Sept 22. 2015

             Fall rains are upon us, and, at present, we have some snow crowning our tallest mountains. The tree filled slopes around our community are becoming a mixture of orange, red, yellow and various shades of green. It is a pretty palette. With all the wetness farmers are happy to have their third crop of hay in their barns.

             One night recently, during a lightning storm, an ancient cottonwood came crashing down. The tree had been perched on the side of the Riverdale Canal bank for more than fifty years. It buckled as it dropped, narrowly missing power lines in its descent. Upon investigation this particular tree was rotten in the core. Branches were cast across Highway 36 as it fell.

           Alexis Iverson, daughter of Margret and Kurt Iverson, became the bride of Scott Strong this past week . Scott, son of Jeffrey and Deborah Strong, is from Spanish Fork, UT. The Iverson family celebrated the occasion with a reception at their home on Station Creek Road.

            The infant son of Joshua and Elizabeth (Lizzy) Greene was given a name and blessing recently. He was named Bently Jay Greene. Grandparents, Chad and Dawnell Greene of Mink Creek and Dale and Charity Wallentine of Franklin, witnessed the event, along with great grandparents, Marlene Christensen of Mink Creek, Ron and Thelma Womack from Franklin, Eydie and Reed Wallentine of Lewiston, UT, and Carol Bodily of Pocatello. Aunts and uncles came from Mink Creek, Franklin, and Preston.

            Sister Macy Jepsen has returned from her LDS mission to the Cambodia, Phnom Penh Mission. Her parents, Kerry and Melinda Jepsen, traveled to Cambodia to visit people and places where Macy had served in the days following her release from service.

            Local bow-hunters have been enjoying the opening of that hunting season. There are reports and pictures testifying to the success of their endeavors.

             Seems like all living things are preparing to batten down the hatches for the coming season.  That includes spiders, flies,  wasps, mice, etc. Grasshopper season is slowing down, but wasps are filling the vacated air space. Box elder bugs are starting to cling to the south side of our homes. Bits of spider web, floating through the air outdoors is apt to come at you unexpectedly. The minute a door is opened, a fly feels like it is an invitation to enter and bring his friends.

September 15, 2015

           Labor Day presented a big traffic load heading south on our main thoroughfare. Judging from the amount of trailers and RV's the campsites in our canyons and beyond must have been busy. Some visitors spent this weekend in our community. Fred and Victoria Christensen were with his parents, Royce and Lorraine. Howard and Colleen Hawkes were up from Utah with family at the Pearson Lodge. Jeff Knudson's place was overflowing with guests. The parking area by the Crane home was full. Keller Apartments were occupied.

             Mink Creek had lots of visitors for the wedding of Tiffany Longhurst and Spencer Wheeler. The weather was great for the outdoor reception at the Longhurst home. Spencer hails from Parma, ID and the couple plans to call Parma their future home.

            Our children are boarding yellow school buses of Preston School District, arriving early in the mornings, four days a week. Shelly Bray drives the bus picking up the larger percentage of Mink Creek kids, residents along Highway 36 and the northeast end of the village. Glen Smedley is at the wheel of the bus boarded by the youth from Station Creek, Bear Creek and on to Riverdale stops.

           Bishop Kurt and Margret Iverson's family has had two moments of recognition recently. Their son, Conner, was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. An older son, Andrew, was ordained to the office of a teacher in the LDS Ward.

           The Relief Society held an autumn social, inviting spouses and friends to a potluck supper. It was held on the grounds of the home of Raeone and Brad Stuart, the end of Mink Creek Road. A dark and stormy cloud moved in with a downpour for a few minutes. The large porch was perfect for a quick tucking in of all the tables and the night of visiting barely stopped.

           Sept 11 ^has come and gone., 14 years past. I would guess there were many reflective thoughts on that day of the changes that have come into our lives as citizens of this nation.

            Hearing the clamor of a flock of Canadian geese, I looked skyward, expecting to see the familiar V pattern headed south for the season. The V was there, though a little scraggly, but the birds were headed northeast. They must have been a local domesticated flock headed homeward to their pond, having made a visit in our area.

           A friend reported harvesting all her ready tomatoes and peppers, trying to stay ahead of a quick overnight freeze. So far that hasn't threatened, but will be advancing towards our gardens soon. For now anything left in the soil is well watered. We have had two days of unexpected rain.

Labor Day, 2015

            Our section of Highway 36 has been an active stretch lately. The Idaho State Highway crew has mowed the long grass and weed growth that borders the road on both sides. Thank you very much, that service is so helpful when we are trying to avoid collisions with our local wildlife as they cross the road, whenever and wherever they want to. There is serious work going on reconstructing the bridge that crosses our Mink Creek waterway, located close to the Mink Creek Ballpark. There is still quite a bit of work to be done and only one-lane traffic for a short distance. A stoplight has been set up, causing a 90 second delay that seems to bother some travelers, but we hope it will all be worth what aggravation has been caused when we have the final results.

            We express another bit of appreciation to the Franklin County Mosquito Abatement crew. The sound of their night-time visits brings a smile. The results in this part of the county have been great, a big reduction of the pesky critters. Evening outings are a high point of summer.

