Color Festival

Ralayna was Giselle from Disney's Enchanted in Burleys Princess Tea Party Production. I was totally bummed to miss it. Finally got to use our tickets and participate in the Spanish Fork Hindu HOLI COLOR FESTIVLE. I've waited 2 years because Corona kept cancelling/ postponing the festivities. It was amazingly fun. We went early so we could walk around their temple while we were clean out of respect. It was an interesting experience for me. The scripture Matthew 15:8 played in my mind. "This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me." Their temple was gorgeous on the outside. Bright white stone with beautiful intricate sculpted designs and art deco patterns from causeway to pinnacle. However the interior was a sparsely furnished, almost bare square room that even from the outside felt hollow and empty. Most of the kids hit the bounce house right off. The older ones occasionally came back to participate in Yoga. and the Dance Tutorial. I love the sound of their language. The language of their worship dance was interesting too. Fire Goddess breath in the strength of the earth, reach for the sun god of light and happiness. Shun Kali god of darkness and negativity. My thought was...."Oh so close" Once the dancing started it was my kind of mayhem. You really couldn't breath for like 30 sec after each color toss. It was fabulous. Just weave in and out of everyone. A huge mosh pit of movement. Preston and Greg patrolled the fringes. Syringa, Mom and I took all the kids into the middle. Supremely dirty, and colorful and quit exhausted after a few hours. Showers, food, all abilities park and movie night to finish the day. "Holi Holi Krishna Holi !!!"

September stuff

Zara really misses her "kids" when they go to school. She gets into all sorts of messes. Mace is loving school. It's fabulously fun. I was drill master and he was reading this summer. His teacher does lots of coloring, singing and crafts. Sent out a dozen e-mails to qualify for a slap bracelet stuffed animal at one of the school fundraisers. Thanks to those who bought something and earned them more points. (We bundled the extra prizes to use as Christmas gifts.) On our latest trip to the big Arc I convinced Preston to take me to Pickles Place. Apparently it's really famous but locals all but refuse to eat there. It wasn't bad. Slow service, cobweb balls dangling from the fans but I've had worse. On the weekends the kids are still trying to squeeze summer. They made a parkour water slide...probably the last we'll play in water outside. I'm trying to squeeze all the help I can out of them before the frost. Got to pull weeds, harvest the garden and Canning.

One of the last auctions of the year was an adventure. We got a granary. Imagine- we have a 14ft round on a 7ft bed and it's not like you can strap this thing down. We drove 5 miles per hour 12 miles on the backroads took a good hour. Preston's find of the day was a restoration project. His dream car a 1966 Mustang. With scrap material from a job sight we were able to finish transformation of the kids old bathroom into a food storage room. Compiling our canned goods from under all the beds, crawl space and back porch into one area. It's my new favorite room in the house. I feel so blessed. I have a true testimony of food storage / preparedness. Celebrated with a hike to the Malad Gorge. Eating up these beautiful fall days.

Thomas Beatty Hirschi

Tom was the best bus driver ever. He let McCarty sing over the intercom. He drove us all the way home if Mom was late. He would take us and get sodas for the Anderson Junction kids cuz we had to go back to the Elementary and wait like 30mins.  He'd honk if he saw me walking to the Car when I started driving. "Where were you when the world stopped turning that September Day?"  I was on his bus. He told us about the towers and told us to Remember.  Well Mr. Hirschi you will never be forgotten.  

