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Another Tuesday (3-22-11 . .. still way behind)

This morning was awesome! On Amazon, you can look up people who do reviews . . . and I had written an email to one of the top ten reviewers asking if I could send her my newest book, The Unicorn Whisperer. I received a reply this morning! Yes! I'm so excited. These top reviewers often have people who follow their reviews . . . so, it could mean more sales for me on my way to a best seller! Yeah!

Then, I drove . . . in the snow . . . to Durango to a dental appointment to get my teeth cleaned. When I walked in, the receptionist said that she had just left a message on my phone. Too late! She said the doctor looked over my chart and said that he wouldn't see me unless I had a full set of x-rays - - which is not what I was told on the phone when I made the appointment. He has a sign in the office that said something like . . . if you don't cancel before twenty-four hours of your appointment, you are charged a one hundred dollar fee. I wonder if that works both ways . . . this was ten minutes before the appointment . . . The jerk!

I brought a bathing suit and a towel and I went to the Durango rec center. I've done the wall climbing there, took a few dance lessons, but I have never swam in their pool. It was time. I changed clothes, and eased myself into the lap pool. The water was FREEZING! I learned to swim when I was very young in a very warm . . . bathtub-warm . . . pool, so it's very difficult for me to swim in cold water. I made it four laps . . . two up and two back. About five minutes. Not so good!

I went to camp when I was about ten or twelve in the California mountains. They had a pool, but it wasn't heated. I was an excellent swimmer back then, having taken lessons since I was about seven, but I refused to swim in the pool. It was a total scandal at the camp . . . a kid refusing to swim. I also remember that they forced me to eat cottage cheese at that camp. Yuck. I still refuse to eat it to this day! Always the rebel.

Anyway, back to my day: after the freezing cold lap pool, I decided to do some stair-stepping . . . that is . . . stair-stepping up the staircase to the awesome water slide! It was a blast! And the water that the water slide emptied you into was blissfully WARM! I kept stair-stepping up to that slide and I was having the time of my life! Sheer joy! So, you can still have fun at sixty! Yippee!

I saw some teen agers going down the slide by lying down, so I thought I'd try it. SCARY! It shook me up so much, I only went down the slide (sitting up) a couple more times, and then I waded over to the . . . I don't know what you call it . . . but the water has some kind of force to it, so you don't have to swim. I've heard it called the lazy river, but this was just in a circle. It got boring quick! So, I moved on to the hot tub, which was very relaxing. But, then, going back to the warm pool wasn't so warm anymore! Oh, well!

Back to the water slide again. This time, I decided to try lying down again, but this time I would do an experiment . . . I would count the seconds . . . one thousand one, one thousand two . . . and see if it was really faster, or it just felt faster. It was five seconds faster . . . and we're not talking too many seconds for the whole slide, so it was actually considerably faster. After the experiment, I slid that way several more times. Thinking about the experiment took a little of the scariness out of it! What a blast I had!

Elizabeth doing TTouch on Cash, Jim D singing, and Carol singing.

Team Penning pic

This is me and Jim D during our first (I think) team penning run. Carol, the head wrangler and an awesome teacher, told me (I think after this run, hopefully) that I was holding the reins too high away from the horse's neck, and that I needed to choke up on the reins. But, oh, what a great time I had! This was the most awesome day yet! Team penning! Does this mean that I'm not a cowgirl-wannabe anymore and I'm really a cowgirl . . . ?!?!

P.S. My horse for team penning was Dollar, who was very good, too. He was normally my roommate's horse, but she didn't do the team penning, so I got him.

Tuesday, home again

Tuesday, after returning from Arizona, I took Moki to the vet. Last time he was at the kennel, he came home a little sick, and I cured him myself with herbs and reiki. This time, I knew immediately he was way too sick for that. It turns out that he has something serious that is going around Durango. She said that it was a good thing that I brought him in right away, because it can go into pneumonia really easily. She also said that he has to be isolated for two weeks . . . and the disease is so contagious . . . that *I* have to be isolated as well! I can't be around any other dogs . . . which means that I can't be around any horses, either, because all my horse connections have dogs! Oh, woe is me . . .

I had my first intermediate dance lesson tonight, and I was really nervous about going. But, luckily, the dance that I know best is what we concentrated on: the cha cha! So, it was fun and I had a great time.

