Feb 6, 2013

The weather has been an interesting combination of late.  A late January thaw came when a Chinook moved in. Everywhere was drip, drip, drip, with avalanches of snow sliding off our roofs. There was plenty of fog. A day later a strong winter storm hit and dumped a foot or so of heavy wet snow.  Wonderful stuff!  We have had a few storms since, so the depth must average out at about two feet where man has not disturbed it.

Residents from the past, Nettie and Joe Linton, of Logan, are headed for the mission field.  Their call was scheduled for a March departure date, but a recent phone call moved it up a month.  They will be speaking on Feb 10^th, at 11:30 a.m. in Logan.  The church is located at 100 E. 200 No.  The Lintons will be serving in the West Indies Mission.  This area requires FBI approval, fingerprints and the works, not to mention all the inoculations that go with foreign assignments.

Abigail Janke, daughter of Laural and Jody Janke, graduated from Primary in the LDS Ward.  She received her Certificate of Advancement and earned the Faith in God award.  She is excited to belong to the Beehive class of Young Women.

We regret the passing of Kristine Christensen, wife of Clare Christensen. Kris fought the cancer for about fifteen months before it won the battle. The Christensen family of Mink Creek is a large extended family and many relatives were present at her funeral held in the Mink Creek Ward church.  Kristine’s two sons, Joe and Jon Coplen, were here, as well as Clare’s children: Stephen Christensen, Janna Wolfley, Robin Francom, Tiffany Kinder, and Devin Christensen.  Kris’s mother, Barbara and Bernice Mecham came up from West Valley City, UT.  Some of Clare’s siblings were here, Clarice Feichko (his twin), Donald Christensen, Dorothy Shear, Verneal Lowry, DeeVirile Christensen,  and Royce Christensen.

            MaryAnn Jepsen slipped in an icy parking lot and broke some bones just above her ankle a few weeks back.  After surgery and a cast she found she could use a scooter to allow her some limited mobility.  Now, after following the Doctor’s instructions for the past six weeks, she has graduated to a walking cast.  Bit by bit, this new experience is moving her forward so that she can return to “normal.”  It will have been a long time of relative inactivity for this woman who is always on the go with her job, golf, family and other interests.

            We are still living in winter beauty, along with winter cold temperatures.  The thawing was short-lived, as it should be this time of year.  One can see the wildlife trails, criss-crossing snowy slopes, as they make their way down to water and back to winter shelter.   

            We are having a bit of trouble with the school buses---our kids ride on two buses, depending on the location of their homes.  Sometimes the dirt roads have been so slick that it has been difficult for the buses to navigate.  The temperatures have been cold enough that the buses gel up, due to the diesel fuel, and then the replacement bus arrives somewhere between an hour or 30 minutes later than usual.  When the bus shows up early, it presents a totally different type of challenge.  Hopefully these things will ease off as the weather decides to warm.