Badlands National Park: WOW! …Plus Wall Drug

October 1, 2022 / Curt Mekemson / 27 Comments

Badlands National Park has great beauty. it also has interesting— and amusing— wildlife, such as three curious prairie dogs that posed for Peggy. With winter and hibernation coming, these guys have obviously been putting on the pounds— or at least ounces! (Photo by Peggy Mekemson.)

The Lakota people, who have occupied the area for hundreds of years, called it mako sica. To early French fur trappers, it was known as les mauvaises terres. Both names mean the same thing: Badlands. If you can’t hunt it, fish it, farm it, or mine it— what good is it? Fortunately, our tastes have changed. We have come to appreciate areas for their natural beauty and Badlands National Park has an abundance. BTW, where there is a will there is a way. People have finally found a way to make money off of beautiful places. It’s called tourism.

Speaking of tourism, we stayed in a small campground near Wall Drug, a tourist attraction that has mastered the art of pulling people off of the road. It started with offering them free ice water in the 60s and 70s by advertising on 3,000 small wooden road signs throughout South Dakota and neighboring states. I first came across the signs in the 60s. It was impossible not to be curious. This time, Peggy and I found the small wooden signs had been morphed into numerous billboards as we crossed South Dakota on I-90.

Wall Drug still uses come-ons to lure travelers off the road with large billboards along I-90. The small, original drug store has turned into a massive tourist attraction with the drug store occupying maybe 1,000 square feet out of the 76,000 square feet the attraction now claims.

Wall Drug advertises that its store has something for everyone. Including Jackalopes.

One of the billboards along I-90 advertised “Come to lunch— or be lunch at Wall Drug.” This smiling T Rex was apparently offering the latter. As an aside, numerous fossils have been found in Badlands National Park, but not dinosaurs. The area was part of an ocean at the time dinosaurs roamed the earth.

The term wall, in Wall Drug, comes from the primary feature of the Badlands, a hundred mile wall from which the Badlands have been eroding at an inch per year for the past 500,000 years or so creating mesas, ridges, and gullies with unique structures of considerable beauty. The 31 mile Loop Road the National Park features takes visitors along the wall and down into the Badlands, providing a great introduction. We will feature views from along the Loop Road today.

Erosion, cutting through some 45 million years of geological history between 75 and 30 million year ago, has left behind unique structures of great beauty. The upper right corner shows the wall from which the Badlands have eroded. Look carefully and you will see vehicles parked at one of the many pull-offs along the 31 mile Loop Road that winds its way through the park.

One thing that is guaranteed along the Loop Road: Great variety. Compare this picture with the one above. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson.)

What caught our attention here, was the contrast between the green trees and the white ridge. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson.)

The erosion here had created a mesa left standing alone above the smooth mounds below.

Rabbit bush added a touch of yellow here to complement golden hills above. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson.)

Jagged peaks are also found along the 31 mile drive.

A close up of one of the peaks along the way.

Pink and mauve top off yellow hills. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson.)

Another example. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson.)

I liked the tiered look here and the way erosion had cut through over 40 million years of geologic history.

We wondered how long it would be before the finger rock on top of this peak fell. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson.)

One of the pull-offs along the road is dedicated to Chief Bigfoot of the Lakota tribe. He was ill when he reached this site on the wall. His followers helped him down. Not long after that, he and some 150 member of his tribe, including women and children, were massacred at Wounded Knee. it was one of the darker moments in US History.

I conclude today with this photo of the Badlands taken near the Visitor Center. Peggy and I will take you for a drive along Sage Road in our next post. It’s noted for its wildlife. Get ready for buffalo, turkeys, big horn sheep, and a raucous town of prairie dogs!

Going on a -.-. — .– Walk at Pt. Reyes… Plus: Peggy Snuggles up to a Police Horse

December 18, 2021December 18, 2021 / Curt Mekemson / 51 Comments

The cows had a hungry look in their eyes. We were thankful they were vegetarians.

Peggy and I had decided to revisit an old favorite of ours, the Palomarin Trail that enters Pt. Reyes National Seashore from the south. We had driven down to Bolinas and were on our way out the narrow, pothole-filled road that leads to the trailhead when we saw a series of poles, lined up like they were standing at attention in ranks. I knew immediately what they were.

The poles were part of the historic Marconi wireless radio station near Bolinas. At one point, they had been connected by wires.

In 1914, decades before the likes of Elon Musk and his techie cohorts started working on worldwide wireless technology, Guglielmo Marconi, the inventor of the wireless radio, had built a huge, wireless radio station near Bolinas to send Morse Code messages flying across the Pacific Ocean, setting up the first-ever communication system between ships at sea and land. A small parking lot was connected to a walking trail that wound its way past the historic poles and toward the ocean. We were easily diverted from our original intent of hiking the Palomarin Trail.

The pole-filled field was doing double-duty as a cow pasture and a herd of cattle insisted on checking us out— up close and personal. It was lunch time and they may have thought we were sneaking alfalfa past them. The Morse Code in the title, BTW, spells C -.-. O —, W .–, in case you were wondering. And boy, that takes me back to my Boy Scout days in the 50s when memorizing Morse Code was essential to working your way up through the ranks.

We checked out the poles, talked with the cattle, and had a pleasant walk out to the coast with both Peggy and me taking photos.

