Ranch Memories - A Photo Album

Thanks to Bob , Auntie Estelle, Melanie  and Jimmy and Ming, for the wonderful memories of special times around and in the big main house that San Tong built on the Jue Joe Ranch.  The pictures also include some of the Loon family at their own house close by to the Jue Joe Ranch.

Front Door to the Main Ranch House

The buildings of the Jue Joe Ranch are now gone forever but the pictures and memories remain.
Here is a photo of my Auntie Joan and my cousins Bob and Jeni at the front door to the Ranch House circa 1962.  The Chinese character on the door is "Fook" in Cantonese  or "Fu" in Mandarin meaning good luck or good fortune.
From Auntie Soo-Yin "The word "fook" means "good fortune," according to Ah Gung (San Tong).  He asked grandmother Leong Shee to choose a word to bless our new home, which was meant to be our family's permanent headquarters.  Leong Shee chose fook (Fu in Mandarin). My father explained to me that the most respected elder in a family has the honor of blessing a new home."
 From my cousin,Ming, "The word is “fook” 福, which means happiness, fortune or blessing. It is also part of Jimmy’s Chinese name. You may notice a discrepancy between the left-most strokes on the left between the character on the email and on the door. According to Betty, the door uses “classical” strokes, while the character in the email is Chinese traditional."

Jue Joe Ranch Buildings Razed

Today the current owners of the Jue Joe ranch property have begun demolishing all the buildings. Workers report that the historic redwood packing shed and barn from the original Jue Joe Ranch will go first and then the ranch house that my grandfather built. The buildings and the stories will live on in our collective memories.

Wedding: San Tong Jue and Rose Chung 8/12/1927

This last weekend I visited my cousin Bob and we explored the keep sake chest of our grandmother, Rose Chung. Here is the wedding invitation and formal photos of her wedding with our grandfather, San Tong Jue  in 1927.

Jue Joe Ranch- A new powerpoint by Auntie Soo Yin

Here is a new enhanced Power point presentation by Auntie Soo Yin about the history of Jue Joe and the Jue Joe family in America. which is nicely set to music.
The best way to view this presentation is to hit the expand full screen button on the bottom right and then once you get a full screen, click on the oval white area  in the right lower corner  and then click  play ( On some computers the music will just start automatically) . Once the music starts, just  manually advance the slides on your computer while you listen to the music !. The last powerpoint slide includes a video set to music of Jue family asparagus operations . It does not open properly from the power point presentation on this blog so I have included it below the power point presentation .  Thanks Auntie Soo Yin!

Legend of Zhao- By Auntie Soo Yin

Here is new power point presentation by Auntie Soo Yin on the history of the Zhao (Jue) clan  from which our family is descended. There is music for you to enjoy while you look at the slides.  The best way to view this presentation is to hit the expand full screen button on the bottom right and then once you get a full screen click on the oval white area in the right lower corner  and then  click  play  ( On some computers the music will just start playing). Once the music starts manually advance the slides on your computer while you listen to the music !.
Thanks Auntie Soo Yin !

Robert Yen's Poem " The Ranch"

Recently my cousin Robert Yen shared a moving poem he wrote long ago about the Van Nuys ranch.

 "I came upon this poem in my old files. It’s one I wrote 30 years ago based on stories my mom told me about her growing up with your dad at the ranch. You’ll recognize that it actually combines her stories with some of my memories of the ranch house which didn’t exist during their childhood, e.g., the moss by the front door, the steps and the door mat on the side of the house. (Remember that closet next to the door where Ah Gung kept his hats?)"

THE RANCH
- for my mother and uncle

With a walnut branch
we coax a black horse to the fence.
Together, we climb on its wide back
and watch the sun fall
beyond the far eucalyptus.

The slivers of beef
and asparagus from father's fields
are on the stove, and as we make our way home
we leave low-hanging motes of dust
then climb three steps
and pause before entering, to rattle
our shoes on the steel mat beside the door.

The table is set in grey.
We set ourselves in the black chairs
and cool our throats with milk
from a silver pitcher.

*
At night the house is silent
except for father
coughing into a bag in the kitchen.

Outside,
we pinch the light from stars
and watch the moon rise in the east
out of Asia.

From the door of a packing shed
Mexican songs and lantern light scatter
across the glimmering fields.

Later,
I step through the cold and tender moss
by our front door.

There,
a good woman-our grandmother-
draws me near and whispers good night
before I climb on the moon's yellow light
into feather comforters where I cry
and try to remember
the face of our mother.