On the way home, I stopped at Walmart. I think all of you know that I have stopped actively *looking* for a man. And I have to say that as much as I'm not looking, I am ten times not looking at Walmart! But, I went to return something, and the assistant manager was there filling in. He was a cute older guy with a nice smile. He emanated "niceness." And then, when he turned around, what a surprise! He had a braid down his back that went all the way to his waist! He must be Native American . . . this is a very Native American area, and many of the guys have their hair in a traditional way. And I LOVE long hair! And I'm kinda partial to Native Americans, as well . . . I must admit. Anyway, I didn't even get his name, and he didn't get mine, but it was just one of those things that show you that "thee guy" can show up anytime and anywhere . . . even if you're not looking!

Over the weekend, I went to the local Ag expo. The first thing I did was go to the herding class. It was kind of an overview of teaching your dog to herd. It was really interesting, with a presentation . . . plus, some "play acting." Some of us were sheep, and one person the herder, and one person the dog. I was the herder first. What I got out of the whole thing, though, was that teaching a dog to herd is an incredibly time consuming deal. And right now, I would like my main focus to be on horses. So, Moki can be an oversize lap dog, but it doesn't look like he's going to be a herder.

On the way home . . . or Sunday?

It was sad leaving the ranch, but my week was over. White Stallion Ranch is a really awesome place. I'd like to return some day.

I stopped in Sedona again to break up the trip. I also wanted to go to Palakti . . . an Indian ruin with pictographs. I thought there were petroglyphs, but they were pictographs, instead. The difference is that petroglyphs are carved or etched into the rock, but pictographs are actually painted on. There were some scratches, however, which the guide described as repetitive scratching usually done by a shaman to put himself or herself into a trance.

I took some quick pictures, listened to the short talk, and then drove back to my brother and sister-in-law's house. We took a walk through their neighborhood, which is at the foot of Thunder Mountain, I saw a pretty cardinal and a quail. Then we returned to the house, had dinner, and a nice visit.

The following day I drove home and picked up Moki. On the way home, though, I stopped at a trading post in Cameron again, and took a picture of a Navajo woman working a loom.

Please note, kind friends. These events and the days that follow are already two weeks or so old. I'm trying to remember the best I can! Sorry!

Saturday

For our last day at the ranch, we started off with a breakfast ride through the desert. We ended at the place we had lunch earlier in the week. Today, we had scrambled eggs and blueberry pancakes. It was delicious! On the way back to the ranch, Carol the head wrangler was our guide, and she told us a little about the local flora and fauna. I enjoyed that part . . . would have even if I wasn't sitting on the back of a horse!

After lunch, we had to get our horses and bring them to the round pen. When Frank saw me, he called me over and said that I was going to be the first one to ride my horse with just hay baling twine around his neck! After seeing me progress during the week . . . from someone hesitant to canter . . . to someone cantering all over, team penning, holding snakes and spiders . . . he knew that I was up for anything! Then, he called Paula into the pen with me. I felt like that was a compliment for me, because Paula was probably the best rider of the bunch of us.

Riding with just the twine was kind of like a "final" for the class. So, after we finished, we were supposed to put our horses up. I told Frank I didn't want to get off. So, he let me walk outside the round pen with just the twine! He said not to go too far. Saguaro still had the halter on, but the rope wasn't in "reins," and it was tied to my saddle. If I needed it to do a one-rein stop I could use it, but other than that, it was pretty useless. [See the yellow twine in the pic]

After everyone else was finished, I asked Frank if I could come back into the round pen to try trotting with just the twine on. I did it, but it was much harder because everything had to happen quicker. It was fun, though!

When I put Saguaro up, I gave him a bunch of horse cookies for being such a great horse for me all week. He wanted more and kept following me! [Pic of him following me]

My roommate, Elizabeth, then did a short presentation on Equine TTouch. She briefly showed us a bunch of things, and then went over what to do if a horse has colic. She used a sheet from her own bed to teach us that! [Editorial note: after we all got home, Paula's horse got colic, and after using what Elizabeth taught us, she was able to cure her horse without calling the vet!]

About the last thing we learned was trailer loading, and we all got to practice by getting Jim's horse, Cash, into and out of the trailer.

After dinner, by a big campfire, our group got dubbed "Dances with Enthusiasm." Carol and Jim D sang and played the guitar. We all got our certificates and had a great time at our last night together.

More pics . . .

