SPRING 2012 NEWSLETTER
May is here, the pools are open and being enjoyed, the lake is full and fishing will open to everyone this weekend, so I think we're on our way to another busy year! Weather wise, we had a really cold & dry winter. If we hadn't received those late season rains, we would be facing a critical drought, but with them, we are only just "dry" and will have enough water to get through the season, though we'll really have to watch it come later this summer and fall. The cold winter did cause some damage to pipes, so please make sure your plumbing is secure and fix any splits and breaks before using your cabin.
GATEHOUSE/GATEKEEPER
This past week we welcomed a new gatekeeper to the Rancho.
Laura Davis will be with us thru the summer. Laura steps in for Kelly who is
getting ready to embark on a long driving trip across the country to visit
family and friends. This fall, I'm planning on a significant remodel/addition to
the gatehouse to make it more livable for more than one person at a time, with a
more private living area. We'll probably have a period of self service during
the stage of construction when the gatehouse will be all torn apart, but I'll
keep everyone updated with the latest procedures when the time comes. Please
stop and introduce yourself to Laura, we are lucky to have her. Please remember
some basic courtesies of calling ahead for late entry and let her know in
advance the names of your guests you are expecting when you are not already at
the Rancho. She can be reached at (831) 659-0103.
CLUBHOUSE/
Currently I'm at the mercy of various County Agencies as I
await getting the building permit finaled. Back in late January, I began this
process, and had to have the Health Dept, Fire District, Public Works, Water
Management, Water Resources, Planning and lastly the Building Department sign
off on conditions of approval of the permit. Just last week we received two more
agencies sign-off's, so I think we are almost there! Once this final approval is
obtained I'll start working on scheduling some of the planned fun events,
special dinners, movie nights, etc. that we've been talking about. I really had
hoped to have more of this completed by now, and apologize for the delay, but
I've just been totally caught off guard in the realities of dealing with
governmental bureaucracies.
I'm in the process of moving the old log maintenance
building in the parking lot. The building was in need of a lot of fixing up, so
I'm taking the opportunity to just relocate it so the main entrance to the pool
area is not constantly cluttered with all my supplies. I hope to rehabilitate
the site to make it into a beautiful entrance to the whole facility. Otherwise
the pools are up and running, and we're already enjoying the swim season!
TROUT
We filled the lake late last week. With the low flow in the creek, it took a few days longer than normal, but it's now full to the brim and looks great! It's chock-full of very large fish. Catch and release, barbless hook fishing will start this weekend (May 12th) and continue until catch and keep season starts, Saturday, June 9th. Seasons and limits are posted on the lake bulletin board, but please remember all guests must be in ACCOMPANIMENT of the members in order to fish. We are still in talks with the Fish & Game over the future of stocking at the lake. They issued a new stocking permit for 2012, but the conditions were so restrictive we could never comply with them, effectively making the permit useless, but recently they have again signaled a relaxation in the conditions which will allow us to continue to operate.
MISCELLANEOUS
Cabin site clean-up: The grass seems to be done growing already so I'd say it's a good time to start the annual clearing around the cabins.
Websites: I've found it's easier and quicker to post short, fun updates on our Facebook website. I've gotten some great response to the various Critter-cam photos of the wild beasts which roam the Rancho. I can see where the Facebook page (San Clemente Rancho) works well for these posts, while our regular business site (www.mountain-cabins.com) is best for the basics of the ranch. So please make sure you've "liked" us on Facebook to be up to date on the latest happenings.
Corral: Still working on the fence, but it already looks way better then it did. Some members have expressed interest on bringing their own horses up for a stay so they can ride the trails of the Rancho, so don't be surprised if you see a horse or two soon.
Road Maintenance: Last year I
had hoped to have time to do
significant tree trimming along the roads of the Rancho. Obviously I never got
to it, and really hope to very soon...it's needed! We do this every 5 to 10
years, please be aware during this time that at any particular area we'll have
men and equipment parked or working on the road, so please drive accordingly.
Garbage trailer: We are still very pleased with the success of the garbage trailer. The only thing I'd like to ask is that the larger items which folks don't want at their cabins, yet don't seem to want to throw away, please just don't leave them besides the trailer as some sort of last chance mercantile...for the most part, I end up just throwing this stuff away, so it's not being picked up by other members, just haul this big stuff away in your own vehicles, thanks.
Cabins for sale: Slowly but surely our inventory of cabins for sale is growing. I'm finding it very difficult to get new people who are genuinely interested in the Rancho...to actually buy one of the cabins...I know it's the economic times we are in, but it's getting a little frustrating, but I just want to let everyone know I greatly appreciate when they bring friends up and talk up the place in hopes that their friends buy in...keep up the good work!
Thanks for everything and I look forward to seeing everyone having fun again this season!
Bruce