February 22, 2022

 

The Valentine Dinner, prepared by the Elders Quorum for the night of Feb 11 was a huge success. All nine tables, each seating 8 people, were filled. This was an adult only event, but necessity there were 2 babies at the gathering. The menu was beef brisket, roasted chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, beans, a tossed salad, a roll, with bottled water as the beverage. The entertainment was choice: a video recording of the ward roadshow of 2009. Mink Creek Ward had been awarded first place for the skit written by Cecelie Costley and assisted by Phee Crosland and Candy Longhurst. There was a large group of youth in those past days and now we have only a few. The title of the play was “Chances Are You Are Good at Something” and starred Joshua Greene, who is now a father of several children and still living in our ward boundaries. We were pleased to have some stake visitors for this occasion: Nicole and Michael Romney, counselor in the stake presidency, and Alan and Nelada White, the high counselor currently assigned to the Mink Creek Ward. We often have the Whites join us in our gatherings.

Eldon and Danita Wilcox and Richard and Vickie Free have taken a winter vacation to Florida. Of course the warmer weather was inviting, but even more so was the association with Patti and Forest Christensen, former residents who have moved to that state. They were joined there by Lisa and Sid Whitehouse, who are also now located in the eastern part of our nation. It turned out to be a Mink Creek Reunion for this group.

We have some devoted fishermen/women in our ranks, including during the winter months. The freezing temperatures have served them well for ice fishing this season. With things warming up a bit now, that ice gets a little more ‘iffy’ and they may have to postpone this activity for a few weeks, waiting for the return of spring fishing accommodations.

There have been some swans hanging around our open waters this winter.  Quite a group have enjoyed the waters up around the Maple Grove Hot Springs, where there water from the springs ups the temps a little.  Even a farm pond with open areas from the icy edges has invited some to stay with the winter ducks. 

Valentine's Day plus one

 I hope you recognized that yesterday was a day that you let people know that you cared.  That should happen frequently, not once a year, but it is a day for a good reminder.  Mink Creek had a Valentine Dinner, but it will be reported here next week as part of the news column. 

JoAnn and Kevin Auger were in Mink Creek for a family visit. JoAnn is the sister of Glen Jepsen, and aunt to Dr. Kerry Jepsen. Kevin’s roots are in Preston. The Augers live in Woodland Hills, UT.

ReNae Egley went with her daughter, Tara Nielsen, to Nampa, ID, to soak up the sounds of the orchestra concert that was the culmination of the efforts of students who had qualified for the Idaho All State Orchestra. Tara and Jeff Nielsen’s son, Nick, had auditioned and been accepted, playing as the First chair Bassist. Nick is an excellent musician in many areas of the field. The concert was held on the campus of the Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa. Nick plays in the Preston High School Orchestra under the direction of Ms. Jill Durrant.

A new family has arrived in Mink Creek. Jacob and Christy Cheney and their children Jared, Isaac, Kaylee, and Hannah have been welcomed into the lower story of the home of Ken and Jean Ross. The Ross couple are the grandparents, Christy their daughter. Jacob’s Mink Creek connection is that of his sister Laura Cheney who has lived here several years. This arrival of more children will expand the rolls of our dwindling Primary-age numbers.

The neighborhood owls are chatting during these cold crisp nights of moonlight. It is fun to listen, but way too cold for much outdoor observation and tuning in to the conversations.

Friends in Cub River aren’t reporting many deer sightings on their side of our connecting mountains. Our melting southern slopes must offer feed with extra flavor because our deer are many. Please be careful if driving through our village and beyond, particularly during the evening and night time hours.

Driveways to summer homes are still very full of snow, especially if it is in area that drifts with the winter winds. I recently had a contact from some of our summer folk, inquiring about snow depth and I investigated. For their particular spot there is still about a foot in their driveway. For readers in this situation, this is a reminder of one more challenge to consider before you plan a weekend in this direction.

February 9, 2022

 

Jesse and Annavelyn Wilcox and their son Desmond have returned after a lengthy visit to her homeland in the Philippines. They were there during the typhoons that brought devastation to much of the country but were able to spend time with Annavelyn’s family and even visit some areas that were new to them. Jesse served his mission in the Philippines and so this was a memory trip for him. The were able to make connections with Mink Creek’s Samuel Seamons who now lives there, and his wife, for a dinner date. After soaking up the green colors of those islands it was hard to return to the white slopes and winter chores of freezing Idaho. The neighborhood in Mink Creek has greeted them with smiles and comments of, “You are back!” and “Welcome home!”

