Makin' Bacon on Mars.
SoCalDeCom was a Mars themed playground. Community Liaisons, Rangers, artists and camp leaders had the event ready.
Landing
Matty, ChewToy, Mike and other greeters hugged arrivers on a bridge over a sand wash. They gave them wrist bands and guides with a map superimposed on a satellite image of the grounds. The flip side of the map was the What Where When of the art, camps and events. KuroNinja rode with Calico to park and even tossed his old pack and bag into one of the all terrain go carts. Mushroom, familiar with the paths, drove the cart in, kinda fast, even over the bumps. We stopped and unloaded in the middle of the wash.
Chilling
Quest made White Russians. Much later on he made mimosas and omelets. People met and made really clever toasts. Ropes of the DWP and girls with sun parasols played. Nymphs and dancers and shape shifters came in. Dr. Techno hauled in a flying saucer. It didn't actually fly; it was mounted on a flatbed truck. As soon as he got in he put down a steel ladder so people could climb in a chill out. There was room for seven, and extra room for four.
Air Cannon
Pirates were firing Cabbage Patch dolls and footballs from an air cannon over the Dawnship. The Dawnship was a Bedouin tent flying Jolly Rogers and big enough for a fire and seventy seven people, give or take a few. The event took everyday items and changed their identity. It brought about new perceptions causing people to question how to see, to re-examine and to re-invent. The participants missed nothing of this earth. That, physically, there was no pirate ship did not matter.
Makin' Bacon Ranch
Rangers dropped off planks near the fire pits. Soon a fire raged through the planks stacked teepee style in the main fire pit. During the nights this fire, being close to the entry areas, to the Dawnship and to the paths to the main stage, drew everybody together. It was just 7' from the Makin' Bacon Camp and just 7 miles from the Makin' Bacon Ranch. The Makin' Bacon Ranch is up Boundary Creek and up Jewelry Stream between Boundary Peak and Rattlesnake Mountain. That ranch, like the SoCalDeCom site, is less than a mile from Mexico. The partially completed border fence and the border patrol vehicle on Jacumba peak are part of the landscape. Boss, from the actual Makin' Bacon Ranch, with real pigs, drank beers chilled in a bucket of ice.
Flying Saucer
James Saint James played the drum. A nymph gathered warm sand from around the fire to put under her bed. Jacumba guy, working for the landowners, looked on, as he was supposed to and wanted to. A Las Vegas burner told us how the Duck art car was built and transported to BRC. It was made from a military transport known as the Duck that was cut in half vertically to pass under bridges. People talked about Hatfield's illuminated Flying Saucer. From its control panel we could program the lighting pattern. The saucer as a symbol of aliens landing on earth could not be suppressed. Yet, beliefs and circumstances about them could be changed.
Flaming Enemas
A nymph lifted her tutu. Lucky Bastard pulled the trigger on his new propane tank. The people at the fire cheered as a flame shot around a long looping plastic tube.
"Oouch," she screamed to general laughs.
"I want one of those . . . but only after five drinks," said Boulevard, who just then got a text. His friend was then there, really here, clomping over the top of the little hill.
"Would you like a flaming enema . . . it's free," said Lucky Bastard.
Boulevard jumped up, put his arm around his friend, Glow, and declared: "he's in."
Glow bared his ass, bent over, and grabbed his junk.
"Kissisiscick," went the propane trigger. Round and round went the flame, capturing the full attention of the group. It lit up the air about the tube and Glow's butt cheeks.
"Youch," he yelped as the fire hit.
Words of Wisdom
After Boulevard and Glow went to dance, words of wisdom crossed the fire. A white guy in dread locks explained the best way to see the grand canyon. He had good vibrations in his voice. You should go to the south rim. The theme of the Harry Potter books is that even those who are inclined toward evil can bring good to the world. Community helps. A burner who started going to BRC after seeing the man on the cover of Wired magazine, met the photograph's wife there this year. A Mexican cop who stops a drunk will see that he and his car are taken safely home and that there is no record of the matter for a payment of $300.
The Golden Case
The secret of the Golden Case by Spike came up. We are all captivated by secrets, and mystery. Deep within us all they strike a chord. We seek out knowledge, and crave mystery. The secret is that you see your reflection. If you didn't want to know that, then there is a deeper secret that isn't in this post that you can still look for.
Fire
The fire got small. ConstabEL brought maple and birch wood he had brought from his orchard. A collective of people who like fire scoured the other fire pits where the rangers had also put burnable planks. They carried the wood past Fuego De Los Muertos in a procession spreading the news that now was fire time. People who had brought wood to SoCalDeCom brought it to the main fire at about the same time. Vitaly and Dr. Evil, maybe this is the same person, put in the The ART Art project. More descriptively, a big wood sign that at first read "Art" but by the time it went into the fire read "Party" and other stuff. It burned for a while and fell in. The fire got big.
