Another year at Torch!

Its both great and terrible that you lose track of so many things during vacation. Last week Sunday, I told myself that I would be dedicated enough to pack, make the drive, and then sit down once we got to Torch Lake and write out a blog post. It makes me laugh, to think about it now.

We have had a great combination of families up here at Torch. Nate and I were very excited to be able to spend the full two weeks up here, relaxing and hosting, and we've gotten to be a part of the familial comings and goings. First, on Monday, Tom and Jennifer arrived in the motor home (and had quite the adventure trying to get it back down the cottage driveway) before settling into their spot in Barnes Park. Tuesday, Joan and Alister arrived, with Cricket in tow, and the next day Graham and Kate appeared. It was a lot of fun to be a part of the arrival of so many people who had never been at Torch, and experience the view of the lake and cottage for the first time again with them. We have gone on all of our normal, yearly adventures twice; once with the Bell/Newtons, and the second time with the Kahler/Brett/Smith group.

Wednesday night, hours after they arrived, we packed Graham and Kate up in the car and took them to Interlochen to see The Decemberists in concert. Nate and I were excited to see them because we love their songs, but were ecstatic to discover they put on an AMAZING show. Graham and Kate, who bought their most recent album only the day before, also enjoyed themselves despite not knowing most of the songs. We were already planning how to attend another show when we discovered they would be playing in Charlottesville, VA on August 3rd. Nate sent a text to Dad letting him know and his reply said they bought tickets to see their second show! Last night we got a call from Dad where, faintly in the background, an enthusiastic rendition of The Mariner's Revenge could be heard playing. We're so proud of the new groupies!

But back to events in July: Thursday we took the Bell/Newtons to Sleeping Bear Dunes. When planning the trip, they expressed that they had seen dunes before, and was this really what they should do while they were here? No, we explained, these are REALLY BIG. We did the driving tour, hiked the Cottonwood Trail, and generally enjoyed the day hiking on sandy trails, learning about the park and watching people attempt to scramble up breathtaking slopes. We closed out the day with pizza and a well deserved rest.

Then, on Friday, we took the day off to relax in the sun and swim. Tom and Alister (with Joan squeezed in) took turns sailing around the lake and Tom and Graham tried out a friend's jet ski. We tried our best to delay their departure, but eventually Joan and Alister had to start their trek back to Maryland. For dinner that night the rest of us went to Pearls, a local Cajun restaurant with long waits, but excellent food. That night we also said goodbye to Tom and Jennifer. 

That weekend we had a major switch; the Bell/Newtons headed out, and Anna and Chris came in. Then we added Todd, Jenny, and 16 month old Claire to the mix, and the mornings got a whole lot more interesting. The first morning that Claire was here, I was in the lake with her. Swimming. At 9 am! Who would have guessed? But we've had a great time with Claire, and it's been a real educational experience, spending so much time in such close quarters with a baby. Luckily, she is very personable; we went for dinner at Pearls again, and Claire made friends with everyone on the patio while we waited for our table. Last night we baby sat for Claire, Sammy and Elliot (nearly 4 and 2.5 respectively) so their parents could make a trip out to Shorts for beer, pizza and some long needed adult time. It was an eye opening experience, albeit a fun one. We played trucks, airplane, croquet, changed diapers, had successful bathroom breaks and watched videos. It was a fun (and exhausting) time and interesting to see the kids in their various stages of development and see how much difference a year makes!

In the time that we've been here, Nate and I have read Outliers (Nate), The Omnivores Dilemma (Justine), and Justine just started Animal, Vegetable, Mineral. We've been trying to eat local, which is a lot easier around here. We picked raspberries at King's Orchards with Graham. We made our own salsa, with the intention of canning salsa at the end of the season if we find a recipe that we like – PS Graham: you left your Salsa recipes book. We are putting it to good use, and will send it to you soon! We're also planning our garden for next summer.

The last few days have been cloudy and rainy, so we've spent our time reading, working (Nate) and willing the clouds to pass. Today things are sunny once again, so it's time to get back in the sun and water and celebrate Anna's birthday!

We have a few updates from friends to pass along:

Jay and Kyla Pitts-Zevin, who's wedding we told you about in January, are expecting a baby in late February! We are looking forward to a baby shower, and hopefully to getting to travel down to see their current home that weekend. We are so excited for you!

Ashton and her boyfriend are either still on Croatia or have just returned, and are having an amazing time. They just added a second kitty to their family, little orange tabby Mango, who helps mom with the dishes. She loves her job, working for former Congressman Benjamin Gilman, and she's starting her Masters in World Politics in the fall at Catholic University. She and Mladen say hello to everyone!

If you feel motivated, send us a little snippet to share with everyone!  We are excited to share not only our news, but yours as well!

Also, read my posts at examiner.com (http://www.examiner.com/animal-advocacy-in-lansing/special-programs-at-ingham-county-animal-control).

Love to you all!  Everyone travel safe!

-Nate & Justine