May 30, 2012

Don’t get too comfortable with this warmer than usual weather we have been enjoying.  This morning in Mink Creek there was ice in the fields where sprinklers had been, the same with lawns. Jackets started the work for the day.  Ice translates into cold temperatures and threats to those early planted gardens.

It is graduation time in this neck of the woods.  Mink Creek village has ten young people graduating from Preston High School and making their way into their future.  They are: (ladies before gentlemen)  Alexis Iverson, Tiffany Longhurst, Jessica Larsen, McKenna Jepsen, and Spencer Wilde, Tyson Hall, Paydon Nye, Cody McKay, Joseph Seamons, and Mikel Beardall.  Their plans for the next few months vary.  Some are off to exciting jobs, others not so exciting but still have a paycheck.  Some are preparing for post-secondary school, other getting ready for missionary service.  All are looking at this change and realizing an adjustment to adulthood is imminent.

Eight of the ten also graduated from LDS Seminary in a ceremony held at the Dahle Performing Arts Center last week.  Listed in that program were Mikel, Tyson, Alexis, McKenna, Tiffany, Cody, Joseph and Spencer.    Joseph Seamons was featured  as a solo violinist, performing “Law of the Harvest: Sacrifice Brings Blessings.”

The Wilcox family gathered in Mink Creek for the wedding of MaKenzie Wilcox to Tyson Gunter of McCammon, ID.  Danita and Eldon Wilcox’s home was stuffed with family.

Elise and Jeff Hardy and children live in North Ogden.  Lesli Evans brought her daughter, Ashlyn, up from Savannah,TX,  Ami and Tom Fenton and family are in Tooele, UT,  Brittany and Matt Durrant and their little girl are doing school at the University of Utah.  Brigham and Jennipher Wilcox with two little ones live in Idaho Falls.  Big brother, Jesse Wilcox, is here in Mink Creek.  It was a fun, bit wild, time at the Wilcox home.

            The turnout of voters for the Primary Election in Mink Creek was a bit over 50%.  The day started out slow but gained momentum in the afternoon and evening hours.  It was a lovely spring day and the weather was no obstacle.  A few voters were a little upset with the new law requiring Idaho voters to declare their party of choice for the Primary voting, but the explanations of the election board members seemed to suffice.

            Mikel Beardall was ordained to the office of an elder recently.  This young man had also earned the Duty to God awards as a deacon, a teacher and as a priest.

            As a farming community we take a little more interest in the weather than many people do.  Lately it has been a toss-up.  We have had badly needed rain, some good sized hail, and snow.  Along with this warm weather mixes in and things are growing, particularly the weeds.  They do well even when there is a drought.

             Just a reminder---don’t forget the Mink Creek School Reunion.  Circle the date on your calendars, June 16^th, and check the site on Facebook for more information. 

May 23, 2012

The youth of Mink Creek have been out cleaning up the roadsides along Highway 36.

Filled orange plastic bags could be found, waiting for pick up, the length of our community as a result of their efforts.  The weather was lovely the evening when the service project took place.  All gathered at the LDS Ward for refreshments after things were tidied up.

Spring visitors recently have been Jim and Debbie Harrison, up from St. George,  Bruce and Shauna Crane from Logan, and Karl and Marion Haws from Santa Barbara, CA.  Karl and Marion will be with us for an extended visit and are expecting more Haws family members to arrive as summer rolls in.

Two young men in the LDS Ward were ordained to priesthood offices recently.  Walter Iverson, son of Kurt and Margret  just graduated from Primary.  He earned his Faith in God award and was ordained a deacon.  Joshua Greene, son of Chad and Dawnell, is now sixteen years old and was ordained a priest.

Lorraine Christensen has been taking her role as a grandmother seriously.  She has spent two weeks with her daughter Carrie Ann and Ken Melton in Lafayette, IN.  It sounds like she thoroughly enjoyed little Kenny and several sightseeing ventures while there.

            Kim and Dianna Keller relished some family moments when their son Josh and wife Noel Keller brought their new baby boy here to be named and blessed.  The name chosen is Journey Thunder Keller.  The young Keller family live in Brigham City.  Vernon and Sallee Keller are the great grandparents and Noel’s grandfather and aunt came up from California.

This is an invitation for all Mink Creek School Alumni.  The annual reunion will be held June 16, 2012, at noon at the LDS Church recreation hall.  For food assignments and other details check out the reunion site on Facebook.  The Westerberg family is in charge this year.