Friday



In the morning, we played another kind of game. Ropes were put on the ground to shape a "canyon" that we had to ride down. First, a narrow passage, and then a place at the end just big enough for a horse. Using what we learned about turning on the forehand and turning on the haunches, we had to turn around without touching the ropes. It was hard! I think almost everybody "died" (went off the side of the fake canyon) at least once except for Frank and Jim.

Then, we had to do synchronized riding with all of us in kind of a pinwheel formation. It was also difficult . . . sometimes going slower, sometimes going faster. It was a blast, though!

After lunch, we watched Frank and Jim calm down a "killer horse," so that he could be shod on one foot where he threw a shoe. Apparently, he put the last farrier (horse shoer) in the hospital! I gave the horse reiki the whole time, and Jim thought it helped!

At one point, when we were waiting for something or other to begin, I wanted to practice throwing a lasso again. Jim D (a different Jim) taught me how one day during the week. And I couldn't get it at all. But, it must have sunk in somehow because I roped the plastic steer three times in a row!

Then, four of us in the group participated in the team penning. That's when one person from the group "cuts" out three steers from a group, and then the "cutter" and the other three members of the group use teamwork to get the three steers into a pen. I have a picture of me and the steers, but I have to get it scanned.

The evening entertainment was a great magician with a great sense of humor. Afterwards, I stayed with several other people to talk to him. He talked about how magic used to be in the shaman's realm. The guy was incredibly interesting.

A WOW day at the ranch . . .

Today, I got the same horse as yesterday, Saguaro. He's done most of what I've asked of him, and I think when he doesn't that it's more me than him. We continued with the groundwork, as that is essential to the 7 Step Safety System that we're all learning here.

Today, we learned desensitization/confidence building. That's building confidence from the horse's point of view . . . building *his* confidence. Frank gave us a "wand," which is basically a car antenna with a handle! He said he got his first one from a junk yard and added the handle later! You attach a plastic bag to the end of the wand, so when you rub it on the horse, you are a safe distance away in case he freaks out. But, first, you take the plastic bag and squish it into a non-threatening blob that you put into your closed hand . . . so, just a little of it is sticking out. Let the horse smell it, and then start rubbing it on his body, slowly letting the bag open up a little bit. When the horse is comfortable with that, then you attach it to the wand. After the horse is okay with all that, then you have to get him moving around you. Sometimes, a horse will be fine when he's standing still, but will freak out if he's moving.

Today, I learned to post. Well, I should say that I was taught how . . . it will be awhile before I actually get the hang of it. Finally, Carol (the head wrangler and an awesome person) came over and showed me to hold the reins differently and to use the saddle horn to boost myself up. That helped. Then, Jim told me to let go of the saddle horn . . . scary, but I did it fine. The whole posting thing, though, still eludes me, I'm afraid. I need lots more practice.

Next, we did a cool game. Cones were set up in two straight lines. Then two cones were placed fairly close together at the end. The idea was for each team member to ride up outside their set of cones, and then come together at the narrow cones at the end. Then, ride back down the inside of the cones to either Frank or Jim who stood at the beginning/finish line. Each team member had to slap Frank or Jim's hand at the exact same time.

It was fun trying to pace yourself to another person like that. Frank said the fastest pair who ended at exactly the same time would win. Well, here's the story. I have only cantered (that's kind of a slow run) once in the last forty-odd years. And the last time I did it, in Missouri, the horse was incredibly rough. Usually, trot is a rough gait, and canter is a smooth gait. But, the Missouri horse's canter was worse than some rough trots that I've encountered! Needless to say, because that was my last experience, and it wasn't exactly good, I have been a little leery of cantering. BUT, I am very competitive, and when I saw someone else canter, competitiveness won out over fear and I cantered with no problem! It was awesome!

Lastly, we learned about cleaning feet. How to properly pick them up, and how to properly put them down. There are different theories on this. Some people when they're finished cleaning a hoof, just drop it. I never liked that. It didn't seem fair to the horse who willingly let you pick up his foot and clean it. But, the way Frank and Jim do it, is that when they put it down, they put it down on the TOE. When a horse is in that position, it means he's relaxed. So, it's like giving a relaxing signal to the horse. I really liked that.

In our classroom talk today, we talked about parasites, vaccinations, wound healing, some diseases, buying a horse, and other related topics. I have learned so much this week, I am brim full of new information. I am loving every minute of the learning!

