LOPING WOLF

[ ] Oct 24 2011 Update - Invitation to Join LOPING WOLF

2011-08-12T14:13:00.000-07:00

From the Heart of MARY YOUNGBLOOD COUNTRY

welcome

An Invitation to join the
L O P I N G W O L F

Flute ‘n’ Drum Circle

This is updated as of October 24 2011, because I stumbled across some new info online. I'll bury it in the text below as soon as I figure out where the info goes.* (Also, I noticed font sizes were messed up, so tried to fix them.) -Dan

LOPING WOLF, formed in the Spring of 2006, is a group of friends bitten by "The Spirit of the (Native American) Flute", and subsequently “infected” with a “bad” disease – “Flute Fever”, a state of mind and a wonderful journey - a "disease" for which there is no known cure....

You are invited to join us on our Flute Journey and attend any and all of our events. Feel free to contact me in whatever manner works best for you. My contact information is pasted below in my signature block. So, as Sue and Ely say, “get your ‘A’ up there” (your ‘A’ minor flute), grab on and hold tight, because the “Journey” will be the BEST - a journey you will not forget.

PURPOSE -

LOPING WOLF seems to be “here” for three reasons:

[1] To play flutes and drums,

[2] To “lope after” and support Mary Youngblood - the First Lady of the Flute, and

[3] To play flutes and drums.

“WHY-LAWS” -

(This is my favorite legal statement. I know they are supposed to be “By-laws”, but ... why?)

[1] There are NO rules - only considerations.

[2] There are NO dues - however, donations gladly accepted.

[3] There is NO Board of Directors.

[4] And we do NOT worry. (We figured if there were something worrying us about FLUTES 'n' DRUMS, then we are doing something WRONG.)

BACKGROUND -

Since the "Spirit of the Flute" first came to each of us, we have learned that “The Spirit” knows no political boundaries, no nationalities, no tribes, no religious affiliations, no gender, no age, no amount of hair, and no body weight (now THAT'S a relief). “The Spirit” chose each of us for who we are. "The Spirit" does not care who are parents were, who we sleep with, or who we voted for in the last election.

"The Spirit of the Flute" manifests itself in the form of, what Mary Youngblood refers to as “a stick with holes in it” - a flute, whose “voice” is usually pleasant to the ear and whose “stick” is easy to play. It is a wonderful musical instrument.

Webster’s New World Dictionary, Third College Edition contains a great definition of “spirit” - “The life principle ... originally regarded as inherent in the breath or as infused by a deity....” This chosen definition of “spirit” encompasses the word “breath”, as the flute is classified as a “wind” instrument. So, after cutting and pasting together these thoughts, it could be stated that the “Spirit of the (Native American) Flute” is defined as “the Breath of the Creator, found within a stick of wood with holes in it.” Yep, that works for me.

Flute music of Mary Youngblood and John Rainer, Junior, as only two examples, reminds us of the “Breath of The Creator”. Flute music takes us away to deep, cosmic, and very comfortable levels of emotion. Listening to ourselves play flutes makes us feel like things are OK, that Creator chose us to channel “Its” breath - a humbling honor, to put it mildly.

However, it seems that none of us really had a choice. The Spirit of the Flute came to each of us and infected us with its terminal disease. Flute Fever makes us play because the sound of the flute appeals to us - it sounds good, and is easy to play. And, the appeal is so strong that we cannot resist, nor can we stop.

Because many of our flutes are tuned to a Pentatonic Scale, they are musically compatible with other players, a compatibility which makes it emotionally rewarding to play as a group. But what embodies the “Spirit of the Flute” can best be described by simply LISTENING to someone PLAY the flute.

And what about the drum in our name? Jim Brock told us the beat of the drum takes us back to the sound and feeling of our Mother and her heart, the first sound most of us ever heard. The feelings of life, time, order and love all come back to us as the drum plays with us. Our flutes sound empty without the drums and the other rhythm instruments we embrace in our Circle.

*Here - I'm going to locate my Oct 24 2011 update here -

The work and contributions of Clint Goss continue to amaze me. His Flutopedia website is so great. I stumbled across a wonderful description of playing the Native American Flute that I had to share with you. Please look up http://www.flutopedia.com/playing.htm and read about “The Path….” (That's it. End *)

LOCATION -

LOPING WOLF hails from the Heart of Mary Youngblood Country, greater Northern California from the San Francisco Bay Area, up to the Oregon border and into Washington, down to Lake Tahoe and Nevada, and the Central California Valley. But if you look not much deeper, our roots are from places like Alaska, Florida, Europe, Asia, Africa, South American and even Australia. We have interested friends and contacts from all over the World.

And because we DO have interested friends and contacts from all over the World, it seems LOPING WOLF really has no "location" except Mother Earth. And getting back to the Spirit of the Flute having chosen each of us for who we are, it only makes sense to expand our energies, shed the restrictions of political boundaries, nationalities, tribes, religion, gender, and age, and to appropriately realize that who each of us is an "Earthling", if you really need to know.