Costumes
The costumes were fanciful: a Ninja all in black, Santa, a pirate captain. Many people had more than one costume, some changed at the fire. "Take what you have and make it work," "Be recognized less or more as you choose," was good advice. Alien masks, eye patches and a Phantom of the Opera like mask appeared. Then there was an alien with a flaming antenna! And lots of people who really know how to apply make up.
Temple
At the Temple wishes were wished, written and burned. The temple structure was permanent and had an opening at the top which made strange shadows and for cloud and star watching. A group of people watched a moon set there. As between sunrise, sunset, moonrise and moon set, moon set is the least noticed. It was however, somehow significant -- a shared experience, a little more than half moon sinking behind the mountain in the middle of the day. A railroad car, and some poles and a metal silo, and obviously the railroad tracks were also permanent. The silo had a free-standing door plug of human shape.
Food
A lot of camps gave away really good food, both the ones that had a type of food in their name, and others, so did regular campers. A Hindu Goddess and Poi twirler shared energy bars. Sam's Choo Chew provided munchies in the rail car.
Dancing
The central activity was dancing. The main stage had a shower stall on the far right, with hot and cold water. There was also a second sound stage. The music went quite kinda early.
The Living Room
The Living Room by Taz and Cooper was both an art piece and a chill space. It had the feel of a living room, because there were two doors, a window, a framed 2D piece of art and miscellaneous furniture. Yet no walls. But, however a really comfortable couch and comfy chair.
The End
People who noticed each other earlier shared juice and leftovers as everybody tore down everything. Tossing their bags in their earthly vehicles and leaving.
"Youch," he yelped as the fire hit.
Words of Wisdom
After Boulevard and Glow went to dance, words of wisdom crossed the fire. A white guy in dread locks explained the best way to see the grand canyon. He had good vibrations in his voice. You should go to the south rim. The theme of the Harry Potter books is that even those who are inclined toward evil can bring good to the world. Community helps. A burner who started going to BRC after seeing the man on the cover of Wired magazine, met the photograph's wife there this year. A Mexican cop who stops a drunk will see that he and his car are taken safely home and that there is no record of the matter for a payment of $300.
The Golden Case
The secret of the Golden Case by Spike came up. We are all captivated by secrets, and mystery. Deep within us all they strike a chord. We seek out knowledge, and crave mystery. The secret is that you see your reflection. If you didn't want to know that, then there is a deeper secret that isn't in this post that you can still look for.
Fire
The fire got small. ConstabEL brought maple and birch wood he had brought from his orchard. A collective of people who like fire scoured the other fire pits where the rangers had also put burnable planks. They carried the wood past Fuego De Los Muertos in a procession spreading the news that now was fire time. People who had brought wood to SoCalDeCom brought it to the main fire at about the same time. Vitaly and Dr. Evil, maybe this is the same person, put in the The ART Art project. More descriptively, a big wood sign that at first read "Art" but by the time it went into the fire read "Party" and other stuff. It burned for a while and fell in. The fire got big.
Costumes
The costumes were fanciful: a Ninja all in black, Santa, a pirate captain. Many people had more than one costume, some changed at the fire. "Take what you have and make it work," "Be recognized less or more as you choose," was good advice. Alien masks, eye patches and a Phantom of the Opera like mask appeared. Then there was an alien with a flaming antenna! And lots of people who really know how to apply make up.
Temple
At the Temple wishes were wished, written and burned. The temple structure was permanent and had an opening at the top which made strange shadows and for cloud and star watching. A group of people watched a moon set there. As between sunrise, sunset, moonrise and moon set, moon set is the least noticed. It was however, somehow significant -- a shared experience, a little more than half moon sinking behind the mountain in the middle of the day. A railroad car, and some poles and a metal silo, and obviously the railroad tracks were also permanent. The silo had a free-standing door plug of human shape.
Food
A lot of camps gave away really good food, both the ones that had a type of food in their name, and others, so did regular campers. A Hindu Goddess and Poi twirler shared energy bars. Sam's Choo Chew provided munchies in the rail car.
Dancing
The central activity was dancing. The main stage had a shower stall on the far right, with hot and cold water. There was also a second sound stage. The music went quite kinda early.
The Living Room
The Living Room by Taz and Cooper was both an art piece and a chill space. It had the feel of a living room, because there were two doors, a window, a framed 2D piece of art and miscellaneous furniture. Yet no walls. But, however a really comfortable couch and comfy chair.
The End
People who noticed each other earlier shared juice and leftovers as everybody tore down everything. Tossing their bags in their earthly vehicles and leaving.
