September 27, 2017

           Anyone reading will get a double dose this posting because I was out of town last week and unable to chat.  Now life is back to my version of normal, or at least close to it.  I am still catching up, and canning along with it.

          Wedding bells, again in Mink Creek. Wally and Kim Christensen's son, Aaron married Amanda Anderson of Logan in a beautiful ceremony at Logan's Lundberg Park, followed by a reception These two young people met years ago when Amanda's family lived in Mink Creek for a short time when Aaron and Amanda were children attending Primary. They will be living in Logan where Aaron is employed.

           Mike and Mary Ann Jepsen had a visit from their son Jared and Andrea Jepsen and their three children. Jared and Andrea live in West Point, UT.

             Fruit in the Mink Creek orchards are few and far between due to a spring freeze this year. Our local deer are cleaning up any fruit that has fallen from the trees and often giving the trees an unwanted pruning on branches they can reach with a good neck extension.

           The Pearson place was visited on a couple of weekends. Howard and Colleen Hawkes of Kaysville, UT, and their daughter Melanie Evans and her family of Lehi, UT, were up to soak up some Idaho summer one weekend and another group commandeered the Pearson driveway on the day of the LOTOJA race, cheering on the bicyclists as they went up the hills towards our canyons.

           Two of our young ladies are involved in Preston High School fall sports programs. Emily Longhurst is playing volleyball and Hannah Greene is on the girls' soccer team.

           Speaking of volleyball, the word has gone out inviting young women, a little older women and also a co-ed group to join and play the game at the Preston North Stake House on Wednesday nights. Good chance for some fun exercise for those so inclined.

           Alexis Strong has been enjoying some time with her parents, Kurt and Margret Iverson, and her brothers. Alexis currently lives in California. Her husband, Scott came up to join her as his employment allowed.

             Rico Crosland was home with his family, Robert and Phee Crosland, for a few days before heading back to college at BYU/Idaho in Rexburg, ID. He has spent his summer months in the eastern part of the nation with a job selling pest control. 

           Many hands lighten the load, so true in this community. A Roadside Community Cleanup morning was held recently with all ages encouraged to lend support. We ran out of the traditional orange bags and resorted to multiple colors of bagged trash from the gathering efforts. A great breakfast was served at the LDS Ward meeting house following the activity. Terry Westerberg and Bishop Kurt Iverson turned out the pancakes, Paul McKay kept the potatoes warm and plenty, Glade Larsen had piles of scrambled eggs, Clair Christensen did a brisket to perfection, Bryce Stromberg was the overall help with the entire menu. Wives and other committee members made it a memorable occasion, a breakfast to remember. The event gave a wonderful feeling of community unity.

           Andy McKay, son of Paul and Terrie McKay, has received a mission call. He won't have much time since he is due at the MTC in Provo on November 15^th. He will be serving in the Iowa, DeMoines, Mission, English speaking.

           There has been a change in the LDS Sunday School Presidency. Second counselor, Heath Avery, has been released and Pedro Gomez sustained in that position. Douglas Bruderer, Sunday School President and Kim Keller, First Counselor remain the same.

Karen and Layne Erickson and Paul and Terrie McKay and Andy drove to Wellsville, UT, celebrating the return of Elder Seth Erickson, from his mission to Spain, Madrid, Mission. Seth is the son of Bryan and Shannon Erickson who live in Mt. Sterling.

           The Lewis and Clark Volunteers met in their fall Rendezvous on the banks of Mink Creek on the farm of Vernon Keller. This black powder group headquarters in Soda Springs, ID, and meet in our community several times annually. Curt Keller, a leader in the Volunteers, has family roots in this valley.

            Kerry and Lacey Christensen and children took a late summer trip to Glacier National Park. Theirs is an outdoor family and they had a great time. Lots of wildlife and beautiful scenery, clean air and fun in the package.

          The youth of the village worked on hauling in some extra dirt and improving the back yard of Sandy Mason's home. It had suffered during the flooding this spring. Sandy expressed her gratitude for the service, a job she could not tackle alone.

September 13, 2017

            The Highway crew has mended the broken guardrails around milepost 3 on the Highway 36. It was stop and go for traveling motorists for a few hours, but worth the short wait to have things set in place, on both sides. They have also been repairing the shoulders of the road where the winter weather took a toll. Many thanks for the improvements.

            Mary Jean and Larry Rasmussen took great delight in having their son JR and Elaine Rasmussen home for the Labor Day weekend. They live in Riverdale, UT. Having those two little grandsons, William and Luke, around for a few days added some energy and fun to the Rasmussen household.

