Stewardship: The 2018 Ratcliff Retreat

Fire has never been a casual concern at Lone Rock Ranch, the coastal acreage in Mendocino County where for the past 39 years the office has gathered on a September weekend.  But as massive forest fires across the West increase in size and frequency, eliminating obvious fuel sources of dead trees and dry undergrowth is an ongoing priority. 

So it was that Kit invited amateur lumberjacks to wield chainsaws and weedwackers last weekend.  Kit’s family has already cleared defensible space around the structures, but announced there is more to be done.  All weekend, the ranch was abuzz with abatement—Tony Martinez trimming pine branches and weedwacking the meadows, Bill Blessing out with the mower on the volleyball courts, Mike and Jack Matson spitting logs were among the crew. 

Hosting the retreat is always a grand gesture by the Ratcliff family on behalf of the firm.  We tend not to focus on the year-round responsibility of maintenance and prevention.  Water, infrastructure, building safety, forestry—it’s an endless list.  We get to enjoy ourselves.  This year’s attendance was around 45 people and a smattering of dogs, and we have a definite impact on the place and the community.  We spend a small fortune at the local supermarket, then add a small mountain of garbage to the same grocery store’s dumpsters at the close of the weekend.  Kit always says how gratifying it is to see how we enjoy the land and the experience.  We seem to enjoy the opportunity to do physical work and return the favor. 

We also try and express our thanks with a gesture of our own.  Of late, that has been a simple donation for the family to apply where it seems needed.  This year we hit on an idea that was actually needed—a new picnic table.  Ron researched online and made the selection, a 10 foot table with benches, and when it arrived—in pieces—took charge of its assembly, then held a workshop with willing handypersons to show how to reassemble it once at the ranch.  Tony loaded it onto his SUV and drove it up Thursday night, then first thing Friday morning got the dang thing assembled. 

So stewardship was alive and well this year.  Not only on the literal ranch and retreat jobs, but on taking care of one another.  Victoria and Elena playing ukulele and piano; Janet E looking out for persons needing calming or aid; Janet T dotting “i”s and crossing “t”s as each meal and phase of the weekend came and went; Holly and Cisco valiantly distributing this year’s tee shirts; David and Cantrell creating a wonderful experience picking apples and processing into delicious cider using David’s restored, historic press; Alison Blessing recruiting daughter Brenna with boyfriend Wiley to conduct a thorough craft beer sampling; Gary Jereczek’s effort to organize a golf game; Sandra and Ernie caring for a tired young Cyrus. 

The list goes on.  Tony was presented the Spirit of the Retreat trophy for his indefatigable work all weekend.  In truth, everyone was a steward of this year’s retreat:  take a bow, attendees of 2018! 

Alex Lim; Andrea Wooding with Alex L.; Bill Blessing with Alison, Brenna and Wiley; Bill Wong  and Linda Mahle; David Driver with Cantrell; Derrick Barron with Federica and Cyrus; Diane Sands with Victoria and Elena; Gary Jereczek with Alice, Allie and Nicole; Holly Dunigan with Cisco; Janet Everett, Jesse Chin; Ken Sekiguchi; John Sealander; Kelley Lemon; Kit Ratcliff with Janet; Lan Ly; Liz O’Hara with John; Marcos Flores with Saba, Abraham and Ariyana; Martin Mitzner; Michelle Nip; Mike Matson with Jack; Richard Steele; and Sandra Butchart with Ernie.  

Make sure and check out this year's photos:

Y:\Ratcliff_Photo_Album\201809 Retreat