            George and Judy Rasmussen are on a family tour.  They have been in Durango, Co, visiting relatives, came home for a few days to unpack and repack.  The next direction on their travel itinerary  is Utah.

Mink Creek’s preschool, taught by Dawnell Greene, has been preparing a closing program for this year.  It was held at the home of Kerry and Melina Jepsen and featured songs and nursery rhyme skits.  The audience consisted of parents, siblings, and grandparents of the participants.  The children in the school this year have been:  Jonathan and Jacob Seamons, Hazen Baird, Tia Hatch, Sophia and Cooper Janke, Isabelle Wood, and Ella Jepsen.  Everyone enjoyed cookies and soda after the production.

Cherise Olson and three of her children drove from Franklin for a visit with her father, John Warburton.

Daniel and Heather Baird and their children, of Rexburg, were here for Mothers’ Day.  His mother is Lana McCracken and Lana and her husband Ivan enjoyed some grandparenting time.  A bit later a daughter, Annette Batchelor, now in Albuquerque, NM, collected her daughter Morgan in Provo and came up for a stay with her parents.

May 16, 2012

The sounds of spring runoff as the water makes its way down from various sources in our surrounding mountains is a joyful music.  The canals that are filled from Mink Creek water are running smoothly at this point.  Twin Lakes Canal has a trickle of water going down its rocky spillway into the Bear River below.  There is just enough water cascading down to make a jagged white line against the red color of the face of the cliff.  Our smaller creeks are dancing downward, blending into Mink Creek itself on their way to add to the awaiting waters of Bear River.

The LDS ward of Mink Creek and Riverdale met together in the Mink Creek building to watch the recent televised Preston North Stake Conference.  There were some transmission difficulties and all in attendance were glad to have the expertise of Randolph Seamons of Riverdale to work on solving the problems.  It is always enjoyable to have these wards meet together; the togetherness goes way back, to the days of the founding of both communities in the latter part of the 19^th century.

Five young men from these wards were sustained to be ordained to the office of an elder.  They are  Spencer Wilde, son of Judy and David Wilde, Joseph Seamons, son of Jennifer and Jeff Seamons,  Cody McKay, son of Terrie and Paul McKay,  Mikel Beardall, son of Tammy and Kent Beardall, and Daniel Seamons, son of Randolph and Janelle Seamons.   All of them are graduating from Preston High at the end of this month.

Bryan Erickson and two of his sons, Kylan and Seth, came up from Woodland Hills, UT, to spend some time with his folks, Karen and Layne Erickson.  Connie Erickson just lives a short distance away, in Logan, so she joined the family get together. 

            The chokecherry trees are loaded with fragrant white clusters of blooms.  The haw bushes have many white tiny flowers, but their smell is not nearly so inspiring.  As it is with the blossom, so it will be with the berry when harvest time is here.

 In agricultural areas it is that time of year to remember the Robert Frost poem, “Mending Wall.”  It illustrates two perspectives, one being, “Good fences make good neighbors.”  Those who have livestock are ready to turn animals out to pasture and a poor fence causes all sorts of problems.  Animals roaming the roadsides, grazing the luscious green growth, are as unpredictable as the wildlife for passing motorists.   A fence provides some barrier for the critters.

Hope the Idaho residents voted  in the Idaho Primary elections.  There were some contests in our county that will be decided on just those votes for the next term.  I got home from serving on the election  board Tuesday night and found my internet down so this post is much later than I had hoped.  The tech guy came today, 21st, and here is the "rest of last week's story."  Next week should be better.

May 9, 2012

The medical profession has been busy with several residents of our community.  We have recently had four Mink Creekers undergoing surgery of one description or another, there is a case of pneumonia, from all reports.  Not even mentioning all the sneezing and coughing that has been going on, either from spring colds or rampant allergies.  There may be more, this is just those of which this columnist is aware.

One of our young men, Cody McKay, is getting a record for speeding. No concern for the local law, this young man is swift on foot.  He has broken the Preston High school record in the 100 meter.  Not long ago he took first place in the 100 m and 2^nd place in the 200 m at the Tiger Griz Track tournament in Idaho Falls.  He is the son of Paul and Terrie McKay.

Michael and Karenina Bullock of Sandy brought their newest daughter to Mink Creek to receive a blessing and be named.  Born April 2^nd, she was christened Abagail Elizabeth Bullock.  She has siblings to welcome her, Kasen and AnnDee.  Grandparents are Austin and Kathy Jones of Mink Creek and Joy Jones of Washington, UT.  Other out-of-town family members present for the occasion were Joseph and Becca Jones of Harriman, UT, Kayleen and Spencer Johnson of Provo, Great-grandmother Bonnie Baldwin of Preston, and the Bullock family of Grace.

