April 2, 2025

  The Influenza A strain has taken a number of residents out of commission for a lengthy stretch.  One resident was down with the stuff for six weeks.  Nothing good can be said about the bug, unless it might be that a person so afflicted enjoys staying home with lots of naps of exhaustion.

A project for the community of Mink Creek that took considerable time to complete was the compiling and editing of a book entitled Women of Mink Creek. It is a record about the women who now live in this small community, and includes glimpses into the past as well. Some of the stories are from residents of long-standing, others may have lived here only a short time. The project grew and blossomed as stories were submitted to Cecelie Costley, a counselor in the current Mink Creek Relief Society presidency. Cecelie was the inspiration and provided the narrative to tie the stories into the final copy. The printed edition has been very popular and gives a little different perspective from some of the past histories of Mink Creek.

Jyllian Christensen, daughter of Kerry and Lacey Christensen, and a junior at Preston High School participated in the Distinguished Young Women pageant recently. A skilled horsewoman, Jyllian has competed in a number of rodeo royalty competitions in past years.

Kasey and Julia Haws are now permanently Crickers. Kasey has been spending vacation times in Mink Crik since he was a kid, coming with his parents from California to enjoy Idaho summertime with his grandparents, Louis and Eleanor Engel. Through the years, as the senior sibling of his family, Kasey has made sure the Engel/Haws home was taken care of. Now they have purchased the former home of Drew and JoAnn Ford up Bear Creek Road and those Idaho roots are spreading out, here to stay, with reverse visits to California.

A newer resident is Anita Hadley, also from California. She purchased the Steve and Amy Baldwin home with its beautiful porch and view in the distance of the west side mountains.

There is that feeling of spring, and along with it has come the awakening of dormant box elder bugs and the invasion of early mosquitoes. The storms passing through have not been sufficient to discourage them

March 18, 2025

 

With the excitement of Preston High's basketball team headed to Boise for the Idaho State 5A tournament a number of Mink Creek residents followed them for the three day challenge. This team has provided many hours of spectator fun this whole season. It was extra exciting when the team proved their prowess and became the State Champions for the 2025 year.

The community was part of the food drive of the Preston East Stake for supplies to be donated to the Preston Community Food Pantry. Some foods were brought to the meetinghouse, others were gathered door to door by the young men and all delivered to the food bank.

LaMar and Claudine McKague's family all gathered in Utah to attend the wedding and festivities of their son Ethan McKague and Caitlin Paulson, the daughter of Clint and Jamie Paulson. There are five McKague siblings and all were able to make the trip: three from southeastern Idaho and one from Vancouver, WA, where the McKagues resided prior to moving to Mink Creek. Ethan and Caitlin will make their home in Lehi, UT.

Eldon and Danita Wilcox have received another mission assignment for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This time they will be serving in Bluff, UT at another historic site. It is the area of the famous “Hole In the Rock” that was part of the early colonization of the church members to the southwest. The Wilcox are due to arrive in Bluff before the end of March and will soon be on their way. Several of their children and grandchildren have made recent visits in Mink Creek, aware of this next time of extended absence of their parents.

Some of the local wildlife are as confused about the spring/winter as are we humans. Migrating birds with their overhead  view considering the landscape might think twice about dropping down into a land where the snowplows are busy into the wee hours of the mornings. They may want to have a break further south before resuming their flights.

March 12, 2025

 

On a Saturday morning the members of the Mink Creek Relief Society were invited to join a session of tying quilts. Spearheaded by Danita Wilcox this was a project long in the process. Donations of scraps and larger pieces of fabric had been given to Danita to assemble into quilt tops as a humanitarian service, quilts for those needing the same. The results, after several months of stitching, were six tops that had been pieced together, set in frames and now in need of tying. About twenty ladies volunteered their services and gathered at the recreation hall. A brunch was served of breakfast casseroles, a french toast casserole, fruit plates and veggie trays. Along with the task at hand there was the enjoyment of being together and socializing. The next step was to find volunteers to sew the binding of the quilt edges to have a finished wrap of warmth.