Not quite Mt. Everest, but I was still willing to pose for Peggy. We found large cement blocks throughout the area. At first, I though they might have been part of the coastal fortifications the US built along the Pacific Coast in WW II. Then we decided they were used to anchor the poles and wires. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson.)

A whole herd of cattle was lined up along the road. They remained on the road, not budging as we walked by.

I thought this young fellow munching on grass was quite handsome.

Peggy stopped to admire a lone tree on our walk. The brush had a soft, welcoming look to it. But looks can be deceiving!

As we approached the coast, the Pacific Ocean stretched off into the distance. The Farallon Islands can be seen as bumps on the horizon. They were once known at ‘The Devil’s Teeth’ for their ability to rip the bottoms out of sailing ships. In the 1800s, millions of birds’ eggs were taken from the islands to feed San Francisco’s growing population. Today the islands are a designated wilderness area and are part of a marine sanctuary. The birds no longer have to worry about their babies being stolen.

Looking north, we saw some of the towering cliffs found along the Pt. Reyes National Seashore. Sir Frances Drake, the renowned English hero and buccaneer (fancy name for pirate), apparently admired these cliffs on his visit to the area in 1579. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson.)

Looking south we could see the giant Sutro Tower that dominates the San Francisco skyline. Herb Caen, the well known and beloved columnist of the San Francisco Chronicle, once described the tower as a “giant erector” that was stalking and planning to eat the Golden Gate Bridge. I read Caen religiously when I was growing up. It was back when newspapers still had a sense of humor, before they adopted their Doomsday, Penny Henny view of the world. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson.)

Afterwards, we stopped off in Bolinas for lunch. It’s another favorite coastal town of mine. One reason is the fact that the locals refuse to have signs leading into the town from Highway 1 for tourists to follow. Whenever Cal Trans puts one up, it’s torn down. I think that Cal Trans has finally given up. At least I didn’t see any signs. It has always been a fun, quirky town with its own unique cast of characters. Last time when Peggy and I visited with our friends Ken and Leslie Lake, we came on a bookstore without staff. A sign said “Take any book you want and leave whatever you think the book is worth to you in the cash box.” It was a very Bolinas type of thing.

While I’m on Bolinas stories, I’ll mention that it was also the site of my first ‘Hippie’ experience. I’d stopped in the town in 1968/69 and decided to do a little sunbathing on its infamous nude beach, which I had read about in the San Francisco Chronicle. It was a time before Google listed “The Best Nude Beaches in Marin County,” a time when the Protestant ethic still reigned supreme among America’s middle class. I confess I was a little nervous about getting naked, but it was the sunburn that left a lasting memory!

A sign of the times in Bolinas. As we were walking through the town in search of lunch, we came across a car with a ladder on top that included a sign that set me to laughing. I could identify with it.

Having featured cattle today, it is only right that I should feature a horse as well. It’s a requirement of the Old West. The day after our Bolinas walk found Peggy and I hoofing it along the Bear Valley Trail. It connects the Visitor’s Center with the ocean in an 8-mile round trip. We were feeling our oats, so to speak, when we came across a pair of real hoofers, i.e. horses. A woman was walking one and stopped to chat. As it turns out the horses were part of ‘San Francisco’s Finest.’ It was a police horse, a proud member of the mounted patrol that can often be found patrolling Golden Gate Park. They’ve been at it continuously since 1864. The horses were out for a play day on the Bear Valley Trail.

Peggy, who likes horses, insisted on snuggling up to it and I dutifully snapped a photo on our iPhone. I, on the other hand, am not a horse person. It isn’t their size, their looks, or their personality, all of which I find pleasing. It’s their smell, and the fact that they often leave prodigious piles of poop along hiking trails. Have you ever seen a sign that says “Clean up after your horse?” I’m not sure what it is about their smell, but it clings to you. I wonder if cowgirls and cowboys think of it as perfume?

Peggy snuggles up with the horse along the Bear Valley trail.

That does it for today. I’ll wrap up our recent visit to Pt. Reyes in my next post. Then it will be off to Fort Bragg and Mendocino.

Bunnies, Bunnies, Everywhere… An Easter Tale

April 20, 2019April 19, 2019 / Curt Mekemson / 52 Comments

I drove into the Pleasant Valley Campground near Tillamook, Oregon and there were bunnies everywhere, including this magnificent creature.

With Easter having arrived, I couldn’t resist re-blogging/modifying a post I did on some really cute bunnies a while back.

I had stopped over in Tillamook, Oregon to visit the cheese factory. It sends out tons of the stuff annually. I assume all over the world. I watched women whip around 50 pound blocks of cheese like they had been working out with Arnold Schwarzenegger. This made me hungry, so I ordered a sample plate of Tillamook ice cream. Bad idea. It’s really good. I mean really, really good. But eating all of those calories made me tired. It was time to find a campground.

And this is where the bunnies came in. I pulled into Pleasant Valley Campground, a few miles south of Tillamook, and was greeted by (drum roll please) RABBITS, dozens of them. There were black ones, and brown ones, and white ones, all of whom seemed to be chasing each other around in a glorious romp to make more bunnies. After all, isn’t that what rabbits do beside deliver Easter eggs?

Ignoring the obvious, for the moment, I asked the owner where all the rabbits came from. “Oh they used to live across the street,” she informed me. “One day, a few moved over here. They didn’t do any harm and the campers seemed to like them. So I let them stay.” The rest is history, as they say. Anyway, here are some photos I took of the rabbits. Enjoy.

