Lamb or Lion, 2017

Lamb or Lion for March?  I think it is a toss-up at this point.

           Our snowy slopes have been put to good use in more than one instance recently. The family of Johnny and Jeaninne Iverson gathered for their annual Mink Creek Snowfest. This year there were 25 attending from across the nation: Virginia, Texas, Utah, California, Colorado , even a few from Idaho. The excess water on our slopes this past month had rearranged their usual sledding hill, but other spots were located. The Iverson clan had ongoing board games over the three day event and enjoyed special Dutch-oven potatoes and the 6 batches of belated Valentine cookies that Jeannine produced. The children helped with some of the cooking for the event and that made extra fun for everyone.

         It was Winter Scout Camp time and the Copenhagen Basin area rang with the noise of young men and leaders digging their snow caves, making preparations for their overnighter in the deep snow. The numbers were good this year, about 70 scouters all told participated. Five Mink Creek scouts attended: Jonathan Seamons, Keenan Janke, Bryce Egley, Bracken Christensen, and Charles Iverson. They were accompanied by leaders Robert Crosland, Kim Rasmussen, Sheldon Longhurst, and Kurt Iverson. It snowed the whole time they were there, but the caves proved to be fairly comfy for their sleeping accommodations. The guest speaker for the occasion provided good words of advice and wisdom with his story of survival. All enjoyed the Klondike Race using sleds, snowshoes, hauling straw bales to test their mettle. Our group always enjoys the food whipped up by Kim Rasmussen; in this case it was soup bowls and eggs and sausage in the early hours. They had no need for extra refrigeration on this campout.

         We've had another moose on the loose. This one was up Birch Creek and it decided to join the little herd of horses that belong to Kerry and Lacey Christensen. The horses were not pleased, nor were the Christensens and it took patience on the part of all the neighborhood before things got settled back to normal.

         MaryAnn Jepsen had some down-time recently, down in St George, UT. It was a Ladies' Event with her daughters-in-law. Sunshine and Home Tours were two of the main events of this time for relaxation. Just the thing to help a case of the winter-blues.

         Every few days we catch a glimpse of spring, followed by snow flurries and wind. March 1^st did come in like the proverbial lamb, and judging from forecasts for much of the remainder of the month, we are going to be enduring Lion weather for most days.

         The spillway of the Twin Lakes Canal is dumping its water into the Bear River. It may not be a celebrated waterfall, but it has a charm all its own to those of us who live nearby.  Due to the winter weather and mud slides along the route of the canal the crews are working on repairing winter's damage before the annual date  arrives to have it full for irrigation purposes.

Last Day of Feb, 2017

        The last day of February. This shorter month seems to have gone by quickly. We have been so busy keeping up with the capricious nature of the weather that we have hardly noticed.

         Clifford and LaDawn Jensen have been entertaining grandchildren of late. Their oldest grandchild, Rachel Mackelprang, has recently returned from serving in the Oregon, Portland Mission and is now living in Hyrum, UT, while making plans for college. Rachel is the daughter of Mercedes and Darren Mackelprang who live in Statesboro, GA. Not long after Rachel's visit Cliff and LaDawn enjoyed the company of all five of their son Jeremy and Heidi Jensen's children: Murielle, Brielle, Aurielle, Kasen and Keith. This family of Jensens live nearby in McCammon, ID.

         With the recent warming and rainstorms our southern slopes became bare and the deer and the turkeys flocked to them for grazing. Pun not intended but was irresistible. Since those few days the snow has revisited and everything is back under the white blanket of winter. With the deer back near the highway there have been at least another three deer fatalities.

           Abigail Janke and Hayden Egley were recognized in the LDS Ward as they have entered the Laurel class in the Young Women's organization. Ben Seamons was a first place winner in the Preston  High School wrestling program and qualified to go to the Idaho State Wrestling competition. His brother David also qualified for this event. They are both sons of Jeff and Jennifer Seamons.

             A Valentine Party is the perfect place for the presentation of gifts and talents. At the party last week there was an auction of volunteered goods and services to be rendered for the Young Women's organization, along with food and games. It was a fun evening for all that attended with lots of good food, laughter and visiting.

           The update of our ongoing struggle with the melting snow, plus additional rain, is that we have additional mud slides and our canals have overflown in a few places. We express appreciation to Stuart Ostler for providing a pile of sand that many residents have used to fill sand bags in efforts to divert the water's pathways away from buildings and homes.

