Christmas Day, 2018

          It has been a white Christmas, snowing off and on most of the day, but not giving much in the way of inches. No complaints,white is white and adds to the cozy feeling that should go with this holiday. The neighborhood gifts, all delivered, and likely consumed as part of the treats this day. Merry Christmas! Enjoy these days, they are all too soon over and pushed into the past.

          Kent and Tammy Beardall had a houseful not long ago. Michelle Wall and her four children came up from Grand Junction, CO. Nicole and Nathan Denny took a break from school at BYU/I in Rexburg, ID. Kyle Beardall drove up from Logan and Mikel and Rebecca Beardall, now in Preston, joined them

          Candy Longhurst and her three daughters Emily and McKinley Longhurst and Tiffany Wheeler, enjoyed the Alex Boye Concert at Cherry Peak Resort in the mountains east of Richmond, UT. This was courtesy of tickets won from the Preston Citizen. What a treat for these four, they loved every chord of the performance.

           The family and friends of Bonnie Lue Hansen gathered in Mink Creek for her funeral. It was a true celebration after the years she has suffered with Parkinson's disease. The program was filled with music, something always high on Bonnie's priority list. All the Hansen children and their families were here: Sandra Kemp, Roxanne Beutler, Patricia Bowles, Sidney Hansen, Tim Hansen and Wesley Hansen.

          Jacob Stanworth, the son of Kaci and Heath Avery, was ordained in the Aaronic Priesthood to the office of a deacon in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The deacon's quorum in the local ward is small and he is a most welcome addition to their ranks.

           The Mink Creek Ward Relief Society organization has had a change in the presidency. Patti Christensen, Anna Beth Olson and ReNae Egley were released from their callings. The new officers are Kim Christensen as the president, Betty Jo Jepsen her first counselor and Laurel Wilde, the second counselor. Annavelyn Wilcox will continue to serve as the secretary. In the process Kim was released as a counselor in the ward Primary organization and Jasmine Erickson will be filling that position.

          Turkeys, turkeys everywhere. At lease the birds go to roost in nearby trees during the darkened hours. The deer and raccoons are still very active during these hours and are a constant threat to anyone driving through our community, all night long.

December 19, 2018

         Relief Society members, plus guests, gathered for a Christmas Dinner. The atmosphere of snow outside and holiday decorations in the hall added to the warm feeling of the evening. Sherrie Corbett had decorated with glowing lamps surrounded by greenery atop red table runners on each table and sparkling small pine trees lit up a corner or two. The theme for the night was “Angles Among Us” and throughout the evening anonymous stories were shared of kind deeds performed throughout the community for one another. The menu was chicken breast in a savory sauce, baked potato, tossed salad and rolls, followed by a spicy cake topped with a lucious cranberry sauce and a dollop of whipped cream. Around eighty people attended the event. The committee in charge included Anna Beth Olson, ReNae Egley, Corinne Larsen, Patti Christensen, Sherrie Corbett, Jasmine Erickson and Annavelyn Wilcox.

          Jim and Debbie Harrison have been up from St. George, UT. Mink Creek continues to be their “home away from home” and we are always happy to see them back with us.

           Patti and Forrest Christensen spent the most recent holiday, plus a few more days with Patti's son Matt, his wife Marissa and daughter Savanah at their home in Granite Bay, east of Sacramento, CA. Matt is a firefighter and had just come off of fighting the Camp Fire. He had many stories to share. They had a wonderful time and shared in decorating Matt's home for the coming Christmas holiday.

           Juli and Jared Egley and their family had some fun days in Park City with Juli's sisters. Activities included a 22 mile bike ride (not all inclusive), hot tubbing in the snow and hanging out with cousins. They finished things off with a broken bone in Chris Egley's arm, hoping this doesn't become a tradition.

          Matt and Haylee Westerberg took a couple of days to be at home in Station Creek with his parents, Wendy and Terry Westerberg. For now Matt and Haylee are living that suspended life, between job assignments. Currently the couple are visiting some of Matt's old stomping grounds in Ethiopia.

          Counting the days before Christmas. Preparations going on up and down our valley. Reports of a lack of electricity for a few hours on the morrow from the power company.  This does not help with the tasks that still need to be accomplished, but it does make us aware of how dependent we are upon that source of energy in our day to day lives.

           A bit of a thaw, icicles dripping and falling from the eaves. Patches of grass of expanding sizes poking through our snow. Starting to wonder if our white Christmas that has seemed assured will be green instead. It won't put a blight on the spirit of the holiday, but plans may change from skiing or sleighriding to football at our ballpark. Hopefully not. Let it snow!

