Alone...

 Saturday, December 31. New Year's Eve! Mild dry day.

    Obviously we had a fitful sleep and up early: 5:00 am. A coffee and we were ready for the day. Those seven hours just slipped away and next thing we knew Wally was at the door. A pleasant drive to the airport with a Bon Voyage and a message or two.

    As the minutes slipped by it became apparent that we were actually detached from our home and 'On Our Way!' This was a very unfamiliar feeling to us as we have not travelled for three years. Fortunately, the airport was very quiet.

    Our first adventure was getting our luggage screened: and us personally. That was when the fun started, Delta check-in was not open, but we had checked in yesterday so we proceeded to our gate. My metal shoulders required a secondary screening, as expected. However the money-belt beeped its presence and that had to come off and be opened. It was a good thing there were very few people around.

    By now I was almost naked from the waste up. We finally got dressed and had 'Lunch' at a Starbucks: coffee and half a scone. To the gate as there is no Delta Lounge in Vancouver: Oh, the pity! There I did the first travel blog on the road as we know when we finish  the 65 minute flight to Seattle, get a bite to eat and settle in, all we will want to do is get to bed, ready for another day of travel. Oh, Joy! 

An OK day For A Travel Day...

Blog time.

Lunch.

Goodbye Wally, thanks!

Are we having fun yet! YES!

Gadzooks, This May Actually Happen

Friday December 30. OK weather ok, mild.

    A very busy 'Last minute details day' for us. Near supper time we got the email from Delta that we could print out or boarding passes. Now I know this is not necessary and can be done at the Airport. However, me being a human being I feel much more comfortable having a scrap of paper in my hand as proof that we are expected to be on the plane and all the boxes have been ticked and all is Honky-Dory.

    Our very long Journey starts tomorrow when Wally takes us to the airport at noon. We will then be on our own without physical contact with the ones most dear to us. We will see good friends Jim and Gail on Monday morning even possibly make contact with them Sunday night, January 1. Daunting and exciting as heck.

Good Day, Exciting Day...

A Boarding Pass, a scrap of paper, but also very reassuring!

Nervous Nellies...

 Wednesday, December 28. Dry and mild, lovely weather.

    The ridiculous weather that we have had for the past five or six weeks seems to be a distant memory. Blue sky and mild. 

 We think we have everything taken care of, we hope! There is guaranteed to be something forgotten, guaranteed, but we can live without that if we cannot buy it enroute somewhere. 

    The bigger worry is some oversight in government regulations or Covid involvement of some sort. One other alternative is that all the planning and fussing about was not in vain and all goes swimmingly! Mark Twain is reported to have said: "Some of my biggest problems never happened". Let's hope we have Mark Twain luck in the next few days!

Good day...

Six More Sleeps!...

 Christmas Day, December 25. Thawing, and difficulty travelling.

     Well Christmas; record snow and freezing; preparing for a long time away; preparing for a Family Dinner tomorrow, all happening at the same time is a bit overwhelming for us two old codgers. But we are up to it!

   The next week is actually the most critical time for us: just to fly down to Fort Lauderdale, then pass a Covid test the next day. Spooky to think if we test positive, but, one day at a time! 

     So far today, at 9:02 AM Christmas Day, things are going well. Hallelujah!

We are having a Family Dinner at our home, tomorrow, Boxing Day. Fellette and I built this table in the foreground, [during the recent snowfall], to enable us to sit 16 at a single table. We carried it in yesterday from the workshop in pouring rain with a foot of crusted snow underfoot. Not too bad for a couple of old folks methinks!

Moving Right Along...

 Thursday, December 22. Very, very cold.

    The weather here has turned deadly cold, literally. -11C [12F] This is due to rise above O F to thawing in about 28 hours. Fortunately the dump of snow that fell two days ago, topping 18 inches in some local neighbourhoods, should not present major flooding issues as it is a fluffy powder snow, I don't think so at least. 

    Our bags were picked up a week ago and are sitting in a DHL warehouse half way between Miami and Fort Lauderdale. Now, if we can just avoid getting Covid before we get tested the day we board the ship. [I don't want to think about the consequences of that.] Nine more sleeps before we start the journey to Fort Lauderdale.

Good Day In Spite Of The Cold...

New to us to pack in our carry-on this trip: Covid Test Kits and Masks!

Testing, Testing...

 Thursday, December 15. Cool, dry.

   Well, well, well. It is hard for me to believe that we are going on another 'Once in a lifetime trip' with good friends Jim and Gail.  With all the Covid stuff plus other issues the past three years, combined with some personal medical issues amongst this quartet of wanderers it is quite an event in our lives.

   The luggage is enroute and the countdown, mentally, is underway. Now the objective is not to get Covid as we all have to test negative for Covid two days or so before being allowed on the ship!  

   Hopefully mother nature and winter conditions are on our side and air traffic on New Years Eve and Day will also be functioning properly.

This is just a test to make sure we have things in order for blog posting at sea.