          In the days that have passed since this was written the Idaho State Wrestling event has taken place.  We are happy to report that Ben Seamons claimed the  state championship spot in his weight division, 170 pounds.   The school bus had a police escort with flashing lights escorting them as they returned to Preston from Boise.

             Tis the season of Farmer's Auctions in southeastern Idaho. Even with the excessive wetness and areas still filled with snow the flyers announcing various auction locations are arriving in the mail. It is a bit like getting those seed catalogs, an encouraging sign that spring will come. More patience is required for the catalogs, but they also provide lots of fun plans for warmth and greenery.

Moisture, continued, Feb 21, 2017

        The wild turkeys are invading our yards, as well as their more normal feeding areas. They are challenging the right of way for motorists driving the highway. Earlier this week the turkey traffic fatality rate was up to three.

          A local moose found the perfect resting place in the beautiful yard of Wally and Kim Christensen. As Kim was heading outdoors to take care of some chores, the cow moose waltzed into their orchard and found the spot to her liking. There was water handy, a nice resting spot and fruit trees all around. Kim observed from a safe distance and put her chores on hold until the critter departed.

         Michelle Wall and her children have been here for a visit with her parents, Kent and Tammy Beardall. Michelle lives in Grand Junction, CO, and is expecting a baby this spring so this will likely be the last visit to her home ground until after that event.

          Four couples took a break from winter in Idaho to attend a Cowboy Poetry Festival in Elko, NV. Nate and Dana Olson, Glade and Corinne Larsen, Clare and Linda Christensen, and Forrest and Patti Christensen, all missed out on some of our early February thawing and the excitement that came with it.

           Josh and Lizzy Greene and their two boys, Bentley and Oaklan, have been up to visit his folks, Chad and Dawnell Greene. The domestic pace picks up when those grandchildren arrive.

          There are highway signs here and there indicating that water may be washing across the highway, our main street, as it make its way down our slopes to Mink Creek. Believe it! We also have some mud slides. Two  are every evident in our southern end; one is a huge slide in Kent Egley's field. It has always been nearly perpendicular and now the dirt has slid down and is causing a mud lake at the base, with water runoff adding to the mix. Another, easily seen, is on the east side of Bear River, just above the old highway, now designated as Riverdale Rd.

          There are also lakes in the making, forming in farmer fields. Driving north from the intersection of Highway 36 with 34, I have started to mentally label some: Sharp Lake, Keller Lake, Coburn Lake, Hall pond, Hansen Lake, Despain Lake, and on up, until  one reaches the areas where the temperatures haven't gotten quite high enough, but will be coming a bit later.

         

            Today has been wind and rain, with occasional glimpses of blue sky. The canals that run through our village are overflowing in several places.  Every creek is running full tilt.  There has been a need, again, for sand bagging around some of our homes. A few more mud slides have been counted. It is a condition that has everyone on high alert. The forecast is for lower temperatures in a few days, bringing snow rather than rain. Spring is still weeks away and we are hoping to survive this aggressive winter in the meantime.

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Valentines Day, 2017

           Hope your Valentines Day has had some moments of feeling appreciated and cared for.  If you received a card, or chocolate or candy, even flowers it is great, but it is that feeling of connection to others that makes my V Day something to look forward to.

           The deer feeding stations in this area have reduced the number of deer that are generally posted near the roadsides, licking salt left from the highway runoff, or finding some exposed grasses for feed. This winter has been hard for them in many ways, little grazing available, deep snow, predators. Starvation doesn't make for a healthy herd. The deer fatalities on our highway have been pretty high these last months, enough to make up a small herd.

           Bryce and Terry Stromberg are back home after serving a mission in Salt Lake City, he in security, she in family history. It was a bit of challenge to get into their home after the snow that has piled up in their yard this winter. From the driveway entrance to the front door was a fair distance and they were glad to have some neighbors with snow removal equipment to help dig the way through. Just getting past the snow buried gates was no small feat. We welcome them home, so nice to have them returned.

         Cecelie and Wynn Costley are home for a refresher course on life in the USA, after spending some time in China. Family visits are frequent and the couple are in high demand while trying to relax and recharge.

           Jacob Seamons, son of Jeff and Jennifer Seamons was recently baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The date had been set for earlier, but was postponed due to illness. He was baptized by an older brother, Ben Seamons.