INVITATION -

So, if you enjoy music of flutes and drums and feel you were called by their spirits, then you passed the audition and are invited to join LOPING WOLF - either actually, spiritually or just because you may want to be with us and play flutes and drums or simply listen. It does not matter. We have many levels of “membership”. (LOPING WOLF also has rattles, guitars, didges (sp?), dulcimers, harps, those jingly tingly things, Mason jars with a little water in them, duck calls and anything else that makes a pleasing sound - even saxophones! Just kidding, Tammy....)

We invite you to contact us via e-mail at flutecircle@lopingwolf.com or through our Website at www.lopingwolf.com .

MARY YOUNGBLOOD -

A single person is responsible for infecting us with “Flute Fever” - Two-Time Grammy Award winner and EMMY Nominee MARY YOUNGBLOOD - the First Lady of the Flute. Mary is our Queen. (The Brits even named a ship after her.... :-) LOPING WOLF listens to Mary's music CONSTANTLY, but to no avail - Flute Fever is here to stay. Mary is not curing us of "Flute Fever". Her music simply re-infects us every time we hear it, whether in person or on her CDs. Please check out her Website for a list of her events and descriptions of her music at http://www.maryyoungblood.com/ .

Mary is LOPING WOLF’s “Spiritual Leader”. She has a wonderful outlook on life, personified in her music. In real life, she is as personable as you would think - a Kindred Spirit. We all “lope” after her whenever we can and wherever she goes. LOPING WOLF would not exist if it were not for Mary Youngblood.

(A “drive-by fluting” is Mary’s term for gifting a flute to a young someone who peers longingly up at you from a crowd and is obviously bitten by the Spirit of the Flute - a charitable act that happens when you least expect it.)

A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION -

This “flute thing” is so huge that it baffles LOPING WOLF. We receive calls every week from people looking to join. Most of our information we share with everybody will be found on our Web page, so please check back often at www.lopingwolf.com.

And thanks to LOPING WOLF’s “in-house” producer Mike Ely you can catch examples of our fun times on YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=&search_query=busbydog&aq=f

Otherwise, we found that e-mail is the easiest way for us to get you a message. LOPING WOLF will try to identify ourselves in the “Subject” box, so you won’t think we are spamming you.

I address notes to you within my Bcc: (blind copy) address box to protect your address from other people seeing it, and to fool your E-mail provider into thinking you are NOT one of almost 300 recipients ("Spam"). (Our ESP told me this was a good way to do that. I know, I'm not too computer savvy, but, hey....)

FLUTE INFORMATION SOURCES & FLUTE MAKERS -

The Native American Flute (NAF) phenomenon is spreading around the Planet rapidly and changing daily. There is a lot of information and many flute makers out there, hundreds more sources than listed here. The following list is NOT all-inclusive and is presented in no particular order or priorities.

http://www.flutetree.com/ and

http://www.flutetree.com/songbook/contemporary/index.html

http://www.flutopedia.com/

http://www.naflute.com/

http://www.fluteportal.com/

http://www.stellarflutes.com/

http://www.cascadiaflutecircle.org/

JP Gomez http://www.heartsongflutes.com/

Geoffrey Ellis http://www.earthtoneflutes.com/

Russ Venable http://www.rvflutes.com/

Stephen DeRuby DeRuby@sti.net http://www.deruby.com/

Colyn Petersen http://www.woodlandvoices.com/

Butch and Laura Hall http://www.butchhallflutes.com/

Alex Marshall and Ed Easter http://www.sierraflutes.com/

FairyRingMushroom Co. http://fairyringmushroom.com/zencart/index.php?main_page=page_2&language=en

FLUTE LESSONS -

Mary Youngblood

“Fluters” in the greater Sacramento area have an opportunity not to be missed. If you do not know, Mary Youngblood is local. She is the ONLY greater Sacramento personality to win two Grammys, and she lives right here in California’s state capital. She gives flute lessons at a most reasonable rate. http://www.maryyoungblood.com/ sheflute@comcast.net

Mike Oitzman http://www.naflute.com/

5-FINGER OR 6-FINGER FLUTES -

LOPING WOLF started out with 5-finger flutes, because they were a little easier to play. But now that we are getting so good - er – I mean, “EXPERIENCED”, we see the advantages of 6-finger flutes.

Besides, we now know that most 6-finger flutes can be played just like a 5-finger flute if you simply keep your 4^th finger from the bottomed “glued” to that hole. We can discuss this more, later, in person….

Also, looking at the Stellar Flutes site, again, it appears there are 17 notes "available" on the 6-finger flute tablature charts. The 17-notes-available fact would give us more versatility in selecting songs we could play as a group, if we wanted to get "complementary" flutes in the same key.

That's all for now. More, later, I'm sure. I hope you will consider joining us.

