trip to sequoia -ch. 28 cont.

Ch. 28 cont. 

     Lee and Ann left early for their doctor and decided to have breakfast out early as they waited on the Dr. appointment. Also they had to pick up some more supplies for the trip since they had the time and storage space in the Road Warrior. I intended on bringing my chainsaws as Lee and I had planned on visiting a few online chainsaw buddies as we crossed the nation. Ronald Burkhart was kind of a rebel chainsaw carver, I had kept in touch with from Idaho and tracked his life through online posts of carvings he had done. He was one I would like to meet in person since I had the chance.  . Also if we could find us a lot at a RV park here or there it would just be nice to leave a carving behind marking our trip across the \United States. So we had planned on dragging a large saw and three or four smaller ones along with chainsaw grinder and tools necessary to carve about anything we saw fit. I also had to take along my finishing paints and brushes, this all fit in a nice metal case that would fit snugly under the road warrior in a roll out storage drawer. The front of the drawer would flop down when fully extended allowing us to slide the whole box in. I also took along a handful of tools, as even though you have a warranty, and unlimited amounts of money. None of this does shit if you are hundred miles from nowhere and the cell phone doesn't work. It sometimes helps to have a few tools along.

       At the house I cleaned out my refrigerator, dumping all the remains of anything that wasn't plastered in vinegar and I didn’t think would last the two or three months we were gone. I had my neighbor, kind of a toothless old guy who was always looking for a few bucks to earn and was familiar with my greenhouse, do the watering of plants I had started for next spring to sell. Also I gave him my key and told him I would send him a few bucks in the mail and needed him to pick up the mail. His pay would be based on how efficient he was at picking the mail up as his money was included with the mail as an incentive. I didn't want to give him too much at once or all I would have is a bunch of dried up plants and a mailbox overflowing with mail.  Also I told him I would be calling back and checking on things. I hauled the boats all on shore in case we would have a freak storm come through while we were gone, and tear them loose from their moorings or send them to the bottom of the river. I pulled the motors and placed them in my garage. I had just crammed the Hummer back into the garage and lowered my window guards over the garage, making it harder to steal anything while I was away. Ann and Lee come driving into the lane and first thing out of the Ford Escape Ann says to me.

     “Well old man ready to go.”

     I said to her assuming she wasn't talking Lee. “Sure just finishing up. Need to pick up a bag of dog food to take along to Bobby’s farm , or maybe I will just take what we have and leave bobby some money to buy a bag. How did it go at the doctor?”

     “The doctor wasn't to thrilled about Lee doing to much but when we explained what we were doing he took out the stitches and gave us enough prescription to last us for four months. We stopped and had everything filled at the pharmacy before heading back here. We did some more shopping and picked up a few more things.” Ann said as her and Lee were dragging bags out of the Escape and heading to the Road Warrior

      Lee said to me. “I thought that Road Warrior was huge and had all kinds of space till you load it for trips like this and you realize then there is no end to what you can take along to make your life seem as if you never left home.”

     I said to them both. “Yes know what you mean I think we need to get moving before I have to get the kitchen sink, so what’s the verdict are we ready to go or what?”

     Lee said. “As far as I am concerned we are on, and Ann what about you?”

     Ann says. “I was ready to get on with it before we left last time and now more than ever. Let’s get it on.” She yelled with glee.

    I said. “OK let’s get the motor home turned around and hooked up to the Escape and finish loading whatever else we need, and get going.” In ten minutes I had the Road Warrior hooked up to the Ford Escape and grabbed what was left of what I needed from the house. I took a shower as the humidity was high and I was sweating pretty well. I donned some shorts and a loose fish shirt as I call them. My fish shirts had pictures of fish all over it and were one of many touristy shirts I owned and collected as I liked them. I slipped on my sandals and headed out to the Road Warrior and waited for Ann and Lee to do the same thing. I called my neighbor and had him come over for last minute instructions and some money. He smiled this big wide toothless smile with a little dribble of dark tobacco stains in the corner of his mouth. Clyde was a nice guy but obviously not the brightest light on the street but still burning.  He muttered something I couldn't understand and I had to ask him again, and then it was understood he wanted to look through the Road Warrior and we I took him for a trip through it. He then asked what I was going to do with Babe and I told him I was taking her and Susie to another friend’s house. He seemed disappointed as him and babe had made friends over the years , but I trusted Babes intuition as she never once went any farther towards his place than the property line and as if she knew something about Clyde I didn't . I knew she liked Bobby and with the addition of Susie it only seemed smart to take them to the farm. Besides I have used them before and I always had trusted them and knew I could talk with them over a phone if I had to.

    Clyde and I talked over what I was going to pay him and what I expected and he agreed, once the money was in his hands he wasted no time wishing me a safe trip in the best mumbling he could and then he was gone. I looked over at his house and he was out the drive headed for the drive through to pick up some liquid nourishment of the alcoholic variety , plans of fishing till it was gone dancing though his mind.

     Ann and Lee asked if I thought it was a good idea to have Clyde watch  my place. I told them it was probably better to pay him to watch it or else I might come home to nothing. Kind of like paying an extortionist, you pay them and everything is fine. You don’t and your stuff is stolen and house is burned. Doubting old Clyde would do that it almost seemed like insurance to have him watch my house. Good or bad. I doubted if anything would happen but then again I never thought I would be going on this trip. I asked if they were ready and they said yes. I walked around locking up and placed the key where I told Clyde I would place them. Grabbed the leash for Babe and told her let’s go. She had never been allowed in the Road Warrior before, or as far as that went neither had Susie, and both raced inside one in the passenger seat in the front and babe in the driver’s seat, leaving me nowhere to sit down and drive. We all laughed as they looked out the window and it was then I remembered I forgot my camera and hurried back in and grabbed it from the house and returned and took a picture of both of them from outside the front of the Road Warrior looking in through the front windshield. It was hilarious as they both sat up in the seat posing for me as if they knew what I was doing. When I rejoined everyone inside the Road Warrior and buttons were pushed and dogs shooed away from the driver’s seat. I started the Road Warrior for our first destination, Bobby and Sue’s farm in Mansfield Ohio. Babe tried to crawl in the passenger seat with Susie, till Susie relented and let her, as she then took a place on the floor between us and I asked Lee and Ann again  if they had everything. As I checked the gauges and they say they did.

      I said, “Aye, aye captain, we are off.” The Road Warrior easily slid out the drive and we were heading down the road, and Lee yelled. “Wait.”

    Then laughed and we all knew he was fooling with us then we laughed and I cranked up the stereo as I placed some Willie Nelson on. On the Road Again was soon playing and we all laughed as we headed towards Mansfield.