December 11, 2018

          It was a with a sigh of relief that Robert Crosland welcomed his wife Phee and son Angleo Croasland back home. They had driven to the Midwest to the area where Angelo had served on his LDS mission, intending to tour the various places he had served. Then those fierce winter storms moved into the Midwest. When there was a fairly good break between the onslaught Phee and Angelo decided to come home a bit earlier than planned.

          Wayne and Jackie Olsen enjoyed to company of their daughter Donell and Nate Owen and their children from North Logan. Donell performed a vocal solo for the Mink Creek Ward, with Jackie accompanying.

           Ken and Loren Nash put in a few days at the Haws home in Mink Creek. At the time there was no snow, but it was still a change from their home in California.

           The home of Jimmie and Anna Beth Olson was full of fun when their daughter Dana and Charlie Peterson and their crew of grandchildren came down from Meridian, ID.

            Ron and Mary Norris traveled to the home of their granddaughter, Carly for the Thanksgiving holiday. It was especially fun for Mary to help Carly as she prepared her first turkey with trimmings in her new position as 'lady of the house.”

           The Tim Checketts family came up from Texas for the holiday to be with his sister Melinda and her husband Kerry Jepsen in Mink Creek. The Checketts family lived in our community a few years ago, so there is a feeling of “coming home” when they visit.

          The respiratory crud that is often present this time of year is making its rounds in our community. Complaints of sore throats and enduring coughing abound. It appears to be virus caused and is miserable.

           Judging from all the tracks in the snow our local deer are making themselves comfortable in residents' yards. Hopefully they haven't started chewing on greenery intended to beautify the homes. It is a little early to expect that.

          We seem to have more turkeys than usual, or perhaps they are just spreading out more. At any rate, they are very present! Watch out for them if you are driving through our village.

           Houses are looking festive for the season.  It is particularly beautiful at night to see hillsides hosting pretty light displays in the darkness.

December 4, 2018

         The Thanksgiving holiday brought all the family of Steve and Terry Mainini home to Mink Creek. Tony came down from Pocatello. Angelina and Iyar Kores arrived from Eagle Mountain, UT, with their little Ariella who provided entertainment for one and all. Steve's dad, Ted Mainini, is now part of the Mink Creek family shared in the festivities.

         ReNae and Kent Egley and some of their daughters with families, truly went 'over the river and through the woods' as they all took part in a huge family get-together at the beautiful lodge of Kent's brother, Larry and Bunny Egley, in West Glacier, MT. It was a weekend of family, snow and the beauty of Glacier National Park on their doorstep.

         Emily Longhurst, daughter of Candy and the late Sheldon Longhurst, was recognized at the Preston High School's closing banquet at the end of the fall sports. She was noted for Highest Hitting Performance on the Junior Varsity volleyball team.

          Lana and Ivan McCracken were with family in Idaho Falls, ID, for a grandchild wedding during the holiday. Savannah Baird, Daniel and Heather Baird's youngest daughter, was married to Danny Wells, a young man from Washington.

          Wayne and Jackie Olsen are getting nicely settled into their new home on Capitol Hill. It has been quite process from the pouring of their foundation until the house is finally into place, They have 'camped out' in their mobile home during warm weather, and harbored in a neighbor's rental when it was chilly, since their first decision to move to Mink Creek.

           Paul and Terrie McKay hosted a full house for the weekend. All three kids were home: Cody and Kevyn McKay, Morgan and Eli Curtis, and Andy McKay, all up from Logan, UT. Terrie's parents, Layne and Karen Erickson rounded off the family setting.

           Mike and Mary Ann Jepsen had guests pulling into their lane for several days before Thanksgiving. Their four children, Jonathan, Annie, Joe, and Jared , plus the matching families were here for fun and food.

           Reed Swann and his daughter Penny went down to Paul and Glenda Swainston's place in Preston. A big item on the menu was the pecan pie produced in Penny's oven. Since that event Reed is announcing a new grandchild. His son Charlie and Sarah Swann have added a new little girl to their family.

           The Christmas tree harvest is still going on in our canyons. There is a real mix of license plates identified outfits mainly from Utah and Idaho hoisting a tree, or trees, as they head south down the highway.

            We are feeling winter's grip.  Have had several days of snow, not gobs, but enough the first day to build snowmen, nice and sticky.  The storms that have left snow since have given us the light fluffy stuff, sparkly and pretty, but pretty empty of moisture.  However, we have had sufficient to start the snowmobiles  going into our canyons.  They might have to be careful in their choice of surface, there are rocks underneath the white blanket.

