As the week built to its traditional climax, Meat Camp headed out for the burning of the Man. It seemed as if all the energy and creativity and chaos and motion churning through Black Rock City gathered force like a wave, and finally broke with hurricane force on Saturday night.

By all accounts of waaay more experienced Burners, this was the best one yet. All I can tell you is that you don't see things like this every day. A combination of the astonishing heat of the fire itself, coupled with the dust storms and high desert heat worked in unison to create a series of flaming dustdevils that that rhythmically emerged out of the fire, into the crowds. On my links page, you can get to a video stream of the Burn, complete with footage of the incredible fire dancers.

Meantime, a guy named Rick Egan took some beautiful photos of the festival, and one of a dustdevil you should check out.

But unlike years past, the week didn't end with that long journey into Saturday night. This year, the Mausoleum was constructed in memorial to those who've had an effect on us and passed on. We were encouraged to write tributes to those special folks on the walls. Some people constructed small shrines, and others left photos.

As you can tell from Jet's photo, the creators spent weeks building something that would last but a few days.

Sunday saw a very different evening descend on the City. As the sun set, a dust storm kicked up and steadily increased through twilight. Sitting on the perimeter of the fire safety zone, we joined thousands of others quietly thinking of life and death, of the people who've made us who we are. The dust clouds reduced visibility at times to less than 10 feet, and people and torches flickered in and out of visibility like spectres. It was a ghostworld, with only a thin membrane wrapping mortality.

In this picture, Suzanne watches the final structural collapse. A few hours later, we left Black Rock City a little lighter from burning away parts we didn't need.

So that pretty much wraps up my view of Burning Man 2001. Hopefully, we'll cross paths next year. I'll be guy properly attired for the desert, in my sister-crafted halapa. As Margaret says, "Jack, you put the 'burn' in 'burnoose.' Of course Kadrey had a more conservative assessment: "Not bad - for a white man."

'Til next we meet, keep your ass to the wind, your powder dry, and a blutwurst at the ready.