The Best of Burning Man: The Top Ten Series (4)… Costumes

March 9, 2015March 10, 2015 / Curt Mekemson / 29 Comments

Costumes are an integral part of Burning Man and some people such as my friend Ken (aka Scotty) love to dress up.

I am going to be on the road for the next few weeks, so I decided to produce several blogs that might be of interest to my readers but would be easy for me to do: Voila—The Best Of Burning Man series! I’ve now been to Burning Man for ten years starting in 2004 (and will be going again in 2015, assuming I get two tickets and a vehicle pass). Each blog will feature a top ten category such as top ten sculptures, mutant vehicles, etc.

Important: 1) These are from my perspective. Other people will have different points of view. 2) I never see everything that is available to see at Burning Man. There is simply too much. So it’s quite possible that I have missed some really great things. My apologies. 3) I missed 2011. 4) These photos are not in order of choice. That is beyond me. (Grin)

Basically, this series will include a brief introduction and then my top ten choices. There may be captions on my photos, or not. Finally, while Peggy and I have taken the majority of these photos, I have also included photos from Tom Lovering, Beth Lovering, Don Green, and Ken Lake… all members of our ‘tribe,’ and friends.

Series 5: Costumes

The first advice I ever received from a Burning Man participant was that I had to wear a costume if I went. “It’s an essential part of being a Burner,” he told me. If I contributed nothing else, I had to dress up. The only lecture I ever received at Burning Man was that I wasn’t dressed up enough. Okay, I confess, I have never been good at costumes, but I have tried. I am Outlaw, that’s my Burning Man name, and I try to dress like one, sort of. Doesn’t a black hat mean you are an outlaw? Umpteen hundred Westerns can’t be wrong.

Given that there are thousands of costumes at Burning Man, picking out the ten best is impossible. But here is a sample of what you might see: (Special thanks to Don Green, who is never shy when it comes to asking, “May I take your photo?”)

Some costumes, such as this shaman, can be incredibly elaborate.

Others can be as simple as artfully applied makeup.

Or, by adding face paint and a jewel.

This pink feather headdress, pink glasses, and pink lipstick were quite dramatic.

Small horns, red dye, and a magnificent mustache made for a magnificent devil. (One year, it seemed that every other woman was wearing angel wings. )

Small horns, red dye, and a magnificent mustache made for a magnificent devil. (One year, it seemed that half the women were wearing angel wings. )

It always seems that one or two people select silver paint, and little else, as their costume.

This exotic beauty has always been on of my favorites.

This exotic beauty has always been one of my favorites.

Simple feathers gave this man a dramatic look.

I’ll close with these elaborately costumed guys who would fit right into the Mardi Gras or Venice. NEXT BLOG: Mutant Vehicles

The Best of Burning Man: The Top Ten Series (3)… Painting and Photography

March 5, 2015 / Curt Mekemson / 27 Comments

The Man was still burning, refusing to fall down, when I walked back to the Center Camp Cafe. Beyond one or two people sleeping on the floor, the Cafe was empty. I was more or less alone with a number of dramatic paintings, including this one. The eyes captured me and pulled me in.

Important. 1) These are from my perspective. Other people will have different points of view. 2) I never see everything that is available to see at Burning Man. There is simply too much. So it’s quite possible that I have missed some really great things. My apologies. 3) I missed 2011. 4) These photos are not in order of choice. That is beyond me. (Grin)

Series 3: Paintings and photography

Painters and photographers have always contributed to Burning Man, at least for the ten years I have participated. Many of the paintings, from my observation, have featured nature and mythical themes.

Burning Man is a photographer’s paradise. Millions of photos are taken annually and some of the photographers are quite talented. Their work is scattered across the web. One day when I was out wandering in Black Rock City, I came across Camp Montage, where a group of gifted photographers had combined various images from Black Rock City into single works. I loved the way they captured the essence of Burning Man. I’ve included two of their montages.

Mural work is everywhere and many of the murals are works in progress, especially at the beginning of the week. Blank walls demand to be filled.

Shaman and jaguar painting at Burning Man.

The shaman of Mesoamerican cultures considered the jaguar as an essential companion or nagual on their drug induced journeys into the dangerous spirit world.

The detail on this painting featuring a goddess-like woman, elephant, hawks and other natural themes is incredible.

The detail on this painting featuring goddess-like women, an elephant and birds is incredible.

This underwater theme with its brightly colored creatures has always been one of my favorite Burning Man murals.Check out the giant squid and the whale (or shark, given the teeth) on the right.

This mural reminds me of dreams I had in Bali. Apparently I wasn’t eating Portobello mushrooms.

Monkey mural and Golden Gate Bridge with message.

Monkey business and a message were featured on this mural. I’d be a little worried about the waves if I were driving across the Golden Gate Bridge at the time..

This photograph montage created by the Montage Camp is composed of a number of different photos taken at Burning Man . Take a close look. It is what you might see on a typical day.

