Sept. 24, 2019

           The beautiful scenery that surrounds our little valley has been various shades of green for several months. In just the last few days the dropping temperatures have started to produce some fall colors among the green, some bright yellow, red and orange. We have had some skiffs of snow on our highest reaches for a morning or two.

          Recent rainstorms have delivered a drenching. There is a good side and a bad side to that. The flowers in our gardens seem brighter than ever, full and lush as they await the freeze that is bound to come. Our farmers that are working to harvest that third crop of hay are met with the challenge of searching for a window of time when the crop can be swathed, with several days of clear, warmer weather following to dry before it can be baled.

          Claudine and LaMar McKague and their girls, Sage and Elsie, drove down from Vancouver, WA, for a Fall stay with Claudine's parents, Bob and Claudia Erickson. The visit was timed so they could pick up a returning missionary son, Elder Ethan McKague, in Pocatello, and also deliver Sage to the Idaho Falls area with her plans to attend BYU/I in Rexburg. The family of Laural and Jody Janke came up from Richfield, UT, to join in the family fun and get in some good cousin time.

          In one of those coincidences that somehow come into our lives, Elder McKague in his flight layover in Salt Lake City, briefly met Elder Jarom Olson, who also has Mink Creek roots with grandparents, Jimmie and AnnaBeth Olson. Elder McKague has been serving in Las Vegas, Elder Olson was just on his way to serve in the Las Vegas Mission. Even more interesting is that Elder Olson's first assignment is in the same location where Elder McKague last served before being released.

          With fall upon us the constant stream of summer visitors to our village is slacking off. Ken and Loren Nash were here from Sol Vang, CA to close up their family's Mink Creek residence for a month or so. Sam and Sylvia Stanger have been popping in and out over the summer at their yellow brick school.

         We are happy to announce the birth of a baby boy to Tawni and Tayson Reid. Grandparents Kristi and Bret Hall are busting their buttons with pleased smiles over the event. This makes another great-grandchild for Vernon Keller.

           The Forest Service had a controlled burn today in our area. It went fine, but caused some concerns within the community when we didn't know that was the cause of flames and smoke, and on a windy day.

            A few turkeys have been seen down in our lower regions. I am sure it is just the tip of the iceberg of what will soon be descending. Their summer absence has been very satisfying, but it is time to put on the alert for the next go around.

           There was a baby shower for Haylee Hatch Jensen, and it included her husband Bryce. It was held at the Benson Park in Preston on a day that turned out to be rather chilly. The Hatch family was prepared with warm cocoa and plenty of treats for the guests.

September 17, 2019

        The annual LOTOJA Saturday has been and gone. The weather, cloudy and cold on Friday, brightened up and was in the bikers favor for the race. No snow on the summit of our canyon this year. The riders filled the highway in the morning hours, some singly, some in pairs or small groups, and others in droves, pedaling almost synchronized as they ascend to Copenhagen and beyond.

          With the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Mink Creek ward getting a new Bishopric a couple of months ago, there was also a change in the Elders' Quorum presidency. The president is Clare Christensen, his counselors are Clifford Jensen and Brint Phillips. Miles Erickson is secretary for the organization. The former bishop, Kurt Iverson, has just been called to serve on the Preston North Stake High Council.

          Justin Longhurst was recently ordained to the office of an elder in the priesthood. Family gathered to witness this occasion. His brother Jake and Holly Longhurst and baby Alice drove up from Smithfield, sister McKinley Longhurst came from school at ISU in Pocatello. His mother Candy and sister Emily live here in Mink Creek. Grandparents, Earl and Barbara Craythorn of Firth, ID, attended. Justin's wife, Cynthia, had family visiting as well, her brother Quentin and Nikki Zilles, and her parents, Lori and Ross Zilles, all of Weston. Long standing friends, Bill and Myrna Despain cam up from Preston.

           Kaden Loyd is now stationed at a military base in Japan. His wife, Cheyenne, and baby girl flew over to join him. She is the daughter of Jody and Brett Rasmussen. Cheyenne had her hands full for the trip—besides bags she had baby necessities like a stroller and carrier, plus the babe. It was great that other passengers gave her a helping hand. Japan seems a long distance at the Rasmussen household.

            Kent and ReNae Egley are often on the road, along with other members of the Egley clan. They are following their son Matt Egley in his car racing competitions that has recently gotten underway. Matt has come in with the checkered flag a few times this season. Not to say that this racing life doesn't have some moments when big-time repair is needed. He has a great crew.

           We have had some fierce wind and rain storms this past week. The whipping trees could match up with Harry Potter's tree. Rivulets cut down through the dirt on the sides of driveways and roads as the swift water showed how much force it could produce, leaving behind small canyons. Any fruit near the stage of ripeness in our orchards was flung to the ground, not dropped, but flung, and now smushed and fodder for the wasps and bees.

