April 9, 2014

Anyone driving through our village might note some area blackened by recent  fires.  Most of those are due to homeowners burning off the dry weeds from the seasons past. The larger burn spots are indications of a fire  that got away, possibly needing assistance from the county fire dept. to get it under control.  We are grateful for their assistance.

Jimmie and AnnaBeth Olson have been doing some serious traveling.  Their latest road trips have taken them to the homes of all of their children. They began with the plan to see Lydia and Jason Stucki and their family in Moscow, ID.  Another daughter, Peggy and Jon Flinders, and children live in Salmon,ID, and the road back down from northern Idaho took them to Meridian, the home of  Dana and Charlie Petersen and their children.  In a southerly direction from Mink Creek live the two Olson sons, Mike and  Anna Olson and family in Brigham City, UT,  and  Jerry and Christine Olson with their youngsters in St. George.


Mink Creek was pleased to have three of their young people qualify to play in the Bridgerland  Honor Band and  Orchestra Concert  held in Logan at USU's  Kent Concert Hall.  Abi  Janke,  daughter of Jody and Laural Janke, plays the trumpet and in the orchestra were two sons of Jeff and Jennifer Seamons, Ben Seamons played the   viola and David Seamons played the violin.

Elder Jacob Longhurst spoke in the LDS Ward about his mission to  Guadalajara, Mexico.  His maternal grandparents, Earl and Barbara Craythorn came down from the Burley, ID, area.  There were Craythorn and Longhurst aunts, uncles, and cousins here in abundance. Two of Jake's past missionary companions were here to share his experiences.
  
After a "spring break" filled with snow and rain the outdoors has had some drying days and sunshine. Our school children, forced to indoor entertainment during their break by inclement weather, were happy to have warm recesses.  Local farmers have been able to get out on their fields and the tractors are rolling, up and down the valley.  Hints of spring green are becoming stronger each passing day.

I have been having computer problems, hopefully in the process of being solved 
with a new computer.  However, now my relearning begins.  Please bear with me 
while I work out the bumps.  This whole entry may read strangely.  Sorry.

April 1, 2014

Since the last edition of this column crazy spring has walked in, a little ahead of the official day.  On St. Patrick’s Day a snow storm moved in and did a good job of blanketing our valley in white.  It took a good part of the following day for some color to be restored. 

Justin Coleman, son of Tammy and Nelson Coleman, was awarded his Eagle Scout in Hyrum at a Court of Honor with his cousin.  The two young men have been together in the efforts so this was very appropriate.  Justin’s Eagle project was the iron sign that marks the entrance to the community of Mink Creek, located at the Bear River bridge.

Max Haws and his family have been here to enjoy some Idaho spring.  We use the word “enjoy” lightly, since the weather was a bit up and down. Most of them are from California, but college and Idaho roots  now bring them from diverse directions.  Now the gathering included spouses, grandchildren, friends and roommates.

Family members of Karen and Layne Erickson gathered at their home to celebrate a double birthday.  Karen and their daughter Terrie McKay were both born on March 23^rd.  Besides these two families, the Paul McKays, and Ericksons,  Todd and Julie Kunz and their two children came down from Idaho Falls for the event and Connie Erickson and her fiancé, Adam Westenskow of Logan  drove up.  The only one missing was Bryan Erickson, and he had been here a few days earlier, going for a work/fun day with Layne on the Snowcat.

The songs of meadowlarks have lightened the cloudy gloom of recent days. On March 27^th we had a real dose of fractious weather, sunshine, rain, snow,  and hail, all in one day.  Normal spring weather in this part of the country.

We have had three soggy snowstorms since I wrote the above five days ago.  They sweep in, blanket everything with large sodden flakes of white, stick around for awhile and then are gone. Silence reigns for a few moments as if time stopped, but not for long.   Some days it warms up enough to have all surfaces brown and new green  again within just a few hours.   We are expecting more as this week progresses.  All moisture is appreciated after our dry winter.