This combination of photos from Camp Montage focuses more on mutant vehicles— from the small to the gigantic.

A theme camp I came across in 2006 featured large, meditative images that were backlit by the outside sun.

Another example.

A mural artist at work painting a monkey.

A mural artist dabs hair on the monkey mural shown above.

A artist works on a painting at the Center Camp Cafe, providing Burners with an opportunity to watch her work.

An artist works on a painting at the Center Camp Cafe.

Another artist plies his trade while a Burner looks on. These are examples where painting borders on performance art. NEXT BLOG: The Costumes of Burning Man, another form of creativity.

The Best of Burning Man: The Top Ten Series (2)… Smaller Sculptures

March 2, 2015February 25, 2015 / Curt Mekemson / 29 Comments

Going topless isn't uncommon, as demonstrated by this lady sphinx.

I found this lady sphinx quite amusing. In fact, much of the art at Burning Man has an element of humor to it.

Now, this is important. 1) These are from my perspective. Other people will have different points of view. 2) I never see everything that is available to see at Burning Man. There is simply too much. So it’s quite possible that I have missed some really great things. My apologies. 3) I missed 2011. 4) These photos are not in order of choice. That is beyond me. (Grin)

Series 2: Sculptures under 20 feet tall

While the large sculptures tend to attract the crowds, smaller works abound at Burning Man. Often, they are exquisite: sometimes they are humorous. These 10 are among my favorites:

“I shot an arrow into the air…” A graceful archer aims his arrow at the sky.

I found these cats with their unique look way out on the Playa.

This dinosaur skeleton was also wandering the Playa.

Love letters in the dust… at Burning Man.

Large letters forming words such as love, mom, and ego make their way to Black Rock City annually.

The Center Camp Cafe is always filled with art, such as this large hand.

One year a whole family of these fun creatures were out on the Playa.

These cubes climbing high into the sky weren’t actually that high. They were an optical illusion.

One year, regional groups sponsored art at Burning Man. This impressive bull came out of Texas.

Number 10 was a toss-up. I couldn’t choose between a fiddling rabbit…

…or a Queen Bee with boobs. NEXT POST: Photography, paintings and murals in my Top Ten Series.

The Best of Burning Man: The Top Ten Series (1)… Monumental Art

February 26, 2015February 25, 2015 / Curt Mekemson / 29 Comments

Monumental sculptures, some you can climb on, are among the most popular art works at Burning Man.

Series 1: Monumental Sculptures

There is so much great art at Burning Man that selecting 10 would be impossible without some further breakdowns. So I am going to start with Really Big Sculptures. My criteria here is to feature sculptures that are at least 20 feet tall (with one exception). My top ten:

A close up of the art work shown above. I call it Fantasy.

This massive sailing ship was sunk half in the sand.

The classic female nude has always been a favorite subject of artists. This beautiful woman was over 50 feet tall.

Nude sculpture at Burning Man reaches for the sky.

Another Burning Man classic by the same artist.

Female nude sculpture at Burning Man lit up at night.

The same sculpture at night. The colors were constantly changing.

Nude sculpture celebrates the break of day at Burning Man.

This beauty was featured during my earlier years at Burning Man. Her hair was made from chains and fire shot out of her hands.

These two oil tankers welded together represented one of Burning Man's environmental themes.

These two oil tankers welded together represented one of Burning Man’s pro-environmental themes.

This monumental couple was featured at Burning Man in 2014. It would later be burned.

People were invited to rest in the belly of this coyote that was howling at the moon and came with a wire brush tail.

A what’s-it sculpture stood on tip toes.

What this dragon curled around its egg lacked in height, she made up in length. And yes, she was a fire breathing dragon, as we discovered at night.

Another view. NEXT POST: I will introduce some smaller sculptures at Burning Man.

Another view. NEXT POST: Part 2 of my best of ten series: Smaller sculptures.

Blog Hopping the World… with Curt and Peggy Mekemson

February 15, 2015 / Curt Mekemson / 31 Comments

There are millions of beautiful photos of the Greek Island of Santorini, but none can match going there.

“There are travelers and then there are Travelers. If you take some time to review Curt’s lengthy résumé you’ll see what we mean: Peace Corps in Liberia, year after year at Burning Man, kayaking with orcas, and backpacking with the grizzlies. He walks the walk and his blog documents all of it.”

Travel Bloggers James and Terri Vance

“Now where did I leave that fish?” A big Kodiak Bear looks for salmon on the Frazer River of Kodiak Island. He was about 50 yards away from Peggy and me, a distance he could travel in 10 seconds. 1o, 9, 8,7…

A couple of weeks ago, two of my favorite world travelers, James and Terri Vance at Gallivance, nominated me to participate in what is called a “Behind the Scenes Blog Hop.” It’s a project making its way around the blogosphere where bloggers provide insight into why they blog. In this particular case, it was about people who travel frequently and write about their experiences. Go here to learn about what James and Terri have to say about their own journeys. I highly recommend following their blog if you don’t already.

