Sinbad and I on the Loose by JOHN LEE KIRN - HTML preview

Epilogue

This would turn out to be our final road trip together. Sinbad peacefully passed away October 6, 2016.

The failure in purchasing my dream desert homestead proved to be a blessing. Within the following years I discovered what would be what I needed all along, a whole new lifestyle change, living full time on the road.

*****

The following story was intended to be a standalone book but I couldn’t figure how to make it mesh within the series of books about traveling with two different cats. I decided to simply attach it to the end of this book and call it done.

Three years later as I prepared this for publication I added on my thoughts as to what I had written. They will appear with brackets like [this]

Lonely, Oh So Lonely
A traveler without his cat exploring the back roads of America

By

JOHN LEE KIRN

Only the lonely
Know the way I feel tonight
Only the lonely
Know this feeling ain’t right
There goes my baby
There goes my heart
They’re gone forever
So far apart...

Only the Lonely
−Roy Orbison, 1960

PROLOGUE

This is the story of my short interlude of traveling without a cat by my side. My dear Sinbad who traveled with me for over twelve years had just passed away. I continued on with my winter plan of heading for the deserts of the southwest thinking...just maybe...I might find an abandoned cat along the way if it was meant to be. Otherwise, I wasn’t ready for a new feline partner. I needed time. My heart wasn’t really into keeping a journal as I normally did. The story became more like a diary, 133 days of day to day life living on the road in my RV...alone. It also marked a big transition in my life as I was slowing contemplating making this life on the road a full-time lifestyle. I had a lot to learn, made a lot of mistakes and stumbled along under many false beliefs thinking I knew what I was doing.

I didn’t.

Lonely, Oh So Lonely

Day 1 – October 28, 2016

It was a Friday and I was all up packed ready to leave home, having saved putting in the cold things for last. When I went to start up the refrigerator the burner would not keep going. This happened once before. The thermocouple was not sending a message that the fire was going and therefore the gas would shut off. The last time this happened I replaced the thermocouple and bought a spare. So I had that going for me. I stood in a drizzly rain installing the new part and it still would not stay lit! This was not good. I started pulling wires and spraying De-Oxit on the connections. Still it kept shutting off. I was about ready to unload the refrigerator when finally the burner remained lit. Now I could get with the program and begin my journey.

After four hours of driving I reached Santa Nella on Interstate 5 in the upper Central Valley of California. It was three P.M. and I said “That’s enough for this day”. I was saying this out loud to myself for there was no Sinbad with me on this trip. I lost my little buddy three weeks earlier. I tried to look at it as a good thing, a good bit of timing on his part. Dad, you go on without me this time. It’s okay. It was his gift to me. It would have been very bad to go through the dying process together many miles away from home. He now was at rest, at the house.

[As I pulled away from the house the emptiness hit me right away. We wouldn’t even reach the corner of the street and Sinbad would jump up in my lap and remain there for the entire drive. Not having his furry little body there on my lap was difficult to overcome for many miles. I choked back the tears.]

Day 2

After making a post on the blog that evening I realized my power adapter for the laptop that plugs into a 12-volt cigarette plug was not charging the laptop. Plus it was super hot. Stupid me, I left the plug-in-to-the-wall 110-volt power supply at home thinking I’d never be plugged in to shore power (an RV park) for the next four months. A stop at Best Buy and a Radio Shack in Bakersfield (what a hole!) yielded no replacement. So I contacted my ex-wife to send them both to me once I got settled in Anza Borrego. As I drove along I thought of other things I should have brought: my old Canon camera, a spare charger for the Apple devices and the 110-volt charger for my second laptop−an older model Sony that has Microsoft Word which I use for my writing. These were added to an ever-growing list of items to send as my C.A.R.E. package. I made it through the high desert town of Adelanto when I spied a Walmart although I was heading for one ten miles further down the road in Hesperia. This will do. A nice Panda Express meal for dinner capped off a fine day (considering) of travel.

