Welcome to March; a busy month for the ranch. We have a packed month with an offsite trip to a baseball game and then activites going on at the ranch itself.  We have our annual Pickleball Tournament, Hand & Foot Tournament and the addition of a Lip Sync Contest. St. Patricks Day and Birthday/Celebration Dance will be on Saturday the 14th with Prom closing out the month on Saturday the 28th. 

Rose is doing Total Chair Exercises on Fridays at 11am, through the month.

 Snowbirds, please take a moment to confirm your expected departures with the office.

The ranch has reserved a party deck at Sloan Park to watch a Spring Training game with the Cubs and the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday March 17th at 6pm. Cost is $100 per person which includes your game ticket, hot dogs, burgers, chips and non alcoholic beverages such as water and lemonade, alcohol will be available for seperate purchase. Please contact the office to reserve your ticket no later than 5pm on the Tuesday the10th. 

Help Us Shape the Future of Shangri-La Ranch!

At Shangri-La Ranch, our community is built on the voices and experiences of the people who call this place home—whether for a weekend or a lifetime. To ensure we are continuing to provide the best possible environment for all our members, we are launching our 2026 Community Feedback Survey, and we want to hear from you!

Your insights help us prioritize improvements, plan future events, and maintain the unique spirit of the ranch. Whether you have ideas for new amenities or simply want to share what you love most about our community, this is your platform.

How to Participate

Getting your feedback to us is simple, but how you access the survey depends on your member status:

• Long-Term Residents & Invoiced Guests: Check your inbox! To keep things streamlined, a direct, personalized link to the survey was included in your most recent Shangri-La Ranch invoice. If you’ve already received your billing statement, you have everything you need to get started.
• General Membership: For all other members, you can access the survey via the Click Here

Why Your Voice Matters

We aren't just collecting data; we’re looking for inspiration. Past surveys have led to direct changes in our seasonal scheduling and facility upgrades. By taking five minutes to complete this questionnaire, you are playing an active role in the stewardship of the Ranch.

The survey will remain open until March 15, 2026. Thank you for being an essential part of our community and for helping us keep Shangri-La Ranch the special place it is. This is completely anonymous. 

Storage Clean up

Important: Storage Area Cleanup & Audit

We are currently conducting a comprehensive cleanup and audit of the storage area at Shangri-La Ranch. To ensure that all property is accounted for and that our records are up to date, we need your immediate cooperation.

Action Required: Claim Your Unit

If you have an RV, utility trailer, or flatbed trailer stored on the property, you must contact the front office to verify your ownership.

Important Note: Even if you believe the office already knows which unit belongs to you, or if you have stored it here for years, you must still check in. We are refreshing our database to ensure no mistakes are made during the cleanup process.

Key Deadlines

Please mark your calendars with the following dates to ensure your property remains secure:

• Deadline to Contact Office: Sunday, March 15th, before 5:00 PM.
• Abandonment Process Begins: Monday, March 16th, at 9:00 AM.

Any unit not officially claimed by the owner before the March 15th deadline will be subject to the ranch’s abandonment process starting the following morning.

How to Verify

You can complete this process by stopping by the office in person or giving us a call. Please have your unit details (make, model, and license plate if applicable) ready to make the verification quick and easy.

Thank you for helping us keep Shangri-La Ranch organized and well-maintained!

CHIPPING AWAY HABITS

In the spring, a young (and young at heart) Shangri La Ranch resident’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of — pruning, weeding, mulching, gardening and sprucing up the yard! It’s a great way to welcome the warmer weather, to fulfill those New Year’s resolutions, and to take pride in our community. The maintenance crew appreciates those who have followed the recommended guidelines by neatly stacking cut branches in front of their lots and raking débris into a pie or placing it in a bin; but we still have a few benders of the rules, so maybe it is prudent to review them. Here are tips again:
 BRANCHES – pile in one direction in front of your lot to make them easy to pick up;
 CACTI, SUCCULENTS – keep separate from other débris and visible (no surprises);
 USE NO BAGS – they are difficult to lift and empty, an unnecessary waste and, again, no surprises;
 WEEDS, SEED PODS, LEAVES, & BLOSSOMS – rake into a pile or place in a bucket.
Branches from paloverdes, oleanders, mesquites, desert brumes, creosote and other woody bushes or trees feed nicely into the chipper when facing in the same direction with the cut end leading. Tangled bushes like jojoba, or sucker growth from paloverdes, are a bit more challenging but, if left in a pile and not raked, then gravel will not weave itself into the foliage and ruin the chipper blades.
Agave, cactus, palm fronds, yucca and other fibrous or succulent plants cannot be mulched through the chipper; they will get entangled around the blades and clog the chute. Collect these cuttings in a separate pile away from the abovementioned branches and bushes, especially making any cacti clearly visible. There is nothing like reaching under a pile of débris to find thorns piercing a pair of gloves!
Bagging yard discards is futile because it is a waste of money and time. Putting organic material into the trash compactor is a big NO; there is barely enough room in there for the copious amount of household rubbish we seem to generate! Also, hiding thorns, sharp sticks and other nasties in an opaque bag is just as dangerous as reaching under a pile of débris — is there an echo here?!
Raked leaves and other small débris will also mix small stones into the collection, making it harmful to chip. Instead, rake the yard waste onto a tarpaulin or in a bucket which will be returned after pick-up.
Remember, the Ranch has several trash barrels available by the mulch pile; grab one, or request for a container to be delivered.
Be sure to notify the office when you have green waste ready to be hauled away. If there is an abundance of material, ask for a trailer and one will be brought for convenience. Also, let us know if the branches are too big, too high, too heavy, and you need help.
The bottom line is: if yard waste is hauled, dragged and dumped at the chipper station, then someone is not being a good neighbour! Keeping the area as organized as possible is necessary in order to produce quality organic compost; it also protects the machinery from costly repairs. Let’s work together to make the process easier on everyone and have a beautiful home on the Ranch.