Our departure time was 7:30 p.m., actually turned out to be 9:00 due to last minute packing details. Out of Oakridge, in the Willamette National Forest, we caught up with the rain that had passed through town. My least favorite driving condition is rain in the dark. Luckily, the rain stopped right at the pass, with dry weather prevailing the rest of the way. David took over driving just before route 97. The stars were amazing, with the dust of the Milky Way standing out like I've never seen. Made Lava Beds National Monument about 2:00 a.m. and pulled off on a dirt road overlooking Tule Lake. Slept under the stars to many ducks murmuring.
No tipi as of bed time, so we spread a ground cloth and slept under the stars at the end of our neighbors' van. Sue and Cortney got here about an hour before we did and had a nice shade space set up. They are friendly and invited us to join their camp, hight Labia. We have a nice neighborhood. Also met Anat, a very flamboyant lady.
Today was a continuing set up day. I was about to go cruising for the tipi when Juke showed up. Helped unload
the truck and then set up the lodge. Afterwards, I went wandering around the city. Visited the Man and met David
out there. I also had a conversation with a naked mud guy in the room under the man. Must have been 5 degrees cooler
because of the straw insulation and shade. Just as we were leaving, we were recruited to raise the booms in preparation
to lower the Man. Dan the Man was directing this and eventually we got together some hundred or more people to
gently put the Man down for rigging additional neon.
That night I wandered and stopped at the Illuminati Camp to watch people ritually chug a can of beer.
High yesterday was 88, low last night 43, humidity, what humidity? Of course, in the sun it reached 99.
Today dawned clear and late, sun was high when I got out of the tipi. Layed in the sun for a quick tan, don't want
to hang there too much, but it was nice while it lasted. David made oatmeal with raisins and nuts, very good.
Sue and Stephanie are getting decked out in very little for a jaunt around the Man. Champagne brunch at Lazy Camp,
no idea where it is, looked around some, but was too lazy to find it.
Drummed the Sun up at the drum circle I ended up at somehow. I woke to the sky just getting light in the east and other folks wanted to drum, so we went for it until the sun showed itself on the horizon.
The Man Burns Tonight! Dragged myself out of bed sometime late morning to David making breakfast of oatmeal, raisins, and nuts, just the thing after last night and this early morning. Hung in camp and tried to write some, then tanned in the sun. Ooops, fell asleep and woke to a sleeping bag soaked in my own juices. Very interesting feeling. Amazingly, I did not burn, but did spend half an hour in the tipi cooling down. We then went out for a final cruise of the city, all wondering just what happended to the weekend. Finally got around to the tourist thing, saw the sights, got the pics. At sunset, Sue and Steph and entourage went out for the final show. The tiki gods burned, the show ever more intense. Joan played violin; David, Cellina, and my self drummed along with a few others who joined in; and Tim played guitar. Celinna and I then went for DMT. Caught Mark, et al. as they got painted for the evening. Then they left us with the DMT. We thought this was rather funny, as Celinna had never done it and I had had it only once, the night before. I tripped and concluded that it was a day drug, or at least one for plenty of light.