Last day of First Month, 2017

           The Newby men were home for the holidays with their parents, Sharla and Lin McKay at their Bear Creek residence. Payton and Judith Newby and their little Xander live in Springville, UT. Josh and Sarah Newby and their two boys, Gage and Nash, call Layton, UT, home. Daughter River McKay came up from Logan and being  all together for games, fun and food was just what they all needed.

            There has been a change in the LDS Ward Sunday School presidency. Jody Janke is still the president and his counselors are Heath Avery and Kim Keller. The secretary is Doug Bruderer. .

            The youth held a night-time sleigh riding party in the lower fields of Bob Erickson's farm. The Iverson family brought snowmobiles to help the weary riders back up the hill after their swift descents. All were ready for a rerun. No serious accidents helped d to make the event a success.

            The Robert and Phee Crosland family banded together recently over a couple of weekends. Angelo Crosland would soon be leaving for his two years of missionary service in the Indiana, Indianapolis, Mission and the family gathered round to wish him well. Giovani and Kristina Crosland and their children were down from Blackfoot, ID. Armando Crosland flew out from Washington DC, bringing Angelo back home after some training time in the east. Marco and Christina Crosland had some time off from school at BYU in Provo, as did Rico and Mario Crosland.

           For the weekend that Angelo spoke in the LDS Ward, more family arrived. Robert's two sisters and families drove up from Utah. Marie and Ray Eads and their son Walker live in American Fork, while Carolyn and Mick Michie and their family are in Moroni, UT.

            George and Bobby Garr celebrated their 65^th wedding anniversary with a nice, fairly quiet, small family luncheon, on January 18^th. The Garrs are residents of dual citizenship: Mink Creek, ID, and Long Beach, CA. It has been this way for many years.

            We are having an old-fashioned winter, the kind the "old-timers" talk about.  "Remember when..."  This will be one for the stories of the future.  Winter life goes on and the snow banks get higher, and higher. What a winter this has been! At the top of our canyons,the plows have kept the highway open over to Bear Lake. It is like driving down a hallway with walls of white one either side. We hope the snowmobile enthusiasts use some caution, dangers lurk beneath that beautiful deep snow that has the appearance of being smooth and flat. Not to mention the possibility of avalanches with the conditions as they are at the present time.

             If you subscribe to the Preston Citizen newspaper you will already know this, but for those readers who do not this may be pertinent information. Ronnie S. Keller passed away on January 13^th. This good man has had some serious health issues for quite some time. His funeral was held in the Riverdale LDS Church and the building was filled to more than capacity with caring friends and family. He was buried in the Oxford, Idaho, Cemetery along side their oldest son. Ronnie's passing will leave an empty spot in many areas of Franklin County, but particularly Riverdale and Mink Creek.

           We took a ride up Strawberry Canyon as far as the Copenhagen Parking lot. Some of the snow banks bordering the highway were higher than my husband is tall, nearly 6 feet. Yes, it is beautiful, picture postcard perfect. It is also cold and unyielding to the unprepared.