Hurricane - Thomas Beatty Hirschi passed away on Aug. 23, 2021, at his home in Hurricane. Tommy was born on June 18, 1944, in Long Beach, California to Merlin C. & Lola Beatty Hirschi, both of whom were from the Hurricane area. Tom and his older sister Barbara returned to Hurricane with his mother when his father went to Japan with the Army during WWII. His father returned when he was discharged following the war. His grandfathers helped to build the Hurricane Canal that brought water onto the Hurricane bench. Tom's father Merlin was killed in a tragic accident in 1955 when he was just 10 years old. Lacking a father's companionship and guidance made for a rather rambunctious adolescence but he didn't stray from his core values. He had many role models that made a big difference in his life at this time including Richard Lee, Keith Tobler, coaches James Robertson and Don Lay, Jack Lemmon and later Marlin Gifford. Tom played football and baseball through his junior year, basketball his freshmen & Sophomore years and wrestled his junior year. His senior year he stopped playing sports to work at Lemmon's Phillips 66 to help give support to his father-less family. He did play doubles in tennis his senior year with a good friend Wes Cannon. Shortly after graduating from HHS Tom married Kaye Wright, daughter of Cal & Zona Wright, and they lived in Hurricane, Springdale, Las Vegas and Salt Lake City from 1965-1976. While in Salt Lake City Tom experienced a mighty change of heart and became active in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Shortly after returning to Hurricane Tom and Kaye were sealed in the St. George temple with their oldest five children. They returned to Hurricane so Tom could intern for Keith Tobler as the town barber. They eventually had eight children. Tom resumed coaching little league baseball in 1977. In 1978 he was one of the founders of the Hurricane Little league football where he also coached for many years. He began driving bus for Washington County School District in 1981 to supplement his barber income to support his growing family. He has driven thousands of elementary, intermediate, middle school and high school students hundreds of thousands of miles in his bus. He remembered most of them by name and could recite their genealogy as they said hello to him throughout the community. He not only drove the activity bus for HHS which ended after 7 pm each weeknight but he also drove many of the sports and other activities on out-of-town events for 31 years until he retired in 2011. He announced the varsity football and basketball games at HHS for many years. During the late 1980's and 1990's he served on the City Planning Commission, the Washington County Fair Board which was still held in downtown Hurricane and the Peach Day's committee for the last 21 years. Following a valiant 20-year battle with Lupus Kaye passed away Feb. 20, 2000. Shortly thereafter Tom married Kitty Marie Payton Campbell on Oct. 4, 2000. They have spent the last 21 years loving and taking great care of each other and traveling the western United States while visiting children and grandchildren. Both Kaye and Kitty were great supports to Tom's civic service. Tom was elected to the City Council in 2000 and then served three terms as Hurricane City Mayor from 2002-2014. While Mayor he served on the Washington County Water Conservancy Board for 9 years and as Chairman of the Washington County Mayor association for 12 years. One of the great legacies that he will be known for while serving as Mayor is when he called one of his boyhood hero's Jimmy Judd, who was the catcher on the 1956 state championship team, to ask him to donate money for lights for the new HHS baseball and softball fields. In 2014-15 Tom and Kitty served two consecutive summers as missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the Rapid City South Dakota Mission assigned to Willies Sixth Crossing. Returning from their second summer Tom had open heart surgery and has been on dialysis for the last six years. Tom retired from barbering in 2018 choosing to spend his time supporting family and working on his family ranch of seven generations at the Big Plains with his uncle Waldo Hirschi, his brother Richard, his cousins Van Kleinman and Doug Hirschi, his sons and grandchildren. Tom served actively in various callings and responsibilities in the Church, most recently at the Hurricane Valley Family History Center and as Assistant Stake Historian. Tom is survived by his wife Kitty, his eight children and her five children and their spouses: David (Dixie) Hirschi, Michael (Kristine) Hirschi, Toni (Derek Imlay), Steven (Julie) Hirschi, Amanda (Jeff Borden), Richard (Sara) Hirschi, Natalie (Dusty Jacobsen), Matthew (Nannette) Hirschi, Jason (Jana) Campbell, Jenny (Joel Vossler), Clay (Gail) Campbell, Hannah (Kris Ripplinger) and Flint Campbell, siblings Richard (Ruth) Hirschi and Paula Hirschi Arriola, mother in-law Avon Payton. Tom and Kitty have 59.67 grandchildren and 28 great-grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his parents Merlin C. Hirschi, Lola Beatty Hirschi Campbell, stepfather Keith M. Help ·  Campbell, his in-laws Calvin and Zona Wright, his first wife of 35 years Kaye Wright, two sisters Barbara Spendlove and Vera Hirschi and in-laws Rondo and Kathy Wright and Kelly Dutton.

Casey Lee Amy

You always felt like you were his favorite. The family reunions will not be the same without him. I'm not sure the auction can even go on without him. He went out of his way to know us-- include us--to make us feel welcome. Yup this was a hard one. You'll be missed.

Casey Lee Amy was a man larger than life with a heart that was just as big. Born on October 11, 1960 to Robert and Judy Amy in Arco, Idaho; he was the eldest of the three siblings. His childhood was spent riding through the Little Lost Valley on the back of his pony Dictator, exploring, hunting, fishing, ranching and developing into the cowboy he would forever stay.
Starting his education in the Clyde one-room schoolhouse, he moved to Butte County high school and into wrestling and football. After graduation, Casey attended University of Idaho. He became a member of Farmhouse fraternity, the President of the U of I Rodeo team and met the love of his life, Rhonda Lynn Amy.
After college, Casey and Rhonda married and moved to Harrison, Idaho to manage the L-7 south devon cattle ranch. They had their two children and ranching priorities shifted to accommodate 4-H projects, sporting events, coaching, and anything their children pursued. Casey's devotion to fatherhood was unmatched.
He continued to be involved in the community as neighbors became friends, and friends became family. He spent all his days supporting and uplifting those around him. From attending Saints football games, to organizing auctions and charity events, and becoming a staple in countless lives, Casey has become so much to so many. To know him was to love him.
Casey passed on September 4th, 2021 in Coeur d' Alene, Idaho surrounded by family. He is survived by his wife, Rhonda Lynn Amy; children Nikita and Dakota Amy; parents Robert and Judy Amy; and siblings James and Rhonda Kay Amy.
Services for Casey Amy are planned for Saturday, September 11, 2021. There will be a viewing from 11 am to 1 pm with funeral services to follow at the Arco High School auditorium at 120 N. Water Street, Arco, Idaho. All are invited to attend. The graveside service and fellowship will follow the funeral at the Little Lost River Community Center in Howe, Idaho.
Services are being cared for by the Anderson Family Funeral Home of Arco. If you are unable to attend, there will be a Celebration of Life at the Benewah County Fair Grounds in St. Maries, Idaho on September 17 th at 5:30pm.