DayDreamer: Head West??

Up at 5:00 am to catch a flight to Edmonton. But I guess 5:00 am was not early enough. Traffic was bad and we got to Pearson International about 5 mins late. You are supposed to be checked in 45 mins before your flight. Well guess what??? We were not!! So our 7:00 am flight got changed to an 8:20 am flight.

So okay you figure that is not such a bad shake, right? We are hitting some pretty substantial turbulence about a half hour east of Edmonton. A big storm, high winds and rain. There is only one landing strip open and it has a strong cross wind and a quarter inch of rain on the surface. Too dangerous to land. Off we go to Calgary!!

We sit on the tarmac for an hour waiting for a gate. They are going to let us know how they will get us to Edmonton. We wait and wait. We get off finally and collect our luggage. Here is Tom in the brown jacket waiting some more.

And then the big announcement!!! We are going to bus you to Edmonton. So again not a bad shake, right?

They can only get school buses!!! For the 3 hour drive. OMG

We have a rental car booked with Budget in Edmonton. I check with budget in Calgary. To have a car for one day and drop it in Edmonton they want $385 - no chance! There is a young lady with her two kids waiting for a bus with us. They announce that there is a flight ahead of us to be loaded first. With only 35 people per bus it may be a long wait. Plus they say they may stop for a break in Red Deer. It may be a 4 hour trip!! This lady decides she will try another car rental and we will split the cost. All she can get is an Audi. With all their luggage and ours we can't fit!! Now the buses are all gone. I head to Avis for a rental and for $200 we are on our way to Edmonton. It is pouring rain and really windy. Oh my it is still a long way to Ft MacMurray!!!

Well it is now 4:00 pm Alberta time. We left home 12.5 hours ago. We are now at Leduc and filling up the rental before taking it to the Edmonton airport. The damn gas pump has eaten Tom's credit card!!!! What next? Gas here is $113.4/lt. Cheaper than at home. $37 in gas to come this far. We have a Chevy equinox. What a pig on gas and totally gutless.

Dropped off Avis car and picked up Budget car. We are now north of Edmonton and heading to Fort McMurray. GPS says 5 more hours. Should be there by about 10:00 pm...UGGGG!!!!!

Stopped in Gibbon at a diner for a bite. Ran into more rain but this double rainbow seemed to indicate it was over. It was a complete rainbow from side to side. It was so long I had to take the picture in three parts. Check out the fields of canola.