NEED A SMILE? A LAUGH? A GUFFAW???

It's been mighty cold here at Paws and Hooves ranch for the past couple of days - cold, windy, with a little rain thrown in. I'm dedicated to my hooping, though, so cleared a spot in Rosanna's barn for my daily spin.

Here is what the well-dressed Cochise County hooper (that would be me, as I am probably the ONLY one) wears in the winter: a fleece headband to keep the ears warm; a neck warmer; a camisole; a long-sleeved shirt; a short-sleeved cotton shirt (it is easier to hoop on non-synthetic fibers); fleece gloves with little "friction dots" so they can grab the hoop; heavy jeans, wool socks and warm shoes. Yep, I'm stylin'!

When Rosanna saw me in the barn, she ran inside to get her camera... then we got the great idea that Odel should shoot my first hooping video. A couple of minutes of instruction for the videographer and we got to work.

We made a two minute video, and last night - being new to making a video, let alone posting it on the blog - I broke the video into "highlights" clips, which I posted. This morning, I learned how to add the entire video to the blog, and my videographer said I should eliminate the clips and add the video in it's full and unabridged glory.

So, here it is - Laurie's First Hooping Video. Be sure to turn the sound up - the video includes music and the enthusiatic comments of the videographer (Odel) and photographer (Rosanna). I guarantee it will have you laughing when it is over - the "scare crow" hand and arm gestures near the end of the video are particularly graceful. :) Maybe those will become my "signature" hooping moves.



Shortly after it was completed and Rosanna and Odel had left, I lost control of the hoop, which flew through the air and knocked my little sound system into the cats' litter box. What we creative types have to go through for our art!