Love, Blessings, Peace 'n' Harmony Galore,

-Dan

Sheree 'n' Dan DiCicco

10492 Gautier Drive

Auburn CA 95602-8514

(530) 269-2638 home

(530) 613-4197 Dan's cell

We are all related - more alike than we are different.

From the heart of MARY YOUNGBLOOD COUNTRY - www.maryyoungblood.com

At LOPING HORSE RANCH - www.lopinghorse.com

On the banks of LOPING CHICKEN CREEK we are the

LOPING WOLF Flute 'n' Drum Circle - www.lopingwolf.com

(A Clan of NCFC - The Northern California Flute Circle)

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=busbydog&search_type=&aq=f

************************************************************************

[ ] Aug 12 2011 Dan's Flute Bio

2011-08-12T13:05:00.000-07:00

DAN’S FLUTE BIO -

(Updated August 12 2011)
(Updated February 15 2012)

I, Daniel Raymond DiCicco started out life at a very young age.

Before I was born, my parents moved to Montana from New York after World War II to escape the prejudices that surrounded their marriage - a German/Italian American (Dad) and an English/Scot/French American (Mom).

My Brother Dave, my Sister Barbara and I were raised in a loving family totally devoid of ANY knowledge that certain people could hate each other for no logical reason. We Kids grew up playing Cowboys and Indians, but it never made any difference who played whom. I NEVER heard either of my parents say anything derogatory about Japanese people, whom my Navy Dad fought against in the World War II Pacific.

In general, I grew up interested in things "indigenous" (existing or growing naturally in a region, native). I always liked Indian stuff. My parents had in their collection of 45 RPM records a series of Native American songs. I distinctly remember some of them to this day. I can remember the words to a Plains Indian song that comes into my head when I least expect it. It was during those formative years that I first heard the “Zuni Sunrise Song”, “Rise, arise, arise,” followed by an answering echo.... It is really very cool.

Fast forward about 40 years to when my Brother Dave took me to the Taos Pueblo in the summer of 1991. (What a spiritual place!) From one of the shops on the south side, came wonderful flute music out into the plaza that drew me in. I asked about the music and a man behind the counter told me it was his son, John Rainer Jr. While he was telling me this, I noticed a rack of post cards and one was a photo of the very man talking to me. In the photo he was holding an armful of beautiful walking canes. They were decorated with metal bands, multi-colored ribbons and carved designs. I asked him about the photo and he told me that it was taken when he was Governor of Taos - with a walking cane that was given him by the President of the

United States

. (I want to think it was Jimmy Carter – see * at the end of the next paragraph) The other canes in his arms had all been given to previous governors of Taos by the corresponding presidents, dating back to - oo-oo, come on, memory - maybe Theodore Roosevelt. I bought the post card and his son's cassette, humble tokens of a very wonderful experience. I played the cassette almost into oblivion.

My facts may not be accurate, but I can only rely on my memory. When I play back my "tapes", what I just wrote is what I remember. I returned to visit my brother and the Taos Pueblo a few years later, but the Rainers' shop was not there. By then I had misplaced my cassette of John Rainer Jr’s beautiful flute music, and I thought his music was lost. This whole portion of my story has a continuing part a little later, so just “park” this part, for now.

(*) Update for 4/16/2011 - Whereas John Rainer Junior’s name is spelled correctly, and traceable to his Website http://www.johnrainerjr.com/ other spellings may produce links to other people. (Gee, Dan, you THINK?)

Update for 2/15/2012 – I stumbled across John Rainer Jr’s obituary linked to Utah Valley’s Daily Herald posted June 22, 2011.

http://www.heraldextra.com/lifestyles/announcements/obituaries/article_97eeb5d3-b58e-5415-ae54-40738d5a893a.html

The article is copyrighted, so the link is above and the text is below.

“In Memory of John Rainer Jr.: John passed away on 06/14/11. Native American (Taos Pueblo/ Creek) flutist, former professor and counselor for Native American BYU students. Survived by his wife, Mysti Dawn, children Lillian, David, Kel, Marian, Arius, seven grandchildren, brother Howard, sister Jane, brother Mark and many beloved relatives and friends. Funeral service: 06/22/2011 at 10 am (viewing 9am) Provo, Utah (835 South 500 West). Treasured and loved forever.”

May Creator watch over you, John. I thank you for your gifts of song.

(*) Update for 8/12/2011 - The President may have been Richard Nixon. I stumbled across photos of “Governor John Reyna” (note different spelling) in an article that included mention of Richard Nixon at http://www.taospueblo.com/BluelakePicts.php

http://books.google.com/books?id=UpIMJdc29qoC&pg=PT78&lpg=PT78&dq=Taos+Governor+John+Reyna&source=bl&ots=c0WI-aUMPh&sig=v6hOgBp7NRVYs0aGTartopmp740&hl=en&ei=fumpTejhD6bfiALx_snvDA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&sqi=2&ved=0CB8Q6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=Taos%20Governor%20John%20Reyna&f=false

(*) More of the update for 8/12/2011 – If any reading this are interested in the topic of preserving Mother Earth for our Seven Generations, the articles linked above relate to methods of preserving Mother Earth, especially the logistical arguments used in how the Taos Pueblo “acquired” the “Return of Blue Lake”….

