March 13, 2018

           Elder Eldon Wilcox and Sister Danita Wilcox are home after serving the last year and a half in the Philippines, Quezon City, Mission for the LDS Church. It will take some time for them to adjust to the cold of Idaho after being in the warmer climate. Already their has been family events to take them elsewhere. They spent some time down in Spanish Fork, UT, for the blessing of their youngest grandson, Dryden Gunter, son of MaKenzie and Tyson Gunter. Jesse and Annavelyn Wilcox attended this event as well.

           Wynn and Cecelie Costley recently made a trip down to Plain City, UT, to be with the family of their daughter Kate and Eric Drake. There was a special occasion for this visit, son-in-law Eric was being ordained as the new Bishop of their ward.

           A fairly large group of Mink Creek residents have been faithful followers of the Preston High boys' basketball team this winter. Most of them continued to follow the team all the way to the State Championship games in Boise, where the team achieved a three-peat goal of being the 4A champs. The talk of exciting moments is just now, settling back to normal. In the coming days there will be track, baseball and softball games to keep these fans entertained.

            It has been a season for competitions amongst our young people. McKinley Longhust and Hayden Egley are on the Preston High cheerleading squad and part of their endeavors. Davanie Ostler, daughter of Stuart and Alona Ostler, participates in a cheer organization that has been at national finals.

          There are several youth involved with the Cache Valley Ballroom dancing at various age levels: Dallon and Hazen Baird, Jyllian Christensen, Walter Iverson, and three from the Jepsen family, Tara, Ella and Ty.

           Connie and Adam Westenskow came home to celebrate Connie's February birthday with her parents, Karen and Layne Erickson. It is a great tradition to keep, even though the Westenskows have moved from Logan to the Salt Lake City area.

            There has been some beautiful spring days in the last week. Our snow is melting quickly. For all reports we may get some more this coming weekend, but this time of year we know it won't stay long and we need whatever we can get, in whatever form it may come, rain or snow. The lat two days have been 'no jacket' days. At mid-March this is enjoyable, when it that way most of the 'winter', it is a matter of concern.

           Jeff Olson drove down to Utah to help his brother Kevin celebrate his 'getting older' birthday. If we think about this we all have these days, at least once a year.

           Jeff and Julie Workman have been in their Mink Creek home two weekends in a row. The last time they even brought some of their family. We are happy to see them loving this place.

March 7, 2018

            We want to claim two of Preston High School's state wrestlers. Ben Seamons, a senior, came home with the Championship crown for his weight division at 182 pounds. He was defending his title from last year. His brother, David, a sophomore is on the family wrestling path and did well at state with his first visit. Both are sons of Jeff and Jennifer Seamons.  Jeff had been a state champion of wrestling in his high school days at Preston.

           Adam Haws and his sons spent a few days at the Haws Mink Creek home. Living in California and hoping to find snow here, the guys did manage to get in some skiing time at Beaver Resort in Logan Canyon.

           Mary Ann Jepsen has been soaking up St George warmth while keeping up a family tradition. The woman side of their family all got together to enjoy the recent Tour of Homes that takes place each year in St. George. Later, her husband Mike and the family guys arrived where they enjoyed the Rhino Rally, a 95 mile race for dirt bikes in the southern Utah terrain. Mike and Mary Ann threw in some rounds of golf before heading back home.

            A winter vacation in Jamaica sounds like a dream come true. So it was for Wally and Kim Christensen when they flew to Florida and on to the island for a week of relaxation. Due to a rough ocean while they were there their resort canceled any planned water activities, snorkeling and such. Not too disappointed, the Christensens reclined in lounge chairs on the beach, soaked up the sun and indulged in plenty of comfortable reading time, away from the pressures of their normal routines.

            Down from the mountains, a cow moose wandered in to the center of our village. It was seen sauntering down the main highway, headed for who knows, maybe Preston. A red fox was checking out the remains of one of our deer fatalities, hopefully its nearness to the highway won't turn it into another fatality.

           Who would have guessed when the above was written and sent to the Citizen that within the next two days we would have received over a foot of heavy, wet snow!A storm was coming in, of that we were aware, but not that magnitude. We couldn't even see the mountains on either side of our location. This snow was perfect for assembling snowmen, not so perfect for shoveling walks or driveways. It felt like a true winter for over a week. Imagine the enthusiasm of the snowmobilers that spend weekends on our canyon trails.