The project sounded like fun but I was busy at the time. Today, I came up for air. Let me start by noting I am a wanderer by nature. I think it’s genetic. I’ve done a fair amount of genealogical research and discovered that my direct line of ancestors, at least as far as the 1600s, hit the road running and rarely looked back. As for me, as soon as I was allowed out of the house on my own, I set off to explore the fields, woods, ponds and creeks of the Sierra Nevada Mountain foothills where I grew up.

Why do you write what you write?

I am a storyteller and some of my best stories are about my travels and adventures. I believe that travel is one of the most enriching experiences we can have. Mark Twain said, “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” Explore, dream, discover: magical words that have always been my motto. Consequently, I have a lifetime full of wandering and very few regrets. My wife Peggy and I are wealthy with the experiences we have had.

And it is wealth we love to share— partially because it is fun to relive the adventures, but there is more. I hope to encourage those who read my blogs to “catch the trade winds in their sails.” And if not? I at least hope I can provide a taste of adventure, a dash of humor, a pinch of education, and on occasion, a serious thought.

There are two of other points I try to make with my travel writing. One, adventure travel doesn’t have to be expensive or difficult. Of course it can be, but it can also be a walk in the woods or a visit to a new restaurant. Anything that broadens our perspective on life can be an adventure. Just recently, for example, I wrote about a visit to a restaurant in Nashville that served really hot chicken. Believe me it was an adventure. And last year I wrote about a walk to my mailbox. It didn’t have to be an adventure, but I turned it into one.

This oak tree lives along the path I walk to the mailbox. In addition to having its own unique look, it serves as a home to a number of woodland creatures. A whole adventure could be built around watching it for 24 hours. I might add, this tree would be completely happy in the Hobbit.

Two, age does not have to be a barrier to travel. Peggy is big on this point. Young and old alike can have adventures. I am now in my 70s and Peggy is in her 60s and yet last year found us disappearing into a remote wilderness on a backpacking trip by ourselves, sea kayaking with the orcas off Vancouver Island, and going to Burning Man in the Nevada desert. If we can do these things, certainly people in their 50s, 40s, 30s and 20s can, not to mention 60s and 70s. And if you have children, take them along. You will create a lifetime of memories.

How does your blog differ from others of its genre?

Variety comes to mind. One day I might be writing about cruising the Mediterranean Sea and visiting a Greek Island like Santorini. Another day I could be introducing you to Pastie Dan, a character at Burning Man who makes, and will gladly apply, pasties to cover women’s nipples. You might join me for a raft trip down the Colorado, a boat trip up the Amazon, or a narrow boat tour in England. Want a little excitement? Try waking up at 3 a.m. with a bear standing on your chest in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park. Then there was the rattlesnake that tried to bite me on the butt when I was doing my thing in the woods. My poor sphincter was frozen for a week. Want a touch of the exotic? Join Peggy and me as we search for Big Foot, UFOs and ghosts— it’s all in fun, and yet…

Panamint Rattlesnake in the Panamint Mountains, Death valley.

Admittedly, this guy is a little bigger than the rattlesnake that tried to bite me on the butt. With rattlesnakes, I am not sure size matters, however. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson.)

Bigfoot trap found above Applegate Lake in Southern Oregon.

This Bigfoot trap is located four miles from my home. It was maintained in the 70s in hopes of actually capturing one of the big fellows. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson.)

Normally Pastie Dan plies his trade at the Center Camp Cafe but occasionally, he wanders the roads of Black Rock City. He stopped at our camp to see if any of the women were in the market for pasties.

Maneuvering a 60 foot long Narrow Boat through the Trent and Mersey Canal in England two summers ago was a very different but equally rewarding experience.

Maneuvering a 60 foot long Narrow Boat through the Trent and Mersey Canal in England is a wonderful adventure that comes with pubs along the way.

How does your writing process work?

My stories start with experiences. I don’t scramble over rocks in New Mexico looking for petroglyphs because I want to write about the experience. I risk life and limb because I am fascinated with petroglyphs. I will confess, though, that when Peggy and I take photographs, we think about the blog— in addition to documenting our travels.

We call this large cat a cougar, mountain lion, puma… it would be interesting to know what the ancient Native American who made this rock art thought about and called his creation. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson.)

Research is also part of the process, either before we traipse off on an adventure because it enhances the experience, or afterwards because I want to add depth to what I am writing about.

As for the actual writing… writing is writing; it’s work. And I say this even though I love to write. I will normally think through what I want to write about, create a first draft, do a rewrite and then edit for mistakes. Then I turn it over to Peggy for further editing.

Photographs are also a very important part of my blogging. Between Peggy and me, we often have as many as 100 photos we have taken in relation to a particular blog. Ten to fifteen have to be selected out for a post and then processed. Mainly I work on cropping the photo to capture what I want, but I also make minor adjustments to light, color, shadows and sharpness if needed. Altogether, the process of creating a blog can take from three to eight hours.

What are you working on/writing?