Day 3

I sleep real well in the RV, better than home. I was up before sunrise and went into Walmart for two containers of anti-bacterial wipes. These would be my replacement for not having a shower as often. This was just one of several little tricks of living on the road I picked up from watching YouTube videos the past few months. While in there I looked at their small rugs as I liked the carpet sample I put in front of the stove. So why not have one in the bath and in front of the kitchen sink? They had the same rugs to choose from what I saw in an earlier Walmart. As usual for me I couldn’t make up my mind so I went back to the RV and re-measured for the fifth time. Back into the store again and I finally settled upon two. They would make it nicer to stand on while barefoot versus the cold linoleum. Back into Walmart a third time to return a bottle of Pinesol cleaner I brought from home thinking I had none but eventually found it the other day in a new spot in the RV. I need to quit moving things to new spots. The Walmart greeters greeted me each time even though there were nearly no shoppers at this time of the day. They had to know I was the same fool coming in each time.

On down the road I checked another Best Buy and faced the same story regarding a replacement power supply–none to be had. I bought fuel at the Morongo Indian Casino in Cabazon, CA. at a good low price of $2.60 a gallon. It was approaching noon and I began thinking I needed to eat something before the final stretch to Anza Borrego State Park. Right there off to my left was an In-N-Out Burger. I usually don’t like to go into them for they are a madhouse inside. But traffic seemed light so I went for it mainly for the chocolate milkshake I craved. No line. Good! Organized chaos is what In-N-Out Burger is. I ate my hamburger back in the peace and quiet of The Little House on the Highway then pressed on.

I arrived at Anza Borrego State Park around two P.M. and discovered that what was once BLM (Bureau of Land Management) land east of town had now become part of the State Park and NO VEHICES BEYOND THIS POINT signs were posted all about. I figured something like this might happen someday. A little bit further there was a small area that had a few RVs on it. I talked with Fernando and he said that this area was okay to camp on. The change in land ownership happened a year or so ago he said. I selected a spot, cleaned up the rubbish left behind, and was tired. I laid down for a bit while the wind blew keeping it reasonably comfortable with overcast skies. Now to begin the experiment for this road trip−see how long I can keep myself from getting restless staying in one spot for a long time.

[Sleeping at night was a whole new experience for me without a furry little bed hog taking up space. It was nice but I felt guilty thinking it was “nice”. I would have given anything to be squeezed over to the side of the bed, or have four little pressure point paws walking all over me]

Day 4

After breakfast I went for a little walk over the rise to the north of camp. Off in the distance I saw a structure of some sort so I headed in that direction. Almost a mile later it appeared to be some sort of bugout retreat built out of hay bales, metal storage containers and wind-shredded camo netting stretched over a framework of metal piping. The largest container looked to be divided into two living areas. Off to the left was an outdoor bar with two large barbeques beneath a wood lean-to with metal roofing. Behind the bar was another smaller container heavily secured with a lock and pry-proof welded shields protecting the locks. More effort was placed into this portion of the compound than the three open-air “bedrooms” (there were beds in place which tipped me off as sleeping quarters) built with hay bale walls and shredded camo netting for a roof. All of this was in the middle of nowhere without any road leading into it that I saw.

I spent the day trying to get the iPad to data stream until I was locked out of that for twenty-four hours due to too many tries. So I went to organizing notes and things in the RV. The wind was blowing pretty fierce so inside was the better option than trying to do anything outdoors. The old-timer (probably my age) up the road a ways set up his shade structure before evening set in. In the morning it had collapsed and was bent out of shape due to the winds, poor guy. He had a brand new Dodge van and looked to be living out of it. I suspected his destroyed shade was brand new too. It wasn’t any good now. I hoped tomorrow the winds would be more forgiving. If not then I’d try to start a new drawing while being forced to stay inside.

[Here I discovered the freedom of leaving for a hike when I was ready go instead of putting it off for a last minute little walk camp looking for mice or lizards while holding a leash. Guilt once again for realizing a new-found freedom at a tremendous sacrifice.]

Day 5

For the day’s walk I struck out for the sand dunes on the far side of the valley. About two miles out I was what seemed only halfway there. I stood there and thought about it for a brief moment. I’ll get there and find what... a bunch of sand. I turned back for camp. I did find a nice fifty-caliber shell casing left from when this area was used for aircraft fighting practice during the Second World War.

