Master Album No.2

I recently posted a Google Photo Album of pictures from Lavon's collection.  The photos are here:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/uB1pzrBMpgS97Mkb8

The inside cover reads:

J. Edward Johnson - Mamie Huish Johnson - Lavon Brockbank Johnson, their children and immediate kin. 900 Spruce St. Berkeley, California.
This Master Album No 2, being preceded by Master Album No.1.
No 2. Started Nov. 22,1936

I am struck by a few things:

1. Where is Master Album No.1?
2. LaVon was careful when creating this volume.  Each of the photos is labeled with a unique number, so each photo can be removed and replaced in the correct location later.  Those labels are useful for maintaining an archive.  Very forward thinking on her part.
3. Many of the pictures have additional writing on the back.  I haven't looked at all of them, just enough to know that there is a lot of information available.
4. There are duplicates of many of these pictures in another box that I've been going through.

It was exciting to find this album.  This is one of those treasures that you hope to find when going through old documents.  I plan to do a more careful job of scanning its contents in the future.  I'd like higher resolution images and I'd like to review the back of each photo for information.  

In the interest of time, I took photos with my camera rather than going to the trouble of scanning each photo individually.  My plan is to get stuff documented quickly and then go back later and do a much better job with a relatively small number of very interesting artifacts.  Master Album is at the top of that list.

Family History - Initial Post

I've made an executive decision to expand the topics covered by this blog.  The Ranch has always been a  gathering place for the Johnson family, but it isn't what truly connects us all.  The thing that really keeps us together is our genealogy and shared memories.

Julie and I inherited the boxes of Family History from Dick, who inherited much of it from LaVon. Since then I've felt a strong desire to make that history available to all family members.  This is your history at least as much as it is mine, and as time marches forward, we risk losing the most direct connection we have to the memories contained in our albums.

I have started digitizing the photos and slides that I have, and I will make them available through this blog, the J.Ed Johnson Family Google Group (https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/jed-johnson-family), Google Photos, and Family Search (www.familysearch.org).  I may use other methods of sharing as I become aware of them, and I hope to add journal entries and other artifacts as I go through them.

I would like your help in a number of ways:

• Please enjoy the photos, and add any information you have about them.
• Please let me know if you see photos or artifacts that have special meaning to you.  
• I am happy to give away the original copies of these photos to family members who care.
• Please add to this project as you feel inspired to.  
• I would love to grant permissions to anybody to add blog posts or access photos.

I hope to do my part to honor our ancestors and pass along the memories and stories that makes the Johnson Family so special.

Annual Shareholder Meeting 2016

Wow! I'm so good at this blogging thing that I remembered to post in less than a year from the last p... oh wait. It's 2016. Well, anyway, I felt the need to get back on the blog because of our last Shareholder Meeting that took place at the ranch on Saturday, June 25 @ 10am (yes, I do realize this was a month ago). It was very informative.

Due to the busy lives we all have and the extensive amount of miles that blocks many from the journey, a portion of the Ranch's shareholders were unable to attend. However, we did appreciate the presence of Harry, Bob, Steve, Betsy, Erik Johnson, Matthew Poirier, Anne Johnson, Richard Reader (Anne's husband), Paris Fox, and Julie Ritzman (my mom). Matt Ritzman (my dad), Kallan Ritzman (me!), Karen Johnson Poirier, and Laura (Matthew Poirier’s wife) were also present for some of the latter part of the meeting.  Evan, Betsy’s husband, and Sonya, Steve’s wife, also joined us for the lunch afterwards (the food was delicious!).

