Lines

This is cool. This is essentially the finished house, without the paint. All of these different lines would probably make an interesting study in perspective in an art class. The vertical lines under the porch will be painted barn red, and the horizontal cedar siding to the left will receive a stain called "Oracle Sun". I wonder who came up with that name.

Still to come are the porch lights, and the concealed speakers.

We've Got Gas!

While it's not much to look at, this addition is very significant. The black circular thing in the middle of the photo is the lp (liquid petroleum, or propane) connection to the house. Lp gas will be used for the furnace and the cooktop. Our water heater is electric, in anticipation of the addition of a wind turbine in a few years. This type of fuel is common in rural locations where natural gas lines are not present. We will also utilize a small, efficient Lopi wood burning stove, set atop a one piece limestone hearth cut from the historic quarry at Stone City, Iowa. For those of you familiar with landscaping materials, Stone City is adjacent to Amamosa, hence, "Anamosa" stone. Stone cut from this quarry was used as the skin of the new(ish) Disney theatre in southern California, and many other significant buildings around the continent. So we figured it would be ok for our house.
One drawback of lp gas is that it requires a storage apparatus, which needs to be located in a conspicuous location so it can be refilled. But hey, wouldn't it be fun to decorate it? We've considered a few options, including a Yellow Submarine, camouflage, a "Have a Nice Day" smiley face, Extra Strength Tylenol, and probably others that escape me at the moment. Guess what? That's right...we'd love to hear your ideas! How about trying that "comment" link, and let us know what you think? We're not sure if we can even paint it, since we're renting it, but we'd love to hear your ideas! Maybe a Yum Yum Farm logo?

Oh Cedar!

We put this picture first so you can click on and enlarge it. This is the cedar lap siding being applied to the kitchen "bump out" on the northeast corner of the Yum Yum Farm house. If you zoom in you'll notice that the siding is precisely mitered at the corner, rather than having a trim piece to finish it off. This takes great care and precision, and yields a really cool horizontal wrap around effect. The framers (Jensen-Sedlacek, from Parnell--you remember, the suburb of North English and Williamsburg) are carefully completing this work. The portion of the dining porch below the windows will be covered in the same manner. Go ahead and zoom in, and you'll see faint red lines on the Tyvek above the cedar. Our craftsmen have carefully measured and snapped chalk lines for each and every board for precise placement. We're not worthy!

Bienvenido a la casa de Yum Yum! Here's the long awaited front door, a lovely maple surrounded by side and top glass "lights". This is a Dutch door, or as I call it, a Mr. Ed door. Notice the seam across its midsection. This is one of those 2-section doors that will allow us to open the top while the bottom remains closed, so Mr. Ed can stick his head in and report on the goings-on-about-the-farm. Another mix of modern and traditional!

Southern Accents

The influence of the Yum Yum Farm House has spread far and wide, as evidenced by this structure at the wonderful Museum of Appalachia, in Norris, Tennessee. But seriously, this is a good example of how the house mimics a traditional shape found on farmsteads throughout the country. What were we doing in eastern Tennessee, you ask? Well, thanks for asking! Joanna's aunt Wanda, who resides in nearby Clinton, Tennessee, many years ago came into possession of three pieces of furniture that originally belonged to her (Joanna's) great grandparents. Turns out aunt Wanda and uncle Bob are moving, and didn't have a good spot for the lovely old pieces. So, Yum Yum Farmers to the rescue! Not only did we have a wonderful visit with Wanda, Bob, and Joanna's cousin Paige (remember the earlier post: "This House is Soooo Rad!"), but we now have a comfy chair, rocker, and loveseat with more than a century of history in the family! You'll see them in future posts. We can't wait for our beloved hosts to visit us and the heirloom furnishings in the Yum Yum Farm house, which is now in its final stages of construction.

How could I forget? Watching cautiously as the furniture is removed from the house is the newest member of the family, Barney. The entirety of our family has a weakness for felines, and we are honored to celebrate his arrival! Since the kitties in our family don't travel very well, this is probably the closest he'll get to a visit to the Yum Yum Farm. Welcome to the family Barney!