Female

62

I was born in North Idaho near the Canadian border in 1946. In those days the area was very remote. Hollywood hadn't found out about us yet. Now even Govenor Arney has a summer home in my home town of Hope, Ida., ( Population 101)

My father had a great love of nature and deep understanding of the animals and plants arround. He taught me how to hunt and track
and honor the spirit of those whom we took for our nurishment. We did live off the land in those days: deer, wild fowel, berry's even an occasional bear. I must confess I am not fond of bear stew, too greasy. Nobody had refrigerators or freezers back then, so we keep our game in a public meat locker. Is it any wonder I became a nature and wildlife photographer.

My Aunt Gretta, my namesake was what we called in those days, a hoofer. A dancer. She taught me how to do the Charleston when I was 5 years old. I haven't stopped dancin since. Would you believe Gogo Girl, Carnival, Somba, and "jump up" music.
I was a wild child. Now in my senior days, I decided I better finish off with something a little more dignified. But of course, Hula.
My plan is to still be dancing when I'm wearing a hearing aid and a diaper.

Now, for the dogs and horses: my father was a horse whisper long before anyone became aware of that term. There wasn't an animal wild or tame he couldn't communicate with on some level. When night fell, my brother and I called back to Coyote chorus in the hills arround us and they responded in kind. I crawled on the back of a horse for the first at age 7. Bareback and with only a rope arround her nose, Indian style, she promptly wiped my off like a little insect on a nearby tree, then stood over me and nuzzled me to get up. I got back on and my horse whispering began. The horse had whispered to me and I was hooked.