Even though we are without much moonlight the owl conversations are a night-time delight.  They are very communicative for some reason right now.  Generally the moonlight increases their talking   I may not understand owl, but I enjoy their jibber-jabber.  My current translation is that they are feeling the spring season all around  us.

Out like a lamb?, 2014

Eldon and  Danita Wilcox  and Royce and Lorraine Christensen took a family related road trip south.  First stop was Las Vegas, then on to Arizona where they spent time with LaMoyne (Danita’s sister) and Gary Jeppsen in Kingman.  Next was the Phoenix area to visit Royce and Lorraine’s son Kevin, and Eldon’s brother who also has a home there.  Heading west they traveled to San Diego, CA and met up with Omar Lopez, a former exchange student who stayed with the Wilcox family.

The Relief Society celebrated their March birthday with a party using a Hawaiian Cruise theme.  The decorations were tropical and there were leis for all, the food was Hawaiian haystacks and cupcakes.  A granddaughter of Tammy and Nelson Coleman, Baylee Cole,   provided the traditional hula dance and an Aloha game featured prizes for a night of fun.

The annual Blue and Gold Banquet was held for Cub Scouts and their families under the direction of  Cubmasters Marie Keller and Dawnell Greene.  Tables were decorated with  blue and gold covers and centerpieces of  miniature teepees and canoes. Placemats held a variety of scouting information that might interest those attending.  The menu was a taco salad with gel cups of assorted flavors for the choosing.  Cubs were presented awards they had earned recently.  Special entertainment from the Order of the Arrow was given by Max  Bartholomew, his son Craig, and James Baird, all three decked out in Indian attire and headdresses.  They performed an Indian dance, to the accompaniment of drums, beaten by four Cub volunteers.  All of the boys were invited to join in the dancing and drumming, providing lots of action and fun.

Cub Scout leaders are Liesa Baird and Elaine Larson, Ivan and Lana McCracken, Layne and Karen Erickson and James Baird.  The Primary presidency assisted in the banquet:  Sherrie Corbett, Julie Egley, Avery Gomez and Katie Hatch.

            Farm fields are being prepared. Machinery is in the shop, tuned up, repaired for the labors ahead. Tractors hauling equipment are disking, harrowing, hauling rocks.  Dust swirls around and rises into the sunlight.  Spring is an exciting, busy time in a farming community. The sound of the tractor motor is music.

          When this month started I indicated there were some lion tendencies in the weather.  On the whole it has been a very pleasant month in the weather department, with a bit of strong wind now and again.   We had one day and night of mild snow which was gone by the end of the following day.  Today was lovely, but the forecast for the next few days is talking rain and winds.  Hopefully we will let March go like a lamb, even if it is a lamb that is wet from the rain.

Happy belated St. Paddy's, 2014

The deer are still around, keep that in mind when traveling through our village.   They are enjoying the greening that is taking place in the fields, particularly in the lower ones near the Bear River.

Forrest and Patti Christensen took a few days and headed out to Kansas.  That is where Forrest’s son Zane Christensen and his family live.   The couple enjoyed some good grandparent time with Zane’s children.

The LDS Ward gathered together for the beginning of the year's Linger Longer.  Following their block of meetings the congregation met in the recreation hall to enjoy a huge variety of soups, crackers, rolls, with an assortment of cookies to round out the menu.   The food is great, but the relaxed visiting is the best part.

Matt Westerberg, son of Wendy and Terry Westerberg, has a new assignment in his efforts at the University of Wyoming, working towards a Masters Degree, in International Studies.   He has been selected as an Education Peace Corp Volunteer to work in Ethiopia and will be going there this coming June.  Matt says, “ I love being immersed in another culture…learning a new language and the ways of the people."