          With the temperatures following a zigzag pattern lately, it is time to think about those nights which will soon be coming when we need to cover tomato plants, or anything else that might need protection from a freeze. So far I have heard no reports of garden disasters. However, snow has touched the tops of our mountains a couple of times in the last two weeks. No two ways about it, it is time to prepare. 

Sept 10, 2019

         Eric Hickman and his mother Delores Hickman were up from California to close out the Mink Creek Hickman home and get it ready for the prospect of selling. Delores lives in Long Beach. Eric built the home a few years ago for his parents, Van and Delores. Van passed away this summer.

          Richie Hurst has enjoyed having some of his friends, also from California, come by and spend a few days in Mink Creek. For some of them it is their first visit to Idaho. Rich enjoys introducing them to the pluses of life in small-town Idaho.

           The “Garlic Project” that took place on the Longhurst farm a year ago has born its harvest. Around fifty friends and neighbors, along with Longhurst family, gathered to bring in what they had helped plant. The farm was busy as a beehive, getting rid of the weeds that had grown along with the garlic and finding the bulbs.

           Ben and Marie Keller are back in town full time after being employed at Camp Bartlett for the majority of the summer. Much of their recent calendar was Sundays in Mink Cree, the rest of the week, up the canyon and over the hill to help with the upkeep of facilities at the Boy Scout camp. Bartlett is a thriving spot all summer long.

          The daughter of Lin and Sharla McKay, River McKay comes up off and on while she is settling in to her new job with Backcountry in Park City. It is to our advantage that she has a tendency to get pangs of home sickness.

           As we turn the calendar over to September it marks the end of lots of summery family visits. One might say that reality sets in and it is back to school, or jobs, or just a tighter schedule. The college age set have returned from summer employment, stopped at home long enough to eat some good meals, rearrange items in their bags and pick up a few more and head out in all directions to the college of their choice.

          We are seeing, and hearing, loads of firewood being harvested in our canyons. The sound of chainsaws in action is one familiar in this place. Trailers and pickup loads go up the highway empty and come back down loaded to overflowing.

         Members of the Larry and Lillian Hansen family have come up frequently from Utah to spend time at the Hansen place on Bear Creek. Larry's ancestor roots go way back to when this farm was first homesteaded.

          We've had a couple of gully-washer storms move through town the last few days. Wind and rain left some damage spots behind them.

September 3, 2019

            Combines are busy in the grain fields. Heavily loaded trucks are hauling the kernels to storage, whether it is on the home farm or at the grain elevators in Preston. It is a busy time of year. Just a few days ago another crop of hay was in the harvesting stage and being transported to the best vantage point, some by a hay wagon and tractor, others with sufficient quantity to require a semi truck.

             The countryside is drying, things are only green if they are being irrigated, whether that is a field or a lawn. The whir of the grasshopper wings is heard in the Fall air. The revolving of seasons is once again taking place.

             Stetson Ostler is helping his uncle Rex Sharp and his grandmother Jody Sharp with the care and training of race horses. This occupation is winding down a bit with the starting of school. The family of Stuart and Alona Ostler are also part of a catering business, Western Dutch Oven Cooking. It is a mobile business where they travel with their ovens to the event and the food is prepared close to the site where it will be served. Alona's parents, Brent and Jody Sharp of Cub River, are part of this cooking crew. They have magic with the ovens, producing yummy food.

           Phee and Robert Crosland took one last family trip before school got underway. Some of their children had the wish to retrace a trip taken when they were youngsters to the Oregon coast. Malia and Jason Kunze and their children of Rigby, ID, combined with Giovanni and Kristine Crosland and their little ones from Tremonton, UT, plus newlyweds, Angelo and Gracie Crosland, and all traveled caravan style to the northwest. They soaked up the beautiful scenery, enjoyed the beaches of the Pacific Ocean and various tourist sites while they were camping and having fun together. Good memories were both relived and made anew.

          Crystal Christensen, wife of Jeremy, and their children came up to spend a few days with his parents, Kim and Wally Christensen. Jeremy is now employed as an actuary for insurance for the Nevada State employees. The family lives in Carson City, NV.

          The village is gearing up for the annual LOTOJA bicycle race, Logan to Jackson, that passes through on our main street yearly. It will be this coming Saturday. Generally it happens without incident and residents are given a pass that enables them to use the local roads while the race is in progress. One year the weather turned cold and the bikers were caught in snow at the summit at the top of Strawberry Canyon. Those who organize and participate have to consider many different possibilities. Bikers have been making practice runs during the past months in preparation for this event.