(*) More of the update for 8/12/2011 – The Mental Connections are coming to me faster and faster each day – so fast that I am unable to process them, only to post them someplace…. This week on our way to work Susan (vanpooler) spotted a personalized license plate the read “OCCM RZR” and she knew what that meant. I had no clue until she sent me a few links on this fascinating philosophical topic. Occam's razor (or Ockham's razor)^[1] often expressed in Latin as the lex parsimoniae, translating to law of parsimony, law of economy or law of succinctness, is a principle that generally recommends, when faced with competing hypotheses that are equal in other respects, selecting the one that makes the fewest new assumptions.^[2]

So now I’m thinking about the philosophical methods were used in the “Return of Blue Lake” and how we might utilize such concepts in our new endeavor the “Mother Earth Flute ‘n’ Drum Circle” – a topic for another day, I’ll tell YOU….

BACK TO MY BIO UPDATE -

Then in 1993, Sheree bought me an inexpensive Native American (style) Flute kit from the Northern California “Trees of Mystery” tourist shop. I assembled the kit and played that flute off and on for six years. When Sheree's daughter Juli gave birth to Callista on May 21, 1999, a song came out of the flute that, to this day, is still Callista's. When Juli gave birth to Briana on September 23, 2005, my flute “hatched” another song that became Briana’s song. And it still is.

In October of 2005, Sheree and I were in the music store Yabobo in Nevada City that had Native American Style Flutes for sale. I picked one up and gently blew into it. The tone that came out of that flute was so rich that I could not believe it. But I erroneously thought the flute was expensive, so I put it back.

A few weeks later, Sheree gave me that flute for my 57th birthday. It was a five-finger pentatonic “G minor” made by Jim Pappas of Stardust Flutes. That flute grew on me like no other musical instrument I ever had. (I played trombone from the 4th grade, followed by a little piano, ukuleles, guitars, harmonicas, Highland Bagpipes, and a Native American style drum. In fact, my trombone kept me from going to Viet Nam - I fulfilled my military obligation by playing in the 46th Army National Guard Band.) I played my new flute at night on our front porch, while I fed the dogs their dinner and on weekend mornings while I fed the dogs their breakfast.

Well, as time went on, our neighbors Dick ‘n’ Sue started hearing me, and they became interested in my flute. But that is their story, so they will have to tell it....

Anyway, for Thanksgiving 2005, we loaded our dogs into the van and drove up to visit Juli, Callista and Briana. We had a great time and I played my flute for “the Kids”. They loved it.

On the way home, Sheree took me to the “Trees of Mystery” tourist shop, where she had purchased my first flute 12 years earlier. Along with the tourist shop, they have a wonderful Indian Museum, which we toured - while our doggies waited so patiently in the van. Touring the museum, I noticed flute music being played over their sound system. One song in particular thumped me hard right in the middle of my chest. I asked a clerk about it, and she told me it was “Cold Wind” by somebody named Mary Youngblood http://www.maryyoungblood.com/. She showed me the CD, and we bought it. By the time we got home, about 9 hours later, we had played that CD constantly, it was SO GOOD. Park this "Cold Wind" chapter for later, too.

Also, about this time, a seemingly unrelated event occurred. Our neighbor Ed, on the other side of us from Dick ‘n’ Sue, was diagnosed with cancer and in a nursing home, fading fast. Sheree suggested we get a group of Ed’s neighbors together and go sing Christmas carols for him. I thought it was a stupid idea at first and instantly came up with a handful of reasons not to do it: we’d never done anything like that before, we never practiced, and we didn’t have enough time to get ready.... But Sheree’s idea grew on me overnight and the next morning she started planning our very first “gig”. Bill and Alma, Dick and Sue, and Sheree and I ended up standing outside Ed’s window singing him a Christmas medley that we practiced an hour before.

Well, we sang, we played rhythm instruments, and I played a little ditty on my flute. We were absolutely awful, but Ed LOVED it. He and his wife Yvonne had tears in their eyes and so did we. And I learned a valuable lesson - that sharing our love for a friend meant the world to him, and it was so easy to do. I was embarrassed remembering my initial reaction to Sheree’s idea. At Ed’s memorial service, his daughter came up to us and thanked us for comforting her father, telling us that Ed was initially going to be a priest and that Christmas and Easter were his two most important annual events, and that our contribution to his Christmas made his the best he ever had.

Anyway, a few weeks later, we were back at Yabobo. I mentioned how much I liked my flute, and the clerk told me the maker was local, and gave me a copy of his instruction sheet. Then I asked if they had any Mary Youngblood CDs, and she showed me a whole row. She then said, “Mary’s local, you know.” I stood there with my mouth open. She continued, “She won a Grammy, you know.” My open mouth was drying out. She started rubbing salt in my wound, “She gives lessons, you know.” I felt the lights going out. Then came the “coup de grace” when she asked, “Would you like one of her business cards?” Sheree reached over my shoulder and took the card, as I crawled out of the store to get some fresh air....