          Hope you have turned your calendar over and are happy to have it be December.  It is a pretty special time of the year and most of us are thinking of kindness and appreciation for those around us. Keep in mind that little things count and can have just as much positive impact as something more grandiose. Thanks for sticking with this blog, I so wish there were some way I could share with you the joy of living in this little place.

November 28, 2018

          The fall winds have been making regular visits and have pretty much swept the dried leaves off the deciduous trees. Pheasant hunters have been enjoying going through the habitat of these beautiful birds. They are good a playing Hide and Seek.

           Clare Christensen had a bout in the Logan Hospital. When he showed up at the local hospital in Preston they put him on an ambulance and sent him to Logan. It turned out to be a ruptured appendix and he and Linda were grateful to have hospital services with quick action..

           Mary Ann Jepsen took a few days to go to Sacramento, CA, with a group of friends for a girlfriend reunion. The California friend was having some health challenges so they were there to boost her spirits and spent four days playing games and just fun in general. Mary Ann reported that the skies in that part of the state were smoke laden from the northern California fires.

          Tom Sharp, a neighbor from down the road in Riverdale, enjoyed some time with his son Jackson in the Salmon River country. They caught some hefty trout, watched mountain sheep in action. It is one of Tom's favorite spots and he returns as often as he can.

         Glen and Betty Jo Jepsen have spent some time in the area around Dallas, TX recently. Their son Kyle and Stacy live there and have a new baby girl for these grandparents to get to know. This was the time for her name and blessing. She was given the name of Alexandra Emery Jepsen, with smiles all around.

         Sherrie Corbett has taken on the sport of rowing and is having a great time. This lady seems to thrive on challenges : races of various lengths, new goals at the gym and now has added rowing to her accomplishments.

        Part of the Thanksgiving holiday in this neck of the woods is the presence of many people in our canyons, tromping about as they try to locate the perfect live tree for their home. It is a good thing they don't all want the same tree! The action has already started and will only increase in the coming days.

         Thanksgiving Day was full of cold sunshine. The foreboding warnings of storms moving in during the three days following did not materialize. A bit of rain now and again, but not much. People were seen hiking the roads here and there, but any treks into our fields yielded muddy footwear.

As is usual for this holiday we had plenty of visitors while at the same time many of our residents went elsewhere. More details for some of that next week.

           New homes under construction has been mentioned a while back. It is a happy report to say that the outside constructions appears to be intact and that now it is the inner workings that are underway. Just in time for some more nasty weather to arrive.

November 20, 2018

I have been out of town, so this may be a catch-up post. Don't want you to miss anything so here is the missing from Nov 14th.

          It is time to get out our woolies, each day the temperature drops a mite. Most homes in the area have smoke curling into the air above the chimneys. Dried, crumbly leaves are in abundance, not just on our lawns but up and down the hillsides, snuggled in among the dry weeds and crop stalks. The latest deposit of snow in our mountains appears to be here for the long haul.

          Jeff and Deborah Olson made a quick 3-day trip to see a friend in Montana. Larry Egley spent all of his younger days in Mink Creek and still returns off and on. At the present time Larry and his wife Bunny are the owners of the Great Bear Inn, a bed and breakfast lodge located about a mile from the border of Glacier National Park. Jeff and Deborah drove up before the weather got so cold and, while there, were given a tour around the Hungry Horse Reservoir by Larry. The Olsons had a great time and report that the Egleys reside in beautiful scenic country.

           Wynn and Cecelie Costley wound up the warmer days with a trip to Lake Powell and some days on their houseboat. They included Cecelie's mother on this outing, knowing it would soon be too chilly for such an occasion.

             Karen and Layne Erickson, along with Paul and Terrie McKay and their family went to Wellsville, UT, to attend a missionary farewell for Braden Erickson, the son of Bryan and Shannon Erickson. Braden will be serving in the India, Bengaluru, Mission. Connie and Adam Westenskow came up from Utah, and Julie and Todd Kunz and children of Ammon, ID, made it a total family occasion.

             The funeral of Sheldon Longhurst was conducted in the Preston North Stake Center for family and friends . He was buried in the Mink Creek Cemetery and following the graveside services , the Mink Creek Ward Relief Society served a luncheon to the family in the church recreation hall.

And moving to this week's edition:

           Election Day blew in on chilly wings, the polls open at 8am for any early voters. The workers for that day were Danita Wilcox, Lorraine Christensen and Vickie Free. They reported having a good turnout from the registered voters, keeping fairly busy most of the day.