[I used to always think about Sinbad back in the RV while I was out and about. He was always just fine yet at times I would feel I should get back. Now free to roam I just felt unmotivated, uninspired...empty.]

Day 6

I tried shooting my bows I made from PVC pipe. I had made four of three different styles. This was the result of YouTube watching over the summer. One bow I could barely pull the string back. Another just like it but with no recurve was easier for my wimpy arms. These two shorter bows were fashioned after the style the Seminole Indians made. Next I tried the longer bow that is fashioned after the one used in the movie Hunger Games movie by Katness. The longbow proved to be more like what I could handle. Lastly I dug out the very first bow I made which was a take-down bow that comes apart into three pieces. Of all this one worked the best and I was more accurate with it than the others while shooting at a burlap bag stuffed full of plastic. Maybe if I practiced a little each day I might be able to shoot a nice grouping. Hey, I might even develop some muscle in the process.

After breakfast I hiked up into the hills nearby and found some nicely done rock art someone had created in a flat area. It took a lot of time and effort to arrange the rocks into images of a snake, scorpion, bighorn sheep, eagle head and a few designs.

Back at camp and I did little else for the rest of the day just like the days before. The older I get, the less I feel like doing. But at least I was out here doing something.

[I wrote ‘the older I get, the less I feel like doing’. Or was the reality of it all loneliness?]

Day 7

I moved the burlap bag further away. Sometimes I felt I was getting the knack of shooting arrows then I couldn’t hit the bag to save my life. And no two bows shoot alike either. I vowed keep practicing each day.

I planned to hike up into the large canyon over from the canyon I did yesterday. Once I began going up the mountain I soon realized I was in the wrong canyon. I was in the very same one that I climbed the south ridge of the day before! So I went up the north ridge to the top of the mountain. Well that was something that made me feel my age. I would be sixty-eight this month and things are not getting any easier and they are definitely a lot slower. On the way up I found a coyote skull bleached white from the desert sun. It would have been nice to find it at the end of the hike rather than the beginning where I had to be careful carrying it in my haversack all the while. When I felt it was time to head back I discovered I had only covered a mile. I cut over to the proper canyon and began to work my down the boulder strewn ravines cut in the earth from heavy rains. This was not a place to be if rain was in the offering. Also it was no small task in going down either picking my way here and there for the easiest route.

Back at camp I made a tuna sandwich, drank a soda and felt better. While smashing cans flat I got my feet dirty so I dug the tub out, soaked my feet then did a baby wipes wipe-down all over, switching to anti-bacterial wipes for pits and crotch. I picked this tip up off of YouTube and it is in fact a do-able substitute for a shower or bath. I also set my clothes out in the sun to dry the sweat and let the ultra-violet rays kill bacteria. This would eliminate odors from developing.

The remainder of the day was the usual–doing nothing much. I was settling in to this routine.

[I have since eliminated the use of antibacterial wipes for health well-being reasons. I use baby-wipes now.]

Day 8

I noticed this morning why the arrows kept bouncing off the burlap bag. The points are no longer points anymore. Some are flattened to a blunt end from misses that skittered along the rocks on ground−cheap eBay arrows.

Today’s walk was across the road from camp sticking to the flats following a dry wash.

I worked on trying to get the shortwave radio to pick up something...anything! No luck. Maybe someday I’ll meet someone who knows something about these contraptions.

It was warmer in the high eighties. I spent most of the time in the shade of the RV reading my book and thinking about what to have for dinner without much luck on the latter.

[I never attempted the shortwave radio again. I’ve just been hauling it around. Also, the biggest issues and decisions for each day living full time on the road have become usually always what am I going to have for dinner? Life is that stress-free being a nomad]

Day 9

This was a no hike or walk day. I stayed in camp taking it easy. I sat thinking about a missing pen then wondered if I even had my Leatherman tool with me. This started me on a project of going over things trying to determine what I had with me, where it was hidden and maybe get some sense of order in my world. During the process I come across the fact that I did not bring any charger for my camera battery. Needless to say I was extremely upset with myself over this ever increasing list of things I neglected to bring. I sent a note to the ex to just send the whole lot of chargers sitting in the study. I did finally locate the Leatherman tool in my large back pack. At least I had that going for me.

