Every Labor Day weekend, hundreds of mostly Bay Area people travel to the Black Rock Desert in Northwest Nevada. They set up camp upon an alkali playa and erect a giant human figure. The next three days are devoted to ritual, art, and celebration. On nightfall of the third day, the man is slowly lowered to the ground and instilled with fuel.
Heat waves shimmer off the hardpan alkali flat, and a fine white dust swirls on the wind.
Thunderheads gather over the distant mountains that ring the plain, but the sky above you is a deep cloudless blue. Behind you is your camp, a Rube Goldberg mix of vans, tents, and RVs arrayed in a great circle. You press an icy bottle to your forehead, savoring the cold, and look up. Spontaneous activity is central to the Burning Man experience. Fine - bring 'em.