Marshall, working the VIP / Vendor Gate 5 a.m. Monday

[~dave~~wave~]

After staying up all night Sunday with team teepee, I needed to roll into town for coffee and gas.

When I got back, this is the sight that greeted me. I thought at first an alien had escaped from the Flaming Lips Movie.



http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3267/2572071065_0e573bd68d.jpg




Turns out it was Marshall (like the amplifiers) working the gate.
He popped his head out to see what I needed.



http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3085/2572070917_60eb93c976.jpg



I was happy I could offer him a coffee. He was wet and cold, and asked if he could sit with me in the truck to warm up for a minute.

As we sat there, I asked if he wanted to ride up the field with me a ways and get warm while I packed my tent. The fest was over, I figured he was just waiting for a ride.

\"No,\" he told me, \"I can't leave my spot.\" So we sat for a while and got warm.

It's people like this that make this fest work.
It looks easy sitting on chair pointing, but these folks work in all weather.
My hat is off to the hard core workers and volunteers who stuck it out when the going got tough.

[tnkrbellup]

I agree with you on this one, Dave! Great post & pictures. I didn't run into Marshall, but I felt for the guy that was there Sunday night during the down pour. He was huddled under a trash bag that didn't offer much coverage. I held up traffic & dug in my trunk to gave him one of my poncho's. He was soooo kind & thankful for that one small gesture. These folks can't leave, not even to pee! (unless they have someone to cover which is hard to find) It looks like an easy gig, but it really is long & boring, hot & wet. Most all the gate people I saw were pleasant even amidst crap conditions.

I say next year, we should all give the gate helpers an extra water or apple, or even a chair! (I saw some just sitting on the ground, so I'm thinking they had to bring their own sit-upons)