           If you subscribe to the Citizen newspaper, or live in this vicinity this will be old news, but for my readers that live in far-flung spots I have to include this local news bit.  Our local high school, Preston High, has just been part of the Idaho state sports history.  Our boys basketball team just won the State Championship for the 4A category for the THIRD year in a row! A first in the 4A division, and we are one of the smaller schools of that division.  The team & supporters were greeted back home with an escort from our law-enforcement and cheering at-home fans.

Late, Feb 28 , 2018 post

I am so excited to see more readers, maybe there really is a reason for my continuing with this blog.

           Kim Christensen , her daughters, plus one son-in-law, and her mother enjoyed a “girls'vacation” in sunny California and had ample time at Disneyland. They picked a location in Anaheim just across the street from the famed amusement park and spent 4 lovely days. Kim's mother, Shirley Keller of Cleveland, ID, loved the warmer weather. Angelie Winwardof Garland, UT, and Rebekah and James Juhasz felt like they were kids again.

           Lana and Ivan McCracken were up in Rexburg, ID, to attend the wedding of a granddaughter. Elizabeth Lana Baird is the daughter of Daniel and Heather Baird, and married a young man, Josiah Coates, from Sugar-Salem, ID. Maria and Devin Flake and family drove there for the same occasion from Saratoga Springs, UT, then spent the rest of the weekend with Maria's family here in Mink Creek. Other family members at the wedding were Annette Batchelor of Rio Ranco, NM, Nathan Baird and LaRon and Liesa Bairld with all of their family from Mink Creek.

          The community enjoyed a Valentine Dinner on the very day, February 14^th , in the recreation hall of the LDS meetinghouse. There was a sumptuous menu of mashed potatoes and gravy, chicken, beef, green beans & bacon, a green salad, rolls with butter, all followed by homemade ice cream “snowballs” in a waffle bowl,with topping to fit anyone's fancy. The organizing committee was a frequent chef, Clare Christensen, Glade Larsen, Mike Jepsen, and Kent Beardall and they had the young men set the tables up, all ready for the decorating ladies to arrive. Sherry York was the director of this group with ample help from Linda Christensen, Tammy Beardall, Patti Christensen, Dixie Rasmussen, Mary Ann Jepsen, Kim Christensen, Corinne Larsen, Maureen Moosman and Anna Beth Olson. The rec hall became the “Mink Creek Bistro” with twinkling lights, beautiful Valentine runners, floral bouquets in the colors of the day, a bit of love poetry and bite of chocolate at each place mat. There was a drawing for each centerpiece, that is 8 table's worth, made of a wooden vase of flowers. Entertainment was in the form of sharing conversation. A lovely day, for a lovely night.

            February is also the month for Blue and Gold Banquets with the Cub Scout set. This year's event was a big birthday party, with a menu that appealed to the scouts: pizza, green salad, cake and ice cream. Decorations were confetti and Happy Birthday balloons. Lana McCracken presented a video that featured the history of Cub Scouts. The Webelo boys, with leaders Margret Iverson and Liesa Baird, had games to play for all ages. The attendance tallied up to around 40, including families, boys and leaders. Sharla McKay is our esteemed Cubmaster---er Cubmistress?

            The weather has been cold, and holding, with occasional snow skirmishes. Probably tiring to read  frequent weather comments but this year's winter has been so strange that it is uppermost in our minds. Keeping it cold enough to discourage trees, flowers from bursting into bloom and leaf too early and then getting hit again with a killing freeze. Every so often this sort of thing happens and if it gets two years in a row---well, we don't want the fruit shelves in this community (that still preserves fruit), to be bare.

          It is rather nice to look out and see the lawns and our mountains still covered with snow. The snowmobile bunch are wearing smiles on their faces.  Of course, we will still welcome spring, but would like it in its proper place and time.

February 20, 2018

          Thank you to those who commented.  Now I know that someone really does read it.  I often think I should quit doing it, so this will provide a feeling that it does have a purpose.

          Bill and Myrna Despain are enjoying a visit from Myrna's son, Dan Jolley and his wife Nina. The Jolleys live in Flagstaff, AZ, so their winters are generally a little different from ours, but not so much this year.

