March is looking to be a busy month, not just for the ranch on a rental basis but it is also becoming full with activities for all who are here to enjoy. This month there are three themed dances, our annual pickleball tournament, wash golf, and an outing to a spring training baseball game. 

With all the change of the season comes scheduling changes; this month Zumba gold will end on the 11th and the last Line Dance class will be on the 19th. We want to thank June for sharing Zumba Gold and Line Dancing with us, teaching our residents, members, and guests. 

Opening Dates for Summer

Summer reservations will be open for Members ONLY on March 19th. This includes Memorial Day weekend, 4th of July Weekend and Labor Day Weekend. Any remaining availability for these dates will be open to non members on April 1st.

Highway Clean Up

Please meet at the office on Saturday March 22nd at 8am to help clean up the section of 7th St that we have sponsored for many years as a service to our community. Many hands make light work; all tools and safety gear is provided including gloves (if you have your own prefed gloves feel free to bring them). After clean up volunteers will be treated to refreshments at the office.

Themed Dances

Themed Dances-

St.Patricks Dance March 15th

Costume Dance March 22- think Halloween but in the spring.

Prom April 12th dress as you would for a prom and have some fun with your outfit for the night.

As a reminder you do not have to dress to the theme to participate in the dance but you are welcome to as much or as little as you choose while keeping in mind that we are a family friendly resort and all of your clothing choices need to be in accordance to that. Rule of thumb: if you are questioning if your choice is not approriate, it probably isn't and correction is needed.

The month of March is upon us and that means Spring Cleaning for our yards and gardens; and the inevitable piles of green waste! Already, we are seeing pruned clippings, broken branches, fallen leaves, blossoms, seed pods and other organic material being raked, swept and bundled around SHANGRI LA RANCH – and your places are looking marvellous!

We need to remind all residents are responsible for maintaining his or her lot. It can be a toughjob, especially in the springtime when weeds go like, well, weeds! The maintenance crew thanks everyone who takes to the challenge and helps keep our community looking nice as well as safefrom fire hazards. So now the question is: what about all my garden débris?

In the past, the composting station has become a tangled mess of material that can and cannot go through the chipper. In order to keep this from continuing to happen — and to make it realstress-free for everybody — simply leave cuttings and débris by the roadside in front of your place and our guys will pick it up. Easier for you … easier for the crew!

Please refrain from taking or depositing green waste by the mulch pile, across the wash, in the compactor or recycling bins, or anywhere else around the Ranch. Someone recently dumped a load of oleanders on the mulch pile and we later discover there were a lot of rocks, gravel andother material mixed into the mess.

The Ranch invested last year in a new Vermeer BC700XL brush chipper powered by a Kohler Command Pro 25 horsepower, 747 cubic centimetre internal combustion engine with electronic fuel injection, a Hewlett-Packard 5710-A dual-column gas chromatograph with flame analyzation detectors and … oh sorry, got carried away. Well anyway, Don is quite proud of it!It is an amazing machine but it cannot chip everything, especially succulents like cactus, agave,aloe vera and the like. These plants are fibrous which the internal blades will not cut. Also, if débris has been raked or shoveled, it cannot go through the machine because rocks and pebbles are a big no-no.

Here are tips to make this process work:

• NO BAGS: they are difficult to lift and empty, an unnecessary waste – and no surprises;
• BRANCHES: pile in one direction to make them easy to pick up and feed into the chipper;
• CACTI, SUCCULENTS: keep separate from other débris and visible – again, no surprises;
• SEED PODS, LEAVES AND BLOSSOMS: rake into a pile or place in a bucket – trash barrels are available by the chipper or request for one to be delivered.

Notify the office the green waste is ready to be hauled away. Request a trailer if there is an abundance of material, and one will be delivered for convenience. Also, let us know if the branches are too big, too high, too heavy, and you need help. We are working together to make this process easier on everyone and to keep our home on the Ranch beautiful.

This month we are focusing on being fire wise. These are just a few tips to keep your property safe from becoming wildfire fuel.

• Keep everything clear, pick up brush around your place creating an easily defensible space. 
• Clear your roofs and gutters of various leaves and branches to prevent from easily catching by a stray ember. 
• Seal everything make sure your doors and windows are completely sealed when shut, in case of an evacuation make sure to close all doors and windows so nothing can get in and burn from the inside out.
• Cover all openings that are necessary such as vents with 1/8 mesh metal screening as not to impede the vent but to protect your home. 
• Remove all extras from your deck or outdoor space when not in use such as cushions or extra towels. 

We are not trying to scare anyone or say that a fire is going to happen but just to be as prepared as possible. We have had a very dry winter and it is looking to be a dry warm spring. We just don't want to add fuel to the fire if we can help it.

Whitestem Paperflower 

Psilostrophe cooperi is a flowering plant in the daisy family known by the common names Cooper's paper daisy and whitestem paperflower. It is native to the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts of the United States and Mexico. This is a low, spreading bush with pale green, hairy foliage. The daisylike flower heads have 3 to 8 deeply toothed golden-yellow ray florets. The flower heads are often bunched together at the tops of the stems in a rounded spray. The flowers persist for a time and then dry and become papery while maintaining their yellow color.

Instructions

• Lay out (about 10) pepperoni slices on a preparation surface.

• Use a knife to spread about 1 teaspoon of cream cheese onto each slice of pepperoni.

• Next, cover each with another slice of pepperoni to make a sandwich or "bite".

• Add pepperoni bites to air fryer basket. Cook at 400 degrees for 4 minutes.

• When pepperoni is done cooking, open the air fryer basket and remove pepperoni bites with a spatula. Lay out on a serving plate.

Notes

• Make sure there's enough cream cheese in between the pepperoni's to make the bites stick together

• Be sure to lay the pepperoni "sandwiches" out in a single layer in the air fryer for the most even cooking

• If any of the pepperoni's come off the cream cheese during the cooking process, just replace the tops of the bites

• You can add a sesoning of chice such as a steak sesoning or everything bagel to add a little bit of extra fun.

• Additionally you can dip the bites in Marinara sauce or deizzel some on top when finished.

The warm weather has arrived earlier than most people have expected and we are having incidents involving those who are not well hydrated. Please keep yourself hydrated at all times with water or an electrolyte drink, especially when you are in the sun for extended periods of time. If you are thirsty and looking for water or an electrolyte drink, that is a key sign that you are already dehydrated. 

As a resident, or a member, who has a gate tag on their car, when driving up to the gate respect those that are stopped at the intercom. Do NOT drive around them just because you can open the gate yourself. The people at the gate are waiting for instructions and others driving around them is a distraction and undercuts the security feature of the gate. In the event of an emergency ranch staff will get handle gate operations; during situations such as this respect and patience are appreciated.