When we got home, we both started Googling Mary Youngblood, Native American Flute music and makers. It was during those frantic days of searching for flute information that I stumbled across a listing of music by John Rainer Jr. My heart almost stopped, as I found “Zango Music” that carries John’s CDs. I ordered them immediately and attached a note about how happy I was to find them and how John’s Father sold me the cassette in 1991..... Claudia wrote back and told me that John Jr’s son Lee was her contact and that John Jr. was gravely ill. I since then Googled John Rainer Sr. and found out that he passed on, but was a major factor in the Indian Education Movement across the Southwest. http://www.aigc.com/01about/history.htm in part.

Oh and why am I telling all this? Because on John Jr’s second CD, which I never heard before, is a rendition of the “Zuni Sunrise Song”, the song I knew from almost 50 years earlier.

(*)Update for 8/12/2011 - The Zuni Sunrise song was copyrighted in 1904…. http://www.flutopedia.com/song_zuni_sunrise.htm

http://www.flutetree.com/songbook/contemporary/TheSunriseCallShort.html

Listen to it on John Rainer Jr’s Volume 2 Track 9 -

http://www.johnrainerjr.com/flutecds.html

http://www.johnrainerjr.com/ (Also on John’s second CD is a song featuring his Father, singing a solo. It is so cool, I can’t tell you.)

And what about Mary Youngblood? Well, we saw her in concert in Grass Valley on February 4, 2006 and met her after the show. And for Valentine’s Day, Sheree gave me a one-on-one music lesson with Mary on March 6. I had a blast playing for Mary, jamming with her and playing 4 or 5 of her 250 flutes.

Since then, Sheree and I have been trying to deal with our disease - “Flute Fever” - for which there is no known cure. Dick and Sue contracted the infectious condition, as did our friend Robin. We decided to have a formal "meeting" and learned that others who did what we were trying to do called them "flute circles".

We invited Mary Youngblood to attend our very first flute circle at Robin's house and Mary said yes. Mary showed us how to get started and run flute circles. Our shared feelings of friendship and music kept us functioning as a group. We all branched out purchasing flutes from other vendors, making drums and jewelry, and broadcasting our activities and planned events. Almost immediately people started walking up to us asking if they could join and - poof - LOPING WOLF, the Lake of the Pines Wood Flute Circle was formed. (I was playing with the title looking for an acronym, when "Lake of the Pines" where we lived readily formed "LOPING" if I simply added a "g". Wood Flute readily read "WOLF" if I flipped the "f" and "l" around. Without the "g" and the flip, the name of our group might have been LOPIN WAFFLE….) We eventually had to revise our name to LOPING WOLF - The Lake of the Pines Wood Flute and Drum Circle.

LOPING WOLF became a clan of the Northern California Flute Circle http://www.naflute.com/index.html founded by Mary Youngblood and Lew Paxton Price in 1994 http://www.naflute.com/history.html .

In hind sight, we realized that our Christmas carol session for Ed taught us we can have a lot of fun playing music together. And LOPING WOLF is now connected with other flute and drum circles within the greater Sacramento area, and are having the times of our lives with Mary and more people are coming to us.

Thanks to Ely posting his videos of us, you can listen to LOPING WOLF on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=busbydog&aq=f . Just look for the ones posted by “Busbydog”. That’s us, LOPING WOLF.

Every week we meet more people infected with Flute Fever, and send out e-mail messages to overt 300 addressees. I would be happy to include you on our list, so please contact me, if….

And that is my flute bio, to date.

Love, Blessings, Peace 'n' Harmony Galore,

-Dan

August 12 2011
February 15 2012

End-O-July 2011 Events Update

2011-07-23T16:10:00.000-07:00

LOPING WOLF

The Lake of the Pines Wood Flute ‘n’ Drum Circle

End-O-July 2011 Events Update

Dear People,

OK - this is my attempt at locating the LOPING WOLF Events Update on a blog format. As you may be able to see, revisions to the last Events Update are listed in red text - maybe.

INTRODUCTION & DISCLAIMERS -

LOPING WOLF is the Lake of the Pines Wood Flute ‘n’ Drum Circle located in the greater Sacramento CA area. If you received this notice, chances are you already “passed the audition” and are invited to any of our events. Send me your e-mail address if you received this from somebody else and want me to add you to our list. Please try contacting me at dandi@lopingwolf.com.

If you received this notice in error, please let me know NICELY that you simply want your name taken off my list.

[ ] We decided to combine LOPING WOLF'S Winter Gathering with the Harvest Festival on October 1.