           The Gurney's Seed Catalog has arrived in the mail. Let the planning and dreaming of the growing season begin. Such beautiful pictures of perfect produce, herbs, trees. No shoveling or weeding required. This is an activity that can be enjoyed by a warm fireplace while the cold winds outside play about.

           Bob and Claudia Erickson drove to Pocatello and the Holt Arena to watch their grandson, Aidan Nielsen, son of Carla and Mark Nielsen of American Fork, UT, run in the 1600 meter preliminaries. This young man is a junior in high school and has discovered a love of running and participates in the American Fork High School track program along with indoor track in a club program. While at the Mini Dome the Ericksons noticed how involved was Tyson Gunter, one of the guest Olympians, who is married to Mink Creek's MaKenzie Wilcox. Ty has been part of the Simplot Games since his own high school days and as a student at Idaho State University.

          These clear skies and dry days have brought back our migrating geese. The V patterns can be both seen and heard as they make their way northward. The Mink Creek area has several spots where they regularly have a layover enroute.

          Irrigation plans are way earlier than usual, but with this year's weather it makes sense. There is water cascading down the Twin Lakes Canal spillway into the Bear River at the lower end of our community. It always looks so white and clean as it drops into the river below. The equipment and crew that has been at work on this top section of the canal has moved to a lower region.

           Our winter arrived on Sunday, and spent most of the day sending snow. It was a super wet, soggy storm and we need it all. It has stayed cold since, with a flurryof snow now and again. We can't brag about how deep the snow is, but we got 'some,' and we are not complaining.

          The LDS Ward meets at 9am on Sundays and those attending went in with bare, brown hills as their surroundings. When they left at noon to go home the entire world was covered with soft white, from the banks of Mink Creek at the base of our valley, all the way up to the tops of our mountains, treee limbs reaching down, heavy with a blanket of snow. Totally nice!

February 13, 2018

         Happy Valentine's Day. Thank you for reading this. Please feel free to comment, it would be most helpful.

           Kent and ReNae Egley have managed to get some winter fun snowmobiling in the area around Henry's Lake. They have been soaking up the beautiful snowy forest scenery and wishing they could bring some home to Mink Creek.

            Giovanni and Kristina Crosland and their four children were here for a weekend. Gio is still in his doctor's residency at the hospital in Blackfoot, ID. At the present time he is assigned for a few weeks to a hospital in Layton, UT.

           Still much evidence of the wreckage our terrain suffered from storms from 2017 Spring. There were some serious slides of earth during those wet months. Scars of red brown streaks are evident from the top, yard upon yard as it slid down to the base of the hill or into the creek which ever was first. The color of the scars vary, some are nearly black.

         Larry and Lillian Hansen and some of their family were up from Utah to see how the Mink Creek winter was progressing. It is a good thing they weren't planning a sledding party.

           We have two young ladies, students at Preston High, who are cheerleaders: McKinley Longhurst, daughter of Sheldon and Candy Longhurst, and Hayden Egley, daughter of Jared and Juli Egley. They keep pretty busy this time of year between all the winter sports: boys basketball, girls basketball, wrestling, plus their own cheer competitions. They have recently been participating in the Cupid's Challenge at Highland High School in Pocatello. This activity requires such perfectly synchronized movement with the entire team.

          A crew from the Twin Lakes Canal company are working on their winter maintenance of this part of the canal, where it begins. They are shoring up the banks. This is a regular procedure prior to the arrival of the irrigating season when the waters are turned into the canal from its supplier, Mink Creek.

           Adding to that last paragraph:there has been trucks, backhoes, a huge track-hoe all occupied in this endeavor. Now they have diverted water from the creek to the canal to test the situation before moving to another section further down the route.

            It is a strange year. We keep hoping for moisture, barring that, that it can remain cold to discourage the spring growth, the fruit trees and all such from getting a headstart that most likely end in a good freeze. Proper timing is an important thing, and something over which there is no control.

February 6, 2018

          The bird residents of this area change with the seasons. Our starling population certainly hasn't migrated anywhere for this winter. The birds line up, side by side, on the electric wires between the power poles in huge bunches. Don't think you could fit a slip of paper between them. Favorite spots are the poles located close to a farm feeding lot. They seem to know the food schedule and, using a good viewing point, are waiting for the snacks to be set out for the cows.

