Visiting Miss Chicky

Our visit to New Hampshire began and ended on a high note.   After lunch overlooking a ski slope on the first day and then a stop to visit some rescue dogs in town, we ventured off to the less populated side of a mountain.  After driving about 20 miles through the woods, we turned on a "road" that deadended into a long private drive.  In the clearing and nestled into the side of the mountain was a home that had been moved to this site.  The wing on the left of the house is ca. 1740 -- yes, 1740 -- and the wing on the right is ca. 1804.  The center wing, which houses the kitchen, was new construction to join the two homes together.

The drive comes around to the front of the house, which is the ca. 1740 structure.

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We entered through the side door of the 1740 structure and were greeted by a warm fire in one of the ten original fireplaces of the two combined homes.

We were soon taken into the kitchen wing where we found a lovely kitchen fitting in perfectly with the two old homes, but with every modern convenience.  The homeowners have a huge garden, fruit trees and raise ducks and chickens in their old barn (heated with radiant heat) . . .  

     . . . and appetizers included dried tomatoes from the garden swimming in olive oil and wonderful bread.

 

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The floor of the kitchen addition is covered with 200-year-old wood planks that were recycled during the renovation phase of the two homes.  And, no, your eyes are not deceiving you.  That is a chicken standing in front of the Sub-Zero.

Miss Chicky originally lived in the barn with all the other chickens and ducks happily laying eggs for the household and many, many "city" friends who are lucky beneficiaries.   It seems Miss Chicky got into a nasty fight with a weasel one day, and she was brought inside to recuperate.   That was three and a-half years ago, and she never left.   She lost one eye (the photo is taken from her "good side") and also lost the function of one wing, and she walks a little bit lopsided, but she has healed nicely and is very lucky little chicken!

Zelda, the dog, has welcomed Miss Chicky into the family as well.   Zelda has even allowed Miss Chicky to sleep in her dog bed.  We hear that Miss Chicky will curl up next to Zelda in bed, and Zelda gives her a push, but Miss Chicky rolls right back.  Being disabled she has a little trouble getting out of bed in the morning, but she takes her "good wing" and hangs it over the frame of the dog bed and uses that to flip herself out of bed in the morning.  Oh, by the way, we wondered (as you no doubt do, too) if Miss Chicky is potty-trained.  We hear she does very well, but when there are the inevitable messes to clean up they have found that old plastic credit cards are the perfect little scoopers for chicken poop!

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This is a view of the narrow entranceway of the 1740 portion of the house looking into the dining room.  Traces of the vibrant pink color were found and painted as it was in 1740.  Early settlers loved vibrant colors in their homes.

 

The staircase is untouched and  shows original paint and stenciling.

 

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Of course, not everything went smoothly.  Our rental car got stuck in a snow bank on the drive up the lane, but our host seemed thrilled to get "Betty Deere" out of the barn and pull us out!

 

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