I work from a calendar of blogs I want to write. I’ll usually have two or three months’ worth of blogs in mind. This time of the year, I often do several on Burning Man because many of my readers are Burners, excited about getting tickets. Since I have now been to Burning Man for ten years, I am going to do a best of ten series (from my perspective) of sculptures, mutant vehicles, burns, structures, etc. over the next few weeks. After that, I will return to my north coast series exploring the coast of Northern California, Oregon and Washington. Or I may do a series on California’s gold rush towns. (My home town was one.)

Two oil tankers provide an interesting Sculpture at Burning Man

One of my all-time favorite sculptures at Burning Man.

The really big writing project I have been working on has been the book about my Peace Corps experience in Liberia, West Africa: The Bush Devil Ate Sam. I’ve posted several chapters over the past couple of years on my blog and a number of you helped me select the title of the book. This is my first venture into self-publishing and let me say unequivocally and undeniably, it has been a steep learning curve (understatement). I wrapped up getting the book in to Bookbaby two months ago, or at least thought I did. Bookbaby dutifully put the book on numerous E-pub sites and sent me back printed copies I requested. And what did I discover? Even though Peggy and I had meticulously done a line-by-line edit, some 30 errors. Damn. (A woman who is really good at editing found 25 of them, friends and family others.) So it was back to the drawing boards. Anyway, I sent all the corrections in last Wednesday and also set up the print on demand option. Soon…

One good bit of news, Steven Spatz, the president of Bookbaby, wrote to me on Friday and said he would like to feature The Bush Devil Ate Sam this week on Bookbaby’s blog. Given that Bookbaby is one the largest self-publishing companies in the world, produces thousands of books, and has an excellent reputation, things are looking up. (And no, Steven is not going to use me as an example of how not to.)

Kpelle footbridge near Gbarnga, Liberia circa 1965.

When I graduated from UC Berkeley and travelled off to Liberia, West Africa as a Peace Corps Volunteer, I began one of the grandest adventures of my life. Once there, I continued to explore my surroundings by hiking off into the jungle. Here, I am standing on a bridge built by Kpelle villagers.

NOMINATIONS

As part of this process of blog hopping, we are asked to nominate two other bloggers to participate in the blog hop. This is tough; there are so many great bloggers I follow. But that said, here are my two nominations:

Linda at Shoreacres: Wow, this woman can write. While she isn’t exactly a travel blogger, I can guarantee she will take you on some great journeys. As a compliment to the posts she writes, her followers comment in paragraphs instead of sentences.

Cindy Knoke: Cindy takes you from her home in southern California, the Holler, to journeys around the world. Her photography, particularly in terms of birds and wildlife, is superb.

The Natural History and Beauty of Burning Man’s Black Rock Desert

February 9, 2015 / Curt Mekemson / 34 Comments

Mountains of the Black rock Desert stand behind the Man at Burning Man.

Surrounded by towering mountain ranges, Burning Man is located on an ancient lakebed in the Black Rock Desert of northern Nevada.

You can’t ignore the desert when you are at Burning Man— even if you’ve only come for the art, entertainment, partying, or alternative lifestyle. The heat, dust, and massive dust storms forcefully remind you that you are not in San Francisco, or Vilnius, or Tokyo. Even the one-percenters, the folks who live in well-protected, catered camps, are forced to deal with these realities when they are out and about.

Whether you stop long enough to admire the beauty of desert or learn about its geologic and cultural history is another issue. Certainly, many Burners take the time to stop and look around, even if it is only for a brief, “Wow!” or to howl like coyotes, which I have heard them do over a particularly beautiful sunset or sunrise.

Burners are sometimes known to howl like coyotes at the sight of beautiful sunsets or sunrises. This coyote sculpture was at Burning Man 2013.

Larry Harvey’s initial choice of the Black Rock Desert as the venue for Burning Man was based more on the area’s isolation than anything else. He wanted a place where people could ‘do their own Burner thing’ and not be overly worried about what the neighbors might think, or the law. And he found it in Nevada. Once you get outside of Reno or Las Vegas, the population drops dramatically. When you leave the major highways that cross the state, the odds are that jackrabbits will outnumber the people.

The Black Rock Desert lies some 100 miles north of Reno in what is known as the Great Basin, an arid region characterized by narrow, fault-block mountain ranges and flat valleys trending mainly in a north-south direction. It was once suggested that the best way to picture the Basin and Range province is to think of it as “army of caterpillars marching toward Mexico.” Big caterpillars. As for the Great Basin part of the equation, 12,000 years ago the Black Rock Desert was part of Lake Lahontan, a huge glacier fed lake that covered some 8500 square miles. The flat playa that Burning Man sits on today is a dried up remnant of the lakebed. The dust and dust storms are its legacy.

The Playa at Burning Man is made up of a lakebed that was once buried under Lake Lahotan. Black Rock City stretches across the horizon.

The Playa at Burning Man is made up of a lakebed that was buried under Lake Lahontan 12,000 years ago. Black Rock City stretches across the horizon.

