Price elevations

         In my job I get the fun of seeing the prices of various item necessary for life and some extra comforts from a century ago.  It is interesting to see how costs have risen.  Of course life has changed a great deal in that length of time.   Not all of it good.
         So has our ideas of what is necessary to live a good, full life and be happy. Today we are so involved in fulfilling our wants that we don't consider the difference between the two things, needs and wants.  What we seem to want is more, and more and more.  But it doesn't bring happiness. Often it brings the reverse.
         Everything has changed. The building of a home now is one of many rooms, stories, plus extras like a play room equipped with electronic entertainment, or an exercise room where specialized equipment is supposed to keep us physically fit, a special room for laundry purposes, and on and on.  There is barely a trace of the small home with only two or three of bedrooms, one bath, one living area and a kitchen/dining area. That described a fairly extravagant home back in the day.
         Inflation has had a huge influence on the dollar's worth not covering much, but our value structure plays a big part as well. Luxuries of the past are considered everyday needs of the present.
         Even donation suggestions has escalated.  In the past a tip of 10 % of the bill was considered plenty, now it is more like 20% and often the buyer doesn't even get to make that choice since the 'tip' is included in the bill.  Companies, hospitals, charities, etc. often contact us by mail, desiring funds for their worthy cause.  Inside the envelope will be a card that lists suggested amounts of the donation, and none are very low.  A person is made to feel like a cheapskate if they can only afford half of the lowest suggested amount.  The spirit of giving is squelched, it is more like an order.
          So many things are different--transportation, housing, entertainment, communication, simple meals, medical information and solutions offered, the price of a stamp for a letter. With consideration, what hasn't changed?  We still need housing, warmth, water, clothing, food, social connections--the basics.  Most of all we continue to need each other.  Has the price gone up on that as well?

Glasses - A boon and a curse

          Where's my glasses? These are the wrong pair! The age of many pairs of glasses is a challenge that had not been considered in younger years. I had a friend who was very conscious of her appearance to others, but she still needed reading glasses after she got past her 40's. She did have a glamorous pair for reading that she would hang about her neck on a lovely chain when presiding over a meeting or conducting a class. At home, however she had a pair of ordinary reading glasses wherever she might need them: by her cookbooks, at each phone station in her house, by her favorite lounge chair. But once put on the bridge of her nose and used, she would forget to remove them and so when she returned to a specific spot, once again she couldn't see because the glasses had been deposited elsewhere in her home. A source of frustration to be dealt with.

           And then there is the two pair situation. Needing one for normal sight, driving, etc. and a different pair for reading. If both look the same a person is apt to start driving away from one's home, only to discover that the glasses now on your face are the reading glasses and will not work very well for the task at hand.

          More?  Oh yes,,there were three, or four. ... near sighted, sunglasses, bifocals, trifocals, decorative frames, night driving, blue light filters, wraparounds,  high density. The list of possibles goes on.

         I have discovered  some of these other types of glasses that are of benefit for me. Luckily they are easily identified so I don't get them mixed up. The help each one delivers is needed in completely different circumstances. Attending a brightly lit sports arena is the place for the night light glasses as well as driving in the darkened hours. Working on the computer at work or at home is easier using blue light filter glasses. I discovered these wonderful things cut down on migraine headaches, or for me, optical migraines. Who knew such glasses even existed? And of course they haven't existed for a particularly long time because technology didn't challenge our forebears, reading and near-sightedness or far- sightedness was sufficient.  Llilghting in the home differed as well.

         How about sunglasses, also one that is needed more frequently than in the younger years. Multiple choices with this one. Does a person have the darkening type put into their prescription glasses, or not? Advantages and disadvantages to this. Does a person require a front only view, or a wraparound that blocks light on the sides as well?

          Consider the need for this wonderful tool. How lucky we are to live in a time when these various needs can be fulfilled. Imagine what it would be like if there was no help for the problem of deteriorating sight. If magnification was all that was available. I vote for multiple pairs of glasses and finding a way for each individual to place them where needed, when needed.

Backyard entertainment!

When our morning curtains part the show begins, lasting off and on, all through the day.

              Backyard birds. Our backyard is a bird haven. Not just in the warm months, some varieties are here year round. Smaller birds lodge near during warmer months, but two gigantic pine trees seem to be the permanent home for a flock of magpies and they provide plenty of diversion for our observation. Such smart winged creatures, and beautiful as well. I am well aware that they are looked down upon by the human species, but I love them. 

            However, they are not the Lord of our winter backyard. That title goes to a handsome cock pheasant who has somehow eluded the hunters that are about each fall pheasant season. He strides through the yard/orchard at will, not threatened in the least by the black and white scavengers. He is a wise one and the magpies do not mess with him. Today he flew up and knocked one of the apples off a tree in our orchard, high in its branches. He proceeded to drift down and enjoy his treat, magpies flying through the orchard, but not interrupting his feasting. There were more apples available, in an orchard with 10 apples trees, those black and whites could get their own if they were able.

