What was I thinking? A work weekend in June in the Mojave? Out where the troops practice heat acclimation before heading to Babylon?
We drove out under the coolness of darkness. At 1am it was still reading 80 degrees. We built a bonfire and pulled out a bottle of champagne watching the moon set in the west. Coyotes howling, their singing closer and closer to our little piece of nowhere. Under the Milky way refrains. Waxing spiral galaxies. You can't help but think big deep things out there.
I awoke to the sun before 8am - tired and groggy. The sun was already blaring hot and bright. I fiddled around, pulling out trash bags and surveyed the situation. There was a lot of work. There was a lot of trash. There was a lot of probably toxic insulation to be dealt with. What the hell was I thinking?
There was nothing left to do but start - so we started. By 9 it was still getting hot, so we decided to go to town for supplies at the new mega-Home Depot. We pass a convoy of tanks on the way and drooled at the machinery. S rolled down her window and we offered a swap - truck for tank. I did not envy the guys - open to the elements with full gear on. A streak of white cord snaked from a helmet into a pocket. A soundtrack for war.
We returned in the heat of the day and S napped while I sat in a patch of shade reading about Burning Man and looking at the hot still scenery - watching reflections on the mountains. Again wonder what the hell I was thinking. I've survived Burning Man - so I can do this. I alternated these rests with raking, picking up trash, rolling up fencing. It was finally starting to take shape as the sun rode its chariot west.
An afternoon adventure at the local bar turned things to the worst. Those stereotypes you hear about, they exist for a reason. Yeah - it's authentic, but it's not necessarily pretty.
We caught the sunset - purple mountains, pink clouds and a final burst of energy before calling it quits and vowing to return in September. School's out. We packed our bags, covered in dust and sweat and sunblock. On the return to civilization - I stopped to get an ice cream. The cashier at the checkout counter had been in the Marines. I asked him what the high temp today had been - and he responded with "it's been cool - it was only probably 105 today. Usually it's about 115 this time of year." Global warming making the Mojave cooler.
So I'm shelving LL until September. Besides - I've got a big move I'm about to announce and I've been clearing my slate making room for my next adventure.
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