I am going for the “awww” factor with this baby bunny.

This was only a few of the rabbits, but it makes the point.

This furry gal was napping when I snuck up on her, but then, her eyes popped open…

Alert brown rabbit near Tillamook, Oregon.

And she was all wiggly ears and twitchy nose.

It rained really hard that night. I discovered I had several rabbits using my van as shelter. The step is the doorstep to my van.

It rained hard that night. I discovered I had several rabbits using my van as shelter. The step is my doorstep. My flashlight caught their eyes. Scary. Was it a case of when good bunnies go bad?

Tillamook, Oregon Bunny. Photo by Curtis Mekemson.

Nah. I’ll finish off with another baby bunny. It was cold out and this tyke looks cold. I almost invited it into my van to warm up.

I don’t know how many of these bunnies participate in delivering Easter Eggs, but any of them would be welcomed here! A very Happy Easter to our friends throughout the blogging world— Curt and Peggy

Long Beaches, Redwoods and Rocky Points on California 101… The North Coast Series

December 18, 2016December 17, 2016 / Curt Mekemson / 24 Comments

Treasures are often found by those who wander off from well-tred paths. This bit of driftwood I found on Clam Beach north of Eureka, California is an example.

Treasures are often found by those who wander off from well-worn paths. I found this bit of driftwood on Clam Beach north of Eureka, California. I am forever taken by grains and texture in wood. What better way to find them!

Far too often, travel consists of hurrying through a number of must-see stops. I understand this. Some places are rightfully renown for their beauty, history shopping, etc., and time is limited. So you have a check-off list and a timeline. If you are on an organized tour, your travel is even more directed and options for wandering are close to nil, which is one of the reasons that I rarely travel that way.

Sometimes I like to travel without an itinerary and stop willy-nilly when something captures my attention. I realize that I run the risk of missing something worth seeing, but I also open the door for new adventures. When Peggy and I visited California’s North Coast in October, Mendocino was our must see stop. We even had a reservation, which is rare for us.

After Mendocino, it was wander time. We followed Highway 1 as it wound its way up the coast and then cut across the coast range to Highway 101 at Leggett. We zipped up 101 to Eureka so we would have more time on the coast north of the city. Eureka, BTW, was apparently what Archimedes, the Greek mathematician, shouted when he discovered a way of determining the purity of gold. It means, “I found it!” California 49ers shortened the concept to mean, “I found gold!” It became the state motto.

Our first stop above Eureka was at Clam Beach for no other reason than we hadn’t been there before. What we discovered was something of a rarity for the North Coast, a beach that went on and on. A small trail wound its way through brush, eventually leading us out to the beach.

Clam Beach off of Highway 101 north of Eureka, California.

We found golden Dune Grass…

Pampas Grass growing on the California Coast.

And golden Pampas Grass. Its beauty is countered somewhat by the fact that it is an invasive plant from South America, often replacing native plants.

Pampas Grass on Clam Beach in Northern California.

For fun, I shot the same Pampas Grass backlit the sun.

And then had Peggy stand next to it for perspective.

A final shot of Clam Beach with golden Dune Grass and Pampas Grass in the distance.

Usually when we are in this part of California, we spend some time in the Redwoods. Our views this time, however, were limited to what we saw from the road, except for one ancient giant we found at a rest stop. It had burned years and years ago, leaving nothing but a charcoal remnant of its once magnificent self. Still, it stood as a testament to the miracle of life…

This ancient victim of fire amused me when I noticed that its top was creating a new forest!

Patrick’s Point State Park returned us to the rocky shoreline I associate with the North Coast. Peggy and I followed a muddy path down a steep cliff to get to the action!

Patrick's Pt. State Park north of Eureka, California on Highway 101.

Hiking down to the ocean at Patrick’s State Park, we spotted a rock that was lit up by the sun.

Close inspection showed it to a home for California Brown Pelicans.

Closer inspection showed it to be a home for California Brown Pelicans.

Edging my way around a cliff provided another view.

Edging my way around a cliff provided me with another view.

Waves breaking at Patrick State Park north of Eureka and Arcata, California.

Including this…

And this. I really liked the dark and light contrast, along with the massive rocks.

When I was inching my way back to where Peggy was, the ocean waved goodby.

NEXT BLOG: “There are elk!” Peggy yelled, almost causing me to crash. “There must be 300!”

Where Dragons Still Rule the Earth… Burning Man

January 27, 2016January 26, 2016 / Curt Mekemson / 18 Comments

The mutant vehicles of Burning Man, such as this green dragon, are marvelous creatures of the imagination.

Blogging about mutant vehicles at Burning Man is always fun for me. Each year brings a new crop of these marvelous creatures, as well as old favorites. How can you not love dragons and cats and fish and ships and trains and planes and tennis shoes and Mad Max vehicles as they make their way back and forth across the Playa— blasting out music on occasion, and at other times blasting out fire.

Here’s the thing: you are not allowed to drive a regular vehicle in Black Rock City or out on the Playa. You can drive to your camp when you arrive at Burning Man and out when you leave. Beyond that you have to get creative and build a vehicle that doesn’t look like one. And you have to get a license. The Department of Mutant Vehicles, DMV, is waiting for you… and hundreds of other Burners who have built the creatures of their dreams or nightmares. Is your vehicle weird enough? Is it safe? If the answer is yes, are you turned loose to wander. Thousands of people are eager to see what you have created.