           Carla and Mark Nielsen drove up from American Fork, UT to spend a night with her parents, Bob and Claudia Erickson. They were up this way to cheer for a young friend who was competing at a USU gymnastics contest in Logan.

          The kitchenof the LDS Meetinghouse was a coveted space the other night for the youth of the community. The Young Women were making a batch of vinegar taffy and learning the art of pulling it to completion. The Young Men were baking scrumptious cookies and fruit pies. The Scouts needed to create some Jello. It may have been a bit crowded, but cooperation and good attitudes won that evening for all concerned.

           With the warmer temperature and some rain storms our snow depth has decreased dramatically. As it has done so the runoff has struck us fairly hard. There are some  mudslides, ice jams that caused a canal to overflow.  A few of our homes are fighting water in their basements. Mink Creek and all its tributaries are running high. In a quiet outdoor moment one can hear the creek charging down our valley on its way to the Bear River. Of course, that waterway is also rising. We have had a few dry days to regroup and consider the forecast that tells of more rain this week. We look at some of the flooding down around Preston and are grateful to be living on our slopes.

February 8, 2017

          There is concern for our local deer herds. They are having a hard time finding food, unless they are raiding the hay stacks on the farms. With the depth of snow this year, it is difficult for all the wildlife and the deer struggle to even move around much. The coyote packs and the cougars are also hungry, so this makes for a threatening combination. Some feeding stations have begun.

              The southern slopes of our hillsides are still quite deep in snow. The turkeys flock to the few spots that are showing some bare dry grasses. With the weather as it is the turkeys head for their roosting spots earlier in the day. A late afternoon trip to town will show big black blobs that are the birds all settled in for the night up in the trees at the lower end of Mink Creek and down into upper Riverdale.

            Robert and Phee Crosland are publishing a grandparent announcement. Malia and Jason Kunde of Rigby, ID, welcomed a new baby girl into their family last week. She was 7 lb., 5 oz and has three 'big' sisters.

           Joseph and Rebecca Jones with their two little girls, came with his mother Kathy Jones for a Mink Creek visit. Joseph and Rebecca live in Herriman, UT.

          David and Judy Wilde were pleased to have a visit from their son Christoper's fiance. Chris is now at home in Mink Creek. His fiance is Heidi Morgan is from West Jordan, UT.

           After his fall from a snow covered roof and the resulting surgery in Idaho Falls, Jeff Olson has been transferred to the Franklin County Medical Center. He has been holding court at that location while impatiently waiting for the medical staff to release him to come home to Station Creek. We are all hoping that will soon come to pass.

           January's thaw has come with considerable force in these last few days in the month of February. Last night's Chinook wind came strong and constant for several hours. The runoff from the melting snow and ice is headed downhill, regardless of what might be in its path. Some residents are filling sandbags in an effort to divert the water's direction from their homes. There are a few places where it is flowing over the highway, and there is a certainty that will be a challenge as the temperatures warm up to the coming of spring. We are hoping for things to be gradual and that nature will be helpful in this regard, rather than the harmful possibilities

Last day of First Month, 2017

           The Newby men were home for the holidays with their parents, Sharla and Lin McKay at their Bear Creek residence. Payton and Judith Newby and their little Xander live in Springville, UT. Josh and Sarah Newby and their two boys, Gage and Nash, call Layton, UT, home. Daughter River McKay came up from Logan and being  all together for games, fun and food was just what they all needed.

            There has been a change in the LDS Ward Sunday School presidency. Jody Janke is still the president and his counselors are Heath Avery and Kim Keller. The secretary is Doug Bruderer. .

            The youth held a night-time sleigh riding party in the lower fields of Bob Erickson's farm. The Iverson family brought snowmobiles to help the weary riders back up the hill after their swift descents. All were ready for a rerun. No serious accidents helped d to make the event a success.

            The Robert and Phee Crosland family banded together recently over a couple of weekends. Angelo Crosland would soon be leaving for his two years of missionary service in the Indiana, Indianapolis, Mission and the family gathered round to wish him well. Giovani and Kristina Crosland and their children were down from Blackfoot, ID. Armando Crosland flew out from Washington DC, bringing Angelo back home after some training time in the east. Marco and Christina Crosland had some time off from school at BYU in Provo, as did Rico and Mario Crosland.