While not exactly qualifying as Mink Creek news Franklin County residents will be interested in the birth of Ches and Sariah Sharp’s newest son, to be named Collin James Sharp. The Sharps lived in Preston, Ches teaching band at the high school a few years ago.  They now are living in Gilbert, AZ.  This baby arrived 19 days earlier than planned, on May 1^st, weighing in at 8 lb., 2 oz., and all are doing well.

Our teenagers enjoyed the recent spring Prom.  They were arrayed in finery of flowing gowns, tuxedos and fine suits.  From all reports the dates of the day and the beauty of the night were worth the hours, days, weeks of anticipation that goes with such and event.

The Mink Creek area is filled with blossoms.  Wild and domestic trees, the whole length of our village, are bursting with blooms, pink, white, fuchsia---apple, pear, plum, peach, crab apple, apricot.  I recall when I first heard of this place; long before I had any idea I would en up living here.  From my home in Wyoming a friend of my parents was recounting his childhood memory of driving from Star Valley, WY, on their way to somewhere in Utah. He told of this little place in Idaho, Mink Creek, as being full of flowering trees.  It had left a lasting impression, as well it might.  It does so today.  We live in a beautiful place all year round.  Well, except for mud season.

May 2, 2012

Motorcyclist enthusiasts are loving the block of nice days sent our way. They roar up and down our main street, Highway 36.  They go zipping past, from large groups to singles, and sometimes a couple on a single.  The last few days have been perfect for such an activity.  It is spring so this is only temporary.  

            The family of Royce and Lorraine Christensen had a spring reunion.  All of their children were able to assemble, with the exception of Cameron who lives in Washington. This was the first time for them to be together in six years.  Colleen and Justin Carter and children are now in Logan after some years in the Midwest.  Carrie Ann and Ken Melton and their son Kenny live in Lafayette, IN, and managed a week long visit.   Kim and Joe Tracy, with their family of three youngsters are in Meridian, ID. Kevin Christensen is still in Arizona.  Fred and Victoria Christensen are working and going to school in Orem, UT.

Danalee Abernethy spent the weekend with her parents, Bob and Claudia Erickson.  She drove up from her home in Alpine, UT, to enjoy watching her sister, Laural, and  husband Jody Janke in their roles at the Worm Creek Theater.

Jerry and Ramona Hatchett are back home in their lovely roost on one of our mountainsides.    This year they didn’t need snowshoes to reach the house when they returned.  They have been south for the winter months, at their St. George home.  Jim and Debbie Harrison have been up from St. George too.

MaKenzie Wilcox will be marrying her fiancé Tyson Gunter in mid-May, once they are out of school in Provo.   They are doing wedding plans with her folks, Eldon and Danita Wilcox,   with the big day being just a tad over two weeks away. 

              Shawn and Callie Beardall and their three children took a break from life in Spanish Fork, UT, to be in Mink Creek with his parents, Kent and Tammy.  The Beardall family kept track of the children for a bit while Shawn and Callie went over to Wardboro, just outside of Montpelier, to spend some time with Callie’s family.

The man who lives on the corner of Mink Creek proper, Mike Dyer, has arrived with the beginning of green in our valley.  We have missed this man and are glad that his job of keeping up with the Preston golf greens has brought him back to us after a few months away.

A short ride up some of our off roads quickly proved that our deer are still around.  They looked a little on the scrawny side, but were munching on the hillside browse.  Hope they get in better shape as the warmth takes over.  All the hills are bursting with green power so there should be feed to put some plump on those bones.

May brings the first cutting of water cress, a spring favorite, around here.  Usually it takes a few days into the month, but not this year.  The refrigerator got its first batch already and the sandwiches were up to par.  They even had the "healthy" label.

April 25, 2012

It has been rather blustery up this way this past week, causing thoughts of Winnie the Pooh almost daily.  Kite flying weather may have been on the wish list, but it didn’t arrive.  We have had more rain which quickly found downhill pathways caused by a previous storm and washed out more planted cropland.

