Habitat Day 3

Life goes on at the Habitat Build, developing a rhythm and compatibility. Everyone is on a similar wave length, here just to do a job.

I've continued in the zen of mudding, staining, and making additions to the punch list. Most of my punch list is sheetrock repair, which Ray goes around behind me doing. Carl's been working on porch beams, sanding, installing sheetrock. Tomorrow doors, oh boy, something clean and not so dusty. Steve is carpentering, putting in attic openings and installing window sills and the like. He's an energizer bunny. There's lots of work, and it won't be finished tomorrow

Ray writes. He's retired college professor, foreign service guy, and served as director of the Peace Corp in the Clinton years. Sometimes he writes books, or articles for encyclopedias. One of his books is a mystery based on his time in Granada. He hangs in Oceanside half the year, and up here doing Habitat for the spring, visiting his son in Farmington between builds. He travels with Pepita, an almost teacup chihuahua. She'll take to anyone's lap, but she's not fond of Daisy.

We hurt at night. It's the standing up all day on concrete. It's hard to get to sleep with the aching, but it is a little better in the mornings. I'm growing in virtue every day.

Questa is a village in the valley north of Taos, about 1/3 of the distance to Red River, a popular ski area. It's part of the Enchanted Circle drive from Taos to Red River to Eagles Nest and Angel Fire. Life seems pretty low key here, and very low income. The
Red River flows through town, and for a while was quite polluted by a molybdenum mine nearby. People were told not to even let their dogs go for a swim in it.

We've been to the Questa Cafe for lunch twice, a habit which really needs to stop. I eat like some heavy laborer and all I'm really doing is mudding, which is like painting on a canvas except messier. Today I had a sopapilla burger, oh my gosh, a cheeseburger smothered in green chilies in a sopapilla. It comes with home made french fries and I can see the oil glistening on them when they are served piping hot. Tomorrow night the family is coming, and they'll be making us Frito Pie for dinner. This is going to be a fattening experience.