Elder Jake Longhurst is home from his LDS mission in Guadalajara, Mexico.   He has had recurring health problems during the last few months,  spending some time in the hospitals of that country.  Things just weren’t working out and his mission president made the decision to release Elder Longhurst a couple of months ahead of his normal release date.  He is the son on Sheldon and Candy Longhurst.  Our whole community welcomes him with open arms.

            Daylight savings time is upon us.  Some residents are pleased with its early arrival, others not so delighted.  There are the usual pros and cons, but it does seem that the “natural time” amount of days are getting less and less of the 365 alloted to a year, while the Daylight variety days are getting a bigger portion.   Those atomic clocks that are programmed to change automatically have no idea how to manage the changes.

Confusion for a few more weeks!

            The  Prom of 2014 has come and gone, with much finery and fun involved.  The planning that goes into the dates for this special evening is almost beyond imagination.  First there is creative asking, then creative responses, followed by many details to be attended prior to the major event.  As an observer on the sidelines, it all appears to be worth the doing in the long run.  This even applies to the parents of the young. people, the planning and all that goes into it.           

March 11, 2014

 We have indications of the approaching spring  season. Robins are flitting about. There are green shoots of various descriptions, pushing their way up through the accumulation of several months of debris. Nature-made speed bumps that have risen across Highway 36 during the past winter are reducing in size as the weather warms.  Wasps that have wintered in the upper reaches of the LDS meetinghouse are beginning to join the congregation on the main level.  It is all encouraging.

Three couples have recently returned from  a week of soaking up Hawaiian sunshine. 

Richard and Vickie Free, Wally and Kim Christensen, and Robert and Phee Crosland thoroughly enjoyed this winter break.  They stayed on the island of Kaui, the “garden Island.”  A boat excursion took them whale watching, and were treated to a great performance.  Up, up, in an airplane and they viewed the Grand Canyon of Hawaii, not accessible by road.  Snorkeling was fun, especially for biology teacher, Crosland, with the assortment of fish and all the underwater world.

Kathy Jarvis is down in Cedar City, recuperating from recent knee surgery.  Marie Aupperlee spent a few days in the Franklin County Medical Center with a bout of pneumonia.  She is now  in Mink creek, enjoying the comforts of her own home.

Two young men qualified for the state wrestling tournaments.   Justin Longhurst, son of Sheldon and Candy Longhurst,  and Samuel Seamons, son of Jeff and Jennifer Seamons, both had a good time and did well during their stay in Boise.  They have had a good season this year.

The LDS Ward limited their past Sunday meetings to only Sacrament Meeting due to a lack of water in the building.  The community plumbing system in the Birch Creek area is experiencing problems.

The Preston North Stake basketball tournaments are in full swing.  The Mink Creek girls won their first game against one of the Clifton wards, in an overtime.  They move into their second game this week.  The young men lost their game, and were eliminated.

The season for Farm Auctions has begun with the month of March.  It is a favorite activity for farmers all around southeast Idaho.  Anyone with farming in their blood loves looking over farm machinery of all descriptions.  The parking area around the sites are fileed with farm pickups, quite a while before the bidding begins.

A lion, well maybe

The month did come in like a lion, a very wet one.  March 1st was full of rain and cold, with occasional gusts of wind.  Not quite a winter lion, but we will take what we get. Personally I had been hoping for a lion-type day. The farmers in our area are already done with lambing and calving seasons, so the rain gets the youngsters a bit bedraggled.

Tyson Hall, son of Kristi and Brett Hall, has flown to Mexico City to begin studying at the Mission Training Center, in the Spanish language.  He will be serving in the Chile, Antofogasta, Mission.  For his farewell remarks at the LDS Ward his grandparents, Dallin and Deon Hall of Wellsville, and Vernon Keller, Mink Creek, were present, along with cousins, aunts, uncles and many friends.  Tyson has been assisting in the wrestling program at Preston High School this past winter.

Sheryl Crane May was down from the Rupert, ID area to visit with her son Levi May and his family in Treasureton, ID.  Sheryl did growing up years here in Mink Creek, the daughter of Rex and Brucia Crane.