          The turkeys are in great numbers right now, particularly at “Lella's Curve” on the highway through upper Riverdale. Many a car has had to slam on the brakes when they come to that spot on the road only to discover a parade of turkeys high-stepping it across the highway in one direction or the other. If traveling this direction make sure the brakes on your outfit work. Between the deer and the turkeys there is a real need.

          Joe and Kathy Jarvis drove down to Draper, UT, for the blessing of their first great-grandson, the child of their granddaughter Shelby and Tim Purdue. The baby was named Theodore Leon Purdue. Jennifer and Jeff Seamons and their boys were also part of this celebration, the infant being the child of Jennifer's niece.

          Devin and Maria Flake and their son Jude came up from Saratoga Springs, UT, to spend Maria's birthday with her mother, Lana and Ivan McCracken. Jude has a spot all his own in that grandma's heart, and the feeling is mutual.

           We have had several residents with hospital stays over the past month. Jeannine Iverson, Sandra Wylie and Layne Erickson all spent some time in the FCMC. Others are home dealing with this wicked flu that has visited the area this winter and seems to be making return visits.

           The much acclaimed night for viewing the super-blue-moon and its eclipse didn't work very well around here. Those that planned ahead and made the effort of readiness awoke to find a very cloudy sky that canceled their hopes. We are assuming that the event still happened as there has been no report to the contrary.

          Groundhog Day, in our neck of the woods it depended on what time of day the critter decided to surface. Some cloudiness, some sunniness, not great forecasting weather.

           Would you believe that just down in the valley the tulips are starting to poke through the earth for the sun? Truth! An eye witness account, no fake news. If a person is connected to the business of farming this has not been a “good winter!” I like being excited for spring to come, not dreading the extreme likelihood of frozen fruit blossoms, or not enough water to last the irrigating season.

January 30, 2018

           The first storm lasted all day and was beautiful, a nice falling of flakes that built up and covered the dry tan countryside as it progressed. When it cleared out it left one of those “winter wonderlands” in its wake. The flocks of turkeys look very black against the background of white snow now covering our landscape. We have had two welcome storms this past week. No great depth of snow has been noticed but every snowflake is needed and appreciated, by farmers and snowmobilers alike.

          The community enjoyed the annual ski party at Beaver Mountain this month. It is a favorite activity for the majority of our families and often the first place our youngsters get a chance to try out skiing. Some are more involved in snowboarding than skiing, but who cares, it all works well together. Those attending brought pot luck lunch to be shared in the lodge while taking a breather from a run on the slopes. Some of us went up to just sit and enjoy a winter visit.

           Bob and Claudia Erickson drove down to Richfield , UT, to participate with the Jody Janke family with the ordaining of their son Keenan to the office of a teacher in the LDS Church. Mark and Carla Nielsen and their son Aidan of American Fork, UT, joined the family gathering.

            A new family has arrived. Jamie and Natalie Forbush have purchased the home of Koreann Rael. For those of long-standing Mink Creek roots it will be more identifiable by describing it as Harold and Verla Baird's home just off of Highway 36.

          Ben Seamons, son of Jeff and Jennifer Seamons, recently participated in a well known wrestling tournament, the Rockwell Rumble, held at the Utah Valley University in Orem, UT. There were 81 teams from seven different state in the competition, but Ben was pretty much a lone wolf, even without a coach. He did well, coming away with 4^th place in his 182 pound class. This wolf has a number of bruises as a result, but that is an expectation of the sport. This same Seamons family were also involved in a wrestling tournament in Aberdeen, ID, for a younger son, David, who is part of the Preston High School team.

           The Thursday, January 25^th, earthquake tremor was felt in Mink Creek shortly after 8:30 p.m. Some residents reported feeling the rolling movement, others had wall hangings rattling or items jiggling about on flat surfaces. It served to put us all on emergency alert.

           A friend commented on the earthquake, “I thought we were done with those.” Methinks she hasn't lived along the Wasatch Front too many years. We may not be California, but an earthquake tremor isn't too rare. Californians take the shakes in stride much better than we do.

            Our LDS Ward meeting schedule begins a half-hour earlier than in the past. It is going to take some adjusting. Bare benches appear to be waiting for the straggling congregation. A change always take time.