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Flying Home
This is actually Monday's blog written this morning now that we are home. Mom and I were up early again. The sky was very black, no moon, no twinkling stars showing at all, just thick dark clouds. The wind had died down and the Gulf waters were much calmer with small waves instead of the ferocious beating waves from Sunday. Sunday the red flags were out, the waves were crashing and very loud. What a difference. Mom commented, "each day the Gulf is so different." It was also much cooler today with the wind coming from the North. Mom was the first to see a dolphin this morning. As we were getting ready to fly out this afternoon all the sheets and towels were washed as Fedi and Ruth were coming in to take our place. We used the last of the fried potatoes with our breakfast of eggs and toast. Amy and I both got texts that our plane would be delayed by 45 minutes. Around 11:00 am we got another text that the plane was delayed another 45 minutes and would not be taking off at 7:05 pm instead of 4:35 pm. Late this afternoon the clouds broke up and the sun broke out lighting up one area with light. If you click on the picture you can see people talking and standing around in the light.
The pictures were taken around 4:30 pm
Diane came to take us to the airport at 5:30 and Rachel arrived at the same time to stay with mom. We were delayed by my artificial hips going through security. They took me aside and gave me a very thorough patdown explaining it slowly what was going to happen before starting. The explanation was taking so long I interrupted and said, "it's ok, just get it done" but the tsa lady was new and told me she had to explain it first. She had me take off my shoes and examined them. Thankfully my socks had no holes in them and the shoes were clean. I traveled down with the shoes the step in shoes the kids gave me for Christmas one year that I never wear out in the paddocks. She took so long at one point I had 2 of them working on me. Maybe because I was wearing a skirt that had lost the back button and was kept closed with 2 large safety pins. When they were running their hands up my legs they stopped and asked if I wanted to go behind a curtain. Nope, just get on with the job, although I said it nicely and not at all impatiently. I could not possibly have looked like a bomber or at all threatening. I think they just wanted to have the newbie practice. We couldn't see the plane arrive but saw Ruth through the window as she arrived. Diane had to wait at the airport I think around 15 minutes. The plane was packed going home, in fact over booked as one lady told me her husband was supposed to fly back on this flight but there was no room. Both Amy and I had window seats just 2 rows apart.
Below is as the plane is getting ready to take-off.
The less than 2 hour flight flew by. Well it seemed to go quickly as I was finishing a book. The entire flight there was a baby crying. This flight had lots of children on it. As today was a holiday some families had flown down for a 5 day break. Once we landed we had to wait a bit as Amy and I were at the back of the plane. I asked the stewardess how many this plane held and she replied, "180" really surprising that a plane of this size could come and go from the small Gulf Shores airport. This plane was the ONLY plane at the airport.
Once we were off the plane we needed to find Mark's car. Ruth had sent pictures and told us it was parked in section c near row 5 but that parking lot was packed. The 3 hour drive home seemed to go quickly. Nice to have Amy along, we were visiting so much that her exit came up quickly. She was home by 11:30 pm and I made it home by 12:02 am. The coffee was made before climbing into bed. Thankfully Mark had the bed warmed up and I was probably asleep within 2 minutes. Thankful to have a safe trip home!