           Andrew Iverson, son of Kurt and Margret Iverson, was ordained to the office of a priest in the LDS Ward recently. Ella Jepsen, daughter of Kerry and Melinda Jepsen, has graduated from primary and is now a part of the Beehive class in the Young Women organization.

            The new baby daughter of Bracken and Mariah Atkinson was blessed and given her name this past Sunday. She is Hadlee Denny Atkinson and welcomed by a big sister, Timberlee. Atkinson family members here to participate in this occasion were grandparents Jay and Theresa Atkinson, great-grandfather Lynn Atkinson, all of Preston, uncle Jordan and Jen Atkinson of Logan, UT, aunt Shaylee Atkinson of Twin Falls, ID. On the Belew side of the family were: grandparents Greg and Brenda Belew of St. Anthony, ID, great-grandparents Dennis and Judy Clark of Mink Creek and Reed Belew of Tremonton, UT, great-uncle Casey and Constance Clark and their girls from the west side of the valley, uncle Destin Belew and Jess Read and aunt Mikayla Holton, all of Preston.

            Jody and Laural Janke and their children drove up from Richfield, UT to spend the weekend in Mink Creek at the Bob and Claudia Erickson home. They enjoyed a last dip in their favorite summer swimming hole before it got any colder.

           Another family visiting for the holiday weekend were Aaron and Heather Haws and their children from Meridian, ID. They take advantage of a few days to spend it with his parents, Marion and Karl Haws.

            Our farmers are in the process of wrapping things up for the end of the growing season. Combines have been active and trucks loaded with grain, hauling in the golden kernels to the elevators for storage. Third crop hay, mowed, raked, baled and on its way to the barn or the buyer. This crop has been a little sketchy in areas where the standing water from a wet spring killed the alfalfa.

           We are still receiving jolts of earthquake activity. The last total I read was 297 since Sept 1^st, according to the US Geological Survey. The casual question at the breakfast table now seems to be, "So, did you feel any tremors during the night?”

           The time for clearing off gardens is fast approaching, one of these first days we will have a freeze hit and everything above ground will droop with the morning light. Residents are discussing the canning of tomatoes, chili sauce, salsa and other related tomato recipes

September 6, 2017

          It is the season for our wild sunflowers. They are everywhere, yellow and brown heads checking our the sun and looking perky among the dry weeds at their base. There is plenty of the dock that has gone to brown seeded columns, better known as Indian tobacco in these parts. It is a nice fall color combination.

           Samuel Seamons, son of Jeff and Jennifer Seamons has received a mission call to the Philippines, Legazpi, Mission He will enter the MTC in October.

           The Mink Creek home of Karl and Marion Haws is a busy place for a few days with children, grandchildren and even some great-grands keeping things going. Their daughter Lauren and Ken Nash and family are visiting. The Nash family lives in Solvang. CA.

           David and Judy Wilde held an open house for their son Christopher and his bride, Heidi Morgan at the LDS Meeting house. Heidi's parents, David and Danni Morgan of West Jordan, UT, were here for the festivities. Chris and Heidi are now living in Logan preparing for jobs and school.

            We have news of Danita Wilcox being laid up with a broken foot due to tripping on an uneven surface. Danita and her husband Eldon Wilcox are in the middle serving a mission in the Philippines and this injury is bound to hamper some of their activities for a bit. She does have a walking cast and is encouraged to keep that foot elevated as much as possible for the next four to six weeks.

           Our little village has four players on this year's Preston High School football squads. They are Ben Seamons, Walter Iverson, Izac Greene, and Andrew Iverson.

            Another mission call is in the process. Andy McKay, son of Paul and Terrie McKay, was ordained an Elder this past week. Family that gathered for the occasion were: siblings,Morgan and Eli Curtis and Cody and Kevyn McKay of Logan; uncle, Lin and Sharla McKay of Mink Creek and Layne and Karen Erickson, grandparents, of Mink Creek.

           Austin Corbett , son of Shane and Sherrie Corbett, was ordained to the office of a priest. Out of town family present to witness this were Vicki and Craig Golightly of Whitney and the family of Jason and Angie Golightly of Preston.

            A local deer met its demise when it was caught between the highway guard rails as a fast vehicle flew through our area. There was no chance for anything but a deadly collision.

           The days are a bit murky with smoke laden skies. It makes for brilliant orange tinted sunsets. From all reports there are fires raging in Oregon, Washington, and Montana and we are the recipient of that drift. At this point we aren't getting the ash fallout that those people living in those regions are experiencing. Time to count our blessings.

           We are continuing to feel jabs of earthquakes that began over the weekend.  A strange noise, a bit of unexpected movement, flickering lights, all most likely part of these tremors.  At last count I read was over 100 had happened.  Some I felt, others not.  It does keep a person on alert, wondering what is going on down under southeastern Idaho.