Ridgecrest Condominiums Redding CA - Ridgecrest LIFE Newsletter
Ridgecrest LIFE
Ridgecrest LIFE - Your Community Connection
Ridgecrest LIFE is a newsletter designed to help the residents of the Ridgecrest Condominiums Community stay connected and informed. This community-focused publication provides updates, news, and resources specifically for those living in the Ridgecrest condos Redding, CA, to foster a stronger sense of community among the residents.
October at Ridgecrest:
Okay, NOW Is Fall?
October has arrived in Redding.
Which means fall has officially begun.
Probably.
Those of us who have lived here awhile know better than to put the shorts away just because the calendar says October. Redding has been known to treat autumn more like a suggestion than a season.
Still, this is one of the nicest times of the year in the North State. The mornings are cooler. The evenings arrive a little earlier. The light changes. Leaves begin finding their way onto patios, walkways and—within approximately eleven seconds of being swept up—back onto patios and walkways.
Around Ridgecrest, October is a particularly nice month.
Our mature oaks and pines give us something many newer neighborhoods simply don't have: shade, wildlife, changing colors and the feeling of living in a community that has been here awhile.
They also give us leaves. Lots and lots of leaves.
This is a wonderful time to take a walk through Ridgecrest. Wander down a path you don't normally use. Notice some of the landscaping improvements taking place around the property. Say hello to somebody you haven't met. Look up into those trees once in a while—you may spot one of the feathered residents we've been featuring in Ridgecrest LIFE.
October also brings a reminder that our community belongs to all of us.
A condominium community is a little different from an ordinary neighborhood. Our homes are individual, but so much of the world immediately outside them is shared. Our landscaping, trees, pathways, pools, streets and buildings all connect us.
That makes the little things important.
Pick up something that blew onto the walkway. Keep your patio looking nice. Slow down when driving through the property. Report the sprinkler that seems determined to irrigate the pavement. Keep an eye out for your neighbors.
None of those things is particularly difficult.
Together, however, they make Ridgecrest a nicer place to live.
And October gives us another reason to enjoy it.
Open the windows. Sit outside. Take a walk.
Enjoy those beautiful North State evenings while they're here.
Because sooner or later we'll be complaining that it's cold.
Probably when it gets down to 62.
If you observe issues of concern, please report them to the property manager by calling (530) 241-3500 x 501, so these incidents can be addressed appropriately. All reports will be handled confidentially and in accordance with HOA procedures.
PRESIDENT'S REPORT
Taking Care of the Place We Call Home
October is a good month to talk about something that isn't terribly exciting:
Maintenance.
Stay with me.
Nobody buys a home because they're excited about irrigation valves, siding, drainage, roofs, painting schedules, landscape contracts or reserve studies.
But after spending some time serving on the Ridgecrest Board, I've developed a new appreciation for all of them.
Maybe not enough to put an irrigation valve on my Christmas list, but an appreciation nonetheless.
Ridgecrest is a large, beautiful and mature community. One of the things that makes it attractive is that it doesn't look like it was built yesterday.
The other side of that coin is that it wasn't built yesterday.
Things wear out. Trees grow. Irrigation systems age. Buildings need attention. Drainage changes. What was a perfectly good solution twenty years ago may not be the best solution today.
That's why so much of the Board's work right now is focused on something pretty simple:
Take care of what we have.
Progress Around the Property
Our renovation and repair work continues around Ridgecrest. Residents have seen contractors moving through the community as needed repairs and improvements are addressed. Construction can occasionally be noisy, inconvenient and not particularly attractive while it's happening.
The finished work is the important part.
Every repair we make today helps protect our buildings tomorrow. Every maintenance problem we catch early gives us a chance to address it before it becomes a much larger—and usually much more expensive—problem.
The same philosophy applies to landscaping.
We've seen encouraging improvement in the appearance of the property and in identifying irrigation problems. Ridgecrest has a complicated landscape and an equally complicated irrigation system, so there is plenty left to do.
But progress doesn't require perfection.
It requires continuing to move in the right direction.
Spending Carefully
The Board also continues looking closely at how Ridgecrest spends its money.
