Fabulous Farmhouse

A great little room in my newly renovated light clay home. All sorts of different natural building techniques to learn about and enjoy living with. In the winter, snuggle up in my living room in front of the fire. In the summer, enjoy the deliciously cool temperature inside because of the thermal mass of the clay walls. Soak in the solar hot water in the cast iron tub with your toes resting on the stone polished Moroccan lime (Tadelakt) walls. Fabulous Farm is the testing ground for many natural buildings in various stages of completion. There is a straw bale building, several light clay buildings (including the sauna), and many examples of natural renovation, non-toxic building materials and permaculture design. It's all very interesting and I'll be happy to give you a tour. Your room is a beautiful example of light clay walls, clay paints and plasters, the bathroom features a Moroccan burnished lime finish the whole house has locally milled wood floors. The rest of the house is half built and every surface is covered in nick-nacks and cat fur. The water is heated by the sun (with electric backup). You will drink delicious, fresh, unchlorinated spring water from the taps. My kitchen is great, but as of yet unfinished. It is quite functional, but a little makeshift, with unfinished counters and funky drawers. There is a double bed with single bed bunk above it in your bedroom, and a couch that turns into an uncomfortable double bed in the living room. I intend for you to stay in the bedroom, but we can negotiate other arrangements if we want to. Outside, there's a waterfall and pond. It's just a wee waterfall, but it's grand and sounds wonderful. The grounds surrounding the house are rustic and a bit wild right now, with a kitchen garden and fruit trees. I'm always working to tame the mess, but I am disabled and it is slow going! There will be a pottery studio to peruse through soon. I can't wait. You can enjoy the whole upstairs of the house (downstairs is the Clay Studio Suite) and the grounds immediately surrounding it. The flower garden is fantastic in the summer. Wood for the wood stove is included in the winter. You can rent the wood fired clay sauna out for the whole day or night anytime except Sundays, when it's free and clothing optional with me, other friends and neighbours. I swim in the pond and so can you (at your own risk) if you aren't squeamish about mud, algae and ice-cold creek water. No unattended children should roam around the farm unless they are already quite accustomed to rural living and are strong swimmers. There's a washer you can pay to use for two dollars if you're on a long trip and need fresh undies. Sorry, no dryer, but there is a line. I ask that you respect the privacy of my neighbours, which is difficult because their tiny houses are just so cute and their gardens are so well tended. THERE IS NO CELL SERVICE IN THE SLOCAN VALLEY! We are pretty happy about it too. Enjoy some device-free time and practice using our good old fashioned land line (it even has a cord that attaches it to the wall). There are cables to plug into the high speed internet (DSL). WiFi in the house is on a one hour timer that you must manually turn on. I REPEAT, WIFI IS NOT CONSTANTLY ON. No smart meter either, you're welcome. I will greet you and show you around briefly if I am able to be here when you arrive. If you just can't get enough of my pottery and natural building knowledge, I will talk you up and give you a tour if I have time. This space is my house. There is another suite on the lower story and another guest cabin next door, on the other side of the garden. There is a friendly community feeling and great neighbours. Just across the road from Fabulous Farm is the famous Slocan Valley Rail Trail for walking, biking, horseback riding and cross-country skiing. Perry's Bridge/Beach, the also famous put-in spot for tubing down the Slocan River, is a three minute walk away. Back country skiing is all around the area and Whitewater and Red Mountain ski hills are just over an hour away. There are two wonderful restaurants in "downtown" Winlaw (7 minutes south), and a great diner and a cafe in Slocan City (15 minutes north). Groceries, healthy fresh food stores, gas and booze in each town as well. Parking is a gravel driveway shared with neighbours and other guests. During the winter and early spring, parking is an interesting challenge, with the moving of vehicles for plowing and negotiating the mud. It is probably not suitable for the physically challenged. There is a bus that goes as far north as Nakusp, and south to Nelson and Castlegar. You can look up the schedule at the bctransit website under the West Kootenay section. The bus stops just about right in front of the farm. There are only a few buses each day so it's more comfortable to have a car or a very strong body and a bicycle when you are staying here. We are 40 minutes from the Castlegar airport. Fabulous Farm is a working farm and natural building construction is a constant happening around the grounds and even in the house. If you would like to stay in a lovely manicured environment, you've landed on the wrong place! There is often garden debris, duck poop on the lawn, tarps and lumber here and there, muddy paths when it rains for a while and laundry hanging out to dry in the sun. It's our home and I think it's great! It's not perfect, although we are always striving to get there, in an artsy, love old broken down things kind of way!