April 1, 2014

Since the last edition of this column crazy spring has walked in, a little ahead of the official day.  On St. Patrick’s Day a snow storm moved in and did a good job of blanketing our valley in white.  It took a good part of the following day for some color to be restored. 

Justin Coleman, son of Tammy and Nelson Coleman, was awarded his Eagle Scout in Hyrum at a Court of Honor with his cousin.  The two young men have been together in the efforts so this was very appropriate.  Justin’s Eagle project was the iron sign that marks the entrance to the community of Mink Creek, located at the Bear River bridge.

Max Haws and his family have been here to enjoy some Idaho spring.  We use the word “enjoy” lightly, since the weather was a bit up and down. Most of them are from California, but college and Idaho roots  now bring them from diverse directions.  Now the gathering included spouses, grandchildren, friends and roommates.

Family members of Karen and Layne Erickson gathered at their home to celebrate a double birthday.  Karen and their daughter Terrie McKay were both born on March 23^rd.  Besides these two families, the Paul McKays, and Ericksons,  Todd and Julie Kunz and their two children came down from Idaho Falls for the event and Connie Erickson and her fiancé, Adam Westenskow of Logan  drove up.  The only one missing was Bryan Erickson, and he had been here a few days earlier, going for a work/fun day with Layne on the Snowcat.

The songs of meadowlarks have lightened the cloudy gloom of recent days. On March 27^th we had a real dose of fractious weather, sunshine, rain, snow,  and hail, all in one day.  Normal spring weather in this part of the country.

We have had three soggy snowstorms since I wrote the above five days ago.  They sweep in, blanket everything with large sodden flakes of white, stick around for awhile and then are gone. Silence reigns for a few moments as if time stopped, but not for long.   Some days it warms up enough to have all surfaces brown and new green  again within just a few hours.   We are expecting more as this week progresses.  All moisture is appreciated after our dry winter.

Even though we are without much moonlight the owl conversations are a night-time delight.  They are very communicative for some reason right now.  Generally the moonlight increases their talking   I may not understand owl, but I enjoy their jibber-jabber.  My current translation is that they are feeling the spring season all around  us.