            Brooke Corbett earned three outstanding awards for her equestrian skills in our County Fair a couple of weeks ago. She and her horse are a great partnership.  She also had some awards for her showmanship with her sheep. Now she is looking forward to competing at the Eastern Idaho State Fair during Labor Day week.

             Lana and Ivan McCracken are happy to announce the birth of a new grandson. This little bundle is the first child of Maria and Devin Flake, of Saratoga Springs, UT. Lana and Ivan have spent some time enjoying the roll of Grandma and Grandpa..

            Jim and Debbie Harrison have been up from St. George, UT. We are pleased that they haven't given up on their residency in Mink Creek.

            A bit of chilly weather moved in. It was enough to brush some of the garden squash and pumpkin vines with some frost in the early hours one morning. Tomatoes are a main canning item right now and I have heard a few homemakers reporting that their green beans just won't quit.

            We have had wind and lightning bouncing about during evening hours. A couple of rainstorms have slowed up the final stages of our third crop hay harvest. The fields were mowed and then the raking and drying process had to be extended a little longer than had been planned.

             Labor Day was traditional for a farming community---a day of labor. Tractors and balers busy, gardens yielding their wares, early loads of firewood heading down the valley. There must have been a serious accident on our Highway 36 because the complete set of emergency vehicles went past my yard this afternoon. Hope all my readers had a safe and enjoyable Labor Day, however you chose to celebrate.

September 1, 2015

             Eldon and Danita Wilcox traveled to Toronto, Canada,to join with MaKenzie Wilcox Gunter, watching their son-in-law, Tyson Gunter, participate in the Parapan Am Games in various track events. This is an international event for paralympic athletes from North, Central, and South American countries. Tyson received a Silver medal in the men's long jump and qualified to compete in the World Championships this coming October.

            Austin Corbett, son of Shane and Sherrie Corbett, was ordained to the office of teacher in the LDS Ward. His grandparents, Craig and Vickie Golightly, were here to witness this event. Josh Greene, son of Chad and Dawnell Greene, and husband of Lizzy Wallentine, was ordained to the office of an elder. His parents, siblings and Lizzy's parents, Charity and Dale Wallentine of Franklin and other family members met for this occasion.

          Another missionary from Mink Creek is headed to the North Dakota, Bismarck, Mission. James Baird, son of LaRon and Liesa Baird will enter the MTC at Provo in early September. Aunts and uncles, cousins galore, from the Baird and Orton families gathered to hear his remarks in the LDS Ward.

          Kathy and Austin Jones have enjoyed a visit from four daughters over the past few weeks. Katrina Hadlock brought her four children from Montroxe, CO. Kayleen and Spencer Joshnson with little Xavier drove from Provo, UT. Karenina and Michael Bullock and their four children live in Eagle Mountain, UT. This bunch made visits to the fourth sister KayDee and her family in Lewiston, UT.

            Vernon Keller has had some early fall visitors. His son Kelton and Denise Keller and their daughter Mauri came up from Alpine, UT. A nephew, Curtis Keller and Kathy Keller drove over from Soda Springs, expanding the family gathering.

           As summer eases its way out all this coming and going is bound to slow down. Nothing like the beginning of school to anchor families.

           We have the college-age set, having been home for the summer, headed off educational or employment pursuits. Chris Wilde has found his way down to Ephriam, UT and college. Marco Crosland is home from Jerusalem studies and back at it in Provo at the Y. Tawni Hall is moving down to Logan, going to school at Bridgerland Tech. There were several of that age bracket that stayed in their college towns and only came home for an occasional visit during the last months.

            This might not be the usual newsworthy item, but I have had a bunch of black cows loose in my orchard twice in the last week. They are taking a toll on my apple crop, not to mention the unwelcome fertilizer they leave on exiting. I am still trying to locate the owner of these critters. Life in the country is great, but it has some challenges that city-dwellers never get.

August 25, 2015

          Spencer Wilde, son of Judy and David Wilde, reported on his mission in the LDS Ward. Spencer was assigned to serve in the South Dakota, Rapid City Mission when he began his two years of service. While there some new missions boundaries were formed and his area was included in the North Dakota, Bismarck Mission. A large group of family and friends were here to welcome him home. It has been four and a half years since the five members of the David Wilde family have been together. The three brothers, Aaron, Christopher and Spencer, have all served missions during that time, overlapping the time of entry and release.

            Leon and Katherine Noorda are finishing time in the Provo MTC , preparing to serve another humanitarian mission in Asian countries. This time they are going to Hanoi, Vietnam. Past mission experiences were in Indonesia and Thailand. They will be doing a Welfare Mission.

           Siblings and their families of Colleen Wilde gathered from near and far at the home of Warren and Colleen on Capitol Hill Rd. for a Lewis Family Reunion. Ann was unable to come but her sons represented her side. Bob and Renae Lewis came from Denver, CO. Benson and Julie Lewis live in Sandy, UT, Beth and Buddy Alford in Idaho Falls, Lynn and Steve Cherrington in Santaquin, UT. Lots of cousins attended, the group totaled fifty-five. One night the siblings met at the Bluebird Restaurant in Logan for dinner while the cousins chose Angie's Restaurant for their meal. Everyone enjoyed a hayride and lots of visiting, catching up on each other's lives.