Looking out from Burning Man across the Black Rock Desert playa.

Crossing the Great Basin with horses, oxen and mules, or even on foot, early pioneers gained a much more intimate knowledge of the desert than today’s Burners. Radical self-reliance, one of the ten principles of Burning Man, was all that stood between the pioneers and death. One of the routes the adventurers followed, the Applegate Trail, makes its way through the Black Rock Desert. Living, as I do, in the Applegate Valley, along the Applegate River, on Upper Applegate Road, near the Applegate reservoir, I have a certain familiarity with the Applegate family.

The following sunset and rainbow photos were taken by Don Green, Tom Lovering, Ken Lake, Peggy Mekemson and me, all part of our group.

We were coming into Burning Man when we hit a rainstorm and saw this Rainbow.

We were coming into Burning Man when we hit a rainstorm and were entertained by this multi-hued rainbow.

This double rainbow seemed to end in Black Rock City.

Sunset reflected on a mountain at Burning Man in the Black Rock Desert.

Mountains in Black Rock Desert reflect late evening sun.

Another mountain reflecting the sun at Burning Man.

Sunset reflected through a dusty haze from our campsite at Black Rock City.

Sunset reflected through a dusty haze. Photo taken from our campsite at Black Rock City.

Clouds are illuminated by a setting sun on the Black Rock Desert.

Evening clouds illuminated by the sun

The sun sets on Black Rock City and a slight sliver of the moon.

The sun sets on Black Rock City with a slight sliver of the moon.

The 2015 Burning Man Theme: Carnival of Mirrors— and Tickets

February 6, 2015 / Curt Mekemson / 41 Comments

Burning Man has always had a carnival like atmosphere and lots of mirrors. This Kaleidoscope has captured lots of Peggys.

Burning Man has always had a carnival like atmosphere— and lots of mirrors. This Kaleidoscope captured my wife Peggy in her floppy white hat.

It is that time of year when you have to prove your love for Burning Man by obtaining a ticket. On Wednesday, February 18 at 12-noon Pacific Standard Time, I will be sitting at my computer with my finger poised above the buy button. The computer’s clock (which I will have reset through the world atomic clock) will be counting down the seconds. At 11:59:59 my finger will make a dash for the button. Then I will wait. With luck, at some point between one and three hours, I will get on the site. Hopefully there will be tickets left. I am sure that computer geeks, far more geeky than I, have figured out how to hit that button within millionths, if not billionths of a second after 12:00. My poor human pinky doesn’t stand a chance.

A selfie of my finger poised for action. "Too weird," Peggy says.

A selfie of my pinky poised for action. “Too weird,” Peggy says. Do you think the photo makes me look fat?

And that’s not all. Before I even play Beat the Clock, I will have to preregister to purchase tickets. According to the Burning Man ticket site, I need to do that some time between 12-noon on February 11, and 12-noon on February 14. Apparently, I also have to go online and update my Burning Man profile before I can preregister. Fine.

Assuming I manage to successfully jump through all the hoops Burning Man has created, I will then be given the opportunity to shell out $790 for two tickets and another $50 for parking. Woo hoo. Actually, I don’t mind the price— Burning Man is a bargain for the week of art, entertainment, and experience it provides. And, this year’s theme, The Carnival of Mirrors, sounds intriguing. Here’s what Larry Harvey, the founder of Burning Man, and Stuart Mangrum, a Burning Man pundit, have to say about it.

This year’s theme is about mirrors and masks, mazes and merger. It will be a kind of magic show that takes the form of an old-fashioned carnival. This Carnival of Mirrors asks three essential questions. Within our media-saturated world, where products and people, consumption and communion morph into an endlessly diverting spectacle, 1) who is the trickster, 2) who is being tricked, and 3) how might we discover who we really are?

Here’s a thought, Larry. Burning Man is always about mirrors and masks and mazes. I suspect that plenty of merging goes on as well, by whatever name you want to call it. But I am a sucker for carnivals: any size, any type, anywhere. As for trickster… he’s one of my all time favorite characters, right up there with clowns, jesters and fools. We are talking crazy wisdom here folks, the type that you get when a Zen master whacks you on the side of the head, or you spend too much time watching old Groucho Marx reruns, or you try to understand modern physics.

One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas, I don’t know. The tusks were really stuck, so I went to Alabama where Tuscaloosa. –Groucho Marx

We all agree that your theory is crazy, but is it crazy enough? –A discussion between the physicists Niels Bohr and Wolfgang Pauli

I am reminded of the old adage, “Life’s a circus; enjoy the show.” Burning Man definitely meets the circus criteria, but the event adds a twist: roll up your sleeves and join the show. So while I expect to find fortune tellers, magicians, games of chance and possibly a burlesque show or two in the midway set up at the base of the Man, I know I will be called upon to entertain as well as be entertained. But no, you won’t see me naked, or twirling fire, or even more scary, twirling fire and naked.

