D-Day

Departure Day.
The day of my departure dawned bright and sunny, and I still had quite a few chores to finish up before leaving.
First on the list was finishing off the trimming of the grass out front. Check.
Watering, or rather drenching, all the potted plants on the patio and outside the kitchen door in the palm alley. Check.
Sweeping and mopping the floors. Check.
Placing an order for the infamous Chicken Barn Chicken that HAD to go along with me, if not.....Check.
Double checking and making sure everything was up to par in the household. Check.
Then it was time to go.  Gave my daughter and Brownie a hug and a kiss, and finally made it out of the door.

Stopping along the way to make last minute gift purchases.  Check.
My dear friend was giving me a ride to the airport. 
There was a minor mishap while stationary in a traffic jam, when the driver behind us rear-ended our car, but it was nothing too serious, and we still made it to the airport in a timely manner.
The words of my mum ringing in my ears, "If you leave home early, and you run into any difficulty you can still get to where you are going on time."  So true.

The airport was bustling with activity, and it was quite a task to capture photos without people included.

Like many on the island,  I have never been too keen on the design of the new Grantley Adams International Airport with its translucent tent membrane, but it is what it is.

Lots of airport shops to choose from, but not much choice in the prices....they're all high.

Before I knew it, it was time to make my way to the Departure Hall.  I must mention here that I met the most jovial and mannerly Gate Control Officer.  He surveyed my boarding pass and looked at the photo in my passport and wished me a safe flight and a lovely trip, and also told me to make it back home safely.  Wow, I was impressed.  Any of you who are reading this  and know about the "service" extended by government officials here on the island are probably reading with your mouths open. I wish they were more officials like him.  He may have been only a Gate Control Officer, but he was the best Gate Control Officer I have ever met.


A quick (expensive) lunch in the departure lounge......and then to my surprise I saw my faithful friend arriving on the runway.......

..........and taxiing to a stop on the tarmac.

"At your service ma'am.  I'm here for you."

Time to board

As I settled into my seat, it began to rain.

The a/c coolant on the plane was really thick and fog-like, which is as a result of the rapid change in air temperature that occurs when the plane is on the ground and the cabin doors are open for boarding. Did you know that this "fog" occurs as a result of the humid air coming through the cabin doors from the outside mixing with the chilly air coming out of the air conditioner on the plane? This causes the moisture to instantly condense as "fog." Once the doors are closed, the "fog" goes away.
The systems in the plane also get a chance to cool down this way before taking off again for the return flight.

Then PLONK!!  A rude young man plopped down beside me without a hint of acknowledgement.  No head nod, no hello, no well-meaning grunt.....nothing.
Yet he had the audacity to ask me to borrow my pen later during the flight to fill out his customs arrival form.  Do you want to know how he did it?  He just pointed at my pen and grunted "De pen?"
I know, I know, I should have considered saying "No" but I didn't. I loaned it to him.  He returned it to my tray table without saying "thank you" when I took a minute to glance out the window.

Leaving Barbados behind.

In the capable hands of Captain Jeffrey, who estimated our flying time at 4 hours and 40 minutes, we climbed to 36, 000 feet on the way to the USA.