Every dollar we spend belongs to the homeowners. As we look at continuing with the current building maintenance, and at the round of roof repairs coming over the next few years, we see a 5 or 6-year period ahead where the budget will be tight. Very tight. We're planning to get through it and we will, with your help and understanding.
That doesn't mean the least expensive option is always the best option. Sometimes spending a little more today prevents spending considerably more tomorrow.
It does mean we should understand what we're buying, why we're buying it and what value it provides to the community.
That's especially important as we balance current maintenance with longer-term projects and reserve needs.
There will always be more things we'd like to do than things we can do at once.
Our job is to establish priorities and keep moving through them.
Your Eyes Help
One theme you'll notice throughout this month's Ridgecrest LIFE is reporting problems early.
That's intentional.
The Board, Hignell, our contractors and the Landscape Committee cannot be everywhere at once.
Our residents can.
If you see a leaking sprinkler, damaged common-area feature, exterior light that's out, unusual water accumulation or something around a building that doesn't look right, please report it.
You aren't complaining.
You're helping us maintain the property.
I'd much rather receive two reports about the same small problem than no report about a problem that becomes a large one.
One Last Thought
Ridgecrest didn't become the community it is overnight, and we aren't going to solve every maintenance issue overnight either.
But we're making progress.
We're paying attention.
And we're increasingly looking beyond simply fixing today's problem toward preventing tomorrow's.
That's good stewardship.
Thank you to my fellow Board members, our committees, Hignell Property Management, our contractors and—especially—our residents who continue letting us know what you're seeing around the community.
Keep it up.
Together, we're taking care of a pretty special place.
And yes, we're still working on those sprinklers.
Thank you for caring about Ridgecrest, for looking out for your neighbors, and for helping us take care of this pretty special place we share.
Tony Baldwin
President, Ridgecrest Homeowners Association
- - - - - - - - - -
We appreciate your cooperation in helping us maintain a safe and enjoyable environment for all residents.
"The potting shed" Landscaping update
by Laura Baldwin, Landscaping Committee Chairperson
Fall Has Arrived — Now Look Down!
October is one of my favorite times to walk around Ridgecrest.
The weather is finally becoming friendlier, the trees are beginning their seasonal changes, and you can spend more than fifteen minutes outside without wondering why you ever left the air conditioning.
It is also a great time to look closely at our landscaping.
We've made progress.
Our landscaping crew continues working through routine maintenance while irrigation problems and other trouble spots are being identified. Some improvements are immediately visible. Others—particularly irrigation repairs—may not be obvious at all.
But they matter.
Healthy landscaping starts underground.
The Landscape Patrol
Last month I asked for volunteers to help us divide Ridgecrest into five landscaping zones and give us another set of eyes around the property.
I'm asking again!
You don't need to know the Latin name of every plant.
I certainly won't quiz you.
What we need are neighbors willing to occasionally walk through an assigned area and notice things.
- Is a sprinkler broken?
- Is a plant struggling?
- Is water running down the pavement?
- Has a tree or shrub developed a problem?
- Is there an area that consistently looks neglected?
That's it.
Think of it as taking a walk with a purpose.
If we can find one volunteer for each of our five zones, we'll have a much better picture of what is happening throughout this large property without asking any one person to take on a big job.
And I repeat my promise from September:
Joining the Landscape Patrol does not automatically come with a shovel.
Leaves Are Landscaping, Too
October also brings leaves, needles, acorns and all the other little gifts our beautiful mature trees send down to us.
Please keep an eye on your patios, entry areas and other resident-maintained spaces.
A few leaves look like fall.
A few hundred leaves look like work.
Accumulated leaves and pine needles can also interfere with drainage and create other problems as wetter weather eventually arrives.
Take Another Look at Your Patio
Last month I also asked everyone to take a look at patio and entryway plants.
Thank you to those who did.
Plants add so much to our homes and our community when they're healthy and cared for. If you have plants that didn't survive the summer, now is a good time to remove them, prune what needs pruning and freshen things up.
Sometimes improving landscaping doesn't require planting anything new.