The Young Men also had a a couple of days of snowmobiling together, knowing the days of fresh white snow may be limited as spring nears. Dads and leaders went with the guys, starting out from the Birch Creek parking lot. Those on the ride were Bishop Jared and Morgan Keller, Jesse Wilcox, Carson Christensen, Matt Rhees, Brian Peterson, Kurt and Conner Iverson, Per and Krister Danfors, Jesse and Elliot Keller. They met at the warming hut in Horseshoe Basin for lunch then rode over to the Bear Lake side to spend the night at a cabin in St. Charles. LaRon Baird and his sons Hazen and Orrin drove over from Mink Creek with food to meet them in St. Charles and spend the night.  No injuries were reported and just a few scratches on the machines. Lots of smiles from a great activity.

We have multiple indications of health issues.  Among them are arms in special slings to keep  shoulders in place,  a leg scooter for a healing broken leg, several leg boots, not to mention absences due to respiratory disturbances. 

There are reports of crocuses putting in appearances and the recent warm days have pushed yard snow way back.  Spring?  Forecast is for three stormy days this coming weekend.  I guess that does make it spring.

March 5, 2025

 

The community Winter Dinner Night Out event was enjoyed by many. A nursery was provided for the benefit of those attending who had children needing a babysitter. The evening took place in the recreation hall of the LDS Church building and the room was full with ten round tables, seating eight at each table. The theme for decorations, of course, was Winter. Those in charge for the dinner were members of the activity committee: Lacey Christensen, Kim Christensen and Clare Christensen, all separate families, a common surname in this area. The menu was Beef brisket with a barbeque sauce, baked potatoes, mixed vegetables, rolls. Dessert was a choice of chocolate presentations, provided potluck style by those attending. The warmth of mutual friends was felt throughout the night.

Laura Cheney and Cindy Hanson have returned from their cruise to the Bahamas and the Caribbean waters. When they left to enjoy this venture the local temperatures were fairly warm and on their return they found that winter had arrived in this corner of Idaho.

Mink Creek has had two of its youth participating in the winter sports of Preston High School. Hazen Baird, son of LaRon and Liesa Baird was on the wrestling squad until an injury made it impossible for him to be active. Elliot Keller, son of Jesse and Shawna Keller, played on the JV team in basketball.

Connie and Adam Westenskow and Emma spent an overnighter with her parents, Layne and Karen Erickson. The Westenskows live in Logan but this was an occasion of celebrating Connie's birthday at home in Mink Creek.

There is constant change. Is the mud season upon us? But it is only the first few days of March, which came wafting in as the proverbial 'lamb' weather-wise. Seed catalogs have arrived and some residents are even ready to do their indoor planting in preparation for a early spring with their gardens.

February 25, 2025

 

Did that beautiful Snow Moon bring this beautiful wet snow? For our valley and surrounding mountains every flake and drop will find a place over the next few months. It keeps coming, much better now than when the greening is taking place.

Adam and Camene Haws and their family are up from their place in Sol Vang, CA. Adam claims they brought the snow with them. His older brother, Kasey and Julia Haws are with us as well and they might make the same claim. Whatever, the welcome mat is out and even with the extra chores that come with real winter it is bringing smiles.

There have been a couple of changes in the Mink Creek Ward. Wynn Costley was released from his calling as the Executive Secretary and Trevor Rasmussen was sustained to fill that position. Corey Nielson was called to be the Ward membership clerk.

Bret Rasmussen offered his shop, a welder and some tools for a young men's activity with welding. Jesse Wilcox had some small tanks that the boys welded and painted to resemble the Minions from the movie Despicable Me. Their creativity will be displayed sometime in the future.

Finally, our youth were able to have snow activity, after some events have being canceled. Mid-February made it possible for their snow sledding night on the slopes of the Dan and Casey Christensen ranch, located near the mouth of Strawberry Canyon and having a bit more snow depth. Things started at 6 p.m., complete with a bonfire and various snowmobiles to pull sledders back to the top of the hill. Hot chocolate and cookies were waiting around the warmth of the fire. The slope was even lighted by some portable lighting, courtesy of Jesse Wilcox. It was a great night, fun with no injuries.

