The morning starts much as before. Today there are more wispy clouds and a lovely sunrise. This time we found the thermos carafe and made hot water the night before, and I'm able to start the morning with something hot to drink before I go out to brave the chill mountain morning.
We realize that a day getting some chores done in town is in order. We have a list of stuff to pick up, and CK is desperately wanting a shower. He thought he'd tanned, but it's actually all dirt from the blowing wind and sand/silt. I think I've read that the kind of soil is called loess, a sort of sandy silt made from mountains being ground down by glaciers. Of course I've mostly seen that regarding paleolithic/Ice Age sites, so who knows whether it counts here or not.
Quantum and I spend a lazy morning (its Sunday, after all, and we can't count on the stores being open early - if any are even open on Sunday) me reading a novel and him working on the plans for the wind turbine. On occasion we look out the windows at the glorious view. Just about everything we can see from here, with the exception of one far off field belongs to us. Wow.
Shortly before noon CK and I head out, Quantum, spooked by the reports of thefts in the area, opts to stay home. He predicts we'll be back by 4. "It couldn't possibly take that long," CK says.
At the dollar store (one of the few stores open) we find they are completely sold out of fly strips. Since we hit Oklahoma, houseflies have been a major problem. I thought I chased them all out of the car back in New Mexico, but they came back with a vengeance here. By now I've gone on flyswatter rampage and they seem to multiply faster than I kill them. The dollar store has mouse traps, roach spray, rat traps, you name it, but their box of flystrips is an empty shell.
From there we head to the apartment and shower. CK takes a long one, I take a fast efficient one. It feels amazing to be clean. We fill up our water bottles at the sink, then, as promised a few days before, haul the TV (which belonged to the owner of the rental place) over to the TV room for Rose. The owner happens to be in residence at the moment. He turns out to be an ex-shrink who worked with schizophrenics. A really nice guy, almost overly-friendly and cheerful in a focused way that in someone else might come across as just shy of creepy. But it doesn't feel creepy, it feels like he's decent and open and fascinated by people. And Rose obviously likes him, a character reference you can't beat.
We head for the Loaf & Jug to get gas, and realize we forgot to locate a laundromat. Fortunately there's one in town, and it's even open on Sundays. We do our wash there, taking it home to dry, and naturally CK gets caught up in a conversation with someone that he's met a few days ago. CK is the king of networking. At that point I should have just gone back in and used the dryers.
It's a half hour drive home (only 9 miles!) and we get there, just shy of 4, as Quantum predicted.
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