March 28, 2023

 March is nearly over, and according to the calendar spring has arrived.  There must be some confusion, any crocuses or daffodils are still asleep, buried under huge piles of snow.  I saw a couple of sandhill cranes in a field and they looked totally out of place, those long legs trying to move them along on top of the snow.  Made me remember what it was like to walk on stilts when I was a kid.

Volunteer residents of the community gathered at the horse barns of the Franklin County Fairgrounds on the evening of March 18^th to fill sandbags and load them on trailers to bring to Mink Creek to aid in directing the melting water flow as it seeks the level of our creeks. Delivery was made to several homes in need.

It was an anniversary celebration for the Relief Society organization, done up in great style on March 16^th. About two dozen members gathered in the multi-purpose room of the ward building, wearing party hats and bearing an exchangeable gift. The plan for the evening was to get to know each other better. A question sheet entitled “Did You Know?” sparked conversations as individuals replied to the inquiries. When the gifts were opened and the giver identified, that person told why they had chosen that particular thing to be given to another. Talents and interests were revealed in this way. Refreshments were fitting for a birthday party – cake and ice cream. Leah Costley Gilbert had decorated a huge circular cake representing the emblem of Relief Society, in yellow, blue and gold. She is the daughter of Relief Society 1^st counselor, Cecelie Costley and grew up in the ward.

Jonia Jackson has spent some of these wintry days in Hawaii. Besides soaking up warmth and sunshine, she was visiting with the family of her son John Pierce on the island of Oahu. Jonia loves gardening, but that talent is going to be on hold while the snow reigns in our town.

The youth of the community gathered food donations for the Preston Food Pantry. It was a Food Drive sponsored by the Preston North Stake with a prize of a pizza party to the ward that brought in the most food items. Residents left bags of non-perishable food on their doorsteps for pick up. The Mink Creek Ward did not get the First Place, but they did get Second and were treated to chocolate milk and doughnuts. This arrived at an activity for the youth about journal writing with instruction from Cecelie Costley in preparation for the coming Summer Trek that the youth will be making. No complaints for either of these most worthwhile projects.

Any of our summertime residents, thinking to check out their homes, will find their driveways filled with at least 2-3 feet of snow at this point.  Spring really is coming, but there are some delays.

First Day of Spring??? 2023

 

Today is the first day of spring, according to the calendar. Things are still very white, but dripping has been part of the day. Yesterday brought blizzard conditions and times of whiteout. Being the type of community we are we are still planning on flowers, gardens and fruit trees with crops, just with a late start. We have had an extra tidbit to deal with this week when the boiler in our LDS Ward building shut down and some water in the basement. This birds that are returning with their usual spring travels must feel a little confused and wonder if they are in the right place. An aerial view might look like  this is a big white blanket.

The Young Women and Young Men enjoyed a new activity. The group drove to the turn-about area at the end of Mink Creek Road, near the Christensen farm buildings. Here they fastened on this ‘new’ footwear and went snowshoeing. For some it was a first time experience. Jancy Henderson, who has past experience in this method of travel on family outings, led the way. There were about a dozen youth, with leaders Bishop Paul McKay, Jesse Wilcox, Trevor and April Rasmussen and Claudine McKague. They finished things up, wearing headlamps in the early dark. A bonfire and making s’mores completed the winter fun. The snow depths this year are deep and there were lessons learned about what some of the early settlers with harsh winters had in their everyday lives.

The Relief Society hosted an evening for book enthusiasts on March 1. It was planned to be at the home of Jeannine Iverson, but due to the wintry roads and snow depth, with the extra challenge of the hill climb to access the Iverson home, it was relocated to the ward building. Even that parking lot and sidewalks needed extra attention from the local “snow angels.” Fifteen sisters were able to attend and brought recommended reading suggestions. Rebecca Jones was in charge of this event.

We have had weeks of being concerned about the weight of the snow pack on the roofs of our homes and out buildings. Many people have been active in climbing up and shoveling the piles off. Several buildings have caved-in. Now, with the change in temperature, anyone driving through our community will see highway signs posted, warning of water running over the road as it makes its way down to the bottom of our valley, and the main stream from which we are named. There aren’t many places in Mink Creek that are “flat,” homes, yards, all of it is perched on a slope. The force of water flowing downward may be enough to push a vehicle off the road, it has happened in the past. Our buildings stand in the path of this natural onslaught and we are dealing with the threat of water in our basements, flooding our barns, etc.