Sometimes it just requires removing what didn't make it.
Looking Ahead
We are also beginning the longer conversation about Ridgecrest's future landscaping.
California's changing water-use requirements mean some areas of nonfunctional turf may eventually need to be reconsidered.
That's not something we should approach as simply, “What grass do we have to remove?”
I'd rather ask:
What could we put there that would be even better?
Can we use attractive drought-tolerant plants? Improve color? Reduce water use? Create landscaping that fits the established character of Ridgecrest while being easier and less expensive to maintain?
Those are opportunities as much as they are challenges.
And we're going to need resident ideas.
If you'd like to join the Landscape Committee or Landscape Patrol—or simply have a suggestion—please let us know.
Ridgecrest has a lot of landscaping. Fortunately, it also has a lot of neighbors.
Thanks!
-Laura
If you have questions, suggestions, specific landscaping needs, or would like to get involved, please reach out to us at the newsletter by sending an email to: editor@ridgecrest.life
We will make sure your message is directed to Laura and the Committee. Together, we can help shape a landscape that reflects both the beauty of Ridgecrest and the realities of responsible, forward-looking community management.
"The Ridgeline Telegraph" - Info from the Property Manager
PROPERTY MANAGER'S REPORT
Hello Ridgecrest Residents,
October brings cooler mornings, shorter days and the beginning of our transition toward wetter weather. This is a good time for all of us to take a few simple steps that help protect our homes and shared property.
Leaves, Needles and Drainage
Our mature trees are one of Ridgecrest's greatest assets. In October, they also begin making deposits. Please keep patios, entryways and other owner-maintained areas reasonably clear of leaves, pine needles and debris.
As we move toward the rainy season, drainage becomes increasingly important. If you notice standing water, a blocked drain or unusual runoff in a common area, please report it rather than assuming someone else already has. Small drainage problems have a way of becoming much larger problems during the first significant storm.
Exterior Lighting
With daylight hours getting shorter, this is also a good time to pay attention to exterior lighting. If you notice a common-area light that isn't working properly, please report it. Good lighting contributes to both safety and the appearance of the community.
Residents should also check lighting in areas for which they are individually responsible.
Landscaping and Irrigation
Landscape and irrigation work continues throughout Ridgecrest. Even as watering needs begin declining with cooler weather, please continue reporting broken sprinkler heads, leaks, excessive runoff or unusually wet areas.
Water running where it shouldn't is still water we're paying for.
Construction and Property Improvements
Repair and renovation work continues as Ridgecrest addresses ongoing building and property needs.
Please continue observing temporary signs, barriers and notices around active work areas. We appreciate everyone's patience when projects create temporary noise, equipment or inconvenience.
Maintaining a community of Ridgecrest's size and age is an ongoing process, and this work is an important part of protecting the property for the long term.
Help Us Catch Things Early
If something doesn't look right, please tell us. You don't need to determine who is responsible or whether someone else has already reported it. That's our job.
Your job is simply to help us see it.
A leaking irrigation line, damaged common-area feature, lighting problem, drainage concern or potential safety issue is much easier to address when we know about it.
Thank you for continuing to help us care for Ridgecrest. We wish everyone a safe and enjoyable October.
Warm regards,
- Monica Gale, Property Manager,
Call for more detailed information. - (530) 241-3500 x 501
Redding news you can use
Daily Redding - A great up-to-the-minute source for local news
If September is Redding's transition month, October is the payoff!
Cooler mornings and evenings make this a wonderful time to rediscover some of the places that are easy to avoid during the hottest part of summer.
Walk across the Sundial Bridge. Spend some time on the Sacramento River Trail. Take a drive toward Whiskeytown. Wander through Turtle Bay's gardens. Or just walk Ridgecrest.
There's even a little extra motivation this month. The City of Redding highlights Walktober, running October 1–31 through Healthy Shasta. Participants can join a team, log steps and take part in challenges throughout the month.
Which raises an interesting possibility:
How many trips around Ridgecrest does it take to qualify as exercise instead of checking on the landscaping?
We're going with one.
