January 16, 2024

 

The annual Mink Creek Ski party took place at Beaver Mountain Ski Resort on January 5. All ages and levels of ability are able to enjoy this night on the cold slopes with skiing, snow boarding and sleigh riding. It has served as a time of learning and gaining experience for many years. Some people go to just observe from the warmth of the lodge. The energy level is sustained from the potluck offerings of those participating.

Hannah Singleton and her sons, Samuel and Grey, of El Dorado, AR, chose to have a white Christmas this year with Hannah’s parents, Wynn and Cecelie Costley. Most of the Costley siblings that live within easy driving distance joined the group scattered through the holiday.

The family of Laural and Jody Janke of Teton, ID, spent several days of their Christmas break with grandparents, Bob and Claudia Erickson and other family members. There were lots of late night games and some hours spent sleigh-riding in the moonlight.

The Syringa Camp of the DUP met this month in Preston. Linda Carlson, second in command of this group, was in charge for January. Lorraine Christensen presented a lesson about the ladies that had written pioneer songs.

Royce and Lorraine Christensen spent the holidays in warmer locations. They were down in Gilbert, AZ, with their son Kevin. This trip included a drive into New Mexico, with the holiday lights as part of the changing scenery.

Elmer James Call passed away in Perry, UT, on January 9. He was 90 years of age, and living with his son Preston Call. The blended family of Verdell Pace and Jim Call lived and farmed in Mink Creek for many years, with nine children in the combined family. With retirement the couple moved to Perry. After a funeral in Utah on January 20, Jim will be buried in the Mink Creek Cemetery.

Several days worth of snow storms left Mink Creek with several feet of snow. A number of our residents have plow-trucks(pickups with snow blades attached) and some of them quickly opened up our side roads to the Highway 36, at least for one way movement, knowing that the county crews would arrive later, but giving us access to the main street of our community.

January 9, 2024

 

Visitors came for parts of the holiday, Christmas and New Years. Some were able to enjoy the Mink Creek spirit for nearly a whole week, others came just for a day or two.

Some of the family of Jennifer and Jeff Seamons came ‘home’ for part of the holidays. They now live in Caldwell. Both sets of grandparents live in Mink Creek, Kathy and Joe Jarvis and Cathy and Scot Seamons.

Jim and Debbie Harrison left their home in the St. George area and the warmer temperatures to have Christmas in the cold of Mink Creek and memories with friends and neighbors.

Andy and Brittany McKay and son Crew came up from Logan to enjoy family time with his parents, Paul and Terrie McKay and grandparents, Layne and Karen Erickson. Morgan and Eli Curtis from Bountiful, UT were part of the family gathering.

Several grown children graced the home of Kurt and Margret Iverson. Walter and Andrew Iverson and their wives had a break from classes in Provo at BYU. Their only daughter, Alexis Strong , her husband and family came over from their home in Colorado.

The new home of Claudine and LaMar McKague celebrated its first Christmas by having all five of the McKague children gathered together. Sam and Sierra McKague from Washington state, Ethan McKague from Lehi, UT, and the others from around the Idaho Falls area, Sage and Nathan Ricks, Jarin and Brynlee McKague and their boys, and Elsie McKague, now on break from studies at BYU/I, and home for a few months.

Drew and Hilary Erickson and their family arrived at the Bob Erickson household shortly after Christmas day, all primed for a day of skiing. This family live in Tempe, AZ, but they love to ski. This year they managed a day on the slopes at Beaver Ski resort before they returned to the warmer climates.

This afternoon/evening we had a fierce storm move in. Wild wind, snow and much trashing about. It was a whiteout for quite awhile, leaving extra winter in its wake. There seems to be a promise of more tomorrow. Anyone who wondered when real winter was coming now realizes it is here.

Happy New Year, 2024

 A flip of the calendar, or the touch of our phone, and the new year has arrived.  Cold and clear, but with hopes of a storm by the end of the week.

The Mink Creek ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had more than one reason to feel joyous this Christmas eve. They were able to hold their Sunday meetings in their own building, in their own chapel, and it was good. The ceiling repaired, was beautiful, and feeling unchanged, although there are photos of the process that prove it had taken place. Once again, gratitude was expressed to the Riverdale Wards for sharing their building while the improvements were being made.