[ ] As always, Mary Youngblood is available for concerts, speaking & fund raising events, art & museum appearances, Native American events, community & educational events, weddings, private home concerts, corporate & winery events, Native American Flute musical retreats & workshops, television & film musical scores & composition, and private NAF lessons. See her Website at http://www.maryyoungblood.com/EventOptions.htm#1 ).

The following listings are updated as best I know. Previous versions of this schedule may now be out of date. Regularly scheduled events are listed first, followed by specific events, followed by directions to LOP and Loping Horse Ranch. Directions to other events will be within each listing or within each Website link depending on how this document formatting works out. Please let me know of any needed updates.

__________________________________________________________

EVERY WEDNESDAY from Noon to 1:00 pm in Downtown Sacramento CA, our LOPING WOLF Nooner Flute & Drum Circle meets. If you can make it, bring your flutes and rhythm things to the PERS Glass Tower @ 4th and Q Streets. The acoustics are wonderful. We usually meet just inside off the plaza level (unless they are washing the windows - then we meet one story down the stairs). Metered parking is difficult, but worth it. Call me if….

__________________________________________________________

EVERY (“MOST”) THIRD SUNDAY from 1:00 – 3:00 pm at the Lake of the Pines Clubhouse north of Auburn CA, LOPING WOLF meets to play flutes and rhythm things. Jams, and individual helping sessions are offered for free. It’s a nice low-key time. DIRECTIONS to the Lake of the Pines Clubhouse are listed below - WAY below.

__________________________________________________________

EVERY (“MOST”) FIRST SATURDAY for APRIL – OCTOBER

MARY YOUNGBLOOD & LOPING WOLF Musical Retreat & Workshops @

LOPING HORSE RANCH 10492 Gautier Drive, Auburn CA 95602

You are invited to come hang with us for the day. Bring some food to share, your flutes, drums, didges, bird calls, knitting, books to read, lawn chairs, (your own table?) and any wares you may want to hawk (sell). Please see Mary’s Website for Retreat & Workshop details and, if you are interested, to pre-register for her $45 workshop. http://www.maryyoungblood.com/events.htm __________________________________________________________

Friday August 5 at 7-8:30 pm

Mary Youngblood & The Sisters of the Earth CONCERT

Effie Yeaw Nature Center inside Ancil Hoffman County Park

California Ave & Tarshes Drive, Carmichael CA

Please see Mary’s Website for more information http://www.maryyoungblood.com/events.htm

Saturday August 6

LOPING WOLF Musical Retreat with Mary Youngblood @ Loping Horse Ranch Auburn CA

A Musical Retreat with Mary Youngblood
Location: LOPING HORSE Ranch in the California Foothills
Website:  http://www.lopingwolf.com
Email:     flutecircle@lopingwolf.com
Phone:    530 613-4197
Dates: August 6th, September 3rd, October 1st.

Refresh your spirit! Retreat for a day at this special musical NAF retreat with Mary Youngblood. This one day retreat includes a potluck by all participants beginning at noon. Share Native American Flute (NAF) techniques, attend workshops, open mic sessions, attend the open mic session after the workshop to practice what you've learned.

Make your workshop reservation by filling out the reservation form and send it to
ATTN: LOPING WOLF at
10492 Gautier Dr.,
Auburn CA 95602
PRIOR to the requested workshop date.

For additional information, call LOPING WOLF at 530-613-4197. See retreat video.

Schedule:
    10:30 AM to 12:00 PM: Arrival and Ranch Orientation

    12:00 PM to 1:30 PM: Potluck Lunch

    1:30 PM to 2:00 PM: Welcome by Mary Youngblood and Dan DiCicco of LOPING WOLF

    2:00 PM to 3:30 PM: Mary Youngblood NAF Workshop ~ $45 All levels

    2:00 PM to 6:00 PM: Open Mic

Saturday August 20

LOPING WOLF – an event for Placer County – Auburn CA

More info pending (Does anybody know anything about this? Dan does not.)

Sunday August 21

LOPING WOLF's Lake of the Pines Wood Flute 'n' Drum Circle @ Lake of the Pines 1-3 pm

Saturday September 3

LOPING WOLF Musical Retreat with Mary Youngblood @ Loping Horse Ranch Auburn CA

Saturday September 10

MARY YOUNGBLOOD IN CONCERT at Moaning Cavern @ 5350 Moaning Cave Road, Vallecito, CA 95251 http://www.caverntours.com/concert/concerts-in-the-cave.html

Saturday September 17

Calling Back the Salmon Celebration in Lincoln CA from 8am to 4:30 pm at McBean Park

<HTTP://www.callingbackthesalmoncelebration.org>

LOPING WOLF hopes to be asked to play during opening ceremonies and will have a booth. Chairperson Stan Nader needs volunteers and sponsors. If you can help or donate as a sponsor, please contact him at 916 300 4335 or snader@ci.lincoln.ca.us .