It doesn't matter which street you walk down at Burning man, you can always expect to find sideshows that capture you attention. This woman displays her fire art. (Photo by Don Green, a member of our 'tribe.')

It doesn’t matter which street you walk down at Burning Man, you can always expect to find sideshows that capture your attention. This woman displays her fire art. (Photo by Don Green, a member of our ‘tribe.’)

The layout for the midway at the base of the Man will be similar to last year’s as reflected in this photo. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson.)

As for a magic show, what's more magical than a giant scorpion that insists on showing up or disappearing depending on which way the wind blows?

As for a magic show, what’s more magical than a giant praying mantis that insists on showing up or disappearing depending on which way the wind blows? Eat your heart out Houdini.

Of course there will be a maze at the heart of the carnival; it’s Burning Man and there is always a maze somewhere. A funhouse of mirrors and masks will be set up where Burners will be challenged to explore their various personalities. Will I find the real me? (If I haven’t done so by my age— hmmm, doubtful.) And what’s at the end of the maze? “…a final passage will reveal a courtyard that surrounds the Burning Man. Photo booths will here record the faces of participants, merging them into a swirling stream that will envelop the entire body of the Man.”

How can I resist? My finger is poised.

Costumes and masks are a major part of Burning Man. (Photo by Don Green.)

I found this hand print mask intriguing.

Burning Man masks come in all shapes and sizes. This 2014 sculpture was huge. And, I might add, oozing in personality.

A whole series of these carnival-like masks decorated the Center Camp Cafe in 2014.

This unusual use of a mirror, allowed me to explore my feminine side. So naturally I had to photograph the process.

In fact, I am always photographing myself in mirrors at Burning Man. (I’m the tiny image.) Is it ego? Or is it simply the fact that it is damned hard to photograph a mirror without putting yourself in it?

Since I started with a kaleidoscope photo of Peggy, It is only fair that I end with one of me.

Going with the ego theme, I’ll wrap this post up with a whole bunch of Curts. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson.) NEXT BLOG: The natural beauty of Burning Man.

A Big Bird Petroglyph and a 1.6 Million Gallon a Day Spring… The Sedona Series

February 1, 2015 / Curt Mekemson / 21 Comments

Big birds and camp dogs, four of !032 petroglyphs at the V-bar-V Heritage Site in the Verde Valley of Arizona.

Big birds and camp dogs, four of 1032 petroglyphs found at the V-bar-V Heritage Site in the Verde Valley of Arizona.

Sinagua rolls off the tongue easily, like so many Spanish words do. It is a name applied to Native Americans who lived in the Verde Valley between 500 and 1425 CE by the archeologist Harold Colton. Sinagua means ‘without water.’ The early Spaniards originally applied it to the San Francisco Mountains north of Flagstaff, the Sierra Sin Agua. I think they were disgusted that such beautiful mountains didn’t produce a river.

On our recent visit to Sedona, we visited two areas that did have water, however: the V-Bar-V Heritage Site and Montezuma’s well. The fact they had water made them important to the Sinagua. The V-Bar-V Heritage Site is known for its fine collection of petroglyphs— Native American rock art. Fortunately, the ranchers who had owned the V-Bar-V and ran their cattle along Beaver Creek both appreciated and protected the rock art.

V-Bar-V, by the way, reflects the ranches brand, V—V, that would have been burned onto the hide of its cattle. Branding helped identify the ranch’s cattle when they got mixed up with the neighbors. It also discouraged cattle wrestling, which was a popular way of supplementing your income in the Old West. Marketing gurus today apply the term branding to establishing your unique product, whether its potato chips or blogs.

If you been around my blog for a while, you are aware that Peggy and I really like rock art, both as an art form and for its historic context. I also find many of the petroglyphs humorous. Who know whether the Native Americans artists found them so. Most of what we know about rock art fits under the category of speculation.

The V-Bar-V site includes 1,032 petroglyphs on 13 panels, according to the archeologists who count such things. Most were created between 1150 and 1400 CE. The Sinagua packed their bags and abandoned the area in 1425 as part of a massive migration that impacted the whole Southwest for some unknown reason. Maybe a visionary shaman predicted that the Europeans were coming and would ruin the neighborhood. (Just kidding.) Anyway, the petroglyphs include zoomorphs, animal like figures, anthopomorphs, human like figures, and various geometric forms representing everything from maps to astronomy. While half listening to the volunteer led tour, Peggy and I were busy with our cameras.

Long neck or long body? I often fine a humorous side to rock art.

Long neck or long body? Check out the two human-like figures on the right. I often find something humorous about rock art. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson.)

Rock art at V-Bar-V Heritage Site near Sedona, Arizona

Love the tail.

Sinagua rock art at the V-Bar-V Heritage Site in the Verde Valley of Arizona.

Archeologists believe the circles represent the sun and serve as a planting calendar.

The two turtles are quite impressive. But what about the couple above the turtles. My imagination tells me they are dancing.

