Hi All,

Weather was beautiful, warmer Sunday and sunny. (Visit was Jan 4-5)

First thing on the agenda was to look at the spring issue and take pictures for PCBM. Lots of water, just not making it into the pipe.



  

Family members gathered to take care of seasonal tasks. The focus was to prepare for the last chipping day of the year, coming up the following week.  Peter C, Peter M, Vince, Rosemary, Sophia, and Katie came and pitched in. One of the tasks that required a team effort was clearing branches and wild grape vines from the lake road so that the chipper truck could make it down.  See the photos and video posted below, notably, the hauling of vine debris by the jeep!

In recent weeks, Peter C. had been working to fix a leak in the new solar pump system-the brush inserts in the valve attachment to the pump was faulty, and needed replacing.  Peter replaced them and added replacement brushes to the lock box in the pump house. However, when the system was faulty, a lot of water from the lower tanks was lost, and the spring needs time to replenish.  For that reason, everyone visiting the ranch for the time being must conserve water, and not run hoses for watering.  There needs to be 5 " of rain before the spring will be adequately replenished and we can begin pumping water and irrigating as normal.   We did some aproximate calculations of the rate of water accumulation of the spring and came up with about 3.5 hours x 9,500 gallons of water equals about 48 gallons accruing a week in the spring. 
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One  highlight of the work weekend was the discovery of two adorable small frogs who found refuge in the WC.  I believe they are Pacific Treefrogs. Uncle Peter showed me one that was hiding under the white tin saucepan on the wall. It's good to see these amphibians doing well at Shang. 

Coming up, Katie and Tessa and their broods are visiting the ranch in November, with the Madsen clan following for Thanksgiving.  One task the Frank/Barrows are  focusing on is  stacking wood in the shed. 

Rosemary arranged to have a chimney sweep come up, and Peter C. will be up there for that work to be done the Monday before Thanksgiving.  I expect both groups will be picking persimmons, too. 

Lastly, please check out Ingrid's story on the building of the Dutch Oven over on the History Page!   Got a memory or story? Please send it to Katie and we'll add it to the site!

Happy Fall, everyone.  🍁
Seeking solitude and community at Shang is healing for us all. 

  The Board and emeriti met at Shang on a singularly rainy day on May 4th.  It cleared up for a thorough walk-about in the afternoon, which focused primarily on areas needing cutting back and the solar pump upgrade that has just been completed.  All Board members, Sophia, Daniel, Peter WB, and Katie were present, as well as Ingrid and Peter CB.  There were many quail everywhere! 
Summary of Projects & Current Needs:

• Solar Water Pump is now installed as was originally intended.  It's very powerful and mostly self-sufficient.  Peter CB walked us through how to run and maintain it.  Katie has a video of his training, and will add a new Page to the website on workings and procedures at the ranch. 
• The Green Jeep is Back and in the garage. It is running and will need some more work during Spring Work Weekend. 
• Brush Clearing Needed around all of the pump house and silt trap system by the road to the lake. This is to protect these structures from fire. 
• Mowing Around the Lake using the lawn mower in the shed down there. Also, the ride-on mower can do some of the areas.  There are large shrubs and trees around the lake that need to be cut back and removed. If the area is well-mowed, it is possible that Allan can use his tractor to help clear some of these areas. 
• Back Porch Beam Project is in progress. Peter CB is adding to the research Katie started on using RotFix epoxy to repair and strengthen the beams.  Peter CB has a thorough understanding of the whole project and we are hoping to find a contractor who can complete this project in the next few months. 

   It's always good to gather around the table at Shang and share a meal and stories.   Ingrid brought up pictures of the Ancel and Troya families which was a fascinating look at the beginnings of the house and the people who lived there in the early 20th century.  A post will soon follow on the History page of this site. 
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   Went up Sunday as we had Solar contractor scheduled for Tuesday and chippers were scheduled to arrive either Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday. Chipper ended up arriving on Tuesday about an hour after the solar crew arrived. Got solar crew setup and then talked to chipper foreman and pointed out all the piles. Kept busy with many other repairs otherwise.  