Sunday September 18

LOPING WOLF's Lake of the Pines Wood Flute 'n' Drum Circle @ Lake of the Pines 1-3 pm

Wednesday September 21 @ 7:00pm in Sacramento CA

MARY YOUNGBLOOD joins MICHAEL BAYARD for “Machu Picchu: Unlocking the Secrets of the Inca Civilization.” The program will feature two-time Grammy-Award winner Mary Youngblood, and critically-acclaimed composer and master percussionist Michael Bayard. The program will feature magnificent interior set design, and also special appearances by Daleela Morad, Dance; Ann Sabra Roach, vocals, and the breath-taking guitar work of Matthew Grasso. Contact Michael Bayard at 916-683-2575. Time and place is to be verified.

Don’t miss Mary Youngblood, Michael Bayard and special dance artist Daleela Morad for an exhilarating concert – which takes us to Machu Picchu and the Ancient Incan Civilization. At this performance, Mary Youngblood will be showcasing a rare and fragile instrument, a special pan pipe flute – which is made from the hollow quills of a Condor feather. This will be Mary Youngblood’s first live public appearance with this rare and breathtaking instrument - the Condor Quill Pan Flute. Click below for more info on this concert:

http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=ldn6sscab&v=001Z75pTKZtbguDJrGq9MXrmrOEDV2sd-WUwa6Z2eFocxu58eAz_qyDOJtbNsb2T_9ikNb_tu-jHfFYHa9Nl9iq2oVv-m3z4l54CxRfNmIc_oLA_TwQzWwc_5cutss3INzQZqOzkLPJzX8%3D

Saturday September 24

AUTUMN EQUINOX SPIRIT DRUM CIRCLE WITH "MARK BERRY & FRIENDS" AT LYNNE SUTTER'S

Drumming, chanting, storytelling, etc with kindred Spirits

Pot luck at 4:30, Drum Circle at 6 pm

Feel free to invite anyone you would like to have join YOUR Spirit Drum circle. This is an alcohol-free circle. Bring: your own table service and silverware, well-behaved children, friends, relatives, hand drums, rattles, shakers, stories to tell, songs to lead... mostly your sweet self! If you could bring outdoor chairs, please do so. Location @ Eden Valley where Placer Hills Rd meets Dog Bar Rd near Colfax CA. Directions from Auburn; take I-80 toward Reno, exit "Weimar Crossroads", then up and over Freeway to left and down the hill one mile to Right on Placer Hills Road. After another one mile, left on Dog Bar Road. First driveway on right and immediate right into metal gated property. (Otherwise unfriendly dogs eat your car.) See www.edenvalleycottage.com a MapQuest map. We have a wonderful outdoor space for our fire circle. Call me (Mark) for information (916) 872-4482. Sincerely, Mark Berry

Saturday October 1

LOPING WOLF & the Northern California Flute Circle’s HARVEST FESTIVAL and

Musical Retreat with Mary Youngblood @ Loping Horse Ranch north of Auburn CA

We plan to have vendors, booths, games, songs and workshops – similar to last year’s Harvest Festival.

Friday - Monday October 7 thru 10

Indigenous Peoples Days 2011 (Grass Valley area) http://www.indigenouspeoplesdays.org

Friday night will be a round dance in downtown Nevada City. Saturday through Monday, all events will be at a new location, Sycamore Ranch, on the South Yuba River and Highway #20, 4.5 miles west of Parks Bar Bridge. Help is needed with gathering food and other donations, fundraising, children's activities, coordinating guests, entertainers, and elders, as well as many other activities. Your help is appreciated. For more information, check out the Website or please call Joan Buffington at 913-6446, or the tribal office, 530-274-7497. We are hoping LOPING WOLF will be able to have a booth and a chance to perform. Please check out their Website and stay tuned for more info.

Sunday October 16

LOPING WOLF's Lake of the Pines Wood Flute 'n' Drum Circle @ Lake of the Pines 1-3 pm

Wednesday October 12 until Sunday October 23

Peru & Bolivia Journey with Mariscela Alvarez

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

Upcoming Event

TRIP TO PERU & BOLIVIA
October 12 to 23, 2011

Most people go to cathedrals to receive guidance and obtain holy water. The Andean people of Peru and Bolivia go to sacred places such as Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca.
"Click on the picture to watch a Preview Video"

Trip Cost is $3,550
Deposit of $500 needed by August 2, 2011

Balance is due on September 12, 2011

Contact Michael Alvarez at
916-412-6466 or trip@fyspirit.com

Visit www.fyspirit.com/fysblog/visit-peru

Your Sacred Journey Includes:

Roundtrip International airfare from San Francisco to Lima, Peru.
Roundtrip domestic airfare Lima to Cusco, Peru.
Travel Insurance covering trip cost.
All roundtrip, ground & lake transportation to the archeological sites in Peru & Bolivia.
Hotels double occupancy - Add $135 for private.
Professional tourism guides services in English.
All healing ceremonies and spiritual teachings.
Entrance fees for all sites and much more...