           The County Fair has folded up. Participants have put away their ribbons and other rewards and can now start planning for what interests they might display next year. Even the livestock get a break, not more scrubbing baths, no more spiffing up to look perfect for the judges.

            The bicycling population is practicing on our Highway 36, getting ready for that Lotoja Race that takes place every fall, Logan to Jackson. This year it has been taken one step further with a highway sign down in Riverdale, lights flashing around the request. “Share the road with bicycles.”

I thought we already were.

             An extra blip on the above news about the Noordas heading to Vietnam. They started out fine and then ended up with a delay regarding their visas. They were marooned in California for a few days while things got straightened out. True to form, they found fun ways to fill the time, one was a Disneyland outing. The last message received was that they had arrived in Hanoi.

August 18, 2015

          The family of Shane and Sherrie Corbett have had some great down time down under. Their daughter Brooke flew to Australia in the middle of July. She participated in Downunder Basketball Camp. What a great opportunity! Her parents and brother Austin traveled down to share in the last few days of her visit. The sightseeing, the ocean, kangeroos, koala bears, and family fun were all part of a “once in a lifetime” experience for the Corbetts. A stop in Hawaii and Waikiki Beach was a bonus as they made their way back to Idaho and home.

            Claudine McKague, daughter of Bob and Claudia Erickson, made a spur of the moment decision to spend a few days here in Mink Creek, helping her parents get caught up on some summer chores. She lives in Vancouver, WA, and happened to be coming in this directions with a friend who needed to be in Utah for nearly a week.

           Mark and Karen Arnout hosted a little family reunion when all of their children got together at their place in Mink Creek. Lance and Tosha Arnout and their family came from Midway, UT. Kelly and Adam Jensen and their children live in Rockland, ID. Travis and Amber Arnout and their bunch drove up from Logan, UT. Dustie and Jessica Arnout are from Saratoga Springs, UT. Mark and Karen have been up in Montana at an art show in Whitefish, displaying the metal art they create in the family business. It is a long drive, but beautiful scenery.

           A Wheel Ride scheduled in the community was enjoyed, in spite of the inclement weather. Royce Christensen organized the event. The terrain was back country and the outfits for transportation were chosen accordingly. It was damp, a bit muddy, but still fun for those who participated.

            Our skies are smoke filled, hazy , blocking our usual view of our beautiful mountains. The smoke is traveling with the winds from the western part of Idaho, coming many miles, smudging the world around us. Thus far we have no fires near us as the season's drying takes place.

            With school days coming up fast our community is having less visitors. The home of Tracy and Michelle Gibbs was full to overflowing a couple of weeks ago.

           Lana Baird McCracken drove down to Orem, UT, to take part in a baby shower for her daughter, Maria Flake. This will be Maria and Devin Flake's first child so the excitement is high.

August 11, 2015

         Rodeo weekend and the high school class reunions are the reason for a number of visitors as August gets underway. Jacob and Ranette Free and their two children drove over from Pinedale, WY, to shelp with rodeo parade preparations at his dad's ranch. Richard and Vickie Free raise Paso de Fino horses and enjoy the parade ride.

         The five children of Freemon and Ada Jepsen all gathered together at their parents home, the first time they have all been able to make it for many years, Bruce Jepsen, Dan Jepsen. Marilyn Godfrey, JoAnn Auger and Glen Jepsen, plus all their spouses, had a great time reminiscing about their growing up years on the farm. Although the siblings are now scattered they have kept an interest in their parents home,

        Karen and Layne Erickson enjoyed a visit from their yongest daughter, Connie and her husband Adam Westenskow. Connie and Adam live in Logan

          Three young adult of our community are making marriage plans for this fall. Tiffany Longhurst, daughter of Sheldon and Candy, has an August date with Spencer Wheeler of Parma, ID. Alexis Iverson, daughter of Kurt and Margret Iverson, and Scott Strong of Spanish Fork, UT, will wed in September. Cody McKay, son of Paul a d Terrie McKay, has also chosen September for a wedding date with Kevyn Bruce of Globe, AZ.

        Two young men with recent birthdays were ordained to the office of priest in the LDS Ward. Ben Seamons is the son of Jeff and Jennifer Seamons, Andy McKay, the son of of Paul and Terrie McKay.

         Terry and Hayes Carr and family came up from Utah to visit with her parents, Mary Jean and Larry Rasmussen. Carrie and Ken Melton and their two boys are visiting her parents, Lorraine and Royce Christensen The Melton family lives in Indiana.

        We are having a day here and there where it is feeling like Fall is on its way. It seems a bit early but then this whole year has been on a tipped schedule. Due to frequent rainstorms the countryside still looks fairly green, as though the dryness of harvest is being held at bay.

          Last week sent a couple of storms that had our streets serving as swift waterways as the heavy rain made its way down to the creeks, flowing to the mouth of Mink Creek where it empties into Bear River. There was thunder and lightening popping about, but no reports of damage as a result.