The Department of Mutant Vehicles processes hundreds of vehicles each year that are applying for the right to be driven on the Playa and in Black Rock City. It isn’t unusual to see a dozen or more lined up out side of this building waiting to be processed. I wonder if LA County is missing its sign?

Mutant vehicles or art cars come in all sizes as well as shapes. Some will barely accommodate two people while others may accommodate 50. Most big ones are built by camps and provide transportation for their members. (The rule is, however, that anyone can hitch a ride.) They also provide a convenient viewing platform for special events, such as the Piano Toss, or a dance floor for anytime/anywhere. I once watched one crawl by in a whiteout with riders gyrating like the end of the world had arrived. I could barely see them 50 feet away. It could have been a scene from Dante’s Hell.

This vehicle provides one of Burning Man’s popular dance venues and can usually be found parked at the same place on the Playa. Check out the speakers.

El Pulpo Mechanico looms up in the air and provides a viewing platform. Here Burners were waiting for a piano to be tossed.

El Pulpo Mechanico looms up in the air and provides a viewing platform above the crowd of Burners who were waiting for a piano to be tossed. (More on that in another post.)

I decided to do two or three posts on mutant vehicles. There are simply too many to feature in one. Today I am going to focus on fire-breathing, magical dragons. Aren’t they all? I think it has to do with their genetic make up. There have always been dragons at Burning Man— at least since I started going in 2004. They deserve their own post.

The green dragon provided a ride out to admire R-Evolution and other art pieces on the Playa.

A heads up view of the dragon.

How to rein in your dragon… Chains are used to raise and lower the dragon’s head.

Staring off into space.

Back view of dragon shows entry and how bikes are carried.

The dragon on the left is named Abraxas, I believe. It has been to Burning Man several times. This year it showed up with a baby!

Most of the larger mutant vehicles carry sound systems. Stopping is an excuse to dance. Partners are not needed.

The proud mama with her kid.

Lined up to take off. The structure on the right was used in the Piano Toss. (Photo by Don Green.)

A final head shot of Abraxas. The tube coming out of her mouth is for shooting out flames at night. Note the red-eye. A fearsome beastie indeed.

Dragons are even more fearsome creatures when the sun goes down!

NEXT BLOG: More incredible mutant vehicles.

Timothy Leary Goes to Burning Man… but Wait, He’s Dead!

January 23, 2016January 23, 2016 / Curt Mekemson / 33 Comments

1 Burning the Totem of Confession at Burning Man 2015 c DG

As the Totem of Confession burns at Burning Man 2015, a pair of eyes seems to be staring out of the flames. Could it be Timothy Leary taking a last look around before he drifts off into space? The dust devil tornado on the right is a spin-off of the tremendous heat. (Photo by my friend Don Green.)

Susan Sarandon put on a low-cut white wedding dress. Her camp members walked beside her, stirring up the Playa dust. Timothy Leary came along behind, his ashes riding in a casket. A New Orleans style jazz band led the joyful procession of live and dead people making their way out to the Man and then on to the towering Totem of Confession. A 26 foot tall Octopus rolled along behind. Leary would have loved it. Maybe he did.

This photo of Timothy Leary was hung in the Totem of Confession. The sign beneath declares, “Gone Fishing.”

Here's a view of the giant octopus, El Pulpo Mechanico, at night, with flames coming out of his tentacles and his head. El Pulpo transported Sarandon around Burning Man when she first visited Black Rock City in 2013.

Here’s a view of the giant octopus, El Pulpo Mechanico, that accompanied Leary out to the Totem of Confession. This is at night, with flames coming out of his tentacles and his head. El Pulpo transported Sarandon around Burning Man when she first visited Black Rock City in 2013.

They had toasted Leary a few minutes before the parade began, a communal act of mixing a pinch of his ashes with water (and possibly a tiny amount of LSD?) and drinking the concoction. It was bottoms up and goodbye. It wasn’t Leary’s first send-off, however. The majority of his ashes had already been shot into space, along with those of Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek. Leary had been promoting space travel and colonization at the time he passed way. He was looking for a one-way ticket into the outer beyond. “A few of us managed to accomplish that,” Sarandon reported in an interview. He died on May 31, 1996, just two days after he heard the news that he would be joining Roddenberry and a number of others on their journey into space, the final frontier.

Leary was to be re-cremated at the Totem of Confession. Before dying, he had requested that his remaining ashes be divided among friends. Sarandon had received a packet and kept it for almost 20 years. During her first venture out to Burning Man in 2013, she had decided to “gift” Burning Man for the experience. After pondering what to give, including a giant ping-pong table, she decided on Timothy’s ashes.

It was a major Burning Man event— and I missed it, wasn’t even aware it was happening. I would have been there, excited to toast the man Richard Nixon once claimed was the most dangerous man in America. Unfortunately, I had obtained my ticket the day before Burning Man started and hadn’t had the time to do the normal research I do on Black Rock City’s seemingly endless list of activities.

