Burning Man in Long Beach Backyard: Lemonade

. I'm taking the opportunity of this unplanned time off to connect with the many artists and creators in this wonderful city that I love. Come with me on my 100-day odyssey of art and creativity in Long Beach. I call it .

I've been talking a lot about Makers, MakerSpaces and Making.  From August 23rd to September 3rd, there's something happening in the desert that is also significant to Making.  It's called Burning Man, now in its 26th year.  Perhaps you have heard about it.

September 2nd was Day 63.  I reminisced about Burning Man, an event that I've never attended.

Some of us are armchair tourists.  I've never considered myself one before.  Today I will be one.  For many of us, we will never make it to Burning Man.  We will read about it and watch it on You Tube videos and the news.  Tickets have been in such demand that there was the possibility that some of the long-time performers might not have admission.

Some of the Burning Man creativity will overflow to a Maker space or a MakerFaire (and vice versa).  At the San Mateo MakerFaire which I attended, there were some and the that had been to Burning Man.  There were fire displays everywhere!

I first learned about Burning Man some 5+ years ago from a family friend of many, many years.  Carl and his Japanese wife Tomoko are dear friends and Makers, but they do not live in Long Beach.  Carl's form of making involves wood of all sorts.  Through their company, Itchy Knee Japanese Antiques, they import old things... antiques... from Japan.  Here, where we have such a short history, they are called antiques.  To Japan, a very old country... well, they are just old things.   Carl will repair, sand, refinish and decorate these old things to make them attractive to his customers which have included movie companies, movie stars, decorators and other collectors of old things.

Carl does more.  He visualizes furniture from the shape and grain of old trees.  Tables and benches form to his design as he single-handedly forms each piece from milled slabs.  Tomoko makes soaps out of decorative Japanese wooden forms originally meant for rice.  She has had to work out her own process.  She also sews from old Chirimen silk kimonos that they both import.

You see, I've been learning my way around Long Beach.  Carl knows his way around the world.  Some of us dream of backpacking through Europe, the U.K., the U.S., the Sierras.  Carl's dream was to find his way around the world, which he did many times.  It's strange for some of us to consider leaving everything we have behind, booking a round-the-world ticket and counting out 10 or 15 (or however many) dollars per day before we head out to see the world for a year or two.  Risking everything for adventure.  A copy of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy in our  backpacks, right next to the Lonely Planet guide for the next country or continent.  Recently, Tomoko has been joining him on some of his trips.

"Yes, yes."  You may be thinking, "This is all very interesting, but what does it all have to do with Long Beach?"

Here it is.  Carl has been performing with Burn Academy, a fire dancing group, at Burning Man for many years now. That group has been practising in Long Beach for many years now.  Once a week for at least a couple of years, the group - with all permits in hand - have been meeting at the North parking lot of Colorado Lagoon.  Before that, they were in a west Long Beach park near Santa Fe.  Again, all permits in hand.

So, Long Beach, I'm sorry that they are already at Burning Man.  You may not be able to see them perform right away.  They won't be as driven to practise now that their performance has been delivered. 

Perhaps in time these birds will return, now that !  Perhaps my friend will again show up at the door at midnight with a sooty face needing to be washed.  You know you're always welcome, Carl!  I may be bleary eyed and mumbling, but am always happy to provide a place for a friend to wash his face.

Tips, Tidbits, Things

• I'm so thrilled!  I told the Robotics Society which meets at CSULB about , and they're interested!  I'm not sure where it will be, but it's looking as if we'll have an 8 hour Arduino train-the-trainer session on either October 16th or 17th.   One RSSC Los Angeleno is thinking about taking the day off and driving 60 miles to participate!  I hope to have a few priority spots for those interested in re-training at Long Beach Makerspaces.
• I wonder if LBCC is interested in participating?  I should call friend John who teaches Auto Mechanics there. 
• I am visualizing 3 locations each day.  Three of them will be K-12, three will be college, industry and arts.  Perhaps college, industry and the arts can be intermingled.  That might be fun!
• If you're new to making Lemonade, visit this post of on Making in schools.
• To SparkFun. Thank you so much for this opportunity.
• , my oh-so-accommodating Patch editor.  I know that Karma is making it hard to help me as I write then rewrite as she dictates.  Thank you.
• To my friends and believers Jackie Taylor and Mary Simun.  Everyone needs friends.  Thank you for being mine.
• Ele's mom Anne Marie.  For many years of participation and believing.
• A special thank you to a couple of extremely generous and supportive new friends,  Lisa Hernandez and daughter Yoshino at the Long Beach Depot for Creative Reuse.  They've got a new supply of rubber stamps in from someone who had to clear out their storage area.  It's huge, quality stamps from Stampin' Up.  Many are unused.  Don't worry, there are tons still left,  but hurry! (I spent just a few $$, and Lisa threw in a lot of extras.  Thank you so much, Lisa!)
• I finally stopped in at Lyon's Art Supply on 4th and they will get the Speedball extender and retarder for me.  One of the artists who works there had used the Speedball block printing paints before and could attest to the fact that the image will stay.  Which reminds me, , has come and gone.  I can wash it now!
• I'm looking for someone who has horsetail reeds.  I need to harvest some fairly quickly as I'd like to dry them and only have a couple of weeks to do it.  If you are looking to thin your patch, please email me!

Want more lemonade?       

Next up:

I'm thinking about Geocaching.

If you would like to contact me, please email me at  info@handmadepenguin.com

Trish Tsoiasue writes as herself about creative and maker topics for and as Handmade Penguin for the Handmade Penguin Blog.  Trish is currently playing .