Jeannine and Johnny Iverson have recently held their annual “Snowfest” for their children and families.  Only three of their nine children were able to come, but grandchildren more than made up for numbers.  Steven and Jessie Iverson came from Dallas, TX, and their extended family included Daniel,  Christina, currently a student at BYU, Michael and Julie Iverson of Orem.  Michael and Susan Iverson live in Brigham City and their family members were Jared and Kim Iverson, students at Utah State, and Joshua and Alecia Iverson and their two children from Brigham City.  Kurt and Margret Iverson and their children live here  above Station Creek Road.  Three grandsons, now living in St. George, came for their very first time:  Tyler and Danielle Iverson, and Steven and Spencer Iverson.  The parents of these three live in Virginia.  Due to lack of snow, sledding was a bit limited unless they were willing to try mud.  Kurt guided the family snowmobilers to the Birch Creek area where the white stuff was still adequate.

Resident turkeys are making themselves known.  They seem to be quite thick in flocks in Mink Creek, Riverdale, and Cub River.  One of their favorite habits is to parade, slowly an sedately,  across the highways when they see an approaching vehicle.

Rain, rain, rain, that pretty much describes things around here last week.  But it is laying up snow in our upper reaches and there are no complaints.  Mud, yes, but no complaints!  The warmer weather is thawing out the box elder bugs, it seems there is little vacation from these creatures.  They are surely survivors in spite of their cannibalistic natures.

John Hansen, brother of Hugh, passed away recently.  He was in Montana, his second home, with one of his children at the time.  The info was in obituaries around here, but if you live far away most likely you didn’t know of this.

Last of Feb, 2014

One day it feels like spring may be on its way, the next day we are certain that winter is in a lingering mood.   Our mountains still hold enough snow to attract the many snow mobile enthusiasts that crowd the canyons over weekends.

John Warburton has been in Utah with health issues; now he is back in the county.  He is not at home in Mink Creek, but staying at Franklin County Medical Center in transitional care.

Karla and Chris Jensen of Logan came up to check on her dad, Vernon Keller.  He has had quite a bit of company lately.  He happily claims that his friends and neighbors are supplying him with food that ”is way more than adequate.”

The Young Men and Young Women had fun doing a service scavenger hunt.  Small groups scattered throughout our village with a list of activities to be checked off by homeowners after the team completed cerain tasks.  Some were big:  vacuum a room, dust, clean a toilet, wash a window, etc.  Some were small:  sing a song, read a favorite scripture, sweep the porch, bring in firewood, etc.  Which classification the task of ‘change a diaper’ fell under might differ according to the contents of said diaper.  Another task that could be risky was labeled ‘homeowners choice.’

This was a timed event and each team was given a bag of candy, with the winners receiving more candy than the others.  Refreshments of ice cream and brownies were provided by the leaders.

            Jimmie and Anna Beth Olson took a road trip to Salmon, ID.  Their objective was spending time with their daughters:  Dana and Charlie Peterson and kids in Meridian, and Peggy and Jon Flinders and family in Salmon.  Enjoying scenery along the way, up and back, was a bonus.  They reported that many places across Idaho are devoid of snow in this latter part of February.  

            Two long-time Mink Creek people are in the hospital.   Neither live here now, but their roots are deep in the community.   Darlene Jepsen King, of Fairview, has been hospitalized for quite some time, rallies and then struggles some more.  Leness Keller of Preston, moved around in hospital stays for the last couple of months and he is now at the Franklin County Transitional Center, enjoying visits and sharing memories, but not able to walk.  His nurses are good at  giving him tours through the County med facility, checking to see if there are any Mink Creek friends in residence from day to day.

            Robins are popping up and down the village, singing about the coming of spring. They are probably a tad early.  Some storms are still in the forecasts so they may get their feathers ruffled a mite, but it is good to hear those cheerful notes of song.