gettin' bugged at dooby's

All right, first things first.   This morning, while Don and I snoozed, Mike "I'm up at 6" Murphy took the van and got it washed.  And we didn't notice.  We're bad men, and we regret it.

On our awakening we drove that clean machine to Reno, saw a giant spider on a roof, drove downtown through its gaming hub, and learned you can't warm your coffee in gas stations' microwaves--"it's a health hazard."   Speaking of such, we also passed by Sierra Sid's Casino & Truckstop in nearby Sparks, where they have some of Elvis' guns and jewelry on display. Maybe even the infamous gun that shot out the TV, but we're not sure.  We didn't really stick around to find out.

The big event today was well north of Reno, on a scenic, isolated road that took us past a town called Nixon, which spurred  a certain camera guy to new heights.  The people at the general store wondered why we were taking so many pictures, but really, how could we resist?

Our destination, Gerlach is best known these days as home base for the Burning Man festival.   In case you don't know, it attracts some 50,000 people to the Black Rock desert each Labor Day weekend.  Art cars, impromptu creations, music and revelry (and not so much clothing) are its staples.  And Matthew Ebert is one of the folks who helps make it happen.  He's also the guy who took us out to Guru Lane, a "drive through art show" a few miles outside of town.  

The guru in question was a guy named Dewayne Williams, whose other moniker was "Dooby."

And yes, that's how he got his name.  This ex-Marine with a liberal bent would carve sayings and pithy wisdom into rocks that he sprinkled along a path that runs a mile or so.  Along the way, he also built installations, like an Elvis shrine, a womanly Aphrodite, and the Dooobyvision TV studio we're posed in front of.  It's really impressive, and surprisingly well-preserved (in part thanks to Matthew and his volunteers) but the bugs are something else! Apparently, the no-seeums start swarming just about now, and we were the perfect target for them.  At least, unlike some critters, the pain from their bites is short-lived.   Unless malaria or something else sets in, we're ready for our big finale tomorrow, Rolling Thunder Mountain, one of those "grandaddy" sites we've heard about for years.

Music In the Van--Bruce Springsteen "Magic Town",  Richard Thompson ""Live, the Chrono Show", Ringo Starr Liverpool"

Correction--The highest gas price from the other day was only supposed to be $4.69 for diesel, not $4.99 (though just give it time)