           For the weekend that Angelo spoke in the LDS Ward, more family arrived. Robert's two sisters and families drove up from Utah. Marie and Ray Eads and their son Walker live in American Fork, while Carolyn and Mick Michie and their family are in Moroni, UT.

            George and Bobby Garr celebrated their 65^th wedding anniversary with a nice, fairly quiet, small family luncheon, on January 18^th. The Garrs are residents of dual citizenship: Mink Creek, ID, and Long Beach, CA. It has been this way for many years.

            We are having an old-fashioned winter, the kind the "old-timers" talk about.  "Remember when..."  This will be one for the stories of the future.  Winter life goes on and the snow banks get higher, and higher. What a winter this has been! At the top of our canyons,the plows have kept the highway open over to Bear Lake. It is like driving down a hallway with walls of white one either side. We hope the snowmobile enthusiasts use some caution, dangers lurk beneath that beautiful deep snow that has the appearance of being smooth and flat. Not to mention the possibility of avalanches with the conditions as they are at the present time.

             If you subscribe to the Preston Citizen newspaper you will already know this, but for those readers who do not this may be pertinent information. Ronnie S. Keller passed away on January 13^th. This good man has had some serious health issues for quite some time. His funeral was held in the Riverdale LDS Church and the building was filled to more than capacity with caring friends and family. He was buried in the Oxford, Idaho, Cemetery along side their oldest son. Ronnie's passing will leave an empty spot in many areas of Franklin County, but particularly Riverdale and Mink Creek.

           We took a ride up Strawberry Canyon as far as the Copenhagen Parking lot. Some of the snow banks bordering the highway were higher than my husband is tall, nearly 6 feet. Yes, it is beautiful, picture postcard perfect. It is also cold and unyielding to the unprepared.

January 24, 2017

          Our resident wildlife are having to work hard to survive this severe winter. The depth of the snow hampers their movements. The crusts on the surface of the snow are just  additional trials. Ice makes movement difficult for them as much as it does for us. Finding food that is buried beneath a couple of feet of snow is next to impossible.

          The deer and turkeys around here are sharing the snacks that have poked up through the snow on our south facing slopes. There are trails over the snow covered hills that are regularly used by deer. Sometimes those trails lead right into the farmer's hay barns where the critters have a light repast on their journey through, or else spend the night. Rabbit tracks abound, but they look much different than those of the deer.

          Coyotes and cougars are on the prowl in this winter weather. A young cougar, bounding down a slope through the deep snow, and out into the highway, was hit by an unsuspecting vehicle. The animal was wounded and lay by the side of the road, not happy to be observed by cars passing by. Fish and Game had been notified and soon took care of the situation. A cougar kitten holed up in one of our barns for protection from the elements, but without food starvation overtook it.

          Josie and David Hulme and their children spent some time at the home of Wynn and Cecelie Costley, reliving Josie's childhood fun. The Hulmes live in North Ogden, UT. They brought a family of friends up with them. Leah Gilbert and her four youngsters came up from Fairview, ID, to put in some good grandparent time with Wynn and Cecelie a few days later.

          Dana and Charlie Petersen and their four children motored from Kuna, ID to visit with her parents, Jimmie and AnnaBeth Olson. There is always fun to be had at their home on Station Creek. Most likely they were measuring the depth of the snow in Station Creek compared to that in the Boise area.

         Trying to keep up with the results of our continuing winter weather has caused some problems for several residents. In efforts to clear the heavy wet snow from the roofs of buildings people have slipped off or fallen. The last report totaled seven individuals with bruises, only two that ended up needing a trip to the doctor's office. Softer snow makes for an easier landing than does concrete or getting tangled up in the ladder in the sudden descent. Bracken Atkinson wrenched a shoulder that will take some extra care. Jeff Olson ended up with a week's stay at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls, with several surgeries to patch him back together. We are happy to have him back in Preston, closer to home.

          It must be boring reading, informing readers that we are getting snow, and more snow, and then some more. Right now that is our life. Mink Creek news equals snowstorms. Eight to ten inches yesterday, and it snowed all day. Another 8-10 this morning. Add that to the settled snow that measures about 2 ft ----well,it is a lot of shoveling. We get stuck in our own driveways, either going out or coming back, possibly both. The ice that covers our sloping terrain is yet another challenge. We haven't had a winter like this in a very, very long time. It is getting to the point where we have to remind ourselves that we really do need it and that this moisture is rejuvenating to the land we love so much.