Greetings from the Day Of The Burn!

Dear Friends and Family,
This is it. The biggest holiday of the year. Tonight the Man burns.

Everyone in the city has completely lost their minds, in the best of all possible ways. There was so much already, but now, somehow, there is more. Just when you think things can't get any better or more outrageous, everyone brings out their most elaborate costumes, their biggest flame throwers, their double extra blinky super fabulous light toys and lasers. I think I can safely say that for 99% of the people in Black Rock City, there is no other place in the universe that we'd rather be than where we are right now. And the remaining 1% are still asleep, gearing up for the best night of their year, and they will agree with me too, once they wake up.

The Café is a melting pot of people, colors, flesh, toys, music, art, dancers, jugglers, glitter and coffee. It's impossible to tell where one person ends and the next marching band begins. Life doesn't get much better than this. Sometimes, it might start to seem overwhelming, but all you have to do is take a deep breath, close your eyes, and let it all wash over you. Then you are crying tears of joy and as you look around, you realize you are not the only one.

There was a brief dust storm yesterday afternoon. Right in the middle of the Belly Dancer Invasion, the timing of which was too cool for words. It's a good thing there was some dust, otherwise all the first-timers might get a false sense of security about their preparation for hostile conditions. And they still might. The weather this year has been absolutely glorious: hot days (but not too hot), warm nights (it can get darn chilly), fairly low winds, no rain, very little dust. Unbelievably postcard (he he) perfect.

I've been out here during rain and high winds and huge white-outs, conditions where it's so cold or dusty that you have to keep locating your own butt. The key is to have layers for your costumes, fake furs at night, one of those clear raincoats so your costume can still be seen in a downpour, and dust goggles and a mask. Besides all that, you pretty much continue life as normal. I actually enjoy the rough patches of weather. There is something affirming about looking Mother Playa in the face as she throws dust and rain and heat at you, and realizing that as long as you've secured your camp, brought your water, have goggles that match your outfit, and help out your neighbor, everything is ok. Then you can straighten your tutu, pull up your bandana or dust mask, adjust your goggles and head out to find that cool art installation you think you saw last night. As you lean into the wind, passing campers huddled under their make-shift tarp awning, you give them a nod and head out into the apocalypse to play.

Anyway. Today at the Cafe is the HUGE Burning Man fashion show. The Cafe will be packed and the stage will be filled with some of the most outrageous costumes on the planet. Tonight the Man burns. That is a huge understatement. TONIGHT THE MAN BURNS! That is also a huge understatement. After the Burn (that is also a huge understatement), our friends in Rosin Coven will be putting on a supercalafragalicious ethereally costumed gothically operatic cabaret theatrical musical feast on the music stage as part of our Ethereal Floating World themed entertainment night.

Whew. I need a clone.