November 7, 2023

 

The fall winds are conducting music for the leaves in our valley to perform their final dance. They are going to and fro, up and over, throughout the yards and open fields of our community. What was once red, bright green and yellow are all in shades of rust and tan. It has been a beautiful fall. Snow has arrived, staying in the high ups, but gracefully melting in the warmer sun rays of morning on the areas lower down. Bit by bit the white line descends toward our valley floor. It feels like a normal year so far.

In most of the orchards of the community there has been a prime apple crop. A group of residents gathered at the shop of Clare Christensen to bring the bounty and press the fruit into cider, much of which was used at the community Harvest Social this past weekend.

The Harvest Social and Emergency Preparedness Fair was well attended on a cold October evening. The assignment was to bring a food dish that had been prepared from food from our storage. There was an interesting variety and plenty to go around. Foods brought were: pulled pork in a small roll, Dutch-oven potatoes, apple crisp, pumpkin cake, a black bean casserole of some sort, a meat mixture on a baguette slice, cooked squash, pressed apple cider, a potato soup, cornmeal muffins, mashed potatoes with beef gravy, and others.

Elders’ Quorum President, Bret Rasmussen introduced the rest of the evening with stories from Mink Creek’s early years. They served to illustrate how life could be, living off the grid without many of the luxuries we think necessary in our modern world. The program was to be 15 minute break sessions in various rooms for topics: What to do if the electricity goes out from Brint Philliips, freeze drying from Clare Christensen, 72-96 hour kit updates with Kim Christensen’s handout, making syrup from local maple and box elder trees from Extension Agent Bracken Henderson, drying meat from Ben Keller and Steve Baldwin. Good stuff! The entertainment was great—a team of BYU Folk dancers put on a show. Two of the girls are married to our Iverson boys, Walter and Andrew. They did several numbers: something Australian, an Indian hoop dance, etc. and wound up inviting everyone for the Virginia Reel. It was a night well planned and well carried out.

The weather change brought some snow to join that which has lasted in the mountain tops. Nothing low yet, but reminding us that winter preparations are in order. Living where there are four seasons is great, but full of challenges that go with each of those seasons.