Today is New Years Eve.. and we have our work cut out for us. Today was Fluffy’s first event for the public since the dry run back in July. Yesterday we got her lights, fire control and other systems working. Today Duane drove her fully clouded from Earthkeep in Charlotte to the burlington waterfront.   We all me up down town about 10 to beging the task of getting her ready for a big show

First order of business was to get the railings up on the two dance floorsa (we later figured out that we could even leave those on and still get in/out of the big door at Earthkeep !)

 

We put out some  welcome  tables

 

 

And walked aroudn to see soemohter stuff. Chris’s CHamp was beutiful and ready to burn tonight

 

Next came rigging the fire pole and setting up audio

Rebar did all the a hard lifting and acrobatics to get the cables attached.

 

At 3 that gates opened annd  it was time to get in costum.. we just keep adding layers/ it wasnt that cold (about 20F) but we were goign to be outside all day

It was still too light outside to fully appreciate the lights.. but we tr\urned them on anyway

 

friends started showing up.. and continued to come by all night

 

Finally it was dark enough for fire and lights

 

Our fellow Fluffyite Kristin showed up to share the night.. She’s just back from heart surgery !. It was soooo good to see her !

 

Then something unexpected happened.   The team had thoguht that one of the 100 pound propane tanks was full whul the other was empty. We discovered around 5L45 that they were both now empty.. Uh-oh !

No worries, we improvised a plan ‘B’. Luckinly Diane had suggested that we bring along a full 20 poind  tank we had at home (for my own fire poofer. James , Diane and I quickly rerouted the gas hoses to feed from the little tan. The big problem then was how to keep the tan warm. As the tanks are used. they get very cold.. think of the last time you used a spray paint can.. it gets cold as it sprays because the expanding gas that comes out of the nozzle absorbs heat from the can.. 

We found a tub that would fit the small tank and siphoned some of the water we’d warmed from around the tank we had thought was full.. Then, for the rest of the night, diane took some of that water and boiled it in an electric teapot and then poured it back on the tank. This allowed us to keep the tank from freezing up. We were able to make that switch over without even turning off the pilot flame.. no interruptions from the audience experience.. in parallel, Duane called is lovely wife Laura and had her pick up an additional 3 20 pound tanks.. (we ended up using 3 20 pound tans dfo r the rest of the even !) 

 

As we were doing the swap my friend Eliot and his family came by.. baby Ezra, girlfriend Leia and her son Gustof.. Super fun seeing them all 

THen the first of our 2 DJ’s started.. first was DJ Umamni, then DJ Rice Pilaf. They were both so good !

Then came the fireworks !

Our friends Meagan and her wife Gina came by !

We got to watch chris’s champ burn from the bus.. (I had to stay and mind the fire system). It was a really beautiful burn.. The audience loved the Cirque du Fuego fire dancing and Champs burn !

I was amazed at how long these 20 pound tanks have lasted given that we had the pilot tuned up for the wind

Friends continued to drop by through the evening. I loved gettign to show them around. Here’s my good friend shannon

Tonight was such a great celebration for all the people who contributed to making fluffy real.. their names are all printed on the back.. So many creative folks !

FInally It was tiem to shut down. The event closed at 10.. we shut down the poofer, took down the poofer pole and stowed the audio and ligth contorl. The idea was to drive fluffy back to Charlotte with everything wlese rigged.. that means the clouds and the dance floor railings. We figured we had about 4 inches of clearence using the big door at Earthkeep. THis is gonna make it so much easie to take fluffy out for events

As Duane was preparing to drive out, he asked me if it was possible to rig the lights to still be on and reacting as he drove. I gave it a little thought and realized that as long as the geni was running,. I could stow the llight control computer in a safe space that would make that no problem.. so with a little more wrangling, fluffy drove off into the .. sunset ? .. no moonset ? Diane and I drove away abotut he same tiem and got to see fluffy roll on by.. a great end to the evening

We got back home at about 11:30.. Got a fire goign and drew a hot bath.We barely stayed awake until midnight .. but we made it !

We’d been outside and working from 10 am till 11PM in winter cold…

the bed sure felt warm and cozy..

Happy new year everyone.. lets make it a good one. !

nite all, nite sam

-me

No rest for the weary !  Diane and I showed up at Earthkeep at about 10 this mornign to help prep Fluffy the wonderbus for her first real public performance since coming back from Burning Man.The clouds were up thanks to the work of Marie, Gizzo, Aaron and Duane..  I stareted testign the electronics   and software for the lights and the electrical system  for the poofer. while  i did that, diane, amey  and marie started doing the cable management under the bus. Duane, Aaron and rebar findhed the physical assembly. The idea was to assemble as much of Fluffy as possible in the sorta heated relative comfort of Earhtkeep.. then drive Fluffy fully clouded to the burlignton water front in the morning. If we could do that, it will become soooooo much easier to show fluffy to local folks iat all sorts of events !

Our good friend James showed up from Boston area to help. James has been very helpful to me  in the design of our fire system and its safety plan. 

The big test was to drive Fluffy fully cluded up to rout 7.. If it could handle the stepp and potholed road int earthkeep . anything else should be easy !>. We knew we only had a few inches of exrta clearwence.. but it worked !

 

It worked !.. Now back tot he barn for a little more testing including runnign the lights !

 

Looks like its ready-ish.. Duane and aaron are meetign here tomorrow at 9 and beginging the slow drive to BTV. Dianw, James and I would be meeting therm there. 

We were pretty beat on the way home.. we stopped to buy groceries and picekd up some yummy indian food at ‘aromas of India’ in tafts corners.. our new favorite place to eat !!!

 

busy day.. we’re bone tired.. but happy

 

nite all, nite sam

-me

We woke up and got a workout in .. then spent some good time with mom. We took a walk across the third street bridge that had just reopened after 3 years of repair. It was a glorious day !

 

Then it was time to go.. I said goodbye to the picture of my Dad.. I love that picture and miss my dad so much ! I love you Pa !

Then we were off !

The flights back from PLS to BTV were easy .. We got hoem just before 10 pm. Our freinds Jen and teim had kindly dropped our car off at the airport..

It was soooo nice to be back in our house. First thing I did was to try the ginger jelly that Gabe had made for me. I love ginger jelly and its so hard to find. Gabe found a receipe and made me some ! my guilty pleasre is a spoon of peanut butter and a spood of ginger jelly. I put Gabes to the test and it was DELICIOUS !

OK.. ealry day tomorrrow

nite all, nite sam !

-me

As always, mom was a wonderful host. She’d put out my placemat from when I was a kid.. and my teddy bear

First order of business was to give mom the wonderful pictures that max and becky had sent.

Mom took us on a lice long walk in the riverwalk building. It’s a beautiful restored 19th century office builidng of some sort.. Someone spent a mint getting it restired.. but it always feels empty.. still all sorts of things to see.. like this neon sign of a riverboat and a cool analog syntehsizer store !

 

We had a nce lunch at a place around the corner.. then headed over to my suster mar and brother in law john’s house.. Super good to see them !!!

 

We gat caught up on what was goign on in their family and what the kids were up to. Theo has taken up ice fishing.. look at ehat he caught (and released)

After a good long visit we headed hime with mom… we ended the night at a thai place aroudn the corner from moms place.. it was really , really delicious.. 

I love where mom has settled !

 

nite all, nite sam

-me