I took a few pictures and watched the new crescent moon slip behind the clouds over Telescope Peak. An hour later that new moon had disappeared and the sky was again filled with stars, Orion back in the sky and Art Bell on the radio again. I listened to various fragments of fading radio and finally closed my eyes for the night. Still very windy, still quite cold. Badwater becomes my personal Stonehenge.
Every possible direction is 'up' from here.
It is utterly quiet. I am energized by this. I am barely able to contain the feeling of how great this all is. I am a simple man. Despite my indulgence in personal solitude, I am still capable of being friendly to a stranger.