For those of you a bit fuzzy on Timothy Leary’s history, he is considered the father of LSD, or at least the man who brought it to the forefront of public awareness. The CIA had decided that the powerful hallucinogen might work as a mind control agent and experimented with it extensively in the 1950s and early 60s— often on Americans who weren’t aware that they were taking part in a CIA experiment, or, for that matter, weren’t even aware that they were being given the drug. In the mid 70s, when Congress decided to investigate the abuse, the CIA destroyed their files.

Leary, a psychologist, had begun his experiments as a professor at Harvard when LSD was still a legal drug. He was interested in whatever medical benefits the drug might have, and even more interested in the drug’s ability to lead people to a higher level of consciousness, something like Tibetan monks reportedly achieve after decades of meditation.

Research into whatever medical or psychological benefits might derive from the use of LSD came to a halt when the drug was made illegal in the mid-60s. Anti-drug advocates achieved a similar ban into research on the medical benefits of marijuana. (Different, but interesting none-the-less, the NRA was able to get legislation through Congress that banned research into the health benefits derived from reducing gun violence.)

My research on Leary for this blog brought up a few interesting facts in his history that I wasn’t aware of:

Gordon Liddy, Nixon’s lead burglar, organized drug raids against Leary as a local assistant DA several years before he joined Nixon. Liddy would later hit the speaker circuit with Leary in the 80s.
Leary made a short run against Ronald Reagan for the governorship of California in 1970. John Lennon wrote “Come Together” as a campaign song for him. (Leary’s run was cut short when he was thrown into Folsom Prison for marijuana use. Jerry Brown released him in 1976.)
Leary’s famous turn on, tune in, drop out rallying cry was suggested to him by Marshall McLuhan, famous for coining the phrases the medium is the message and the global village.

Susan Sarandon had befriended Leary in the mid-80s. By then, she was already an A-level Hollywood actress. I was amused that one of the first movies she starred in had been the cult classic, The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Numerous other movies followed including Bull Durham, Thelma and Louise, Little Women, and Dead Man Walking, for which she received an Oscar. At some point along the way, she had an affaire with David Bowie. A strong advocate for liberal causes, she was selected to be the 1999 UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.

Sarandon had originally planned to place Leary’s ashes in the Temple Of Promise, Burning Man’s main 2015 temple. A friend, however, had suggested that she get in contact with Michael Garlington of Petaluma, California, who at the time was putting together a 40-foot tall temple-like structure that he was calling the Totem of Confession. Michael was excited about the proposal and immediately said yes. Susan did more than simply offer ashes; the 68-year old showed up a week before Burning Man to help construct the temple and was handed a nail gun. She stayed in a tent that was constantly filling with dust and even blew down twice in high winds. I doubt many Hollywood types would participate in such an endeavor unless a movie contract and a few million dollars were added as an incentive. I admire her. Weeks later, she was still coughing up Playa dust during media interviews.

While the Totem of Confession had both a spire and a confessional, few people would consider it a church. It was too whimsical, and I might add, irreverent. Garlington used the word totem as in totem pole. It was chock full of strange photographs, plaster skulls, a goat head, Leary’s photo, hidden nooks and other miscellaneous items. I felt like an archeologist or possibly an anthropologist as I wandered through. Pictures tell the story best.

A day time view of the impressive Totem of Confession created by Michael Garlington and his partner

Each of the open spaces in Totem of Confession, as shown above, contains one of Michael’s photos.

A close up of the dress. Interesting, huh?

A close up of the dress. Imagine wearing it to a prom, or the symphony.

Another of Michael’s photos with a curious owl providing a photo-bomb.

This albino alligator, like the owl, and several other animals, decorate the temple.

This albino alligator, like the owl, and several other animals, decorated the temple.

Panel of door at Totem of Confession Burning Man 2015

The door into the Totem of Confession featured this elaborate front.

The confessional booth inside the temple included this tower of skulls. Strange, yes, but I once visited a church in Evora, Portugal whose walls and ceilings were made of skulls, real ones.

The confessional booth inside the temple included this tower of plaster skulls. Strange, yes, but Peggy and I once visited a church in Evora, Portugal whose walls and ceilings were made of skulls, real ones. More skeletons looked on from above.

The opposite side of the booth had quite the collection of “other” things.

The confessional booth. “Have a seat my dear, and tell me what you’ve been up to at Burning Man. Oh my, that will require 10,000 Hail Marys.”

The best of horror stories my require a goat like this.

This guy would do well in the most pagan of temples.

And what is with these eyes. Is someone staring at you? Are you being recorded? Are you on Candid Camera? Do you dare look through the peep hole?

And what is with this eye? Is someone staring at you? Are you being recorded? Are you on Candid Camera? Do you dare look through the peep-hole?

Of course I had to look. I suspect one could spend hours finding everything that had been hidden, incorporated into the nooks and crannies of the Totem of Confession.

A view of the Totem of Confession at night.

The Totem of Confession was burned immediately after the Man burned Saturday night. Sarandon’s wedding dress was included in the pyre. (Photo by Don Green.)

The temple burned quickly and fell to the ground. I wonder if the Burner was warming his hands or applauding. (Photo by Don Green.)

A final photo by Don. I really liked the way he captured the Totem of Confession in the broader Burning Man context.

A final photo by Don. I really liked the way he captured the Totem of Confession in the broader context of Burning Man. (Photo by Don Green.)

NEXT BLOG: Let’s take a detour and admire some Mutant Vehicles/Art Cars.