• Installed 2x4 perimeter on cover for valve box near old vegetable garden to exclude mice.
• Set 6 mouse traps in various locations around house. Two rodent souls will not return.
• Vacuumed crawl space on 3rd floor all the way to chimney and removed large mouse nest. Burned mouse nest and cleaned shop vac 2 times. Mice are returning so traps need to be set up regularly when people are onsite.
• Mowed old vegetable garden tiers, hillside, and house perimeter. Takes about1.5 hours. Removed brush piles to large brush piles outside gate for chippers.
• Set newly refurbished (and mounted) sun dial next to Quince tree. Placement TBD.
• Met with chipper team from South Lake County Fire Safe program. Showed foreman all piles and took him down lake road to review the area. He has agreed to chip lake road as his truck has 4-wheel drive...when road and area are dry. Good news.
• Installed new union on sediment tank due to damage caused by fallen dead trees. Tank needs annual cleaning and major tree and brush removal to reduce fire hazard and improve access. The area is full of loose dirt and sediment, due to fires and runoff. The area needs regular cleanup and the sediment tank requires annual cleaning.
• Removed toilet seat to take to plumbing supply and obtain correct type seat with new fasteners (old toilet seat and fastener system no longer available). Will install new toilet seat next trip. Replaced water supply valve for toilet that was leaking.
• Cleaned upper bathroom sink faucet/nozzle, which was full of calcification build-up. Cleaning this make a big difference in flow.
• Split oak pieces by dump truck.
• Met crew from solar contractor Tuesday morning. Crew finished work at pump house on Wednesday at 3:00 and then worked until 5:30 at Upper Tank. All finished and working as originally planned. Very good news.
• Lower tanks have new float system to turn off pump if water is too low (as planned). Upper tank has same float system with all exterior conduits.
• Pump house has new wiring on roof and new solar panel angles to capture summer sun. New UPNE-TECH Solar Pump Controller SCB 15A 48V, with LCD display. This instrument regulates the power from panels. The controller will engage pump only when there is the appropriate amount of Amps from solar power. This is to protect the pump. Also, with the functioning float valves, the pump will only run when the upper tank is not full and the lower tanks are not empty. 
• The wiring that was laid with the new water line works! Also, the hour gauge is hooked up to the pump to record how many hours it runs.
• We will post a log in Pump House with date, etc. (similar to the one used for gas pump, generator, etc.). This will allow us to calculate the number of gallons pumped and gallons consumed to help determine the appropriate watering program for the sprinkler system.
•  Plumbed a riser on overflow drain for lower tanks to keep it out of dirt/mud and unclogged.
• Both jeeps need brake fluid replaced and green jeep needs new bell housing and emergency break installed (work for Allan).

Weather was perfect.  Pictures & videos posted below. 
Peter CB

Ingrid was kind enough to find this article all about Acorn Woodpeckers.  They are prolific at Shang.  Last year, we noticed many of them at a bend in the road about a third of the way up from the main gate.   Read the article, grab your binoculars, and let us know where you found the Acorn Woodpeckers!
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​Click on the link below to go to the article. See the video posted below the article to hear the call! 

A good number from all branches participated in the work weekend and shareholder meeting up at Shang. This was the first time we scheduled it in November, just before Thanksgiving.  Ingrid and Victor's family were coming up to spend the holiday together, and that was an especially good incentive to pitch in.  Ingrid, Victor, Sophia, Peter C. and Peter W., Katie, Randy, and friend, Ted, attended and took care of a number of seasonal tasks.  Harvesting the Hachiya persimmons was the first order of business to prevent the bear from grabbing them and injuring the tree. There were a lot of persimmons! All distributed to whoever could use them! 
Other tasks included cutting up large lumber along the roads, and stacking the smaller pieces by the wood shed--this was done mostly by Peter C, Peter W, Victor, Randy, and Ted.   Sorting items by the collapsed lean-to in the corral continued, and piles were made for hauling.  Sophia did a great deal of pruning of the wisteria above the trellis.  Because it was raining, a lot of team effort was put into simply doing a much-needed deep cleaning of the house.  Katie, Sophia, and Ingrid did a thorough cleaning of the  back porch--floors, walls, plexi-glass panels (both sides), plastic bed covers, and all furniture. It even got a make-over with some furniture moved around--Sophia's idea to rotate one of the beds is a nice improvement! Katie did a thorough cleaning of the third-floor, too.  Peter W. focused on the windows in the main bedroom and in Grandma's room, which badly needed deep cleaning of the glass, frames, and surrounding walls. Next time you visit, be sure to enjoy and appreciate the sparkling house (while it lasts)! 
There are probably more tasks we can add to our list of accomplishments, and pictures, too! If you have any pictures, send them to Katie, and they can be added to this blog post. 
  It was especially nice to gather around the table and fire, sharing stories of Shang and pitching in together,  just like the old days. That's something to be grateful for.