The Lewises kept their promise. Previous homeowners told Lance and Meredith that this house could be theirs so long as they never painted over the powder room mural. the fountain. He determined there must be a blockage somewhere and so he did a ‘bypass’ and fixed the fountain. It’s worked ever since,” says Meredith. Though the fountain is grand, it isn’t the most noticeable element in the elegant yard. That prize goes to the chickens at the back corner. And their stylish coop. “We’ve had the chickens for about four years, though this is our third flock,” Meredith explains. “Foxes, hawks, raccoons and dogs have been rough on these animals. Both my sisters have chickens and we thought it would be great for the kids to learn responsibility. They take care of the chickens, feeding them and gathering the eggs.” “We get about four eggs a day,” adds Will with pride. The chickens are extremely fluffy-looking and each is named after a flower. “These are Cochin and Frizzle mix chickens. They are a friendly breed, something important to us. They’ll come up and greet you almost the way a dog will,” says Lewis. Besides chickens, visitors will also find three rabbits: Skippy, Coffee Bean and Snowflake. They have a spacious hutch and seem perfectly at home in the menagerie. However, not all the animals in the yard are tame. “We have lots of birds and there is a butterfly garden. We once had a heron’s nest and we found one of the shells in the yard. We knew the babies had hatched,” Meredith explains. “I love having animals here. It brings life to the yard.” To the right of the chicken coop, Lance Lewis has created a zip line for the children, which they happily demonstrate. There is a basketball goal and a playhouse,
The Art & Soul of Wilmington
November 2013 •
Salt
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