Nevada Desert, Memorial Day Weekend 2001
The first year I went to Burning Man, I was only responsible for myself. I found ways to participate once I got to the playa — helping to paint art cars or humans — but I didn't got out with any plans. Last year I got involved with the fire conclave, doing fire safety and chasing around trying to help Crimson get things orgasised. A lot of the plans I'd had fell by the side of the road while Chris and I were busy bickering. This year, though, I've finally made a real committment to a camp, to being involved in something on a grand level. The head of that camp, Chuck, owns a ranch outside Gerlach, and invited me to spend Memorial Day weekend there this year. I honestly think there are more stars out there than anywhere else. It also gave me a chance to meet some of my campmates in person, and start making serious decorating plans for our main structure. I played with my poi (actually, pairs of glowsticks on my poi cables) in front of an audience for the first time, and started teaching Chuck's children how to use them. Carolyn, at 5 years old, is really too short and too easily distracted, but Alex is 7, and started to really get the idea pretty fast. We hiked through sagebrush (my legs look like I rolled around in barbed wire) and found bones and arrowheads. We found a perfect burn barrel on the edge of the property, which allowed us to have a bonfire inside the temple. Chuck did fire tricks in a bottle, beautiful to watch. All in all it was a beautiful weekend and just what I needed to re-center myself. Thank you!

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