The night of The Burn was the busiest night for most Rangers. I was on patrol most of the night. My chosen beat was South City and the open playa and things were relatively quiet (quiet might not be the right word to use here -- the level of chaos was within acceptable parameters) there. After The Man burned, the Rangers partied. Monday was a day of rest and partying for the Rangers. We got a ride on Pepper's Mobile Living Room -- a wild 35mph romp across the playa (with the Shark Car in hot pursuit) and then buzzing the line of cars going out of the gate. Pirate Nick stripped down to nothing but his Ranger hat and waved (everything) to the people as we passed.

I really wasn't into partying at that time. I wanted to stay clearheaded and absorb as much of this experience as I could. Many of the Rangers had been operating for days with little or no sleep and for them the pressure was off and it was time to unwind. I had paced myself and was still enjoying the Ranger experience -- I was a bit sad that it was almost over.

That night the rest of the Rangers took off for Trego hot spring. Most of the DPW people went with them. I stayed behind at Ranger HQ to keep an eye on things, do some writing, and be available if someone needed help. I gassed up the generator and sat in the office writing. After a while, the sound of rain came tapping softly at the windows. Before long, the rain was falling steadily. It was the beginning of a whole new kind of desert experience.