         King Tut (my name for him) must have truly loved his apple. In the later afternoon he brought a younger pheasant cock and three hens to the orchard. Just where they are hanging out I am not sure, they leave by flight to the north east. They are gorgeous to see, fun to watch.

          Now the magpies are back to their normal antics. They steal from the cats' food dish, boldly striding up, checking out the location of said felines  as they cock their heads to one side, then the other, and then they make their grab. Whether the cats are interested in them I know not. Sassy and Purrci are both good mousers and are keeping our vole population in check. It is their job and I am delighted to see them fulfilling it so adequately.

          In following days King Tut has ushered in a flock of about a dozen pheasants, a mix of ages. They roam about, scratching and flattening the snow beneath their feet.  Evidently they find something besides apples for munching. As long as Sassy and Purrci stay near our back door the birds ignore them, but when the cats start that slow, sneaky advance in the direction of the flock the feathered creature rise, helicopter style. low to the ground and then move out as a group.  Only one left, the King, who continues to ignore the slinky shapes. The mousers change plans and retreat.    Party over.

           What is it about this #1 bird that keeps him protected?  Pride, conceit?  He is a great example of self-confidence.  Hopefully his pride will not be his downfall any day soon.

Winter Sunsets

Is it the cold crisp air than enhances the sunsets of winter? Looking down our valley to the west the setting sun on a winter day is absolutely glorious. Not every day, of course. It take a few strips of clouds stretching across the V formed by our mountain sides to bounce some extra color. And they push and pull, a heavenly elasticity as it alters with the dipping of the sun over the edge of the horizon. Just wish there were words to describe.

I have pondered about this a bit. Is my rate of appreciation higher because there are storms moving in and out through the winter months, and days when we have no sun to watch its setting? Not just days, sometimes it is a week or so before we are blessed with a sky of blue during the cold daylight hours. For some reason the colors of blue, orange, yellow and purple have an extra intensity, as though the Painter had thrown some white silver into the blending before casting the color across the sky.

The horizontal swirl of color with the winter blue above.. . It never fails to awaken within me such gratitude for all the beauty that was put into the creation of our planet and the system that brings each day and night back into our lives. The beauty is always there, changing with the seasons, with constant 24 hour intervals, for those living upon the earth to enjoy.

Heavy hands--light touch

New keyboard, new mouse, surely things will improve.  Such anticipation, but they weren't really failing before, just getting worn.  The need was for a new printer, and that was a huge need.  So I upgraded on the other things at the same time, also having them wireless.

Not sure it was the best idea.  I have to type slower, more deliberate, and sometimes that doesn't solve the problem. The letters just won't appear, or half of a word drags itself onto the screen and I have to backtrack to make sense.  I change the way I type, one letter at a time, not winning any contest with so many words per minute, I am not competing with anyone.  Sometimes this seems to help, but not always.   Am I waiting for the mood to get to the system---or what? The mouse will behave when it wants to, other times it dances around, a whirling dervish, totally disobeying the directions given.  All of these antics slow down my production.  This is not a good thing for a writer who has a deadline of at least three newspaper columns weekly.  

The biggest challenge is that my use of my flash drive is completely stymied.  When I insert the drive into my computer base, the mouse dies.  At least vanishes, no action whatsoever, thus no way to use the info brought home on the flash drive.  When I  remove the flash the mouse pops up again, not necessarily behaving, but at least present where I can chase him back to the positions needed. 

More than frustrating! Will have a neighbor who has rescued me in the past come to check this one out.  "Neighbors who know" are a wonderful thing, particularly when they accept that the tech world is somewhat of a mystery no matter how much I use it.  In the mean time I salvaged the boxes that the keyboard and the mouse belong to with the possibility of a return to the esteemed Staples outlet, along with my bill, etc.  And, being a person of little faith when it comes to this sort of thing, I have also kept the old worn and faithful keyboard and wired mouse. In the meantime I am trying for a light touch with my heavy hands, or perhaps it is a heavy touch with my light hands.

Hello again!

         So many times my brain has written more posts for this blog to share with the precious few who read it.  I am sure you have given up on me and with every reason. It has been two years!! I am writing so much of the time with my job and hobbies. If apologies are needed I do extend them.  My son tells me I need to put the link on FaceBook. 
          I had been telling him that I was writing about our backyard birds, the wild variety that inhabit our orchard or nearby habitats.   So now I am going to share that bit of writing with you.  This will also introduce you to our cats, brothers, but quite different in coloring and personality. They also provide much  entertainment.   
          Backyard birds. Our backyard is a bird haven. Not just in the warm months, some are here year round. Smaller birds lodge hereabouts during warmer months, but two gigantic pine trees seem to be the permanent home for a flock of magpies and they provide plenty of diversion for our observation. Such smart winged creatures, and beautiful as well. I am well aware that they are looked down upon by the human species, but I love them. However, none of them are the King of our backyard. That title goes to a handsome cock pheasant who has somehow eluded the hunters that are about each fall. He strides through the yard/orchard at will, not threatened in the least by the black and white scavengers. He is a wise one and the magpies do not mess with him. Today he flew up and knocked one of the apples off a tree in our orchard, high in its branches. He proceeded to come down and enjoy his treat, magpies flying through the orchard, but not interrupting his feasting. There were more apples available, in an orchard with 10 apples trees, those black and whites could get their own if they were able.

