We are the Lake of the Pines Wood Flute Circle - LOPING WOLF for short - a group of friends bitten by "Flute Fever". (There is no known cure.)

The "Spirit of the Flute" bit us real bad. It first bit Dan through Mary Youngblood's "Cold Wind" and the symptoms spread to the rest of the group. LOPING WOLF was formed out of a desire to play flutes and a need to know about the "Spirit of the Flute". That need has taken us on a wonderful journey, where we constantly discover many more people around us who are also "infected". They are everywhere!

LOPING WOLF is located in the California Gold Country nestled in the Foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and includes the satellite campus in Woodland, CA.

As a little background, In October 2005, Dan received for his birthday a flute made by Jim Pappas of Stardust Flutes. Little did we (LOP wife, neighbors and friends) know the journey Dan would take us on with this flute.

The result of a daytrip in January 2006, to Yabobo's was learning Mary Youngblood would be performing in Grass Valley on February 4th. LOPING WOLF went to Marys' Concert and was smitten with Flute Fever. The infection was complete - LOPING WOLF went "terminal". To date we own 13 flutes, and TOTALLY understand how some people own hundreds of the little dears. (Yabobo's is a music store in Nevada City selling wonderful musical things from around the world.)

Later in February, Jim Pappas warmly welcomed us with a tour of his flute shop. We left with 8 unfinished flutes that our Chief Flute Finisher, Dick, (see picture) painstakingly finished for us in the next 3-4 weeks.

Daniel White Buffalo - In 1993, Sheree bought me a 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, seven years later, is still Callista's. When Juli gave birth to Briana on September 23, 2005, my flute “hatched” another song that became Briana’s song. Well, as time went on, the neighbors started hearing me, and they became interested in my flute. See ALL of Dan’s Flute Bio ...

Robin Star Light - The "Woodland CA Campus" - I am not a musician by nature. Or maybe I am, who knows? Maybe it’s just that I hadn’t found my true expression yet. In my childhood and teen years, I studied recorder, piano and guitar. It seemed that as much as I would practice, the music could not make the connection from my brain to my fingers. In contrast, the first time I picked up a Native American flute to play -- not so long ago -- the music simply flowed from within, through my breath and through my fingers without forethought... See ALL of Star Light's Bio...

Spider Woman - My name is Sue Lovan aka Spider Woman or just Spidy. I live at Lake of the Pines with my husband Dick (chief flute finisher), and we are next door neighbors to Dan and Sheree.

My story really begins when Dan started playing his flute in the morning and in the evening... See ALL of Spider Woman's Bio...

One Horn Bull - Chief Flute Finisher - My name is Richard One Horn Bull. Unlike my brother, White Buffalo, I was born with only one horn. I have traversed the rivers, and grazed on many pastures. One sunny day I strolled upon a beautiful spider. Spider Woman said “Please step into my web”... See ALL of One Horn Bull's Bio...

Horse Dreamer -