It was another lovely weekend at the Hoiles House during the annual Torch Lake Camp out. Sam and Jo planned a wonderful ride

out to the Antrim County Fair where we partook in a pancake breakfast fundraiser (and were serenaded by a few roosters with

impressive voice boxes!).  Afterward we went on a great ride around the area—about 80 miles round trip—that culminated in a

lunch at the north end of Torch Lake. Present for Saturday’s ride were Ray Mellasch, Ed and Nora Gross, Richard and Norma Kraus,

Dan Sylvester, Jack and Liz Cross, Sam and Jo Hoiles, Fred Hoiles & Erika Dopp, and Abbi Hoiles and Mark Gee.

A few more friendly faces showed up for Saturday night’s cookout (yes, food again—I think we all may have gained a few pounds

over the weekend): Scott Nelles, a local artist who does casting and forging; Mike Dorman and his daughter Ella, who were unable

to go on the ride due to mechanical issues; Ernie and Val Kisson, the Hoiles’ delightful neighbors who make a mean pasta salad

out of Ramen noodles, and Paul, a man from Bellaire, MI who stopped by on his 1958 R60. Sam’s grilling skills were excellent per

usual, though no cherry pit spitting followed since our champion spitters were unable to attend. Those who couldn’t make it this

year were sorely missed—namely, Cliff and his questionable storytelling and Bev’s attempts to correct key details. Fred’s friends

Matt Anderson, Tim Cooper, and Curt Guntzviller tried gamely to make up for Cliff’s absence while eating pie around the campfire,

though I think they may have been more successful in the realm of pie-eating than storytelling.

After a delicious French toast breakfast provided by the best mom in the world and a drawing for TLC shirts, everyone left for

parts unknown. Jack and Liz, if you haven’t received the shirts yet, you should—I have a feeling Norma might try to claim them

as her own!

Abbi Hoiles