photo of the month from randy kato click the image for a larger view Hi, As you may have expected if you've been receiving this monthly email for a while, this month's photo is from Burning Man. Serendipity was my guiding light - in so many ways - through Burning Man this year. One of my main goals was to place some of my dad's ashes in the Temple. I wanted to go early but knowing that they were still working on finishing it, I waited a couple days and took my dad there on Tuesday. It was still under construction. Closed. Being a veteran burner, I was not disappointed. I know that you never go into anything there with any expectations. Whatever happens happens, and if your arrow flies astray from its path, it will always find something amazing...often even better than its original target. So as long as Dad & I were out there in the deep playa, we figured we'd set off on an adventure. To make it even more adventurous, there was an afternoon dust storm whipping up with frequent white out conditions. Just like my first ever Burning Man experience. We set off into the unknown, visiting art that emerged from the haze. Whales were spotted on the horizon so we altered course to get a closer look. We drifted further asea, marveling at countless curiosities. Then, through the fog, a beacon. A lighthouse. No, several lighthouses! Here we explored and climbed above the clouds of dust, across rope bridges and into every nook. Dad was a builder; this was right up his alley. From there we headed back to the center of it all, to the Man and the da Vinci era workshops surrounding the piazza. What seemed like aimless wandering somehow led us right to a forge. The blacksmiths welcomed us in as their very first guests. Wielding hammer and chisel, we heated and pounded, heated and pounded, transforming a raw piece of metal into a beautiful feather. I don't know if my dad ever did any blacksmithing. It was certainly my first time. I really enjoyed doing it with him. Now I have this incredible view from atop a lighthouse and a lovely ferrous feather as mementos of one final father-son escapade. All because the Temple wasn't ready for us yet. Thank you. Enjoy, Randy Photo of the Month archive