March 14, 2023

 

Lana Baird McCracken escaped to some warm country for a whole week. Her daughter Tamra Taylor, having a break from school, drove down to New Mexico to visit another daughter, Annette Batchelor. Annette lives in Placitas, a small community north of Albuquerque, on the Diamondback Ranch. It was a week of fun and relaxation. Lana reports that the area did receive a small amount of snow that disappeared within the day, nothing to measure up to what was coming to southeastern Idaho.

Kathy and Joe Jarvis traveled to Boise during the Idaho State Wrestling Tournaments to support their grandson, Jonathan Seamons, as he competed. He is the son of Jeff and Jennifer Seamons, now living in Caldwell. Jonathan is a Junior and was awarded the second place in his weight division.

Candy Longhurst has been soaking up some time with family. Her daughter Tiffany and Spencer Wheeler and their son Hudson came for a timely few days visit. They were able to help deal with the snow piled up around the Longhurst home.

One of the first priorities in this community is that of removing the snow from the roofs of our buildings. The first tool next to our doors is the shovel. The further up our valley the deeper the snow. Roofs with 6 plus feet of snow are showing wear and tear. Several sheds have caved in. Snow blowers, tractors, trucks are in daily use. Snow rakes are in demand. Just keeping the short driveways open is a challenge and the long driveways are nearly impossible. Heavier equipment may be required. With the storms rolling in every few days, the wind assisting, those areas that were once cleared fill in quickly, needing a repeat performance.

Jake and Renette Free and their children of Pinedale, WY spent some days with Richard and Vickie Free. This provided some help in shoveling snow from the roofs of their home and ranch buildings.

Usually we expect a thaw in January. Not so this year, both January and February have been loaded with snowstorms blowing in with regularity. We have had a March thaw, however, in this first week of March. The snow drifts have shrunk. The water is dripping from the eaves. It is ice underfoot in all directions. Once the ground is discovered it is in a muddy state.

March 7, 2023

 

Children of Eldon and Danita Wilcox, soon to return from having served a mission call in Pennsylvania, were here to enjoy some snowmobiling and celebrate Jesse Wilcox birthday. His wife, Annavelyn had planned a surprise party with his siblings. Brigham and Jenipher Wilcox of Idaho Falls brought their four children. Tyson and MaKenzie Gunter of Arimo, ID, added their family to the cousin mix. The Jeff and Elise Hardy family came from North Ogden. Jesse and Annavelyn Wilcox and their son Desmond live here. The Gunter family was involved in the Simplot Games of Track and Field held in Pocatello recently, connected with their own passion for the sport.

Kent and Tammy Beardall enjoyed a winter visit from daughter Nicole and Nate Denney and their little girl, Zaydee. The Denneys live in Rexburg, ID, and Nicole has recently graduated from the nursing program of BYU/I and has accepted a job at the Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls. Congratulations, Nicole!

Brooke and Josh Reichman came up from their home in Utah to spend some time with her father, Shane Corbett, and her brother Austin, at their home on Station Creek Road.

This is a great place to live. In these trying conditions with weather and travel there are lots of instances of service being given: groceries picked up by someone already in town, taking care of animals in need of feed, driveways being plowed out for whole neighborhoods by those with equipment to handle the larger stuff, frozen water systems thawed, walks shoveled, snow from roofs removed, eggs shared. The list goes on.

Highway 36, our main “street,” that goes up Strawberry Canyon and over to the Bear Lake side of our mountains, was closed for overnight travel on one night. It was so silent for those hours as a person becomes accustomed to the sounds of traffic through our village and there are spots where the noise echoes. The wind and snow combination truly had us in a “snowed in” state that we have not experienced in a very long time. The highway crews worked on it to have it open by noon the following day. We are grateful for the hours given.

Yet another storm has hit and delivered a sizey amount of snow to add to the depths already present. Since our community is one that has few flat area it is always difficult to give an estimation as to how deep the snowpack is. Chances are it is different at most homes, depending on location and if the wind is a regular factor. We have some spots there the fences are totally covered, others where at least the posts are still visible.