Through the east facing window, as the sun was still poking its way out of the ground, I awoke in my little loft bed to the crowing of a rooster acting the stereotype. For y’all in the cities, this is a poetic and seemingly nice way to rise, but you cannot toss a rooster across the room. There is no snooze, it does not know, nor care, if you’re up and no longer require the alarm. Due to this I let the comfort of my bed take over and sink me quickly back into sweet slumber.
About an hour and a half later I rose again, this time for the day, to my host rummaging about the kitchen at 7 as promised. I got up and took advantage of full plumbing once more and joined her for a bagel downstairs. I made some horrendous coffee as well and chatted a bit as she readied her daughter and prepared for work. By 8 we were all out the door saying our goodbyes.
Eight miles later I was in Fairfield. I stopped in at a caboose to ask the local tourist agent, in the town of 395, where the library was and if it might be open. I was treated to a full display of wedding dresses from lost decades, newspaper articles on the town’s hey day as a rail town and before that one of local sheep supremacy, and a tour of those who had visited before me. I liked hearing it all but I was hungry, I didn’t take my pack off with the cramped quarters, and in general was looking to write or eat, but I took it all in happily regardless. In short, the library was not yet open for another hour.
Next door, facing the highway, was the Prairie Kitchen. Recommended the previous night I figured I had to eat there. I also thought it was the only place to eat but this was not the case. Inside I passed up a cute girl sitting alone at the counter for a booth to sit at properly with Checks on the opposite bench. Manners always. After a bit, though, we got to talking and she joined me for lunch.
Rainey was also a traveler and had been doing some walking herself around the northwest. When that got old she hit Texas then got her car and drove around the country some. She was now ready for a bit of home and heading back to Montana. We chatted of our travels and home lives then after an hour she set back on her course and I followed my roast beef sandwich with a slice of Apple Crumb writing to the folks back east.
Content and full I headed off to the library next where I was served with a $2.50 non-member fee, something I’d yet to encounter and pay. I was given an hour then I printed up my friend Dave’s script and was served with another $5.45 fee which I’d talked her down from a $.25 a page to $.10 to finally $.05 as it was written over my computer. Following all this I mailed my post cards, filled my water and got outta Dodge.
The rest of the day I passed through my empty towns of Corral and Hill City. I noted the closed general stores along the way that Lex and Val had debated as a source of water. By 9:20 I debated going another mile but as I was trying to slow my hustled pace I opted against it and dropped by the way side four miles from Hill City. It was a 26 mile day. Lordy be, why do I rush?
I plunked down in my little canvas home as the sun set and poured over my maps then read some of the script. I tried to read the whole thing but as much as I liked it sleep was taking over. Thus I conceded and dropped into full rest.