Wouldn't you know that my camera's battery went low when I got to Homestead Heritage, located in the town of Brazos de Dios which includes a 510-acre working farm. The best way to describe this attraction is as if it were one of those "living history museums" where people are dresses in costumes of that era and you go hopping to different buildings. The difference is that it's in the present and people are not in any costumes, but more simple clothing to do their crafts.
I began the tour with the barn, where I met Howard Henderson for a tour. The barn houses the main gift shop of wares crafted by the employees at the other buildings: woodworking, where they made furniture, instruments, walking sticks, etc.; pottery, where I was taught to craft a vase; heritage forge, which had silversmiths making items such as wrought-iron tables; gristmill, grinding wheat to make flour for baking and mixes; fiber crafts, where they break down and spin fiber for fabrics; and a restaurant and bakery. You can purchase items from each of the buildings as well as the barn.
I'm not sure where they make cheese, but that is one of the many courses taught here. Imagine being out of a job, changing careers, or retired and wanting to learn crafts. Learn homestead skills to include farm animals, growing herbs, raising poultry and gardening. Kitchen skills such as bread making and soap making. Workshop crafts include pottery, basketry, blacksmithing, sewing, knitting, spinning and weaving.
It's the visitors center that houses the cafe. Normally I would not order a hamburger. The meat comes from the cattle on the premises. They are making their own cheese. Any veggies are grown on the property. The bun is made from the wheat at the grist mill. I had their fresh made ice cream for dessert.
I got that they open Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
It was an early start the next day as I got a tour of the Armstrong Browning Libary and Museum located in the campus of Baylor University in Waco. It's renowned for its Robert Browning and Elizabeth Browning collections. The biggies are the great bronze door depicting themes from Robert Browning's poetry, 62 stained glass windows and antique furniture that reflects the lives of the two poets.
You can view some of the poetry on the stained glass windows, check out the Austin Moore-Elizabeth Barrett Browning Salon.
What does Browning and Italy have in common? Guardian Angels, the patron organization for the library. It is in reference to Robert Browning's poem, "The Guardian Angel: A Picture at Fano." He was inspired to compose the poem after viewing Guercino's painting of the same name that hangs in Fano, Italy a town and comune of the province of Pesaro and Urbino in the Marche region. You can view this stained glass window and if you go to Fano, you can view the painting.
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