This week's column must begin with
gratitude. How terrific are the men who operate the snow plows in our
neck of the woods! Both county and state employees, Thank You! They
keep our 'main street' (Highway 36) open, working in darkness both
before and after midnight. Our side roads are a constant challenge
and the county plows do a great job. Another vote of appreciation
for all the residents in this little village that hop on their
tractors, trucks, and 4 Wheelers and spread throughout neighborhoods, clearing
driveways and farm yards. If not for them we would be socked in
solid after the recent storm. And it just keeps coming, one variety or another.
The family of Hugh and Bonnie Hansen
gathered round at a wedding reception for their granddaughter Abigail
Beutler, daughter of Roxanne and Wes Beutler of Dayton, ID. Wes
Hansen brought his mother, Bonnie up from Layton, UT. Sid and
Geraldine Hansen drove over from Richmond, UT, Pat and Dirk Bowles
live in Fairview, ID and Sandra and Earl Kemp are down in Farmington,
UT. A lovely time for a New Year's Eve reunion. Mink Creek roots go
deep.
Kim and Sam Daines and family spent
more than a week of Christmas time in Mink Creek! It has been a long
time since that happened and Kim's parents, Judy and Dennis Clark
were more than ecstatic. The Daines bunch live in Tuckahoe, N Y,
about 10 miles outside of New York City. While here they enjoyed home
fun: swimming at Riverdale Resort, sleigh riding, farm things with
Grandpa. On Christmas Eve all of the Clark family were able to be
together, children and grandchildren. Brenda and Greg Belew came
down from St. Anthony, Casey's family from Layton, UT. Now the
Daines family are ready to fly back east, doing some waiting because
the recent storms have canceled several flights in that direction.
Patti and Forrest Christensen have
returned from a balmy cruise, soaking up the sun and beautiful
surroundings that changed daily. Gone for two weeks,it started in
Miami, sailing south, and wound up in Los Angeles. The ship took
them to Columbia where they visited the old city Carte Enga and
explored old Spanish forts and monasteries. The weather was 88
degrees, the humidity 95%. Going through the locks of the Panama
Canal was a fun event. In Costa Rica they saw the rain forests,
crocodiles, toucans, much exotica. The beautiful flowers and
colorful birds always caught their attention wherever they traveled.
Guatemala offered a tour of a coffee plantation, a visit to the 1541
city of Antigua and the monastery there with bells and architecture
from that 16th century, and a trip to a jade museum. From
Nicaragua they went to gorgeous Cabo, the tip of the Baja peninsula.
Patti says that as they traveled northward towards LA the chill in
the air could be felt. Their flight home was delayed due to the
holidays and they ended up getting back home to Mink Creek in the
middle of the night on Christmas Eve. A bucket list wish was
fulfilled for these two, and now it is nice to be home, cold
temperatures and all.
This winter stuff is keeping us on
alert. Snow, rain, freeze, ice, warm, melt, mess. There are reports
of water in basements. A long-standing barn has crashed with the
weight of the snow, leaving equipment buried beneath the debris.
People slipping on the icy slopes. Cars sliding into the barrow pits
along the Highway and needing resident help to be set right, not to
mention those of us who are getting stuck in our own driveways. The rain on top of the deep snow has turned Mink Creek into a giant dripping sponge, or else it is snowing.
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