Spiders and snakes, and oh, yeah . . . horses!

Wednesday

I had a dream about a beautiful black mustang stallion that I wanted . . . I'm blaming this dream on beautiful Cash!

This morning we did more ballet on the ground (ground work with the horses), and then mounted up and practiced what we did yesterday . . . disengaging the hind quarters, and turning on the forehand. We would all line up at the fence facing Frank in the middle of the arena, and Frank would tell us something to do . . . just like yesterday. My horse today was Saguaro . . . like the cactus, and you don't pronounce the "g."

Then, cones were set up in the middle and all around the arena. We had to try to get our horses around the cones while using a minimum of reins. We were supposed to guide the horse with our bodies and our legs. You need to look in the direction you want to go, and point your belly button in that direction. I used to ride a motorcycle when I was young, so I kept trying to *lean* in the direction I wanted to go. But, it is just a slight twist of your body while you remain upright. I need more practice at this!

Then, we learned how to side pass. We practiced it a lot, and then we had to open a gate (on the horse), go through it, and then come back and close it. I had a little bit of a hard time with the side pass, but with Jim's help, I managed to do the gate exercise.

Afterward, we went on a hayride picnic lunch out to the desert . . . but to eat, we were under a nice shaded place. We took some group pics (with a bunch of different cameras!)

I heard this seminar about something called "earthing," which is basically going barefoot so your feet can actually touch the earth (or even on concrete that is on the earth.) It's supposed to be incredibly good for you doing things like lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, fighting free radicals, and basically rejuvenating your system. So, I knew I had to start doing it. But, except for one extremely brief episode while hiking with my ole friend, Stefan, at the mustang horse ranch a few years ago, I probably haven't been barefoot for decades. My feet are like a baby's . . . soft and vulnerable. So, since it is too cold in Colorado, and just perfect for bare feet here, I decided to give it a try.

I took off my cowboy boots (!), stepped off the porch and onto the gravel path. Ouch already. But, I held steady and kept walking trying to pick my steps. There was a tire track, and that seemed to be a little less painful. I followed the path and when I came to the other side, for some reason it was much hotter! And I didn't have the forethought to bring a pair of shoes, so there was nothing I could do but go for it! I walked as quickly as I could to a break in the path to the other side. I wanted to stay out for a minimum of twenty minutes (I think you need that for the benefits), but I only made it five minutes! Well, not bad for my first day!

Late afternoon, we had classroom time learning about how to handle certain vices, and we were allowed to ask questions about how to fix certain things. It was really interesting and informative. Then, we went back outside to the arena and young Jim gave us a demonstration of how to trim a horse's feet. A lot of people do their own trimming when they have lots of horses, and that's what I will do when I get my own horse. Pat, from the mustang ranch, trims her horses feet using an electrical sander, and that's what I will use . . . but, I'll use a battery operated one so I don't have to worry about the cord.

After dinner tonight was the reptile show! My favorite! I almost like reptiles as much as horses! Ok, well, no . . . But, anyway, the show was great! I got there early and talked to the presenters. I wanted to see a gila monster, but they didn't have any. But, I did have to brag to them about me holding a cobra! The show was great, and my roommate, Elizabeth, who sat in the third or fourth row because she didn't want to get too close (I was in the first row, of course) . . . anyway, Elizabeth was kind enough to get up close to take pictures of me holding everything, including a scorpion! I did it just to do it, but admittedly, it kind of gave me the heebie jeebies! Anyway, Phil, the presenter, was very funny, and the animals were great! I loved it!

First ride . . .

Tuesday

We got different horses today, did the bonding and other first steps, did some ground work, and then we got in the saddle. We learned how to disengage the hindquarters (See how the horse's hind legs are crossed over each other) and turn on the forehand, and turn on the haunches. At first, I was all arms and legs because for turning on the haunches you have to bump the horses shoulder, and for turning on the forehand, you have to bump behind the middle of the horse (with your foot.) But, I couldn't remember which one to do when and which foot to use! It's a lot to remember! My horse was named Geronimo. He seemed a little lame, so I didn't really want to trot him.

Then, we did a game like Simon Says, only you do everything every time . . . it's just hard to know what to do! It seems like I was always out of sync! Everybody would be facing left, and I'd be facing right and stuff like that! Frank would tell us to make a quarter turn to the right by disengaging the hindquarters or make a half turn to the left by turning on the forehand. Or back up four steps, or go forward two steps. Go straight across the arena, and then do such and such! It was fun, but more difficult than it sounds!