Christopher Wilde, son of David and Judy Wilde has been called to serve in the Arizona, Tempe Mission.  He will be leaving the Provo MTC, going to Tempe on May 1^st.  Family and friends gathered so celebrate this occasion.  Paternal relatives attending were Dottie Casperson , Janet Shenk and Jolene Egbert of Preston and Dixie Bennett from the Blackfoot area.  Judy’s twin sister, Trudy, came up from Logan.  Another sister, Jean Alleman and her son drove from Bennington, ID, along with Judy’s brother, John and Nancy Tippets, and Bruce Brown and his family.  John’s married children came up from Logan and Smithfield.

The Mink Creek Ward has a new presidency in the Elders Quorum.  They are: Kerry Christensen, president, Chad Greene, first counselor, Tim Checketts, second counselor, and Shane Corbett, secretary.   Forrest Christensen was sustained as the new ward clerk, the calling formerly held by Kerry Christensen.

Three of our youth have recently had birthdays that changed their status somewhat.  Morgan McKay, daughter of Paul and Terrie, and Nicole Beardall, daughter of Kent and Tammy, turned sixteen and are now members of the Laurel group in Young Women.  Justin Coleman, son of Nelson and Tammy Coleman, was ordained to the office of a priest.

            The Winward twins  were here visiting with grandparents Wally and Kim Christensen.  Angelie and Thane Winward welcomed a new tiny girl into their family last week and the “big” kids got to stay in Mink Creek for a few days.

Mink Creek has had a number of people involved in the community theater production of “Guys and Dolls,” particularly the director, Cecelie Costlie.  The last performance was this past Monday night.  Besides Cecelie now the pit orchestra members , including three of our residents, Laural and Jody Janke on trumpets and Sam Seamons on bass, and a young dancer, Haylee Hatch,  can take a well earned rest.

The last rains and a few days of sunshine have turned our valley into a green kingdom.  All shades of the color are bursting forth.  Stark black branches now have bits of green uncurling up and down their lengths.  Dry, straw textured lawns are now in need of mowing.  Daffodils add some bright yellow blooms.  Cherry trees are full of pink blossoms and a variety of wild trees bring bits of white blooms.  I hope this makes some of you have a pang of home sickness.

April 18, 2012

Using a twist on words the Mink Creek Relief Society enjoyed an Eggstravaganza.  All attending brought something connected with eggs.  Most offerings were food of some type:  casseroles, salads, breads, pie, cookies, cake.  It made for a yummy potluck sort of fare for their evening meal just sampling all the different dishes.  One unusual presentation was that of an egg carton filled with tiny tomato plants which had been planted in  dirt-filled egg shells.  Goldie Bosen was a guest speaker ,encouraging all attending to be eggceptional and eggstraordinary in their lives.  She charged them to reflect on their potential and dreams.  Tammy Coleman conducted the evening.

Elder Josh Newby recently returned from his mission, serving the past two years in the Missouri, St. Louis Mission.  He is the son of Sharla and Lin McKay.  Friends and family gathered here to welcome him.  His brother, Payton, and Judith Newby drove down from Rexburg.  Grandparents, Hal and Marva Mason came over from Plymouth, UT.  Josh was glad to see enough snow within easy driving distance to give him some snowmobiling moments and is ready to go 4-wheeling at the first opportunity.

Mike Jepsen, Reed Swann, Joe Jepsen and Alex Swainston have been off on a fishing adventure, staying at the May Family Ranch, near Clayton, ID.  They were on the Salmon River, hoping for steelhead, and were successful.

Preston High School’s seasons for track, baseball and softball are underway.  We have several youth in track:  Cody McKay, Joseph Seamons, Alexis Iverson, Johnny Iverson, Nicole Straight, Morgan McKay, and Nicole Beardall. Tyson Hall plays varsity baseball with Tawni Hall on the softball team. 

Bryce and Terry Stromberg are at home in their place on Birch Creek.  They have been in California for our cooler months, planning to avoid the snow we didn’t have this past season.  It is fun to have them back with us.

There is no question about whether or not the sandhill cranes have returned for the summer.   They can be a very noisy bird and their volume matches their size.  Their calls and squawks can be heard up and down the length of Mink Creek.   I have noticed our local buzzards and eagles enjoying spots of updraft, soaring high, wings outstretched, around and around.  This looks completely effortless.  No wonder people feel the urge to go into aeronautics.

Recently an overnight rainstorm turned into a deluge.  This downpour could mean a disaster for newly planted hillside crops.  Topsoil and seeds washed down the slopes and across the adjacent road in some large fields.  In other places the water came down with enough force to create deep gouges along the roadside, half a foot or so in depth, cutting through the softer soil.  Farm acres in this community are angled, very few flat fields.   The lower end of our community was the hardest hit.  Farming can be a risky business.