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Do Not Forget to Look Up

November 12, 2016 by Ashley Hackshaw

Do Not Forget to Look Up – a new story in the Chicken Chronicles!

Yesterday Foshizzle was squawking so loud. It was obvious that she was trying to tell me something. She followed me for a while. Then she stood on top of a large boulder so she’d be taller. Then she followed me some more. Squawking the whole time just like this:

A video posted by Ashley Hackshaw (@lilblueboo) on Nov 12, 2016 at 12:46pm PST

At some point I figured out that she was looking for somewhere to lay her egg! When I saw her try and crawl under our wide chicken Sunny, as if Sunny were some kind of shelter, I realized that earlier in the morning I’d moved the piece of wood she sometimes crawls behind to lay her egg. I picked her up and carried her into the coop and set her in one of the nesting boxes. As soon as I set her down I could see her sigh with relief! Within seconds she started making a little nest in the fresh shavings and then daintily picking up shavings in front of her to tidy up. She was so content after that. Doesn’t she look so cute in the box?

I don’t think she ever knew those nesting boxes were there since they are above her limited sight line. She probably has been wondering over the past few months where all the other chickens lay their eggs! In the past I’ve found her eggs under the Radio Flyer wagon, in the corner of the run, under a broken statue, in the corner of the garage…she’s never really complained until today. Maybe she was distressed because it’s so cold, and she was worried about her egg getting cold too. What a sweetie pie she is. Sometimes I have to pay extra attention to the other chickens just so they don’t ever suspect that Fo is my favorite. I shouldn’t play favorites, but that huge beautiful feather plume and her quirky personality is just irresistible.

I just wanted to show you the difference between Fo and Ditto. They are both White Crested Polish hens but their plumes are completely different! Fo’s is enormous, and grows down way in front her eyes. Ditto’s grows in a completely different pattern and doesn’t impair her vision at all.

And then there’s Plump who has recently lost almost every feather on her head! Don’t worry, it’s perfectly normal. She’s molting, which is just the natural process of losing feathers so they are replaced with brand spanking new ones before it gets too cold. What I can ‘t get over is how tiny she actually is under all that plumage! She looks like she’s wearing a fancy Elizabethan ruffled collar now.

You can find more tales from the Chicken Chronicles here!

I’ve been collecting the beautiful feathers as all the hens lose them, and miniaturizing them so that they fit into these little glass jars. A few feathers in each one. They are available in my Etsy shop if you are interested!

Also, I found this yesterday and it made me laugh. It’s totally something I would do. I’m not a vegan, but I’m always preparing interesting meals for the chickens to enjoy.

How to make a chicken salad:
Step 1: Prepare a salad.
Step 2: Give to a chicken.

DIY Farmhouse Galvanized Bucket with Template Download

November 12, 2016 by Ashley Hackshaw

I’m pretty much obsessed with galvanized tubs and buckets so I knew I wanted to make at least one DIY Farmhouse Galvanized Bucket for this year’s tree. I ended up with three! (You’ll have to wait until November 14th to see how I decorated with them.)

I purchased a few metal tubs and the milk can from Micheals. You’d never know that this is what they looked like just a few hours before:

To learn how to age and distress them go over to this tutorial first:

They look so great underneath the tree to hold presents and the non-Christmas themed bins and pitcher can be used year round:

I love this dairy themed pitcher:

A North Pole mail holder:

And a tub from a tree farm:

The first thing I did was print out the template I made. You can download the same template at the bottom of this post! Once printed out I positioned it over top of transfer paper and traced the design onto the bucket:

Such an easy way to transfer an image!

Next I carefully painted in the letters using black acrylic paint:

I don’t have a very steady hand so it probably took me longer than it will take you!

Then just let the paint dry!

I love how they keep Christmas books and small gifts organized under the tree:

You can add some pretty Christmas ribbon to any of the galvanized buckets too:

So festive:

These would be great gifts too…especially for anyone who loves vintage farmhouse decor!

These are pieces of rustic decor that I’ll keep around forever:

If you prefer the look of wood I stained these pre-made wood crates for my 2013 Dream Tree. You can find them here or click the image below!

You can download the templates I used for yourself by clicking here or clicking the image below. Just print, tape together, and trace onto any object!

You can find everything I’ve made so far here at this link and the big reveal will be on the 14th!

The River Culture of Bryson City

November 10, 2016 by Ashley Hackshaw

Months ago I got an email from Our State Magazine asking if I could take writer Leigh Ann Henion around Bryson City. Of course I said yes and as the days led up to Leigh Ann’s visit I had a running list in my head of things I might take her to see. I had a choice: I could take her to all the main tourist sights or I could take her to my lesser known secret-wonder-places. I decided on the latter and we spent an entire day riding around Bryson City. We followed the river from one end of the town to the other and I showed her the quiet places where I like to go write, the locals I like to visit and of course where the river meets the lake. I took her to see the Hemlock Inn and Darnell Farms. I took her to see old abandoned buildings, silos and barns that I love to marvel at. As we drove past Kituwah, the most sacred ground of the Cherokee, we saw what looked to be tribal elders performing a ceremony…something I’ve never witnessed before. When we drove out to where the river meets the lake we happened upon a few men with an vintage fire truck filling up with water. I introduced Leigh Ann to my chicken flock and gave her a tour of the old depot. We ate a late lunch at Mountain Perks by the real train depot and I showed her the enormous Gingko tree in town. Later that night my friend Ron LaRocque (owner of the Everett Hotel) and I took Leigh Ann up Lakeview Drive to the Road to Nowhere tunnel. We stood on the guard rails of an overlook and watched the sun set. And as we drove home, I had no idea what Leigh Ann would write her article about…I just knew that I felt like I’d shown her the mysterious and wonderful side of Bryson City that not many people stay long enough to see.

The article came out recently in Our State’s November 2016 issue, the Rivers Collector’s Issue. Leigh Ann had also spent time with other business owners in town included my husband Brett and his partner Ben. The first page of the article has a photo of the two of them in front of the hand-painted map mural in their store Bryson City Outdoors:

I was so nervous at first when I opened the magazine, wondering what shape the story would take. I love how it turned out because I feel like this is the first time someone has really understood who I am and why I do the quirky things I do. Leigh Ann was totally on board with any plans I had, even traveling all day in an old Chevy with no air conditioning!

Photographers came in May to take photos. They wanted a photo with me and the chickens. FoShizzle was the only chicken that cooperated. Here’s a behind the scenes photo:

And the final photo in the magazine:

Bryson City got a whopping eight pages in Our State this month! There are so many layers to this town I’m sure it could have filled an entire magazine but I know there are other wonderful river towns too. In the article it references where I found the beginning of the river too, I wrote about that here.

I’d love for you to go and read the article today. You can find the full article here with all its beautiful photos:

Thanks so much Our State for entrusting me to take Leigh Ann around town and for recognizing the beauty of this area.

Each month, Our State magazine celebrates the very best of North Carolina from the mountains to the coast through lively storytelling and stunning photography. Our State reflects the beauty, nature, nostalgia, travel, and food of the state. It’s the perfect source of information for those who’ve lived in North Carolina all their lives, those just becoming acquainted with the state, or those looking to visit or relocate. Published by Mann Media, Inc., the award-winning magazine reaches more than 1,100,030 readers each month, with subscribers in every state and nearly 30 foreign countries. Learn more at ourstate.com.