Highlights of your trip:

Visit Cusco, Sacred Valley (Pisac & Ollantaytambo), Sacsayhuaman, Quenko, Pukapukara, Tambomachay, Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca, Amantani Island, Portal of Aramu Muru, Sillustani, Bolivia (Copacabana & Island of the Sun) and more...
Traditional Inca ceremonies (Despacho & Karpay) & personal healing sessions with the Paq'os of the Q'eros Nation. Rituals by Mariscela and local shaman at sacred places in Peru and Bolivia.

We are holding a sacred space for you!

You're receiving this email because of your relationship with Mariscela Alvarez and Free Your Spirit. To ensure that future e-newsletters are delivered to your inbox, please add ma@fyspirit.com to your address book.

Sunday November 20

LOPING WOLF's Lake of the Pines Wood Flute 'n' Drum Circle @ Lake of the Pines 1-3 pm

Saturday December 3

NO LOPING WOLF's WINTER GATHERING – see October 1 2011

That is correct, Virginia. We are not having a Winter Gathering this year. Our End-O-Year Blast will be the Harvest Festival on October 1. Please see that date entry.

And for the year 2012 for the Solstice June 21 2012

Mariscela Alvarez will return to Peru & Bolivia for another visit similar to her Oct 21 2011 Journey

__________________________________________________________

DIRECTIONS to the Lake of the Pines Clubhouse

11665 Lakeshore North, Auburn, CA 95602-8325

FROM AUBURN, CA - Take I-80 about 40 miles northeast of Sacramento on your way to Reno NV. Lake of the Pines is located 9 miles NORTH of Bell Road in Auburn, off Hwy 49 halfway between Auburn and Grass Valley CA.

Turn EAST (right) on Combie Road (at the traffic light - Wolf Road goes west/left).

FROM GRASS VALLEY - From the last exit (McKnight) head 14 miles South on Hwy 49 toward Auburn. Turn LEFT at the light at Wolf / Combie Road, before the Bear River Bridge. (If you hit Auburn, you went too far.)

ONCE YOU ARE ON COMBIE ROAD -

[ ] Continue past CVS Pharmacy on your right, and a plant nursery on your left.

[ ] Stay in the left or center lane at the FIRST traffic light and continue straight ahead.

[ ] Turn right into Lake of the Pines at the SECOND traffic light and get into the left lane.

[ ] Stop at the Guard House and state, "(your name) for the LOPING WOLF Club meeting in the Clubhouse". If they do not let you in, call me.

[ ] Proceed straight ahead for about a mile, up over the hill, winding down the other side and up again to the stop sign. (There is also a Clubhouse sign at that corner.)

[ ] Turn right at the sign, look down the hill toward the lake and the Clubhouse is at the end of the loop.

[ ] PARK IN THE LOT ON YOUR RIGHT, or drop off your stuff at curbside, but return to the same parking lot.

[ ] Do NOT park in the parking lot on the left side of Clubhouse Drive.

If LOP relocates us the Yacht Lounge, the Yacht Lounge is near the Clubhouse just left of the swimming pool, between the pool and the tennis courts. Please pound on the door if it's locked. __________________________________________________________

DIRECTIONS TO LOPING HORSE RANCH

10492 Gautier Drive, Auburn CA

LOPING HORSE RANCH is located off Hwy 49 north of Auburn and the Bear River.

FROM GRASS VALLEY - From the last exit in Grass Valley (McKnight) head 14 miles South on Hwy 49 toward Auburn.

Just after the light at Wolf / Combie Road, and before the Bear River Bridge, turn right onto Gautier Road. (If you hit Auburn, you went too far.)

FROM AUBURN -

From Bell Road in North Auburn head up Hwy 49 for about 6 miles.

Just after the Bear River Bridge, turn left onto Gautier Road.

(If you hit the light at Wolf / Combie Road, you went too far.)

ONCE YOU ARE ON GAUTIER ROAD -

The road makes a hard left and parallels Hwy 49 toward Auburn for a long block.

Then the road turns right and through an old stone gateway.

Here Gautier Road becomes Gautier Drive.

Our place is on the right about 3/4 mile at 10492.

Simply read the numbers and look for the signs - LOPING HORSE RANCH and LOPING WOLF.

Beep to get our attention to open the gate. Once it is open you have 20 seconds to scoot through.

The gate will close automatically.

Turn up the driveway past the green barn and up to our log house to drop off your stuff.

Please try to park in the parking lot back down by the gate if you can and not on the lawn.

Please feel free to call Dan at (530) 613-4197. __________________________________________________________

That’s it. Thanks for reading this far down the pages….

Love, Blessings, Peace ‘n’ Harmony Galore,

-Dan

Dan DiCicco

10492 Gautier Drive

Auburn CA 95602-8514

(530) 613-4197 Dan's cell

(530) 269-2638 home

dandi@lopingwolf.com

We are all related - more alike than we are different.

July 23, 2011

2011-07-23T13:43:00.001-07:00

Here is the first new post