I found and carried a nice flat piece of concrete over to camp to use for making a Piute deadfall trap. It sat all day and doubled as a nice place to rinse wipe dishes on. At some time I would get into making the sticks for the trap and see if I can be successful at that. I wouldn’t try to trap anything as I didn’t want to be killing meaninglessly.

I tried going around in my swim trunks but it just didn’t feel right. I dug through my clothes and came across my Old Navy cargo shorts I used to wear at Burning Man. I had un-did the seams in the crotch and inner legs and they are like a kilt now. This was the ticket allowing air to circulate and keep the boys cool and comfortable.

I hung the green canvas tarp over the refrigerator side of the RV to keep the sun from beating on and hoped the refrigerator wouldn’t cycle on and off as much. I needed to better use the available power in charging things by doing all charging during the day. By evening the batteries would go down to 12.2 volts. It was almost ninety degrees that day, ninety-two inside the RV.

The evening was very nice, no breeze and no clothing needed. I sat outside enjoying the stars and viewing the close encounter of Mars to the moon.

[I’ve have since pretty much rid myself of all I don’t need and have what I do need basically living a minimalist life. Yet at times I continue not being able to find something I know I have. Like how difficult can it be to lose track of something in a 124 square foot living space? Quite easily it seems if you’re me. If I wouldn’t move things to a “better place”, that would help.]

Day 10

This morning I reset the green tarp away from the RV as to allow some air circulation. Then I took a walk down the dirt road towards Clark Dry Lake. After over a mile I was still like a half a mile away and since I had been there and seen it all before I turned back through the desert for camp. The rest of the day was the usual routine of reading and still wondering where my pen was. The winds picked up in the evening which eventually broke the bungee strap holding the door open. Well there’s a repair project for tomorrow.

[Repairs and modifications continue to be all part of the nomad’s life in an RV of any type of configuration. Just accept it and embrace it. Plus it gives you something to do.]

Day 11

Big Day−I rolled the Motoped down off the rack. Picture a beefed-up mountain bike with a 50cc motor on it and that is what the Motoped Survival Bike is. Then I practiced the archery some. At times I felt I was getting the hang of it then all went haywire afterwards with arrows going everywhere but where I intended. I’d keep plugging away as long as the arrows held up.

I dressed for a ride but wasn’t really into it. I had been suffering from a sore elbow for nearly a month and now it was as worse as ever. I didn’t know what arthritis felt like. Maybe this is what I had going on. Once going on the bike though I enjoyed the ride. The bike did well on pavement or hard-pack. In the soft stuff it was a chore for the bike to keep going and me to keep it upright.

I rode three miles up the road to Fonts Point Wash and turned in. I didn’t want to get too far away that I couldn’t walk back if the bike faltered. It would take a lot of miles for me to have confidence in the new bike. It was past the break-in period now and I did the first oil change before leaving so I could now start running it harder, putting it through its paces sort of. About a half a mile up the wash it began to get softer and softer, the bike began to bog down, then get squirrely where finally the handlebars jerked one way wrenching my bad arm painfully. It was time to head back home before I killed myself.

Back at camp was just more taking it easy, reading and made a repair to that bungee cord. It was a no wind night and I would fry some sliced potatoes on the little one burner stove outside. This worked well heating the pan up faster than the stove inside. I had a nice dinner of potatoes, Spam and onions which for sure would have stunk up the RV. The smell wafted down a ways and captured the attention of the guy downwind as he kept looking up at me.

Day 12

Still more archery practice this morning and I was getting the hang of sighting in better. I just needed to be stronger then maybe I could hold the bow be steadier. And too if I were using quality equipment maybe it would be more forgiving of my incapability’s.

