Traveling Home after OKC Christmas

We left Jeremy and Robin's house Monday, December 29th at the butt crack of dawn (4:00am OK time, 1:00am CA time) for a 6:20am flight out of the Will Rogers Airport in Oklahoma City. Frank and Jeremy had diligently cleaned off the roof and windshields of the car and the truck from the snowfall a few days earlier. What they both forgot was the bed of the truck where our suitcases needed to go. We could not squeeze our luggage and all of us into the KIA although Jeremy wrenched his back in a valiant attempt to do so. Out came the broom and shovel as he and Frank hurriedly labored under the street lamps to clear out about five inches of snow drifted in the corners of the bed of the pickup. Frank, Alex, and I got to the airport in plenty of time and by later in the day Jeremy's back was better. Our flight home went through Denver and we touched down in plenty of time to make our connection through to Oakland. But when we looked out Frank's plane window as we landed, we saw the accumulation of snow at its base and realized that it was snowing in Denver!

The snow piled up about a quarter of the way up the window while we waited to deplane.
The darkened sky is more due to the weather rather than the hour.

Our arrival gate was just a few slots down from our departure gate, which was at the end of a wing of the terminal. From the windows of the waiting area at our gate, we had a great view in three directions of the runways and service vehicles. It was surreal and looked like the frozen tundra or the blizzardly expanses of a polar expedition!

The tracks of the service vehicles seemed to fill up shortly after they were made.

In the far distance a row of five or six bright yellow snowplows, staggered a bit side by side, patrolled the runways,
racing with the falling snow to keep the paths as clear as possible for the planes.

After boarding the plane we taxied a long distance to a de-icing station where ICEMAN 1 sprayed us with a sort of foam to clean and safeguard the airfoils of our wings against ice build-up. Frank had the window seat and I was not in line of sight of the de-icing operation. In an odd play of the optical science, however, from my aisle seat I could watch the process on the screen of his cell phone as he snapped a few photos. Amidst that cloud of foam at the end of the boom is a guy holding and directing a hose along the wings and fuselage. His was not a job I would desire.

The Iceman Cometh!

As ICEMAN 1 drove off, we could see the expanses of the snowy airport through the streams of de-icing fluid as they dribbled down across the window panes. It was the presence of the snow clouds and not the earliness of the hour that lent the darkened feel to the sky and landscape.

The Iceman Go-eth!

Ready for takeoff. This is as good as it's gonna get.

Even with the extra de-icing operation we took off only about 20 minutes behind schedule. The flight was not turbulent and we landed in Oakland on time. Oh, how nice to exit the terminal in California, breathe in the fresh, not artificially heated air, and relish the sunny walk in our shirtsleeves out to our car in the parking lot. It was late-morning, bright with clear skies. We loaded the car with our luggage and headed off to drop Alex at St. Denis Home.

As we made our gentle left turn to pull into the driveway of St. Denis, we heard the rear door click as Alex prepared to jump out! We know he enjoyed traveling with us, but it was neat to see he enjoyed being home! Frank and I are so grateful and relieved that we have found a placement for Alex where he is truly happy and adjusted. He had some presents from the other clients and staff waiting for him under St. Denis' Christmas tree. Alex plunked himself comfortably on the couch and opened them eagerly.

It is as much fun to crumple the paper as it is to open the present.
Alex thinks that just maybe, if he is quick enough, he can sneak by staff and flush the paper down the toilet.
Not this time, Alex!

Puzzles! Oh, wow!

After seeing Alex settled in, Frank and I drove on to Livermore, making a slight detour to pick up some fast-food. Within thirty minutes we'd plopped ourselves at our kitchen table, munching away, glad to to be home. Laundry and naps followed soon after! Good to travel and visit family. Good to be home!