On this special Christmas eve Sunday there was a baby to be named and blessed. The infant son of Jarin and Brynlee McKague was given the name Preacher J Hardy McKague. Grandparents LaMar and Claudine McKague of Mink Creek and Robert and Melissa Fehrenbacher of Idaho Falls were there to witness the occasion along with other family members and friends.

There has been much exchanging of neighbor gifts during this season. Treats, sweets, service, kindness has appeared in many forms, walks shoveled. All things good, and it has carried over past the official day.

Adam and Camene Haws and family came up from Sol Vang, CA for a white Idaho Christmas at the Haws home in Mink Creek. There was less snow than they had hoped for. No one expected an early melt near the end of December. A plus for the LDS ward, Adam was a soloist singing “Gesu Bambino” for the Christmas Eve meeting.

Laura Cheney and Cindy Hanson are taking a break, not exactly a vacation, in Utah. Their current employment status requires then to be in the Ogden area for a few months.

Even though we don’t have much snow depth there is plenty of evidence of wildlife in our midst. Some of those are the tracks of various animals as they find their way around the community. The deer trails run through the orchards, various birds and smaller animals make frequent visit to the feeding stations of our pets, and others nearly line up beside the livestock during feeding times.

I wouldn’t say we had a “green Christmas,” it was mostly white, but with a little rust around the edges. The snowmobile crowd seem to find sufficient amount to spend time in the canyons on weekends.

December 27, 2023

 

For the month of December, plus meeting in the Riverdale church, the Relief Society blended a lesson and activity, suitable for the month. There was much music. Danita Wilcox and Natalie Forbush performed a vocal duet, accompanied by Judy Wilde. A trio of Ericksons, Claudine E. McKague and Kristin E. Collins sang with Terrie E. McKay at the piano. The lesson was presented by Laura Cheney from the talk,“Love Is Spoken Here,” given by Elder Gerrit W. Gong at a recent church conference. Laura included a video of the song “And Can It Be?” done by BYU/Idaho University choirs and orchestra. With the “Be” in mind refreshments were some ‘’B” snacks: brownies, buttercups, blueberries, bananas, and each woman was given a container of bee honey labeled “Bee Kind.”

It is time for winter sports at Preston High School. Hazen Baird, son of LaRon and Liesa Baird is participating the wrestling program this year. This is an exciting step.

Like father, like son, Jared Egley is a pilot for Delta Airlines. Bryce Egley, son of Jared and Juli Egley, has been taking flying instruction. He is training with a school in St. George, UT. Bryce talks about his experience with a huge smile.

Raphael Arnsworth and ReNea Haddock , and his son Hawk, have recently returned from several days of the warmth and comfort of Costa Rica. Ocean, beaches, jungles, sunshine, ATV rides into beautiful country, the stuff dreams are made of. Then the return to Idaho and taking up the needed snow shovel, but glad to be home.

The neighborhood eagles are out and about, looking beautiful against the winter background and the clear winter skies. A nearby venison fatality on the highway has provided several meals and the local ravens wait for their turn “at the table.”

The last blog for 2023, Christmas Eve, Christmas, Boxing Day of 2023 are part of the past. There has been quite a few people come “home for the holidays.” Some were hoping for more snow than was the case this year. Even sleighriding needs a few more inches.

December 18, 2023

 

The Rotarian’s annual Christmas concert was an event to bring in the season. Several Mink Creek residents have been attending the weekly practices since October, particularly Anna Beth Olson who was conducting the music for much of the concert.

There are encouraging reports on the progress of the repairs taking place in the meeting house for the Mink Creek Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Sheet rock has been installed and painting was planned for this past week. There is hope that the membership can be back in their building by the end of this month, with much appreciation to the Riverdale community for sharing their church house during these past weeks.

The Young Women of the village have done a couple of fun activities. They met at the Pop n’Pins bowling alley and competed in “skittles bowling” giving much laughter and possibly sticky fingers. The following week they were treated to a “breakfast for dinner—french toast, sausage, cocoa and cider” at the home of Claudine McKague, YW President. Activities were holiday decorating and sessions of ping-pong.

