May 29, 2013

Music of blackbirds chatting is filling the air hereabouts.  Golden Mule’s Ear flowers dot the hillsides, along with a mix of lavender, pink and white May flower clusters.  It is a grand time to be living in Mink Creek.

Karen and Layne Erickson, plus their daughter Connie, drove to Mesquite, NV.  They were meeting family for the funeral of a nephew.  Along the way they spent time in Cedar City, UT, with Judy and Ervin Larsen and Sarah Westerberg.

The sons of Terrie and Steve Mainini were home recently.  Mario lives in Richmond, UT, and Tony is going to school at ISU in Pocatello. Their daughter, Angelina, has just returned from a vacation with friends to Mexico.

Mink Creek’s menfolk, all ages, held a Fathers & Sons campout, over a rainy weekend.

The weather may not have been cooperating  but the food was great.  The evening meal was the results of a Dutch-over cookoff, Winners were:  Meats, Forrest Christensen; Potatoes, Bob Erickson and grandson Keenan Janke; Desserts, Chad Greene and son Izac, for a fine apple cobbler.   Breakfast was “the usual,” eggs, bacon, sausage and pancakes, plus juice and milk.  Even with the dampness the group was able to give the Mink Creek Ballpark a spring cleaning.  However, their annual ATV ride was cancelled due to mud and rain.

After returning from his mission to Bogotá, Columbia, Bridger Hall spoke in the LDS Sunday meeting. Many relatives were there.  The son of Brett and Kristi Hall, his grandparents are Sallee and Vernon Keller of Mink Creek and Dallas and Deonne Hall of Wellsville.  Extended family were: Doug and Shelley Keller and Kelsie from Preston, Rob and Kamee Summers and their three children of Wellsville, Kelton and Denise Keller and daughter Maury of Alpine, UT, Kaylene and Jeff Hill and Chelisa of  West Jordan, UT.  Those from Logan were:  Justin and Heather Torfin and baby Tate, Karma Wood, Karla and Chris Jensen and their children, Taylor and Kylie.   

Our local preschool, under the instruction of Dawnell Greene, held their “graduation” party at the county fire dept. building in Preston.  The children involved were Tia Hatch, daughter of Katie and Sam Hatch, Hazen Baird the son of LaRon and Liesa Baird, and Cooper Janke, son of Jody and Laural Janke.  The three graduates put on a delightful program of stories and songs.  At the same time the Cub Scouts that were members of Liesa and Elaine Larsen’s den were present for a bit of instruction regarding fire safety. The combined group was treated to a tour of the Fire House by Head Fireman Scott Martin.  Refreshments were served to everyone.

School is coming to a close this week and the youth of the community are making various plans.  Some for jobs, on or off the farms, some considering 4-H club activity and/or county recreational sports that are offered during summer months.

May 15, 2013

Mink Creek had some fierce winds for a couple of days.  They howled about the homes and could be heard in our chimneys.  There have been no reports of serious damage so we must have been adequately prepared.   Good things followed the gloom and noise.  A lovely gently spring rain fell for several hours and the earth drank it in.  With warmth and the rain we have greening galore and flowers.  Plum trees, wild and tame, have burst into bloom, joining the cherry blossoms.

Marie Aupperlee’s daughter, Sandy Wylie, brought her friend Tammy for a week’s visit in Mink Creek.  The drive up took them twenty hours from Sandy’s home in Chilton, TX.   It had been a while since their last reunion and the mother/daughter team enjoyed catching up on each other’s lives.

Joseph Seamons, son of Jeff and Jennifer Seamons, spoke in the LDS Ward prior to leaving for service in the Alpine, German-speaking, Mission.  Out-of-town family members came in abundance to wish him well:  Jeff’s siblings, Randolph, Morlyn, Rebecca and Dawnya; Jennifer’s sister, Mary, and fourteen of the Jarvis cousins.  Both sets of grandparents live here; Cathy and Scott Seamons and Kathy and Joe Jarvis.  Joseph has permission to let his violin be a constant companion on this two year adventure.  The Alpiine Mission is in for a treat with his abilities.

Elder Bridger Hall has come home from his two year mission to Columbia.  Amazingly, he was speaking fluent English within one day after being submerged in Spanish. His parents are Brett and Kristi Hall.

Ty Beardall, son of Kent and Tammy Beardall, was ordained to the office of a Teacher.  Besides his siblings living at home, Kyle, Heather, and Nicole, his married siblings were here to witness this event.  Shawn and Callie Beardall and their four children live in Spanish Fork, UT.  Michelle Wall and her two youngsters drove over with her mother-in-law, Candy Law,  from Grand Junction, CO. 

           Jim and Debbie Harrison zigzag between Mink Creek and St. George.  Recently they were found up here preparing their place for the coming of summer with mundane plans of plants and dirt, much like the rest of us.

Kayleen and Spencer Johnson spent a few days with her parents, Austin and Kathy Jones.  The Johnson pair is attending BYU in Provo.

It is garden time.  Time to get the plots ready, pick up the seeds, make decisions on the layout and make sure the water is available.  Also time to get ready for some aching muscles that have rested during the winter.  Our creeks are running, not as high as some years, but still making their way down to Mink Creek, which then empties into Bear River.  Their sound is music, especially in the cool of an evening when the daylight noises retreat.

May 8, 2013

Most of our local deer have retreated from sight for the casual drive through Mink Creek.  That doesn’t mean they are gone, and there are still deer fatalities on our highway, though not as many as in winter months.  Our foxes are out and about, I have seen several of the red coats and busy tails this spring.

Rebekah Christensen , daughter of Wally and Kim Christensen, will be entering the MTC and spoke in a Sunday meeting.  Her area of service will be in Uruguay, Montevideo West, Mission. All of the Christensen siblings attended:  Jeremy and Crystal Christensen and children of Provo, UT, Angelie and Thane Winward and their family from Garland, UT, Aaron and Nick Christensen, both of Logan.   Her grandmother, Shirley Keller of Thatcher, and grandparents, Reed and Pauline Christensen of Layton were there.  Aunts, Uncles, cousins, friends, all lent their support.

Bob and Claudia Erickson took a trip to Vancouver, WA to the home of their daughter, Claudine, and LaMar McKague.  Sam McKague, the eldest son, is soon departing for an LDS mission to Ribeirao Preto, Brazil.  While there they had the fun of going to a pro baseball game for the Seattle Mariners playing the Los Angeles Angels. 

Mink Creek has two new baby boys.  April 17^th brought a son to Jody and Laural Janke, weighing 7 # 7oz. , 21 inches. April 29^th was the delivery date to Stuart and Alona Ostler, this boy weighed 7 # 9 oz., 19 inches.  These boys have a ready-made friendship through their parents.

Kyle Jepsen, son of Glen and Betty Jo Jepsen, has spent some vacation time in Mink Creek.   He has a dental practice in Dallas, TX.  Kyle and Glen put in some physical work on the farm and it was good to have some country moments after life at a more hectic pace.

Juliana and Blaine Packer and their baby girl, Cedar Ann, came down  from Heyburn, ID, for a weekend with her parents and their family.  They are LaRon and Liesa Baird.

Cherry blossoms are lightly pink upon the branches.  Daffodils and tulips are putting on a show.  There is evidence of spring upon the land after suffering a series of cold days.  Many of the wild trees are showing blossoms of white.  Mink Creek abounds in a variety of trees.  I had heard about the trees years before I ever dreamed I would end up living here.  I only knew of its existence from a missionary in Wyoming.

The missionary count from the Mink Creek Ward is not decreasing. One has come home while two have left to serve, more on that in next week’s news.