The Murals of Burning Man 2015… From Dali to Pigs that Fly

January 20, 2016January 19, 2016 / Curt Mekemson / 46 Comments

Destined to last a week, Burning Man murals provide mural artists with and opportunity to display their work, and for Burners to enjoy the murals.

Destined to last a week, Burning Man murals provide mural artists with an opportunity to display their work, and for Burners to enjoy the murals.

Somewhere around 30,000 BC, a group of guys and possibly gals, decided to try their hand at creating murals deep in the caves of southern France. Apparently folks liked what they saw. The art form caught on. The ancient Egyptians placed murals in their tombs; they were found in Pompeii before Mt. Vesuvius blew her top; and Michelangelo undoubtedly got a kink in his neck from daubing away at the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Peggy and I have even found some very interesting UFO-like murals left behind by early Native Americans.

We found this Roman mural in a museum in Naples.

Today murals have become ubiquitous, if I may use that two-bit word, i.e. they are everywhere. Small towns use them to attract visitors and relate their history. Urban areas have found them great for freshening up blighted areas. And the best of graffiti artists are now paid big bucks to wield spray cans they once used for free— two steps ahead of the police.

Murals have a way of slipping into my blogs when I come across them. I appreciate the efforts of both major cities and small towns to support artists. I recently featured murals I found in Puerto Vallarta. Two other examples include one from the small coastal town of Bolinas and one featuring People’s Park in Berkeley.

Mural Peggy and I found in Puerto Vallarta. We enjoyed its sent of humor.

Mural Peggy and I found in Puerto Vallarta. We enjoyed its sense of humor.

Mural of early Bolinas, California. Photo taken by Curtis Mekemson.

A mural depicting how Bolinas would have looked in the 50s. Not much has changed. As for the guy in a brown suit carrying a blue surfboard… artistic license?

Murals have been used to reflect local history and political protest.

Murals have often been used to reflect local history and political protest.

Alien looking forms in an early Native American mural (pictograph) from Sego Canyon in eastern Utah north of I-70. I am going with UFO visitors.

Given the creative bent of Burning Man, it isn’t at all surprising to find that mural art thrives there. Each year, the Burning Man Organization, BMO, makes a long fence around the back side of the Center Camp Café available to artists. Other murals can be found throughout Black Rock City. I make a point of including works that strike my fancy in my annual Burning Man blogs. This year my choices ranged from Salvador Dali to pigs that fly— and other strange stuff. (Grin) Pigs that fly, BTW, have been a favorite of mine ever since I memorized this poem from Lewis Carol as an impressionable teenager:

“The time has come,” the Walrus said, ”To talk of many things:  Of shoes, and ships, and sealing-wax– Of cabbages and kings– And why the sea is boiling hot– And whether pigs have wings.”

Peggy’s mom, who is a retired high school English teacher and is now 95, doesn’t remember much, but she remembers this verse. We often recite it together.

Three angelic flying pigs. I think the nose masks are there to deal with the dust storms of Burning Man.

A not so angelic Salvador Dali and his message.

Arriving early at Burning Man in 2015, I was able to watch a number of mural artists at work.

Colorful mural, colorful clothes.

A view of one of the walls featuring a number of artists.

These clowns fit into the Burning Man theme of Carnival.

A bear riding a unicycle while juggling flaming bottles— another carnival theme. Apparently the world burns as well, while the middle bottle urges people to have a nice day.

Want strange, this ‘BMO insider’ mural qualifies. Check out the statue of Bliss dancing with Homer Simpson on the hat. El Pulpo Mechanico lurks in the background.

Handsome bugs. Number 4, not seen, BTW, was a mirror.

Handsome bugs. Fig 4, not seen here, was a mirror. Burners were invited to join the collection.

Let’s have a party. The two in front are playing their noses like flutes. And then there is the nose harp…

Unfinished but interesting.

A study in black and white. Check out the details.

Incentive or trap?

I’ll conclude with this version of what I view as the peaceable kingdom. Whether the artist saw it that way…

NEXT BLOG: A strange cathedral, Susan Sarandon, and the ashes of Timothy Leary.

R-Evolution at Burning Man 2015…

January 18, 2016January 17, 2016 / Curt Mekemson / 39 Comments

The 48 foot sculpture R-Evolution looks across the Playa at Burning Man.

“Art can illuminate the human condition and be a catalyst to social change… it can foment revolution… it can make a difference in individuals’ lives… in your life.” —Marco Cochrane

She stood there in her nakedness, looking out across the Playa, all 48 feet of her. She was a tall woman.

R-Evolution is the third in a series of giant women sculptures created by the Bay Area artist Marco Cochrane for Burning Man. Marco named his three-part effort the Bliss Project after his first sculpture, Bliss Dance, which appeared at Burning Man in 2010 and later graced Treasure Island. Truth Is Beauty appeared in 2013 and R-Evolution in 2015.

Bliss Dance sculpture at Burning Man in 2010.

Truth is Beauty sculpture at Burning Man 2013.

Working out of his studio on Treasure Island, Marco used the same woman, Deja Solis, as the model for each of his giant woman. The purpose behind his monumental work, according to Marco, is to “challenge the viewer to see past the sexual charge that has developed around the female body… to inspire men and women to take action to end violence against women, making room for women’s voices, thus allowing both women and men to live fully and thrive.”

