New York eleven years ago to celebrate Mike's 50th birthday, we had also gone past the Boynton House, a large showplace of a 1908 Prairie Style house by Frank Lloyd Wright, recently restored to perfect condition by its current owners. Yes, it remains a private residence.

So before I punched in the coordinates for getting back to the motel where we were staying, I looked up the address of the Boynton House and lo and behold, it was three blocks from where I was parked. Naturally, I did that three block detour and made a few early morning photos. Emphasis on the word early. The sun was just coming up over the house, and so it is back lighted. Even so, worth the detour. I was back at the motel before 8:30 by the way.

Donna's Flowers

The last place Mike was before he went to be with the Lord was on the deck in his back yard. A peaceful, beautiful setting, surrounded by spruce trees. Upstate New York is beautiful in June, and Donna had made their deck a very pretty and relaxing place, with some beautiful flowers that were still in bloom there when we returned after the memorial service.

Here are reminders of God's love and care for us, as whispered to us by some of Donna's flowers...

Mike's Flowers

One of the wonderful ways that friends say that they are thinking of us when we are grieving is to provide beautiful flowers. The flowers that were given to Donna and David and Daniel in memory of Mike were quite lovely. Flowers have a way of brightening a room and lifting the spirits, but they do fade all too soon, and so I made a few photos of Mike's flowers for Donna to have, long after the vases are empty. Here are some of those flowers.

Faith Lutheran Church - Penfield - New York

Now that we are back home again, Judy and I have been reflecting on the time we spent in Rochester with her sister Donna and our nephews David and Daniel, as we said farewell for now to our brother-in-law Mike.

The church where Donna and family have been members for many years is also where Donna works, and where Mike was an active volunteer on the church council and an enthusiastic particpant in Bible study and other programs.

Mike had said he wanted the service to be a celebration, and so it was, with the sanctuary filled to capacity, instrumetalists and singers, and eulogies from members of the family.

The people of Faith Lutheran Church are so supportive of Donna and the boys, it warmed our hearts to see their outpouring of love and concern.

During a quiet moment, I made a few photos of the sanctuary, which show the wonderful architectural details, at least some of them. I regret not photographing the baptismal font, and the worship cross which was fashioned from the "empty" spaces of the base of the communion table.