We found Montezuma’s Well a few miles away from the V-Bar-V Heritage Site. There is also a nearby Montezuma’s Castle that we didn’t get to. The so-called castle is a large cliff dwelling. Neither the Well nor the Castle has anything to do with Montezuma, however. Think profit. Early entrepreneurs believed that stealing the famous Aztec emperor’s name would attract more tourists. So here we are back to branding. They are lucky Montezuma didn’t wreak a little revenge on them for the theft. That could have gotten messy.

The Well is actually a large sinkhole with a very productive spring in the middle that pumps out some 1.6 million gallons (6 million liters) of water each day. Given that it manages to do this in the middle of a desert and has been for several thousand years, it is no wonder the Sinagua and other local natives found the spring so valuable. The Yavapai Indians even find it sacred; they believe that their ancestors emerged from the spring. Their legend contends that nothing can re-enter the hole once it has emerged. You can’t go home again.

Scientists have learned a lot about the spring. They have been studying it for decades. For one, they believe the water originates up on the Mogollon Rim where it percolates down through various rock layers until it hits the permeable Red Wall Sandstone, which it follows south until it reaches an impermeable volcanic dike, forcing it to the surface. Fish can’t live in the water, but leeches do, thousands of them. I was not tempted to go for a swim.

Not surprising, there is ample evidence including a number of dwellings that demonstrate the spring’s early use by the Sinagua and others. As for the name, I prefer the Hopi’s name for the spring, Tawapa, which means sun spring.

Montezuma's Well and cliff house in the Verde Valley of Arizona.

A cliff house perches above Montezuma’s Well. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson.)

The same cliff house from a different perspective. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson.)

We found this shelter down next to the water, very well protected from the elements.

Inlet from Montezuma's Well in the Verde Valley of Arizona.

A small inlet from the spring ran next to the shelter and probably provided water. I liked the reflection shot it provided.

Ruins of Native American shelters found at Montezuma's Well in Verde Valley, Arizona.

Just down the trail from the shelter, we found more ruins.

A final shot taken down into Montezuma's Well. Next Blog: Burning Man 2015: the Theme.

A shot from the rim of Montezuma’s Well.

I found this tree growing down in the valley. It demanded I take its picture.

I found this tree growing down in the valley below the Well. It demanded I take its picture. Native Americans farmed in the valley with water from the spring.

More ruins are found above the well. Native Americans farmed some sixty acres in the valley below with water from the spring.

A final photo. This ruin was perched above the valley just down from the edge of the Well. NEXT BLOG: Burning Man… the 2015 theme.

How’d that Peccary Get in the House… Sedona Series

January 29, 2015January 29, 2015 / Curt Mekemson / 30 Comments

Peccary in Kingman, Arizona Museum of History.

This peccary was trying to get in the door.

I was going to write about Indian Rock Art today, but I ran out of time. So I decided to do a quickie. (And no, for those of you who think that way, it wasn’t that type of quickie.)

I woke up one night in Sedona and heard snorting outside our room, lots of snorting. It was the kind of snorting that made me check the door to make sure it was locked. The next morning, in the light of the day, mind you, I went searching for source. As it turns out, peccaries often make nighttime sorties onto the property of the Arroyo Robles Resort. As a general rule, they don’t eat people.

In the interest of transparency, a peccary didn’t get inside our house. I caught the guy in the photo hanging out in the Mojave Museum of History in Kingman, Arizona. He apparently did want in, however. Fortunately, he was stuffed. So was the bobcat. I don’t think Andy Devine was but he liked to stuff himself. Check out the humongous director’s chair.

I've run into several bobcats over the years, but none looked quite as ferocious as this fellow.

I’ve run into several bobcats over the years, but none have looked quite as ferocious as this fellow.

Old Andy here, might send half of my readers running to Google, but he was BIG in the 50s, and also the 40s and 30s. Peggy and I could have shared that chair together.

The museum was packed full of interesting, and I might add, amusing things, like the sign below.

I can guarantee you that you would not find this sign at Burning Man.

Outside of the museum I found contrasting murals of vehicles that once traveled over Historic Route 66. The museum sits alongside the old highway. Travelling back in time, which of these vehicles would have been your vehicle of choice?

Or are you the Volkswagen van kind of person? That’s what I drove in the 70s. But I didn’t plaster it with bumper stickers like I found on this vehicle in Jerome. I found “heavily medicated for your safety” rather amusing.

Peggy and Leslie did a little self-medicating at a pub in Sedona. Did it make the world a safer place? I don’t think so. But it did help them find Snoopy up in the rocks.

Pubs often serve what are known as flights (samples) of the beer they serve. But I’ve never seen them quite as generous as these. The girls were happy. Quite happy.

Snoopy rock formation in Sedona, Arizona.

Yes, there is a rock formation known as Snoopy in Sedona. You can see it off to the right of the large formation. If not, try a flight of beer, or wine, or…. NEXT BLOG: I will get back to the Native American Rock Art, or maybe I will tell you how to pick up a copy of my book. (grin)

The Chapel of the Holy Cross and Boynton Canyon… Two Sedona Icons

January 26, 2015January 26, 2015 / Curt Mekemson / 23 Comments

Church of Holy Cross in Sedona Arizona. Photo by Curtis Mekemson.

