What an ADVENTURE

Recently spent some days at Homestead Heritage in Waco.  A very dear friend has some relatives there.  We were fortunate to stay in a guest house that Kevin and Kelly built and owned on the acreage near their home.

Homestead is an agrarian community, very craft oriented, intentionally Christ centered.  The women do not wear make up, do not wear pants, home school their children, do not watch TV, but do use cell phones and computers.  Some of the men do work outside of the community.

They have one of the best restaurants in Waco.  I bought soaps, linens, jellies, the best cheese, a $9 loaf of bread that was loaded with nuts and seeds, great pottery.  Be sure and have their sweet potato soup and chips.  And, splurge on their ice cream.

I gave some critiques to a couple of the men who were painters.  One of the painters had some of the most beautiful chickens I had ever seen, so asked if he would turn them out so I could take photos.  The rooster was huge (and tough and controlling).  When Kevin called to thank me for some brushes I had sent through the mail, I asked him what that rooster's name was, as I had just started to paint him.  He informed me that he no longer was alive.  The wilderness backs up to their property and am sure that coyotes or maybe a bob cat took his life.

Loved seeing their fields of vegetables and berries, the storage of sweet potatoes into the side of the hill, the cattle, the aquaponics, the mill, the iron works, the wood working and making of gorgeous furniture, the cheese factory, the herbs.  In general, the life style is appealingly simple.

Here is my painting of their beautiful chickens.