Landon and Amy Costley and family warmed up the Wynn and Cecelie Costley residence with a check-in day or two. No matter the season it is fun at Grandma’s house.

With the winter temperatures we are experiencing it makes perfect sense that we have several males with bearded faces. These are all dark and nicely taken care of, quite attractive.

Tommy Henderson, son of Shoni and Brady Henderson, is playing on the Preston High School Junior Varsity basketball team this year. His dedication to basketball was recognized by Coach Matt Shumway. It is fun to have one of our own on the team when Mink Creek fans are attending the basketball games.

During the cold months our community often feels like we are the gateway to the mountains and canyons around us for the snowmobiling crowd. They aren’t the only ones that enjoy our nearby spaces, cross-country skiers and those who enjoy trying out snow shoes are also part of the winter scene.

One of the major wildlife critters in our area is “those turkeys.” Hundreds of the birds inhabit our hills and fields. Feeding in a snow covered field they can appear as though a giant had cast a handful of black marbles or black beans onto a white blanket. Although they feed along the highway it is seldom that they connect with a vehicle. This week one of the turkeys must have miscalculated the road crossing because there was turkey carnage spread over an area, feathers galore.

We are sorry to report that lately our days are absolutely beautiful. The white fields glisten, the sky, both blue and white clouds are lovely to behold. It has warmed just enough so that our southern slopes are showing the dry growth leftover from the fall, and of course the local deer population are gathering to munch on what they can find. We appreciate the beauties in our surroundings. However, we are wishing for more storm, more heavy clouds, laden with moisture to build up the supply in our mountains. It isn’t that we are never satisfied, this is a community with deep agricultural roots and we know from experience the need for water in the months ahead.

February 1, 2022

 

Our land line phones, generally speaking, appear to be back in working order. There were some that did nothing but blurt out the busy signal on any given phone call for a couple of weeks. We are assuming that went for the miserable robot calls as well. In this neck of the woods house phones might be land-line, internet connected or cell phones. Internet is fine as long as the internet is up and running. Cell phone connections are not reliable in our spotty areas of service, this seems to be a concept difficult for the outside world to understand.

Morgan Keller, oldest son of Jared and Hollie Keller, was ordained to the office of a teacher this month. He was ordained by his father and welcomed into the Teacher’s Quorum of the Mink Creek Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Elder Dallon Baird has now left for some time at the Mission Training Center in Provo, prior to beginning his years of service as a missionary in the Arizona, Tempe, Mission. He will be in Provo for two weeks. He is the son of Liesa and LaRon Baird. His grandmother, Lana McCracken and husband Ivan live in Mink Creek. Several of his relatives on his mother’s side of the family were able to come to hear him speak in a recent church meeting: Grandparents, LeeAnn and Terry Orton of Ogden, aunts and uncles Brent and Tanya Orton of Iona, ID, and Katie and Jeremy Lund of Herriman, UT with some sprinkling of cousins.

Claudine and LaMar McKague of Vancouver, WA, spent a few days here, sorting through some tasks that are part of their preparation for building a home here in the future. Their daughter Sage had wedding plans in Rexburg, ID, to marry Nathan Ricks, and this occasion brought family members together. Besides the extended McKague family, Bob and Claudia Erickson, grandparents of the bride attended, along with Davis Collins, currently of Mink Creek, Carla and Mark Nielsen of American Fork, UT, and the family of Laural and Jody Janke who now live in Rexburg.

The local coyotes have been doing their share of howling. Perhaps they are only singing about our beautiful sparkling landscape during the nights of moonlight.

Have you noticed how quickly those short days of Winter solstice are lengthening? Around here it was fairly dark by 5 p.m., and now there is still a bit of light about 6? And the sunsets, oh my, they are beautiful and filled with color! Dawn looks encouraging as well, the light starts up over our eastern mountains and bit by bit the white snowy slopes on the opposite side start to glow and grow, inch by inch, as the light works its way up. It helps to wake up to a “good morning!”