816-Lancaster Farming, Saturday. May 9, 1998
logged In Love ’ 1$ Handicapped-Accessible
Bed And Breakfast
LOU ANN GOOD
Lancaster Farming Staff
NARVON (Lancaster Co.)
“Inky” Ruhl knows what it’s like
to maneuver a wheelchair around.
She knows that handicapped peo
ple are sometimes limited to where
they can go.
For this reason Inky and her hus
band “J.R.” opened up a Bed and
Breakfast in their spacious log
home situated on 714 acres of
woodland on two townships—
Carnarvon and Brechnock.
Their home is part of the upcom
ing tour of homes called “Home Is
Where the Heart Is,” sponsored by
Hinkletown Mennonite School.
It’s the school’s third annual tour,
which is used for a fundraiser. The
tour is on Sunday, from 1 p.m. to S
p.m.
“Many people have never been
in a log home and are curious to
know what it looks like inside,”
Inky said. “We offered our home
to be part of the tour so people can
see what it’s like.”
The Ruhls* dream had always
been to have a log home. In fact,
when they first married, I JR. gave
a miniature log home with the
promise: This is all I can afford
now. but someday I want to built
you a real log home.
In 1995, Inky was involved in a
serious motorcycle accident,
which has required five surgeries
and months of physical therapy.
Although much better from the
accident that broke both bones in
her leg and tore the heel off, she
has diminished circulation, degen
erate arthritis, and other debilitat
ing injuries.
The Ruhls had planned to built a
handicapped accessible home
because Inky’s mother, who had
lived with them, used a wheel
chair. Unfortunately, her mother
died before the house was finished,
but by this time. Inky herself was
temporarily confined to a wheel
chair because of the accident
They built their log home
2'/a years ago with this in mind. It
is handicap accessible throughout.
The master bedroom has a large
bathroom with an BxB-square foot
shower room in which to wheel in
wheelchairs. A two-person whirl
pool tub is available for therapeu
tic use.
About a year after the Ruhls
moved into the home, they decided
to share it with others by operating
it as a bed and breakfast
Because Inky loves bears
and hearts she had a friend
wood carve tumbling bears
and hearts into the woodwork
surround the log house win
dows. None are the same.
In building the home, the Ruhls
worked with a company called
Lok-N-Logs, using hand-hewn red
pine logs in which the bark is
removed.
Spacious openness in the 3,000
square foot home features a birch
wood kitchen with an adjacent
dining area and a sitting area.
J.R. has worked for Armstrong
Industries for 27 years, and put his
expertise in tile to use by having
the bathroom tiled with a large
pink heart surrounded by multi
colored tiles. JR. also did the elec
trical and telephone wiring in the
house, no easy task for drilling
holes through the hefty logs.
A friend of the family used a
wood burning tool to carve in tum
bling bears and assorted hearts in
the wooden window frame of each
window.
“I like bears and hearts—every
one is different” Inky said of the
rustic carving.
The home is furnished in what
Inky calls “Early American junk
yard.” She said, “The only two
new things we have in the house is
an oven and dishwasher. Even the
Jenn-air stove is a bargain counter
buy”
The benefits of living in a log
home is that no insulation is
needed because the logs are a
natural insulator. Eight-inch logs
are used outside and split logs are
used in the interior. The logs also
muffle the noise and are
maintenance-free inside. Outside
is a different story. The outside
walls need to be stained every 3-4
years to prevent insects from bur
rowing holes.
The Ruhls have no lawn, prefer
ring the natural wooded setting.
Guests can sit on the roofed porch
and see birds, squirrels, chip
munks, and deer. A stream is also
stocked for avid fishers.
Inky is from the city. ‘Td never
go back again. I love it here,” she
said of the secluded wooded area
where wildlife abounds.
“We had our drinking water
tested and were told it’s better than
most bottled water,” J.R. said.
In addition to the master bed
room, three bedrooms with full
baths are furnished with phone and
remote control colored television
for guests.
The Ruhls have three adult
children, seven grandchildren, and
a dog Jasmine, which is a
Keshourd and mixed Black Lab.
The Ruhls offer a made-to-order
breakfast A printed menu allows
guests to circle extensive choices
such as a variety of juices and hot
beverages, homemade doughnuts,
pastries, and bread from Amish
neighbors. A variety of cold cere
als and baked oatmeal, scrambled
eggs, French toast ham or sausage
is served.
“The only three ‘no’s’ in our
home are no smoking, no pets, and
no children 12 years or younger,”
LR. said.
Guests do not need to be hand
icapped to spend the night in the
Ruhls’ Logged With Love home.
The home sets up on hill, which
has its advantages and disadvan
tages. While it offers a great view,
winter weather encompasses a
hard-to-maneuver driveway in
which even a tractor is known to
get stuck.
Despite Inky’s injuries, the cou
ple remain motorcycle enthu
siasts. They travel by cycle with a
group called the Retreads, which
Inky describes as “recycled teena
gers” over 40 years of age. The
■ mmmm
Ruhls have toured 34 states and
five Canadian provinces on cycles.
In addition to the Ruhls’ home
located at 2262 Laurel Road, Nar
von, the following homes are
opened for tour
Ray and Gloria 8011, 147 Sheaf
fer School Rd., Ephrata; Sam &
Nancy Russell, 148 E. Farmersvil
le Rd., Ephrata; Hinkletown Men
nonite School, 272 Wanner Rd.,
Ephrata; George & Susan Mander
bach, 1400 Landis Rd., Ephrata;
John and Lois Nolt, 1061 Steffy
Rd., Stevens; The Artist’s Inn &
Gallery, 117 E, Main St., Terre
Hill; Voneida Mill, comer of Von
eida St. and Reading Road; and
John and Mae Weaver, 160 Boul
der Hill Road, Mohnton.
Tickets will also be available at
the school the day of the tour. Pro
ceeds will benefit Hinkletown
Mennonite School. No children or
cameras will be permitted on the
tour. Persons taking the tour are
encouraged to wear comfortable
walking shoes.
Hinkletown Mennonite School
is located at 272 Wanner Road,
one-half mile north of Route 322 in
Hinkletown. For more information
on the tour, call the school at (717)
354-6705.
For more information on the
Bed and Breakfast, call the Ruhls
at (717) 445-5855.
#*r "
The 3,000 square loot home has an open floor plan, which makes it easy for Inky .
who is sometimes reliant upon a wheelchair because of accident Injuries.
J.R. and Inky Ruhl stand at the entrance made 4
handicapped-accessible to guests at the Logged In Love
Bed and Breakfast. The log home Is one of nine stops'
Included in the Tour of Homes sponsored as a fundraiser*
for Hinkletown Mennonite School on May 17, from 1-5 p.m. ■
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