Tiny Houses on Wheels (THoWs) are odd creatures. They seldom move, yet are lumped into the recreational vehicle (RV) category. They are, increasingly, all-season residences yet they must connect to permanent houses or to basic campground pedestals for services. And they are often someone’s highly curated, minimalist nest yet they aren’t considered fixed property in […]
Sadly, Big Calm lost an important member of the community recently. Our beloved Norwegian Forest Cat, Buddy, passed away peacefully on the very last day of summer. Not only was Buddy a truly special and loving old soul, he was both inspiration and validation for our moving from the city to build a life in the […]
While Airbnb reviews are great, it’s the notes that guests at The Pocket Getaway at Big Calm leave that really warm our hearts. So many wonderful people – individuals, couples, families, fur-families, friends, and even colleagues – have visited our charming tiny house in the peaceful woods of the Slocan Valley. Here’s what they had […]
The community garden at Big Calm was once a certified organic operation. Untended for a few years, grasses and weeds encroached on increasingly packed ground. Despite rich, black soil with mammoth earthworms, last year’s harvest was underwhelming, so this spring we set out to restore the garden to glory. Here’s a chronicle of the […]
2022 ended much as it began – with a big dump of snow and a deep freeze. Tough reminders that homesteading and tiny house winterization aren’t easy. But in between the extremes this year, we enjoyed a quiet, steadily productive year at Big Calm. We ticked through a lot of core to-do’s – including: Selective […]
A building project is a long series of design choices. Some are prescribed and imposed by regulations but many come down to personal preference and often a little bit of off-the-beaten path exploration. A key component of a community for tiny houses on wheels, perhaps ironically, is the presence of a structural dwelling on foundation. […]
2021 wasn’t an easy year in which to build a project like Big Calm. Slow bureaucrats, busy contractors, wildfire evacuation (just as crews mobilized), supply chain hold-ups (from septic field sand and insulation to doors and appliances), and, oh yeah, that persistent pandemic thing. Despite all that, we’ve made good progress on the project. Here […]
We’re thrilled to welcome the first tiny house to Big Calm! Last month, a 25-foot Jaunt tiny house on wheels (THoW), a first-of-its-kind model by pro builder ZeroSquared of Calgary. And it sure does look pretty in its perch between the maple and cedars, opposite the garden! Move-in called for some muscle and finesse. Access […]
On July 9th, lightning struck a peak east of Winlaw and started a fire. It quickly grew out of control into a “Fire of Note” and began spreading to the backcountry behind us.
When we first contemplated building a tiny home community in the Slocan Valley, we thought a lot about how it would impact, and ideally, benefit both the land and the larger community.