Due to the repairs underway, the community had considered canceling the annual Christmas Party, but opted instead to do a rather simple, spur of the moment gathering at the Riverdale Cultural Hall. It was fun and being together is important during this season. A variety of carols were sung, a skit using “Twas the Night Before Christmas” as the basic script—in a variety of languages brought out that the holiday was celebrated worldwide. Primary children portrayed the Nativity, with no pre-rehearsals. The three wise men, in costume, Jimmie Olson, Eldon Wilcox and Mike Jepsen dispensed treats. The evenings refreshment was a slice of delicious cheesecake. The last offering was the viewing a video of a silhouette Nativity, the reason for the season that brought the group together.

Highway 36 between Mink Creek and Bear Lake was closed to traffic for some time. Snow slides across the roadway in Emigration Canyon blocked any passage and time was needed to clear the road.

We are seeing small groups of deer, five or a few more, crossing the highway. Perhaps there is more safety in numbers. One report was of around 25 claiming their right-of-way and holding up traffic—this in broad daylight.

December 13. 2023

 

The McKagues, Claudine and LaMar, took a quick trip to Idaho Falls to see their most recent grandson, born to their son Jarin and Brynlee McKague. This makes two for this family. Within not very many more days they drove north again, this time to help a daughter, Sage and Nathan Ricks, move into a new apartment. Sage has recently completed her studies at BYU/Idaho in Rexburg.

Reed Swann and his daughter Penny went to Donnelly, ID, for the holidays. Reed’s son, Charles and Sarah Swann and their children live in that area. Gathering of family made the holiday complete.

Judy and David Wilde flew out to Maryland to spend time with their son Spencer and his family. The distance is great but getting acquainted with the Wilde’s grandchild is a top priority.

Cindy Hanson used the holiday time for a trip to Kansas and a visit with her brother. While in the vicinity she was able to tour Church History sites around Independence, MO.

For the past month our nearby canyons have been invaded by those in quest of the perfect Christmas tree. It would be impossible to estimate how many trees have been cut and hauled out, sometimes more than one at a time. Various methods of hauling: on top of a car, back of a pickup, on trailers, roped to a mobile home, probably some on horseback. There have been a few that needed a remount when the tree fell off, as seen on the side of the highway.

The Christmas season is beginning to be more visual in our community as the outdoors gets festooned with lights of celebration. Street lights are nearly zero and that only adds to specialty of the lights popping up on roofs and doorways. There is a star, high atop Bishop Paul McKay’s silo, announcing the reason for the season, to anyone driving along Highway 36. Our snowy terrain serves to accent the season.

The flu and Covid are still among us. Recently we have had some residents needing hospitalization. We are so glad to have a hospital within easy reach of a few minutes.

December 6, 2023

 

Terrence Olson, a cousin of the Olson family in Station Creek, came up from Provo to speak at the fall meeting sponsored by the Franklin County Historical Society. The topic of the presentation went along with Veteran’s Day, considering some of our local heroes from past wars. Olson’s father, Stanley Olson, was a pilot in WWII who lost his life in a bombing run, but saved the lives of his crew. The attendance of the event was good and several of the Olson family from out-of-town came to listen and share memories. Terry Olson spent many summers of his young life with the Olson family in Mink Creek because his mother wanted him to have that connection with his father’s past.

Mink Creek is happy to have two babies born the last part of November. Kaci Baldwin had a little girl to add to her family. Cade and Leigha Nicholls brought a little sister to go with their son Peter.

Another grandchild announcement. Layne and Karen Erickson are beyond pleased to have a tiny girl joined their family ranks. She is the daughter of Connie and Adam Westenskow of Logan. She decided to come a bit more than a month early, but is doing well. She is the first child for the Westenskows.

ReNae Egley has been traveling with her friends, Jill Baird Hobbs and Lelan Daines, this time to Portugal and included just one day in Salamanca, Spain. They found castle ruins, statues of Portuguese heroes, high rock walls, ornate buildings built long ago. The beautiful countryside, green and lush, lots of vineyards and gorgeous gardens. The Douro River Cruise was a great way to see Portugal. We are glad to have her home.

Up here in the mountains we see beautiful sunsets that stretch to the west side. Yet, each night we wonder if we will wake up to snow on top of the daily morning frost.

Bill Despain has driven over from his place in Fielding, UT, for a visit with us. He lived in Mink Creek for a lot of years and became a close member of the community. He keeps a close check on how we are doing.