Did you know there is a free source for local news? Wake up every morning with Daily Redding, a local newsletter that's anything but snooze-worthy, packed with positive, impactful local news + events across the Redding community, including updates on ridgecrest condos redding and ridgecrest condos redding ca.
Click HERE to check out dailyredding.com
RIDGECREST "BIRDS OF A FEATHER"
Fall Migration on the Pacific Flyway
Fall migration is in full swing and Redding is smack dab in the middle of the Pacific flyway. Our location at the top of Ridgetop makes Ridgecrest Condos an excellent place to see and hear the migration in progress. Between September and November, millions of geese and ducks and cranes and pelicans will pass overhead on their way to winter breeding grounds. The best time to see and hear them will be early in the morning and in the evening.
What Am I Seeing?
If you see a jagged V in the sky in September, you are almost certainly seeing Greater White Fronted Geese (also called speckle-bellies.)
In October and November, you are more likely to see flocks of white birds. Those are most likely Snow Geese and their smaller cousins Ross’ Geese.
If they are white with ridiculously long necks, you are probably seeing tundra swans.
You may also see sandhill cranes flying overhead, which you can identify by their haunting call, and American white pelicans, which are silent but often fly higher overhead than other migrators.
By the way, if you see a jagged V in the sky in the summer months, they are probably our resident Canada geese.
What Am I Hearing?
Speckle bellies, snow geese, and Canada geese are all noisy when they fly and you may be able to learn their calls just by listening to them as they fly overhead.
But the easiest way to identify their calls is by getting the FREE phone app called Merlin. It allows you to record the bird calls you are hearing and then identifies the bird that is making the call. Follow this link, https://www.merlinbirds.org , to get more information on the Merlin app (did I mention that it is FREE?) The app was developed by Cornell University and is used by birdwatchers worldwide to identify birds by their calls.
Getting Up Close and Personal
If you want to experience the fall migration up close, there are several excellent National Wildlife Refuges near us where you can see the geese (plus millions of pintail, bufflehead, teal, wigeon and other ducks) in person. Two of the best are the Lower Klamath NWR north of Dorris and the Sacramento NWR near Willows. They both draw visitors from around the world during the winter breeding season. It is a great outing if you have family visiting over the holidays. And if you time your visit to be on the refuge at sunset to see the daily fly off, it will be a once in a lifetime experience you will not soon forget.
RIDGECREST-DID YOU KNOW?
The Trees Above Us
It's easy to become so accustomed to Ridgecrest's trees that we stop seeing them. Until the leaves start falling. Then we see them everywhere.
One of the things that distinguishes Ridgecrest from many newer developments is its mature landscape. Our tees provide shade, wildlife habitat, privacy and much of the established character of our community. They also occasionally provide us with leaves, needles, acorns, branches, squirrels, woodpeckers and things landing on the roof at 2:17 in the morning that sound considerably larger than they probably are.
Trees are also part of the infrastructure of Ridgecrest. Their roots interact with irrigation, walkways and drainage. Their canopies require maintenance. Their health needs to be monitored. And when one develops a problem, deciding what to do isn't always as simple as cutting off a branch.
That's why caring for our mature trees is part of caring for Ridgecrest itself. So sometime this month, look up. That enormous tree you've walked beneath a hundred times may have been standing there long before you moved to Ridgecrest. With a little care, it may still be standing there long after all of us have moved on.
That's a pretty nice legacy for something that never attended a single Board meeting.
From the (E)Mailbag... Messages to the Editor
The mailbag remains suspiciously light. This means one of three things:
- Everybody loves everything we're doing.
- Nobody is reading this far.
- Or you're all waiting for somebody else to write first.
We're choosing to believe Option One, but we'd still love to hear from you.
- Have an idea for Ridgecrest LIFE?
- A question about the community?
- A photograph?
- A funny Ridgecrest observation?
- Something you'd like us to investigate?
- Or perhaps you actually know the identity of the sprinkler that keeps watering the sidewalk? (You know the one...)
Send it along.
This newsletter is intended to be our community connection, and it becomes more interesting when more of the community participates.
