Journey back to MO

Winte rwonderland in our backyard--don't look at the ice and snow!

December 12, 2013.   Sally and I are back in the freezing cold!!!

We switched our flight last week from a non-stop to a one stop/no plane change going through Raleigh, NC as it got in to STL 45 minutes earlier and sounded like a “safe” intermediate stop location weather-wise.  We awoke the day of departure with a message from Southwest that the one-stop plane’s departure would be delayed.  

Missouri sunrises are OK too!

On the trip to the airport, we got a second message that the flight had been delayed further—oh, well for getting into STL 45 minutes earlier.  When we got to the airport, LOTS of flights, especially along the east coast, had been delayed or cancelled. 

When we arrived at the airport I pleaded with the Southwest clerk to switch us back to the original, non-stop flight figuring there was less landings and less chance of a cancellation, etc.  No dice unless we paid an additional $200.  Turns out the original non-stop was delayed getting to STL a whole lot due to the nearly system wide slow down.

We got to the airport, ate lunch, and settled in at the gate for a wait of several hours.  I decided to check with the counter and they advised that the flight had switched gates, the plane was at the new gate now, and would leave at the time scheduled when we initially booked the flight!!!  We scurried to the new gate to find that rather than using the plane that had been delayed (which hadn’t even left its prior stop, New Orleans yet), SWA had dug up another plane and crew that were already in Tampa.  Despite 175 mph headwinds we made it into STL only a few minutes late—hurray for Southwest.

BONUS  This is the first flight we’ve been on for years that was less than half full on both legs!!!!!!!

On the way home from the St Louis airport I looked at the temperature--15f!  Since that night Louisiana has seen 4-5" of snow, freezing rain, and near 0f temps.  It is great to be back in MO.

Eagles in our tree overlooking the Mississippi River

We will be in Missouri for the next 4 weeks, with a side trip to UT snow skiing, so there won't be any new posts to this blog until after mid-January 2014. The SaSea Sally is moored at Marker1 Marina in Dunedin, FL.  It is great to watch the eagles perched on our trees and flying over the river.

Our bikes disappeared from the dock Sat. night Dec. 7 so after an exhaustive search we reported them as stolen to the Dunedin police, the marina and everyone we saw around the marina.  The marina graciously offered to have their diver look in the water near where the bikes were parked.  A marina staff member called Saturday saying the weekend watchman had the bikes safely in the storage building.  Despite the bikes being nearly 45 years old, we were thrilled to have them back!!!  Christmas came early!