While sitting in the shade working on e-mails the guy across the way walked over and apologized for running his generator all day yesterday then said they are pulling out today for a campground in town so they can plug in and not have to deal with his battery issues. “Would you like some water? I have about fifteen gallons I will not need.” Apology accepted!! The generator wasn’t that bad although it was there and there was no ignoring it but getting this water was a BIG deal for me. Water is my only issue out here in the desert. I figured I was down ten gallons or so out of my forty gallon tank and this meant I was going through it faster than I should. I had made some changes in the routine and been more conservative in my water usage. Now with a full tank again I had a clean slate to start from and see how long I could stretch my water supply out.

After eating, archery practice and getting squared away I sat down and worked on making some rope using twine and weaving it in what is called a Flemish weave or braid. I did three of them which I braided together to make a strap for the quiver. Doing this sort of thing really instills respect for the Ancient Ones who did this sort of thing without having YouTube videos to show them how.

As it was suppose to reach ninety degrees I just stayed in camp all day doing little. I did catch that mouse I saw in the engine compartment using the mouse trap. I was sorry to have to snuff him out like that but I couldn’t chance him chewing on wires or the insulation like had happened in the past with rodents.

I reorganized more stuff including all the towels which I don’t need and could leave behind. I liked the new arrangement better, putting my two sock containers over the bed along with the large beach towels that were under the bath sink. Now all toiletries were together in the sink area. Plus I moved a clothes box from the overhead to the shower giving more space up front. Progress.

Now the big decision for the rest of the day–what to have for dinner?

[Water capacity onboard is actually 34 gallons and I can go almost two months on that before needing to fill up. I have learned a lot on how to conserve. That water is used solely for cleaning me–hair (what I have left) wash, teeth and hands, plus cooking which that water is run through a filter. Dishwashing is done by the wipe clean, spray with vinegar and wipe method. I use paper plates too. All my drinking water comes from store-bought one gallon jugs usually Crystal Geyser which I feel tastes best.]

Day 13

I was up before sunrise once again as I had been laying there thinking about the outcome of the election yesterday and having to face the news when I opened up the news app on the iPad. I forestalled it as long as possible but once I had my coffee and granola bar, I fired up the iPad. I was shocked like I have never been in I don’t know how long. Donald Trump won the election! I was just shaking my head in disbelief for hours afterwards. I would never have imagined it possible with how so many in the country believe that the voting process is fixed and corrupted. Well this sure disproves that theory.

More archery practice this day where I realigned my sighting point on the bow and thought I made a small improvement. Afterwards I rode the Motoped over to Clark Dry Lake, back up and out Rockhouse Road a ways, back by camp and out towards town. I figured it out yesterday that it is only six plus miles to the Post Office so I will risk riding the bike to get my C.A.R.E. package when it arrives rather than breaking camp and leaving some stuff including the bike behind. I didn’t get far on the road as the wind was too much trying to blow my hat off. I went back to camp and tried the bicycle helmet with the bandana for sun protection. This worked out much better only that my face wasn’t protected. I got too much reflected sun and my nose became dry and blistered. In the bath cabinet I found a small sample packet of sunscreen I’d been carrying around for years. So that was good.

Day 14

No archery practice this morning. I’d give it a rest. I decided to go on another hike towards Clark Dry Lake. I was having a nice walk when about two miles out as I was nearing the lake I looked down at this oddly shaped rock. When I picked it up I knew instantly what I held in my hand–a fossil bone. Huh! was about all I could say. I couldn’t believe my luck in finding what would be the best fossil find ever in my life. I have found bone fragments before and sometimes they are iffy as whether they are bone or rock that looks like bone, or bone that isn’t really fossilized. This one left no doubt in my mind. It was too heavy for bone and the bone structure was plainly visible. At first I was thinking it was the end of leg bone with the socket and then a ball shape on the other end. I wasn’t thinking too clearly for a bit later it dawned on me that it was a complete vertebrae. Being that it was larger than most vertebrae I’ve seen from animal or human remains is what threw me. I stuck it in my back pocket and walked on shaking my head. First, Donald Trump is elected President and two days later my best fossil find ever. Wow!