After that, we played the alphabet game, where Frank would call out a letter, and by using the moves we had just learned, we had to get the horse to draw that letter on the ground. I have to admit that I never really got this. I would need to figure it all out in my head first, and then do it. Plus, without being able to actually see it written on the ground . . . well, I just couldn't get it, but I tried my best.

In the afternoon, we watched a video that we had been given when we joined the class, so I had already watched it, but every time you watch it, you learn more. Then, Jim gave a talk on saddles and saddling, and how to evaluate a horse for pain. It was very informative.

By the way, Jim has this most amazingly beautiful solid black mustang that I have totally fallen in love with. His name is Cash. He's kind of reminiscent of Fury that I used to watch when I was younger. He's gorgeous.

After dinner, there was some kind of star show using telescopes and I started going over there, but I was too cold and too tired, so I went back to my room.

More pics

Frank showing us the rope stuff, and Jim demonstrating how to "ride" each other so we can see what the horse feels.

Groundwork at the ranch . . .

Saturday, I drove down to Sedona and stayed with my brother and sister-in-law. It was nice being there. Sunday, I drove down to Tucson and arrived at the ranch early afternoon. It was just out of town, and Tucson is a big city . . . which is not exactly my cup of tea! But, the ranch is spacious and close to a nice mountain range, so it is very nice.

While I waited for the group to start, I walked around the ranch and went to the little petting zoo. They had a deer, some goats, miniature donkeys, and some big birds which I think are emus. The supposed emus had some eggs that they were guarding, and one of them kept rushing up to the fence every time I looked in. I snuck a few pets in as it pressed against the fence!

At five o'clock was when our group first met, and we all introduced ourselves. Then, Frank gave us an overview of the program. Some more stuff went on, but I don't remember! Sorry! Too much time has gone by, and I haven't had a chance to write anything down! Sorry! Oh yeah, we each got our own lead rope and halter, and a notebook with important information about horses and such.

Monday, we had a classroom lecture first, and learned how to tie a proper knot. Every cowboy has their favorite knot to tie horses with. I learned two different ones at my therapeutic riding place, and unfortunately, with each new one I learn, I promptly forget the old ones! Oh, well! We also had exercises where we had a partner, and one of us was the horse and one the rider . . . so we could feel what doing different things in the saddle feels like to the horse.

Then, we all went out to work with the horses. They all had a halter on and tied to a fence. We choose our horses . . . my horses name was Hondo and we worked the first three steps of the Seven Step Safety program. First, is bonding with the horse. Basically, we just cuddle up to him and pet him and try to find the spots he likes best. That's usually easy, but with "stable" horses like this, who are used to being jerked around by unknowledgeable people, they pretty much ignore everything, so it's hard to find a spot they really like. But, we were supposed to put our fingers in their mouth and in their nose (yes!), scratch their ears and rub their eyes.

Next is "give and take" which is where you pull on the halter trying to get the horse to put his head down. You kneel down at the same time to kind of show the horse what you want. You just exert constant pressure on the lead rope until they move their head the slightest bit down. You reward immediately, for even just one millimeter of movement. Then, each time, the horse will move his head down more. After that you try to get him to bend his head very far to the side . . . and as he gets his head close to his body, you breathe in his nose . . . horses really like that, too. You do that on both sides.

Intimacy is next. You get the horse to bend his head around again, and at the same time you put your fingers under his tail (a very sensitive spot) and rub there. Horses really like that, and if they allow you to do all this, it means they're very relaxed with you . . . which is what you want.

After a great lunch, we went back to the classroom to watch a great video . . . a day in the life of a horse whisperer. It was a great video showing Frank doing remarkable things with a client's horse. He had never seen the horse before, and afterward, the owner said her horse did more for Frank than it had done for her in the past five years!

Then, Jim did a talk on nutrition that was very interesting. He is incredibly knowledgeable about all that stuff.

After dinner, the day wound down with a guy doing cowboy poetry. He was excellent! What a great show! What a great day! Awesome!

Film at eleven.

Thursday

Today, I went out to Cadence because Pat Pirelli, a famous horse clinician, was going to film the goings-on at Cadence. So, there was a call out to the volunteers to help out. I got there at 1:30, and Ron was already catching horses. I put a halter on Butchy, and Ron already had the rest. I brushed and groomed, and other people started showing up.