During this meeting we reviewed the events and work of the past year:

• Fire control compliance
• Brush and poison oak eradication
• Removal and cutting up of fallen trees 
•  Harry and his buddies removed a huge tree at the top of the driveway
• Road repair and maintenance 
• Harry, Kaia, my Utah cousins, my dad, and I, dug burms on the upper field road which preserved it during the rainy season.
•  Also, PG&E caused damage to our upper field road, so Harry contacted them and got them to repair it. 
• Keeping the tractor operational 
• Mark Johnson had been very helpful in this pursuit.   
• Fence and gate repairs
• Plumbing and EBMUD line maintenance 
• Somebody checks the water meter everyday to make sure we don’t have any leaks.  We fixed a leak near the barn this year.
• Clearing culverts and creeks.  
• Replaced the back door to the ranch house – it was not closing correctly.
• Got a cat to help with the rodent population, it helped!  
• We installed a cat door to the house so that the cat has protection at night. A wiley raccoon figured out how to open our first raccoon proof door, but so far he has not broken into the new one.

We also reviewed the Ranch's constant maintenance needs which mainly consist of:

• clearing brush and trees blocking paths, roads, or creeks
• repairing fences and gates
• preparing roads for the rainy season
• Doing Ranch projects that are centered around the needs above, but often change from year to year:
1. Repairing the spring (located on EBMUD property)
2. building a new barn
3. cleaning the ranch house
4. Clearing out out corral area of brush and weed
5. Planting Alfalfa
6. Installing access for the tractor to get into the corral
7. Re-roofing the cottage and creamery (building above the creek creek)

We often have work days to help with these needs and projects. It would be great to have a larger workforce, so I will try to announce the work parties more frequently. If you are interested in coming to the Ranch to work, please email Harry or my mom ( julieritzman@sbcglobal.net ). If you bring guests they must sign a waiver. Email Harry if you need one.
More details on the meeting (including a discussion about the future of the ranch) will come out shortly either through email or the blog.

A Tiny Slice of Heaven

Yesterday, my mom and I went to go feed the horses. When we put the hay out we thought it would be fun to go on just a little ride on the lower field. I was on Revler and my mom was on Chico. We only did a small ride, but it was like a tiny slice of heaven. The ranch is really beatiful right now. We went up to the tree dump which is like a huge compost pit for branches. My mom and I had so much fun. It was just a small little ride to start off the week.

These pictures are of me on Revler after our ride.

Kaia and I Rode Horses on an Adventure

Posted and Written by Kallan Ritzman

On Monday, June 24, 2013, I went riding with Kaia. We started out with me on Reveller and Kaia on Mousey. We went around the lower field for a bit, then Kaia decided to ride Lakota. We then went to the barn and switched Mouse for Lakota. Kaia was bareback on Lakota and I had a saddle. We then went to the top of the Lower Field. Kaia taught me to gate on Reveller by getting Reveller into it and showing me on Lakota. That meant she had to get off Lakota, so she had to get back on which was the hard part,  though she did it! Gating is really fun. To do it you have to dig your heels in to the horses sides, split-reign them, and kick them. A gate is a smooth walk that gated horse can to. Houdini, Reveller, Mousey, and Lakota are our gated horses at the ranch. That was the one day this week that I truly gated Reveller . It was incredibly fun. After a bit of gating, Kaia came up with an idea.

Ranch Week Summary

      One week in the summer 2013 we did ranch week. That basically meant that we would spend that time and sleep over at the Ranch. Kaia, my dad, and I were there every night. On Sunday we slept over. On Monday night Lena, Logan, and Griffin slept over with us. The next night Griffin and Logan were with us again. We had many adventures and did fun activities like riding horses, playing games, cooking, art, and more. It was really fun. My favorite part was riding. We did big ones. I loved it. I definitely need to do it again.

Fencing, Reunions and a Calendar

Wow! It's been a while since anything's been posted.  Stuff has been happening, just not making it to the blog.

A few things to summarize:
Harry and Dave are spearheading an effort to get horses into the upper field.  It is quite a project to get the fences up to snuff.  We're replacing some of the fencing that J. Edward might have done himself.  In one section, there are at least two sets of wire with varying degrees of corrosion, and the old railroad ties crumple under a little pressure.

We've got a reunion and shareholder meeting coming up on the 23rd of this month.  I'd love to see you there.

In order to keep up to date on events, I've created a calendar.  You can view with the link in the right hand panel.  If you use Google Calendars I can grant you access to edit and include this in your own calendars.