My C.A.R.E. package was mailed and should arrive Saturday. I decided to write a letter to my Land Rover friend in Massachusetts since I would be going to the Post Office and just took it easy as usual the rest of the day. At the end of the day the batteries were not charged up like I would like them to be. I felt I needed to seriously consider getting a second solar panel of hundred watts to add to the forty-five watter I now had. Until then I needed to better manage my power usage doing so mid-day while the sun was high and working. Maybe if I ran the generator for a few minutes in the later afternoon that might help.

Day 15

I had no real plan for the day and kind of worried about keeping busy doing something. I did some archery practice still making progress with aiming. I then became involved once again rearranging things, trying to get like items all with each other in the food department and utilize the space in the shower more for storage. I had the idea last night to use Sinbad’s litter box as a storage bin then I would have it with me if a cat ever came along and decided it would like to adopt me.

Day 16

It was a cooler morning but still very pleasant. Big day–I rode the Motoped into town to pick up the C.A.R.E. package. I was apprehensive about the journey not knowing the reliability of the bike all that much. The Post Office was to be open on Saturday from ten to noon. Checking tracking on the package it arrived in San Diego last night and was en route to its destination. At ten A.M. it was still “en route”. I waited until almost eleven and would go anyway then just as I was getting ready, it “arrived”. The ride was pleasant and uneventful going around twenty mph most of the way. When I arrived at the office, I felt good with the bike. This will be a huge advantage for me in the future using it for getting supplies and not taking the entire RV. I stopped at the store for two quarts of milk figuring on only having a quart open instead of a half gallon, the milk will last longer. I also replenished my onion supply. Liver and onions for dinner tonight−yeah! Then I swung by the gas station and topped off the tank. It only took a third of a gallon and I thought it was lower than that. I’d have to look up what the tank size is. (There was nothing listed anywhere in the owner’s manual. What kind of manual would neglect that vital piece of information?)

Back at camp I was ready to eat lunch. After eating I put everything away and decided to put the new SIM card into the iPad that my ex included in the package. I open the slot and there was a card already in there! Was I ever upset! After a long time working on it and talking with a lady on the phone we got the problem resolved and now the iPad could get online by itself. This could have been done on the initial card a week ago. Alicia gave me a twenty dollar credit because of that. That helped me to feel a bit better. And the cookies I received for my birthday from the ex helped even more.

Day 17

The same routine for the morning–exercise, breakfast, archery practice, only I forgot to shave. My plan was to backtrack my way using the GPS to where I found that fossil. I was able to pick up my route and follow footprints at times only I was unsure if I was before or beyond the point I found the fossil. It came to me that I could have dropped a pin with the GPS but didn’t think of it at the time. I eventually found the spot, looked all around but found no more fossils. On the way back I found two old cans opened with a beer can opener. I brought them back but don’t really know what I will do with them at home. I already had one or two. Maybe I could work it up to a six-pack.

I discovered before the hike that the old Sony travel laptop was with a dead battery. Evidently the fried charger was doing nothing or maybe the unit wasn’t shut off correctly I didn’t know. Plugging it into the newer inverter did nothing. The only thing was to start up the generator and plug into the 110 outlet. That finally brought the laptop to life but was taking forever to charge back up fully. I found that the older inverter up front would work but it is wired directly to the engine charging system. I started the RV and let it idle and this charged the laptop up to fifty percent before I took off on my hike. I figured this may be the only option if I am to use the newer Toshiba laptop. The benefit of running the engine is saving propane and it is also charging the coach batteries at the same time. Later in the day it dawned on me why the coach batteries were barely hanging on. When Sinbad and I traveled the country we were usually on the move all the time. This was two weeks sitting in one place so far. That wimpy forty-five watt solar panel wasn’t cutting it. I seriously considered buying and installing a one hundred watt panel when I arrived in Quartzite, Arizona.

[Oh I had so much yet to learn about batteries, solar panels, invertors−silly me]

Day 18

This day I took another ride on the Motoped exploring a different road, Henderson Canyon Road. There was nothing of note except seeing the thick groves of date palm trees. More so it was just building confidence in the bike. Only now my wrist was beginning to get sore again so when I returned back to camp I tried to make some more adjustments. I lowere