Fertility 2.0 Thursday August 30, 2012

It was another late start, but off to the east side we went today.  We located the new Santa Cruz produced car and viewed the older one close up.  Lucy created them.

This was amazing.  I have never seen a land sailer before.  I asked a person standing near if he knew if they were going to sail it sometime.  He said, "No, it would be too dangerous.  They would not be able to stop it."  I said, "Couldn't they just drop the sails?  That is how you stop most sailboats."  I don't think he was a part of the group that created this "wind-wagon", nor was he a sailor.

Thursday was a beautiful day nearly all day.  It was a perfect night for the Burning Man Regional Burns.  I don't know how many took place at the same time, but one photo shows seven different fires surrounding the Man.  What a great idea this was.  I think I like it better than the Saturday Night Burn.  Folks are much mellower.  Everyone gets to be around a fire.  Many art cars were out with their EL wire highlighting their designs and/or shooting out fire.

Fertility 2.0 Wednesday August 29, 2012

Fix It...Spill It Day.  Jim fetched ice and fixed my bike today.  I spilled my cranberry water drink all over the table and a seat in the motor home.   Later I spilled iced coffee and milk down my shirt.   We got a late start out to the playa via Hyacinth to 8:00 then along the Esplanade.  Lots to see.  Lots of photos.

Art Cars:

Playa Art:

Interactive Center Camp Keyhole Art::      

It was less windy and dusty today.  We went to Dr. Sketchy's Anti Art Class out near the Man.  There were four models and one art car that took us to two spots to sketch.  There was music and lots of flavored vodka as well as participatory prizes.  We spent about three hours drawing.

On the way back to camp we saw the lamplighters carrying out their duty to bring light to the walkways to the Man.  Then we saw the smoke ring.

Fertility 2.0 Tuesday August 28, 2012

During this week I have been reading David Byrne's Bicycle Diaries.  He travels the world's large cities on his bike commenting on the people, the culture, and the freedom of pedaling.  Burning Man is a lot like his book on a smaller scale of seeing everything from two wheels and thinking about what we are seeing and what the art might mean to each of us in our own contexts.  On both sides of us were couples from Germany.  Behind us was a couple from British Columbia. Across Hyacinth were Spanish, French, and Italian Burners.  We spent a lot of the windy whiteouts trading stories.  Occasionally we met one another out on the playa touring around on our bicycles.

Today became windy and dusty even earlier than yesterday so I only took photos of the magnificent sunken ship and its wharf.

Fertility 2.0 Monday August 27, 2012

Oh joy!  We are in a spot to stay.  It is quiet.  It seems to be developing into an international area because we hear voices emanating from the many camps springing up around us speaking languages we don't comprehend.

What's new this year?  We could call out....  In fact we called Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara, and Santa Rosa.

We biked out to the playa on this clear beautiful morning.  There were several art cars already moving about.

A lot of art cars were boats.

Some were self-propelled.

This was the main entrance to Center Camp:

Some playa art was finished:

and some was not.

Do you think he really blew it up all by himself?

We each bowled a lane at the Toilet Bowl.

I cannot remember if anyone won.

The Man was white this year.  Here is part of the inside which was put together meticulously.  You could walk up to a single viewing level.

Does this  mean he is a eunuch?










The wind came up early around noon.  It was tough getting back to camp.  We holed up until it was time to go to the Art Model Camp for a session of drawing.  There were two men and one great gal who posed for us.  The dust came and went, came and went.

Center Camp Main Entrance at night with dust particles.

Center Camp Main Entrance at night without dust particles.

Art cars waiting to get night driving licenses.

Fertility 2.0 Sunday August 26, 2012

The view to our left:

The view to our right:

The gates opened at 6 pm, so we are now at the head of our line and ready to drive in to choose a camping spot.  But we are rooted in place because no one can see where to drive in the whiteout.  It must clear before we are given the go ahead wave.

We are at our chosen spot of 4:45 and Hyacinth before 8 pm.  WOW!   It seems too good to be true.  While it was still light and so nice out, we walked out to the playa.  At the end of 5:00 was an amazing long wharf leading to a sunken ship.  It was so well crafted, and shot out fire, too, of course.

Our corner was too good to be true.  It's hard to tell early on about what your neighbors will be doing--like playing rap music all night long- which seems to be what was happening to us.  After conversing with the only human making the music within the 100 feet of loud sound, we headed west down Hyacinth.  The first place we picked had a full blast generator going.  I guess they can't leave home without....  Our next stop on Hyacinth between 5:30 and 6:00 was quiet. This could be our home for the week.

Woods Lake, California

On our way to Burning Man 2012 we stopped for a night at Woods Lake.  It is a beautiful camping area well off but close to Highway 88 that summits at Carson Pass in the Sierra Mountains at 8,574 feet (2,613 m).  There are other Eldorado National Forest places to camp, but this one is the best, and this was our third time here.  It is small, quiet, and mostly filled with tent campers.  Our 22 foot motor home just fits a campsite parking spot.

Woods Lake is near the Pacific Crest Trail, but we only hiked Lost Mine Trail. An abandoned car provided a resting place on the way up to Round Top Lake.

Wildflowers are still abundant in late August.

The red fruit is currants, a favorite munchy of bears...and other wild animals.

Snow is still on the mountains above Round Top Lake.

Heading back down to Woods Lake.

Cambria, California

Cambria, California is one of those delightful communities in which you can drive by in almost the blink of an eye.  You must watch out for it and cruise off an exit to find its flavor.  There is a beach side and an inland side so don't think you've seen it all by stopping on one side only.

We saw many deer wandering safely in the wooded neighborhoods.  Val and Gil, family/friends, are volunteer guides for the nearby elephant seals.  Whales can be seen migrating off the coast.  Acorn woodpeckers are everywhere.  Tide pools are teeming with sea life.

North up Pacific Coast Highway 1 you can see Hearst's Castle and its wandering zebra then continue on to Esalen and Big Sur.  South will lead you to Morro Rock and San Luis Obispo or Paso Robles.