Week 5 Agora Cafe, Armand Bayou & Martyn Farm Festival

A new coffee shop for both of us - in the Montrose area, and a lovely place to take your Sunday paper, library book, school marking, University course collaborators, or friends who just want to enjoy music from the juke box.

John chose a bit of Leonard Cohen for me.  And then lost a few dimes.... as the machine ate them.

Then he tackled his new/ old Camera a Spartus camera that I bought for him in Brenham... a few weeks prior to this photo. I can't wait to see the images he took today.

This is a textile piece through the window a gallery opposite the Agora.

And so the next day we decided to go to the north east and Armand Bayou where there was a festival at the Martyn Farm (clearly sponsored by Shell).

It was one of those heritage days that we thought might be ideal for children, and being children at heart we thoroughly enjoyed it.
Selected Highlights:-

Martyn Farm Texas from karin millson on Vimeo.
And after all we hadn't ever seen the old way of making sugar syrup from sugar cane... The horse mill press below:-

 Pressed canes

 Making hoe cakes... literally cooking the sweet potatoes and cornbread on their hoes

The garden with real peanuts... okra, squash and more... John is pointing out peanuts that have been semi dug out of the ground where, as you know, they grow.
There were demonstrations by blacksmiths and carpentry.  We particularly enjoyed the latter... with the carpenter showing us how they would have made new pieces for farmyard equipment.  And then I got on to asking him about Windsor chairs and he jumped up enthusiastically to show us the Spin Saw that was indeed used in the area.... and we got to have a go... as you saw in the video, I hope.

This house was of Louisiana style with very steep gable, not really necessary in this area. Inside, a lady (wearing indigo dyed blouse that she had made herself - completely hand stitched) gave us excellent information about what life had been like for the women at those times. Tough.  Though they did get to eat before the children.  It was a very pragmatic division of labour and benefits.
Out back, there was a demonstration of washing and soap-making which used the fat from animals and ash from the fires. Oops no photos.
Then we went for a walk to see the grasslands that they are maintaining.  There is very little of this habitat still in existence now. 

The interpretive trail is excellent... here is one very important page from the almost weatherproof binder.  I have so far found that not much mention is given to first nations here (US) compared to Canada where they bend over backwards to give thanks, credit and time to first nations in an effort at apology for the past and to educate the young (and some old).