         King Tut (my name for him) must have truly loved his apple. In the  afternoon he brought a younger pheasant cock and three hens to the orchard. Just where they are hanging out I am not sure, they leave by flight to the north east. They are gorgeous to see, fun to watch. Sometimes the King brings in a larger harem, around a dozen, and the young.

  The magpies are back to their antics. They steal from the cats' food dish, boldly striding up, checking out the location of said felines and then make their grab. Whether the cats are interested in them I know not. Sassy and Purrci are both good mousers and are keeping our vole population in check. It is their job and I am delighted to see them fulfilling it so adequately. When we first got these two I wondered if they would ever get enough sense to do anything but play with each other and wrestle at every opportunity. The pair are worth their hire, and it is nice to have a good cuddle with them on a regular basis. It is a bonus for me.

December 5, 2017

           It is not cold enough to abandon the trusty motorcycles just yet. Plenty of them still go up and down the highway during our warmer hours. No one has reported any motorcycles carrying Christmas trees, but vehicles of every other description have been up in our canyons finding just the right evergreen for their holiday. Most go back with a layer of mud attached in one place or another.

            The LDS Ward was treated to the televised dedication of the new Meridian, Idaho, LDS Temple. Members from both Min Creek and Riverdale gathered earlier than usual to view the proceedings going on in the western part of the state.

            Another home has received a roof. This is the new home of Robert and Phee Crosland and has been under construction for most of the past year, since the family is the main building crew. Even the sons who are attending college arrived on weekends to get the final nails in the roof before serious snow sets in. The holiday weekend was a busy one at the Crosland place.

           The youth of our community often meet together for pancakes or waffles in a fireside setting. The adults managed to have a similar party. It was held in the lovely workshop of Clare and Linda Christensen. The men were the cooks. Crepes were the main offering and there were topping of all sorts, fruits, syrups, yogurts, whipped creams, whatever was needed was there. After much visiting a brief program was featured with Bob Erickson sharing memories of his growing up years in Mink Creek and how things have changed. Of course that triggered memories of others and a good time was had by all.

         There were several homes in Mink Creek which needed expanded parking lots over the Thanksgiving holiday. The family of Sheldon and Candy Longhurst had at least six extra vehicles finding parking places around their farm. This bunch comes annually with tree permits, ready to harvest a Christmas tree in our canyons to transport back to their homes. The Scott and Cathy Seamons family had sufficient numbers that they borrowed the recreation hall in order to have dining space for everyone. Bob and Claudia Erickson found parking spots for nine cars and set up tables in their garage, giving thanks for a day warm enough to make that comfortable. The Erickson home was central for children from Oregon, Washington, Utah and Idaho.

          Jimmie and AnnBeth Olson had Peggy and Jon Flinders and their girls from Rigby, ID, and Michael and Anna Olson and their family from Brigham City, UT, the keep holiday activities going for several days. Kim and Dianna Keller enjoyed having their daughter Courtney and Greg Knighton and their children down from Pocatello for the day.

           Karen and Layne Erickson and Paul an Terrie McKay went south for Thanksgiving. Only as far as Mt. Sterling, to the home of Bryan and Shannon Erickson where they were joined by Connie and Adam Westenskow, coming up from Woods Cross, UT. Kristi and Brett Hall traveled to Logan to be with sister, Kaylene and Chris Jensen and family for the day. Jeff and Deborah Olson enjoyed a visit from Jeff's daughter, Liz, from New York and they drove to Utah to spend some time with Jeff's younger brother, Kevin.

           A group from the Kerry Jepsen family met with the Erickson crew at the Mink Creek ballpark for some Turkey Bowl gridiron activities, taking the hustle and bustle, plus noise, away from the kitchens while food was brewing. No results are being posted, but all went home happy and healthy.

This is just a sample of those days of increased activity. Suffice it to be that our community was full of extended families from one end of our borders to the other.

          The calendar has been turned over and it is evident that Christmas is coming to Mink Creek. There is the beginning of seasonal decorations showing up on doorways and in yards. This past week we have had two morning of waking to the outside world being covered with snow. Nothing deep, a couple of inches at the most, but it does help set the season in motion.

          If any of you who read this have phoned a Mink Creek resident be informed that, once again, there are problems with phone lines. At my house it has been dead for 5 days, now working. Bur Station Creek homes are functioning, with much static and noise to be dealt with in a conversation. Moisture seems to bring its share of woes.