Rain Day

*This post was written last night, and as it turns out the weather was not as bad as it sounded while I was inside the trailer, but this was the post I wrote while waiting it out.

Irony?

Yup, another storm on the horizon, big one too from the looks of it.

But after that, forecasts, for whatever that’s worth, appear clear.

Exquisitely Lucky

Like way beyond grateful right now.

There is a rager of a dust storm happening, which is presaging a rain storm.

Yup, there is rain a coming, until about ten minutes ago I was outside with a cup of tea and a new friend talking about Burning Man adventures.

We were watching the lightning storm on the horizon guessing if we would be missing the storm or if it would make it to us.

Then, an update, rain, real rain, not the spatter of drops that flecked my face as I went out for my sunset bike ride.

I rode deep out into the playa, way past the Temple, where there was no one, no containers with artists materials, no noise, no sound, nothing but me, the high sky studded with whipped clouds underlit by the rosy sunset flocking the mountains ringing the high desert.

It was gorgeous.

Sunset

I stopped my bicycle when I could not see anything but the mountains, the sky, the clouds and the horizon for 180 degrees.

Black Rock

Behind me I knew there was the event happening.

However, with my back turned, I could easily pretend that there was no one, just me, my bicycle and the stunning sky above.

Ok, now I just got a little frightened.  I have never experienced wind like this, the entire trailer is shaking and shaking hard, my tea is sloshing around in its cup like I am on an airplane experiencing severe turbulence.

I will not be leaving the trailer any time soon.

My boss warned me the weather was coming, jesus, this is intense, the entire trailer feels like its going to blow away.  I can’t tell yet if that’s rain out there or hail, but it’s big…

I got to stop writing.

No.

Breathe.

I am ok.

There is nowhere I can go, there is nothing to do, but ride it out and thank god I am riding it out in a trailer and not a tent.  I am really hoping that my friends have all secured coverage.

Fortunately this is happening before the event, if there were more folks out here it could be messy for emergency services.

If it rains really hard we won’t be able to move.

The boss said, don’t worry, we have lots of food in the fridge if we have to buckle down for a few days we’ll be alright.

If the playa floods, we cannot move.

And the way it sounds out there something catastrophic is happening.

This is already, hands down the worst wind and weather I have experienced out here in seven years.

Lucky number seven.

I hear shit flying out there.

I heard my bike get pushed over, it dropped against the trailer and slid to the ground.

God.

All the early art.

Fuck.

There are some beautiful pieces out there, I wonder how they are going to withstand this storm.

I wonder how long this is going to last.

The boss said inclement weather coming in an hour and a half.  That was at 10 p.m. it is now 10:28 p.m.  What is it going to be like by eleven?

The noise I heard was not rain, I think it was just big bits of playa smacking against the trailer.

Well, I have tea and I have coffee.

There is water in the water bottle and I can use the toilet in the trailer, although it was to be strictly for emergency only, so I built up a vanity over it so I wouldn’t be tempted to use it, except in said emergency.

I believe this qualifies.

I feel like if I open the door it will be pulled off its hinges.

In fact, I am tempted to lock it.

However, I am keeping it open as I told a couple of my friends if there were to get stuck out in this neighborhood they could use it as a bolt hole.

I don’t know that anyone will be able to see where I am, it is pure white out.

This blog is being done off line as well, there is no getting online.

There is no phone.

There is no one to call either.

I am not suffering an emergency.

Just some nerves.

I do want to get myself tucked into bed though.

I have Brazilian lounge music playing on the stereo and I can do a nice wipe down with some baby wipes, a whore’s bath if you will, and crawl under the covers and just sit it out.

I don’t think I will sleep any time soon, but the kettle is on and I can get out my book I am reading and just hunker down.

Ah, oh my god, there’s the rain.

That is heavy, thick sounding rain.

This is no little shower.

This is a downpour.

The playa is about to become soup.

No body is moving anytime soon.

I will keep you posted.

If I ever get out of here.

Tags: Black Rock City, burning man, dust, fear, friends, lighting, postaday, storm, weather, white out