Marco starts with a clay model and then works upward and outward, constructing the final sculpture of steel rods and balls, which is then covered with a stainless steel mesh. For those who like details, the 55-feet tall Truth is Beauty weighed 7,000 pounds and was constructed using 55,000 single welds, 25,000 feet of steel rod and pipe, 6500 steel ball connection points, and 2000 square feet of stainless steel mesh. 1500 multi-colored LED lights were distributed throughout her body for nighttime illumination.

I feel lucky that I was able to be at Burning Man the three times that Marco brought his art work to Black Rock City. I felt compelled each year to revisit the statues again and again. As I look back over my photographs (there are a bunch), I’ve come to reverse their presentation in my mind. I start with the quiet and contemplative R-Evolution, move on to the enlightened and celebratory Truth Is Beauty, and end with the joyfully dancing Bliss. Maybe I’ve made this choice because Marco uses as his motto on his website one of my all-time favorite quotes and guidelines for living life:

“Follow your bliss and doors will open where none existed.” –Joseph Campbell

I like this photo because it shows the meditative quality of R-Evolution.

I like this photo because it shows the peaceful, meditative quality of R-Evolution.

This photo by Don Green captures the sunlight in an interesting way.

This photo by Don Green captures the sunlight reflected off of R-Evolution’s structure in an interesting way. Can you spot the heart?

Cochrane’s use of hands in his sculptures always tell part of the story.

A close up showing the internal structure of the hand.

A large group attended an evening discussion on the issue of violence against women.

R-Evolution, Bliss and Truth Is Beauty were all designed to take on a variety of colors at night, providing a completely different perspective on the sculptures.

R-Evolution, Bliss Dance and Truth Is Beauty were all designed to take on a variety of colors at night, providing a completely different perspective on the sculptures.

I thought this was quite dramatic with its black sky background.

A final view of R-Evolution looking across the Playa at the distant mountains of the Black Rock Desert.

NEXT BLOG: The murals of Burning Man.

Medusa at Burning Man… Where Snakes, Art and Myth Join Forces

January 15, 2016 / Curt Mekemson / 21 Comments

The Medusa by Kevin Clark and the Rhino Redemption Camp was one of the most impressive sculptures at Burning Man 2105.

You are probably familiar with the myth of Medusa. She was one bad dude-ette. The story is told that Medusa, a beautiful woman, had sex with Poseidon (Neptune) in Athena’s temple— an event that seriously irritated the goddess, which was never a wise thing to do. Athena responded by giving Medusa a permanent bad hair day, turning her beautiful locks into a nest of squirming snakes. Even worse, she gave Medusa a look that transformed people into stone. Neither of these actions was conducive to encouraging normal human contact and Medusa developed a nasty attitude, using her newly acquired powers willy-nilly.

The Greek hero Perseus was tasked with chopping off Medusa’s head. The gods helped. He set off for battle armed with a sword from Zeus, a polished shield from Athena, winged slippers from Hermes, an invisibility cloak from Hades, and a sack from the Hesperides. The latter was to stuff Medusa’s head into. Three old sea goddesses with one eye and one tooth between them, the Graeae, told Perseus where to find Medusa when he stole their eye. By cleverly using Athena’s shield as a mirror, he approached the snake-haired woman and hacked his way to success. Afterwards, Perseus used his grisly trophy to do in enemies. He’d yank her head out of the sack and point it at them. Zap, you’re a rock.

Burners from Petaluma, California, creators of one of my all time favorite mutant vehicles, the Rhino Art Car, were responsible for bringing Medusa to Burning Man. Kevin Clark and his fellow members of the Rhino Redemption Camp, felt that Medusa with her mirror tie-in was a natural for the 2015 Burning Man Theme, Carnival of Mirrors. Burning Man honchos agreed and Clark went to work in his Petaluma workshop. He used a cast of the face of his friend and co-worker on the project, Michele Ramatici, as a model for Medusa’s face, and set about gathering 800 barrels for making 25 snakes. The snakes would reach as high as 27 feet into the sky; Medusa’s face, close to 15 feet.

The Rhino Art Car crosses the Playa in 2014.

3 Rhino Art Car camped out at Medusa Burning Man 2015

This is the Rhino Art Car in 2015 as it provides a temporary home for the crew that was working on Medusa.

4 Horn of Rhino Art Car at Burning Man 2015

A view of the Rhino’s horns. Also note its eye.

When I arrived on Sunday, the first day of Burning Man, work was still underway on the giant sculpture. Bits and pieces of snakes and snakeheads were still strewn all over the ground. (It isn’t unusual for large-scale art projects to be under construction the first few days of Burning Man.) I watched with fascination as a tall crane lifted snake sections into place. Even partially complete, the sculpture was impressive. It became more so as the week progressed.

A snake head up close… complete with wicked looking fangs. Eventually, it would connect with its body.

6 Medusa being built at Burning Man 2015

The ground, in fact, was still strewn with snake parts when I arrived at Burning Man 2015 on opening day.

7 Building Medusa at night Burning Man 2015

Work continued far into the night as the Rhino Redemption Camp worked to have Medusa’s snakes up and ready to strike.

8 Early Medusa with white face at Burning Man

Even partially finished, Medusa was impressive. Eventually, the white cover of Medusa’s face would come off.

9 Early building of Medusa at Burning Man 2015

But first, she had to grow a lot more snakes, as shown in the next two photos.