As of today, water is running off every roof, tree branches, shrub, anything that held snow or ice to be melted. Temperatures in upper 30's, 40's makes it so there is the constant sound of drip, drip, drip. It shouldn't be mud season yet. Perhaps this is a temporary break and that we will get more winter.

February 17, 2025

 

A trio of McKays, Paul with his sons, Cody and Andy, spent some days in the Island Park area enjoying enough snow for snowmobiling. Cody may live in Arizona at this stage of his life, but that has not dampened his love of various winter sports. It is nice that he can fly into Idaho Falls, meet up with the others for a weekend of fun.

Eldon and Danita Wilcox have recently returned from a vacation, the kind that gets a priority spot on the well known “bucket list.” At the end of December they flew to Santiago, Chile, and boarded a cruise ship in Valparaiso. The cruise stopped at three Chilean ports, sailed through fjords and visited Magdelena Island where they walked among the penguins. From there it was a fun visit to Ushuaia, Argentina, the most southern city in the world and the end of the Pan Am Highway. Things heard of in geography classes were on the agenda: the Straits of Magellan, the Beagle passage, Caper Horn. Crossing Drake passage brought them to Antarctica and the Palmer Station with icebergs, glaciers, more penguins and whales. The beauty of winter reigns in Antarctica with tall steep mountains, snow and ice. Rounding the tip of South America brought them to the Falkland Islands and Argentina and Uruguay. They were able to see three LDS temples, one in each of the countries visited. Eldon and Danita felt Antarctica was the highlight of the month-long cruise but Iquazu Falls in Brazil was a close second.

The Syringa Camp of the DUP met at the home of Ramona Lower-Hatchett in the Narrows Estates for their February session. Lorraine Christensen presented a history of the settling of Santa Clara, down in Washington county of southern Utah. Fun songs were part of the entertainment. A new member, Peggy Hamilton, told the group how her husband was connected to the Parker family, that of famous Butch Cassidy.

We now have the appearance of a real winter, having received several inches of soggy snow. It is heavy and when it warms a bit slides of sloping roofs into a pile below. Icicles drip and lengthen when the temps drop, only to drip again the next day. Even with the work storms like this require, it feels good, reassuring, to have some winter weather.

February 11, 2025

 

It would be incomplete to not write just a bit of a recent tragedy in our community. I am speaking of the midnight fire that took the home of Phee and Robert Crosland during the early hours of January 31^st. The Citizen has an article about this in last week's paper. The community and beyond are feeling some mourning over the loss of the home and all the belongings of the Crosland family and those who were renting their apartment, Laura Cheney and Cindy Hanson. At the same time we are so grateful that everyone escaped with their lives. There is also gratitude for the county fire department who kept the inferno from spreading further.

Plans for a winter cruise by Wynn and Cecelie Costley were canceled when circumstances placed Cecelie in the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City. Cecelie is home now from the hospital after a month of unexpected challenges and amazing miracles. She says thank you for all of your prayers. They were felt and appreciated.

Some of the young men of Mink Creek and their leaders gathered at the home of Jay and Kristin Collins for both a demonstration and then a follow up experience of making cinnamon rolls. The Collins had owned a bakery in Vancouver, WA. One technique that was new to some attending was the handling of a rolling pin. The results of this evening was both tasty and fun.

Do we call the recent weather a February Thaw, or a False Spring? The warm days melting the icy surfaces, closed driveways and paths are becoming the source of puddles, all set to find their way to the creeks, then to Mink Creek proper and on to the Bear River. The terrain of our village is made up of slopes and literally flat spots are not frequent. Snow is welcome.

It seems we have need of a variety of repairs taking place in our community— the human physical type: a couple of broken legs, a broken arm, a shoulder, even some heads sporting a band-aid or two. These are on separate residents, not a combination.

Happy Valentine's Day!  Because you read, I blog.  Thanks for keeping me updated on the life in this place I love so much.