The times... they are a changin' !!

Checked and ready for the oversized luggage belt

We it's finally here...the famous travel day. It's saturday the second of January and today we hope to arrive in Yellowknife by 1:30 local time after a short stop in Edmonton's YEG. Everyone here at Terminal 3 Pearson is wishing a happy new year. What's so nice so far? The weather here at home is -2C. It's -5C in Edmonton, -7C in Yellowknife and its a balmy -28C in Cambridge Bay.

Thanks to Niagara Airbus I was here just before the crowd arrived. I wasn't really that excited at 2 p.m. yesterday, in the middle of football mania, when the email announcement popped to the screen saying my pickup would be a half hour early...but hey...it paid off.

There were only three others at the check in once I got the correct end of the terminal...got to remember next time the U.S. is on the right end...and a new girl just opened and suddenly, I was next.

This time has been so much easier at check in than the previous trip last february with Canada's national air carrier...but that was mostly my fault. Thanks to a very efficient digital bathroom scale both check in bags came in at 1 pound under....whew. Last time I had to scramble as the overweight was over the magic load weight of 70 pounds...and the lovely people at Air Canada told me it would have to go cargo.

There were a couple of solutions. The first one involved taking the overweight bin by cab about a mile and a half away to the AIR CARGO hanger and process it there and then come back...cost and time and probably would miss the plane.

The lineup at Tim's was longer than security at 5:50 a.m.

The second option given was much smarter. I went to the luggage kiosk bought a hockey style bag and then in the back of the kiosk transferred goods from both the others into it...It cost me a few bucks but everything arrived...and I brought that extra bag and packed it just in case those digital readouts at home were in error.

One thing, that I have learned about over sized and overweight luggage is there is always a special place you have to go to hand it in for shipment. It's that way here in Terminal 3, it was in same last February both in Terminal 1 Toronto and Winnipeg. Just a short jaunt after checking in Bag #1 and Bag (bin) #2 was on its was to Yellowknife.

The people here are still in the holiday spirit, I think, but are prepared for a hectic saturday as people return to their lifestyles after their holiday visits. There are a sprinkling of those heading south but I'm the only one I have seen so far, that has a pair of Sorel's standing beside their cabin bag.

A busy day starts with the 1:40 a.m. wake up at home, a 2:35 p.m. pickup with passengers aboard, a slight side trip down to Lakeshore Road in St. Kitts to pick up a couple and then a short snooze and we were at Pearson. Five minutes after discharging those at Terminal One I was looking for the WESTJET check in counter here in Terminal 3.

By 4:50 I was through security at my Gate and busy typing away...time for breakfast...I just found out where the Tim's was....sorry but duty calls. A quick bagel belt, orange juice and coffee by 6 and I'm now ready for the day ahead. This was the only place that was lined up for me this morning and the line hardly moved for a very long time.

Our plane has just arrived and the passengers are disembarking. With all the time in your hands waiting for your flight, airports are such great places to people watch...and I'm conscious of a few who looked at me...then looked at the boots hung over my shoulder...would love to know what they are thinking.

The reason for our longer flight times today??  De-Icing !!!!!

Finally I've found someone waiting for our flight with heavy winter boots. From the way he's dressed and looks....I've got him pegged for someone home now returning to work in the oil sands...or perhaps a university professor or neurosurgeon, or maybe the owner of the Tim's in the West Edmonton Mall....hey, it costs nothing to guess.  

Well, looks like we are ready to board so will finish this off in flight, and post in Edmonton by the time they drop the puck in Finland....GO CANADA GO!!!!

Edmonton's YEG Aiport

SECOND LEG: Having landed at YED, I can tell I'm in Edmonton for sure. Long gone are the Maple Leaf and Raptors jerseys...having been replaced by Oiler and Eskimo garb....why haven't they renamed that CFL team the Edmonton Inuits??? Just asking?

Last flight on the list but also
 listed every few seconds is their partner airline JAL

We set the wrist watch back a couple of hours just before we landed as we are now in Mountain Standard time for the next month. Having eaten a snack on the plane there is no time nor need for further sustance at this point...just some water. I check the board for departures and for a few moments can't find my flight. Panic starts to set in when I realize it's not by time of departure but simply alphabetical...and to make matters worse...this WestJet flight having just arrived from Vancouver is associated with one of their "partners" JAL.

Since the blogger needs some rest...we'll continue the second part's arrival into Yellowknife and combine that with the preps and night life of Yellowknife...hey it's Saturday Night !

Leaving Edmonton's flat lands in bright sunshine

2015 Grey Cup Champion sportswear of the EDMONTON ESKIMOS