10 The snakes of medusa

11 Medusa close to being finished at Burning Man DG

My friend, Don Green, captured this photo of the almost completed Medusa. All that remained was to remove the white cover. I liked the contrast of the red umbrella.

A different kind of snake was found just above Medusa’s head: a King Cobra.

13 Night view of Medusa's face at Burning Man DG

Night provided a totally different perspective. (Photo by Don Green.)

15 Night view of Medusa's snakes at Burning Man 2015

The snakes were quite colorful.

16 Close up of Medusa's snakes at Burning Man

The ‘tongues’ were designed to shoot out flames. Unfortunately, I was never around to witness the phenomena.

17 Threatening Medusa snake at night, Burning Man

It wasn’t hard to imagine that this fellow thought of me as dinner.

Starting with ancient Greece and then moving on to Rome, the Renaissance and modern times, there must have been hundreds, if not thousands, of images of Medusa created. I even found a GQ magazine cover that featured Rihanna wearing Medusa hair. Regardless of all the art generated since the beginning, I believe that the ancient Greeks would have loved Kevin Clark’s version.

18 Medusa's face revealed at Burning Man

Medusa’s face unveiled was made of burnished steel, which created a perfect mirror.

Medusa, hiding out in her snake hair.

20 People admiring Medusa at Burning Man 2015

A final view as Burners check out the sculpture. Even a dragon fly had stopped by to visit.

The Temple of Promise at Burning Man 2015

January 13, 2016January 12, 2016 / Curt Mekemson / 25 Comments

The Temple of Promise at Burning Man 2012.

The Temple of Promise at Burning Man 2015: light, airy, and beautiful.

I had rolled out of bed at 5:30 and ridden my bike out onto the Playa to take photos of Burning Man’s 2015 Temple of Promise. It was truly beautiful and promised to be even more so at sunrise. There were lots of folks already there when I arrived (even mutant vehicles), but none of the hustle, bustle and noise that normally accompany Burner events. As the sun hit the spire, the people present spontaneously formed a large circle and silently held hands. No one said let’s hold hands; or let’s form a circle. It was unplanned, a response to the beauty of the moment, yes, but more, something transcendent, a reflection of how Burners feel about their temple.

A crowd had gathered at the Temple of Promise when I arrived as the sun climbed over the mountains. A dragon mutant vehicle is outlined by the early morning light.

A crowd had gathered at the Temple of Promise when I arrived as the sun climbed over the mountains. A dragon mutant vehicle, filled with Burners, is outlined by the early morning light.

Burners spontaneously joined hands as the first rays of the sun hit the Temple.

And continued to as the Temple was bathed in light.

And continued to hold hands as the Temple was bathed in light.

I use the word ‘their temple’ on purpose. The people responsible for building the temple each year— the architects, master builders, and volunteers who donate thousands of hours— and the people responsible for funding it (somewhere in the neighborhood of $250,000), generously contribute their work of art to the people attending Burning Man, as part of the event’s unique gifting society. Every year, the temple is different, a unique creation, and every year I have attended, the temple has been something special, a thing of beauty. Here is a selection of the temples.

The Temples at Burning Man are unique and quite beautiful.

The Fire of Fires Temple at Burning Man 2009

One of the first Temples I saw at Burning Man.

The Temple of Hope at Burning Man 2006

The Temple of Whollyness at Burning Man 2013

The Temple of Flux at Burning Man 2010.

The Temple of Juno at Burning Man 2012. (Photo by Tom Lovering.)

The Temple of Grace at Burning Man 2014.

The significance of the Temple goes beyond its beauty, it becomes a refuge, a place to say goodbye to friends and loved ones (including pets) who have passed on, a place to ask for forgiveness and leave messages of forgiveness, and a place to celebrate and say thank you. Literally thousands of messages are left on the temple walls during the week. Photographs, perhaps a dog’s favorite chew toy, even someone’s ashes are left as remembrances.

Morris the Cat was born in 1998 and passed away on October 5, 2014 at the old age of 16. He was still loved and missed by the people he had considered his family.

Someone has memorialized a number of species that had become extinct.

The Earth Guardians of Burning Man have memorialized a number of species that had become extinct.

A garden of metal trees stood in the Temple’s patio and provided more opportunities for people to remember their loved ones.

Photographing the Temple at different times of the day and from different angles only added to its beauty.

The entrance leading into the Temple. (Photo by Don Green.)

I really liked this shot by Don that emphasized the entrance leading into the Temple and the contrasting mountains behind. (Photo by Don Green.)

Another morning shot from a different angle. I also like the drama provided by the clouds.

Another morning shot from a different angle. I also liked the drama provided by the clouds.

Morning sun catching the copper face of the temple provided the rich color here.

Inside the Temple at midday… shadows and light.

The Temple at night from a distance.

The front of the Temple at night.

Inside the Temple at night.

A black and white rendition of the Temple top for fun.

On Sunday evening the Temple burns. It is a solemn occasion. Tears run down cheeks, people whisper goodbyes, and friends hold each other tight as flames leap into the air, lighting the night and carrying memories of loved ones into the sky. But it is also a celebration of life, a letting go, and permission to move forward. I had planned to attend the 2015 ceremony along with my friends Tom Lovering and Don Green, but we had the wrong time and the temple burned quickly. Here are two photos from the Temple burn of 2012.