            Jimmie and Anna Beth Olson had a fall visit from Peggy and Jon Flinders and their girls. They live in Rigby, ID, and were down for some grandparent time.

           There has been a change in the leadership of the Young Men organization of Mink Creek. Jared Egley was released as the secretary of that group and Shane Corbett will now fill that calling.

           Kurt and Margret Iverson have been in New Jersey, attending a professional meeting. While in the eastern part of our country they drove to New York City, confronting with all the noise and hustle and bustle, and were were pleased to find calm and peace within the walls of the ManhattanTemple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

           Richard and Vickie Free and Robert and Phee Crosland were able to spend nearly a week in Hawaii. They stayed in cottages on the island of Kauai and it provided the perfect spot for a short “get- away.” A highlight of this stay was a tour of a golf course as the sun was setting, beautiful scenery accented with unusual colors.

           Laural and Jody Janke and their children spent the weekend with her parents, Bob and Claudia Erickson. While they are enjoying their new surroundings and neighbors in Richfield, UT, the Janke family still considers Mink Creek as home. They had a working Saturday taking care of fall cleanup jobs around the Erickson place.

          The residents of Mink Creek have been asked to save the gazillion dry leaves that are filling our yards. Bagged, or in some other form of transportation, they will be used to mulch the garlic field on the Longhurst farm. This has become a community project, and who would have guessed when it began that the dry leaves, usually a nuisance to homeowners, would have a worthwhile purpose to protect those bulbs over the winter. We are all going to learn about the process of growing garlic, and learning is good.

           Happy Thanksgiving, readers! It is looking like we might have our first good snowstorm during Thanksgiving weekend. Hoping this will help the fire areas of California and not cause them more grief with flooding.Good for the land, not so good for those out on the road headed to or away from Mink Creek. One positive note, if they have been raised in Mink Creek they do have snow-driving experience.

November, Election Day, 2018

          It was a chilly evening for the Ciderfest of the village, held at the Mink Creek Ballpark on Halloween Eve. A bonfire helped to ward off the coolness somewhat. An apple press was available for those who might want to use it. Those attending brought some sort of treat to share. The Trunk R Treat took place around the bonfire, for the ghost and goblin set. Fun was the order f the evening.

            Ernie and Sherry York endeavored to enjoy a trip to the Midwest in their motor home. They got as far as Sidney, NE, when their outfit had coughing spells and they checked out the reasons. As it often goes things did not go smoothly getting the correction and Sherry ended up taking their small car and coming back home to Idaho to take care of other obligations. Ernie followed a few days later, and had yet another siege of motor problems. When it finally got straightened out it appears the fuel filter was the main culprit. Oh, the joys of taking trips!

           Bryce Egley, son of Jared and Juli, took the District title with his mountain bike racing, He has worked and trained hard in this his freshman year. The State races took place in Green Valley near St. George, UT. He was 1st in the North division and finished 5th in the State race of 187 riders, even with his chain slipping twice. Congratulation, Bryce!

              Wynn Costley has been called to serve as Second Counselor in the bishopric of the Young Singles Ward in Preston. Due to this his wife, Cecelie has been released as Mink Creek Ward's Young Women's president, so that she might be part of this calling. Melinda Jepsen will now serve as the Mink Creek Young Women's president and her counselors will be Terrie McKay and Jennifer Seamons.

              Lori (Strawberry) Muldner is happy to have her brother Carl Muldner staying here in Idaho for a lengthy visit. He hails from Goodyear, AZ, where he was a property storage manager. He is a diesel mechanic by trade, been an outside salesman for Freightliner of Arizona, a parts man and various other jobs, including being a fix-it man. Currently he is doing just that with the maintenance of the old Aupperlee home where the Aupperlee daughter Sandy Wylie and Lori now live. Carl is a man of the outdoors and is enjoying our cooler temperatures along with the beautiful surroundings.

           Our owl population keeps up a steady stream of comments during our dark nights. It goes back and forth, back and forth, chatting across the valley.

           Today was Voting Day, 8 am to 8 pm. Mink Creek community still casts their ballots in the multipurpose room of the LDS Ward Meetinghouse. It is the only public building in our village. Sometimes newcomers have a hard time figuring that this event takes place at a building owned and used by a church. The answer is simple, it is the only place possible. It is now nearly the end of the day and I have no idea what percentage of our community voters came to the polls. I was part of the election board for Mink Creek for many years, but have tossed in the towel with the aches and pains that go from sitting too long. I hope the turnout was good because we should never forget what a privilege it is to have a vote.