While Sedona is known for its spectacular colors, I felt this black and white rendition of Sedona’s Chapel of the Holy Cross emphasized the dramatic look of the church in its natural setting.

Peggy and I have seen numerous beautiful churches in our wandering around the world over the years, but few have matched the simple beauty of the Chapel of the Holy Cross in Sedona, Arizona. Rarely do buildings reflect the areas where they are built so dramatically. (I would place the Greek Orthodox churches on the island of Santorini in such a category.)

Another perspective on the Church of the Holy Cross, this time emphasizing its colorful surroundings. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson.)

Another perspective on the Chapel of the Holy Cross, this time emphasizing its colorful surroundings. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson.)

An inside view of the Church of the Holy Cross in Sedona, Arizona. Photo by Curtis Mekemson.

Inside, looking out.

Madonna and Child rock formation in Sedona, Arizona.

Surrounding rock formations are also impressive, as they are throughout Sedona. This one is appropriately known as the Madonna and Child. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson.)

View of rock formations near Church of Holy Cross in Sedona Arizona. Photo by Curtis Mekemson.

A distant shot of the Madonna and Child (in the center).

We found this cactus on the road going up to the Church of the Holy Cross. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson.)

We found this cactus on the road going up to the Chapel of the Holy Cross. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson.)

A local rancher from Sedona, Marguerite Staude, commissioned the church. Inspired by the Empire State Building, she had originally wanted to build the church in Hungary. When World War II aborted her plans, she decided to build the church in her hometown. Barry Goldwater helped Staude obtain a special land use permit to build the church on national forest land. It cost $350,000, took 18 months to build, and was completed in 1956. The American Institute of Architects gave the church its Award of Honor in 1957.

The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.

John Muir

While I understand the importance of churches in people’s faith, I tend to agree with John Muir in terms of my own spiritual path. A quiet walk in the woods has always made me feel at peace with myself. Seen from this perspective, Boynton Canyon in Sedona is good for the soul.

It’s also a great place to hang out with friends— and a camera.

A view up Boynton Canyon in Sedona, Arizona. Photo by Curtis Mekemson.

One of many of the views Peggy and I, along with our friends, Ken and Leslie Lake, enjoyed on our walk up Boynton Canyon.

Boynton Canyon rock formation in Sedona, Arizona. Photo by Curtis Mekemson.

A close up of the same knob as a black and white photo. Note the various patterns in the rock.

The wilderness sign warned people they might find a bear wandering around in the canyon. While most people might find this worrisome, I was looking forward to seeing one. No such luck.

Rock formation in Boynton canyon, Sedona Arizona. Photo by Curtis Mekemson.

Another dramatic rock formation. I liked the light and dark contrast.

Black and white photo by Curtis Mekemson of a rock formation in Boynton Canyon.

The contrast is even more powerful from a black and white perspective. Check out the halo of light on top.

Face-like rock formation in Boynton Canyon, Arizona. Photo by Curtis Mekemson.

Always on the lookout for faces, I named this open-mouthed fellow, Scream. Maybe he had seen the bear.

Colorful walls of Boynton Canyon, Sedona reflected in the sun.

At one point, the sun reflected off the canyon wall like it was glowing with life. This is the natural color as we saw it.I had never seen anything like it. No wonder the New Agers think of Boynton Canyon with awe. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson.)

Native American cliff dwellings found in Boynton Canon in Sedona, Arizona.

At several points along Boynton Canyon, we saw where Native Americans had once built cliff dwellings. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson.)

Photo by Curtis Mekemson of a grinning rock formation in Sedona, Arizona.

This formation seemed to be grinning at me. Or maybe it was hungry. I know, I know… I have an overactive imagination.

This rock formation looked like an ancient fortress. I wonder if the Native Americans ever used it at such? On another note, a number of early Westerns were filmed in the Sedona area.

Statue of horse from downtown Sedona, Arizona. Photo by Curtis Mekemson.

Found this horse in downtown Sedona.

A final photo from Boynton Canyon.

Old friends. Ken and I have been hanging out causing mischief for close to 40 years. Peggy's sister, Jane Hagedorn, and I hired Ken in 1977 when we co-executive directors of the American Lung Association in Sacramento.

Old friends. Ken and I have been hanging out causing mischief for close to 40 years. Peggy’s sister, Jane Hagedorn, and I hired Ken in 1977 when we were co-executive directors of the American Lung Association in Sacramento. Jane wanted him for his degree in public health education. I wanted him because he had just bicycled across America and I needed his expertise for the long distance Bike Trek program I had created.

NEXT BLOG: It is time to check out some Native American rock art in the Sedona area and visit a very old ‘well.’

Wandering through Time and Place

Exploring the world with Curtis and Peggy Mekemson

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