Please Help the Ranch Storm Recovery!

To our dear Family and Friends! We are reaching out for help and time is of the essence! Our beloved community haven, Sky Oaks Ranch, has been severely damaged by significant mudslides and flooding in the big winter storms. We are calling for your support!

The picture above is us putting on a good face after the torrential rains of January 9th, standing above a road that no longer exists after it was destroyed in a mudslide. Watching awestruck at the earth crumbling away. We could not have imagined a natural disaster of this size! We are pulling up our bootstraps in this extraordinary moment to face the challenges that lie ahead.

It’s humbling to ask for help in this way. We find ourselves in need of support to rebuild and repair the damage to the water system and the roads and help the cleanup of vast amounts of mud and debris. We ask you to join us in this effort so we can open the doors in April for the season and continue to fulfill the Ranch’s creative mission!

And we have a wonderful 2023 Season booked, hosting wellness, art and creative events, retreats and gatherings. As you know, this is the lifeblood and livelihood of the Ranch, outreach to the community and support to artists and creators. We need to jump into action now! And with your support, we can start getting crews and equipment up here to begin the repairs and fulfill this mission!

Deepest gratitude for your love and support. Any amount donated is immeasurable in your generosity and love for our community haven at the Ranch. It’s been an incredibly emotional overwhelming ride, full of tears, heartbreak, love and even laughter… sadness and hope all at once. We count our blessings and feel gratitude that we are safe, there is purpose and a bright future, and we have such a strong community together. We have climbed mountains before.

Please read the details of the storm and damage account below, along with pictures, videos and heartfelt thoughts to share…love love love!

Details of the Storm of January 9th and Beyond:

~ The Ranch main water system was severely damaged in multiple mudslides and floods - including the water tank, water lines feeding all areas of the Ranch, plumbing and pumps. The water tank was crushed in a mudslide and is now empty.

(Est. tank replacement: 60K).

~ The cabin (with David's car) was buried in up to four feet of mud which will require machinery and labor to dig out.

~ We need to build new fencing around some perimeters and roadways at the main site.

~ The road to the cabin needs heavy machinery to fully repair, along with a safe path up to the well.

~ The 30' yurt roof was damaged creating multiple leaks and causing the interior to flood. Both the roof and floor will have to be replaced.

REPAIR COSTS AND FUNDING :)

~ Our total repairs on the Ranch proper will be in excess of 90K+ per our budgeting so far. We are asking for a modest number so we can get some funding to begin. Any funds above that will be received with great gratitude and will continue to fund the new water system, road repairs, mud and debris cleanup, and labor costs that are part of this fundraising campaign. We will be posting updates regularly and keep you all informed of the progress!

To share with our Community...

We will not give up!

Eight years ago, David and I climbed to the eagle’s nest at the Ranch with a wild dream and committed ourselves to stewarding an Art and Ecology Retreat Center. To create a vibrant community gathering place. To share this beautiful land with our community and beyond. To support inspiring dreams and visions... that is our mission!

And that journey continues and is possible with the extraordinary community of collaborators, creators, visionaries, dreamers and doers! And as the years have passed, we have continued to put our funds, energy and time into building a better and more beautiful, functional and comfortable haven of wellness and creativity.

And here we are. Ready to have our best season to date and facing an unexpected daunting crisis.

But with your help, not only can we do these repairs but the water system will be new and improved, the roadways better and safer than ever - two of our most vital infrastructure pieces and life flows of the Ranch. And that makes for years ahead of retreats, gatherings, events, music, creativity, joy and love… together! And… we will be able to open the doors for the season in April!

This has been a labor of love and built with the hands of so many amazing souls!

Thank you, Thank you...

Eternal blessings and love.... Lesa and David

(Together with the Ranch Fam and an awesome Support Team standing strong!)

Final Note:

We could not have imagined a flood and mudslide disaster of this size or that our USAA insurance would not provide any coverage for these events. Our insurance coverage is for fires and earthquakes. We are actively trying to get some support from FEMA and the county but that has not materialized. We want to express our gratitude to Ventura County Fire Department for trying to help us regain access to the Ranch and for their continued efforts to repair the nearly three miles of road that was washed away. We cannot say enough about these guys... heroes!

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Many friends have encouraged us to do a fundraiser and with that encouragement, here we are. So grateful for that! GoFundMe is the best way for us to reach our community for help now. And when we get through this moment, we can’t wait to share music, love and connection at the Ranch. We will be stronger and better for it, for these times are also incredibly powerful, deeply uniting and always have rich hewed messages woven in the tests of adversity… as wrought by mother nature, by change, by the turning over, by the exhilaration of overcoming and the extraordinary human wellspring of love…