Shareholder's meeting...

Shareholder's meeting...  When we bought our new home here in Paradise, we also bought some shares in the irrigation water company that provides our pressurized irrigation water.  A few weeks ago the fellow that runs alfalfa on our south field stopped by and let me know that he was running for a seat on the Board of the irrigation company, and that he'd really appreciate my attending the upcoming shareholder's meeting and voting for him.  I listened to why he wanted to get that Board seat, and I liked what I heard – so I agreed to show up and vote for him.

Last night (way past my bedtime!) was the shareholder's meeting.  It was a much more interesting experience than I expected it to be.  About 50 people showed up.  These are all people who live in or around Paradise, so that's actually a substantial fraction of the total population!  Most of them have known each other for many years, and of course most of them attend church together in one of the (four) local LDS wards.  This made for a lively and congenial meeting.

The meeting's process was recognizable to anyone familiar with formal shareholder or Board meetings – but really just barely recognizable.  The President struggled mightily to stay on track and make sure the right stuff got into the minutes, but it wasn't easy for him.  The audience of shareholders was, I think, largely ignorant of the formalities beyond making and seconding a motion.  Much of the business was approved by acclamation (a show of hands, absence of opposition) instead of by actual vote.  The only actual votes came toward the end of the meeting, when new Board members were being selected.  There were four openings, but only two of them had multiple nominees.  To vote, the Board handed out blank Post-It notes, and we scribbled our name, the number of shares we were voting, and the name of the candidate we were voting for.  Then they retired to another room to tote up the vote and check the share count.  It wasn't exactly the procedure you'd see in even a small public company :)  But it worked.  The four new Board members were duly elected and welcomed on board.  The fellow I came to vote for won his seat, much to his delight.

On my short drive home, I reflected on how this Board meeting illustrated the differences between the culture here in Paradise and where we used to live in Southern California.  I can't imagine this short, cheerful meeting with it's loose attention to formality ever working in California – not even in the relatively small community of Jamul that we were part of.  The closest experience I have to compare it with was a couple of meetings held in Jamul to discuss the (then proposed) Jamul Indian Casino.  That was a much larger room full of people who were mainly strangers to one another.  There was much mistrust and suspicion, and little shyness about openly voicing it.  Absolutely nothing was accomplished, other than a couple of local politicians being able to get their statements in the paper.  We left much unhappier than we arrived.  Here, by contrast, several contentious issues were discussed in a friendly manner, solutions proposed, courses of action agreed upon, and everyone left with smiles on their faces (and, most of them, with a donut in their hands).  It was part social event, part business, and 100% effective.

I love this place!

Barn and house progress...

Barn and house progress...  Painters arrived yesterday to start painting my new office on the second floor of the barn.  They're planning to finish today, and the tile installers will be here next Monday and Tuesday to put the floor down (wood-look tile).  With any luck at all, the construction guys will show up later next week to put in the baseboard and trim (windows and door).  After that, it's all up to me: I need to put up an electrical subpanel for the second floor, then wire power and lights in the office (and some lighting in the upstairs storage as well).  I also need to install some ducting and a fan so that I can use the heated air from the first floor to keep the office temperatures from dipping below freezing.  In two or three weeks, I may be able to start moving my computer, etc. into the new office.  Woo hoo!

Yesterday I took delivery of my band saw – a 17" monster from Grizzly.  It came in a wooden crate on a pallet, which I was able to drive right to it's location in the woodshop with the tractor.  Very convenient, that was.

Yesterday we also got a big furniture delivery, one we've been waiting for with bated breath.  The shipment included our dining room table and chairs, a dresser and chest for our bedroom, and a dresser and end table for the guest bedroom.  They're all beautiful pieces.  I'll post some photos after it gets light enough to take them...

We can all be angels now...

We can all be angels now...  Angel investors, that is.  If I'm reading this correctly (and you'd be totally fair to doubt that!), the SEC just decided that crowdfunding companies can peddle equity to the masses.  In other words, companies sites like Kickstarter can now offer stock (or, presumably, instruments like options or warrants) to anyone who signs up to help fund them.  Previously they've been limited to offering product, swag, or smiley faces.

It will be fascinating to see what happens with this.  It's sort of the next stage after the reforms starting in the '70s have made the stock market more accessible to ordinary people unsophisticated in the art of equity investing...

Your daily owl...

Your daily owl...  Because, mom...