Members of The Sea Ranch Listserv defended their rights last week.

One member said that they pay federal taxes and, therefore, it was their right to have mail delivered directly to their home. Other members said that was impossible, since we live in a rural area and nobody around here has a mailbox. Another member suggested that it was possible that some people in Gualala might have mail delivered directly to their home, but others were unsure.

A long thread regarding fire prevention practices emerged early in the week, based on a San Francisco Chronicle article about the wildfire in Big Basin Redwood State Park several years ago. According to Listserv members, there is a big difference between the Big Basin Fire and a hypothetical fire at The Sea Ranch. The Sea Ranch is much better prepared for forest fires, because of:

• The “moistness” of The Sea Ranch
• The sizable volume of researchers and scientists residing at The Sea Ranch who can contribute to further investigations regarding the dangers that wildfires present to The Sea Ranch
• The ability of Listserv members to conduct research vs. rely on anecdotal evidence from The San Francisco Chronicle
• The lack of “pine” trees at The Sea Ranch
• Our ability to hold forums on the forest fires and forest management at Del Mar or Knipp-Stengel Barn

Forest fire risk factors at The Sea Ranch included:

• The monetary interests of those The Sea Ranchers who want to log The Sea Ranch forests for profit
• How slowly the TSRA website loads

No fewer than 7 individuals asked, “where are the sheep, right now?”

Someone with the email address “dirtman1999” asked one member if their spouse still drives a silver Mercedes.

An email address that looked a lot like a TSR Listserv members’ email address sent a note to everyone asking, “Do you order from Amazon?” Several Listserv members replied, “Yes, it is a fine service.” Another member said that it was a phishing attempt, where the look-a-like email address would request some sort of personal information or a purchase to be made on their behalf. One member believed that the mere presence of the look-a-like email address was cause for serious alarm, and that everyone on the Listserv should delete all of their emails and change their passwords “IMMEDIATELY.” A conversation about the differences between a phishing scam and a hack ensued.

One Listserv member heard a mysterious, loud and “penetrating” high-pitched noise. And, no, it was not their imagination.

Listserv members told the story of someone who recently purchased a property at The Sea Ranch and created an informal “gallery” in their unfurnished home. The theme of the home’s first show was, artistic “balance… in art, life and themselves.” One Listserv member used the following evaluative adjectives, within a single email, to describe this new homeowner (in order of appearance): “delightful”, “gracious”, “wonderful”, “wonderful” (again), “charming”, “great”, and “incredible”.

On July 25, in the year 2022, a 30+ email-long thread about the pros and cons of online streaming services vs. Direct TV (Ed note: sp?) took place on the Listserv. TSR Listserv members favorite streaming service? YouTube TV.

One member said that “wealthy” second home owners are “rich snobs” who leave a huge carbon footprint by driving up to The Sea Ranch.

TSR Infoalerts are, according to one member, something you “read or weep.”