Pat Pirelli wasn't there . . . his people did the filming. They mostly took film of Ron, and then did an interview with him afterwards. It was pretty anti-climatic, but at least some of the people got to ride horses for the first time in months. That was good.

I finished my feet pajamas! Both pair! I'll take the green ones with me to Arizona. The ones I've been wearing are pretty raggedy right now. I REALLY needed a new pair! While I'm down there, I'm going to a fabric store to hopefully buy more material for one more pair.

Friday

Packing and cleaning all day. I dropped Moki off in Durango, and it was so sad. He loves that place, but he came back to me as they were leading him out. One last hug. Hopefully, I'll pick him up in a week, and he'll be fine.

I'm not sure how much extra time I'll have at this horse extravaganza. I think they will be keeping us pretty busy. I'll write again when I can. I am bringing my camera, so hopefully will get some good shots.

More horses, more dancing.

Monday:

Today I went back out to the ranch to observe some more. First they took out Tambien . . . a "green" horse who has only been ridden a couple times. We put him in the round pen, and Alicia got on him, very gently, with Jennifer lunging him. He did really well. The training time didn't last too long. Tambien started getting distracted, so Jennifer knew it was time to quit. Later, she explained to me that even though he's "older" (somewhere between four and six, I think) ("usually" horses are broken at two years old, which is really too young), Jennifer said that he's not used to weight on his back, and it will take him time to build up to that. I never thought of that before, but it makes perfect sense to me. Jennifer is so incredibly knowledgeable and I am like a sponge.

Susan came for a riding lesson today. Jennifer said something to her about me living in Mancos, and Susan said, "Oh, the county where there are more horses than people!" That's good and well, but I'm considering leaving Mancos . . .

This was Susan's first riding lesson with Jennifer. Susan has her own horse, I think a Tennessee Walker, but she's selling it. Jennifer started her out from the very beginning. She put her on a horse bareback, and tried to get her to move her body correctly to give the horse the correct signals. She spent the entire hour on that! Susan has some kind of back issue, so part of it was that.

Jennifer told Susan about how when her kids were young, they got used to riding on tractors and four wheelers, and how your body learns to move with the machine. She said that's what you have to do with a horse. She said it also works like that with skiing . . . your body moves with the terrain that you're skiing on.

After Susan left, we took a couple mares that needed exercise, and set up a mini-course in the big arena. First, Alicia and Jennifer lunged them over some jumps, and then we set up the jumps so that they would have to go over them as them ran around the arena by themselves.

Afterwards, Alicia brought out a horse they call Mud. He was beautiful. Jennifer said that he's the horse for me . . . one quarter Arab and three quarters Lipizzan. I don't know anything about him or how old he is or anything. But, he probably cost in the multiple thousands. I'm thinking it would be much better for me if I fell in love with a mustang that cost twenty-five dollars! But, who knows what the future will bring. I still think my newest book will become a best seller!

Dancing

Monday and Tuesday dancing was great as usual. These will be my last beginner classes, and now I'm "ready" to get into the intermediate class. In the class info, it said that usually after six lessons you can move up. I've had several more than that, but I don't feel confident yet. Maybe confidence isn't a requirement for moving up!

I was just about to leave, when Denise called me back in. There is an intermediate class on Tuesdays right after the beginner's class. Denise asked if I wanted to stay. I told her that I'd start the intermediate in two weeks.

She was talking to some long-haired guy when she called out to me. He turned around when she started talking to me, and he gave me the biggest smile. Oh, be still my heart! I LOVE long-haired men! I think it's a throw back to my old hippie days. When I was in high school, I used to say that I wouldn't go out with a guy unless his hair was longer than mine! Where I live now, I often see long-haired men because there is an Indian Reservation close to here, and a lot of Native Americans live in town. And a lot of Native American men wear their hair long. Usually, it's in a pony tail. This guy at the dance class had his hair loose, and he wasn't Native American. I don't know how old he is or anything else about him . . . just that he had a very nice smile, and very nice long hair! I'm eager to go to my next dance class now! Even more than before!

And let it be known that I am not really actively "looking" right now. I haven't been on a dating site for weeks because of a couple friends' advice. So, I'm not looking, but I am totally open to finding! That's okay, isn't it!??!?