Kerry and Sam Have Arrived!

Their first flight was cancelled, their second delayed. It had taken me over two hours to dig out my car that morning and then Leonard had tried to clear my parking spot while I parked elsewhere. I thought we were prepared.

I waited at the bottom of the escalator that brings passengers to the baggage claim area.

I wish I had a photo of their arrival coming down that escalator. They looked a bit like an immigrant family. Tyren was first with Max in his arms ... a cheerful grinning Max. (He is the happiest little guy I know.) Then Arrow, serious and being her usual helpful self. Then Kerry and Sam who looked like a little leprechaun in his forest green sleeper and his green and violet striped hat. Everyone but Sam was carrying something.

We arrived at Pike Lake after dark and got stuck a few yards up the first hill on Rutlege because there is absolutely no wiggle room on my road. We made our way carefully (and sideways) past the car. It was a crawling, slipping, sliding kind of journey past the car.

I manhandled the suitcase and Kerry held the flashlight.

Then we traded and went up the hill, picked up the sled at the parking area, and made our way over glare ice, mounds of rubble, over a snow bank and down the last hill to the house along a path the width of a large dog's body.

Kerry had Sam snuggled in against her body under her mommy jacket and she dragged the sled with the suitcase on it. I carried my pack, the flashlight, her overnight bag and the groceries. Kerry finally abandoned the sled at the pile of rubble after the suitcase had fallen off and been replaced three times. Each time it fell off there was a handover of the flashlight and a dropping of other bags, so that I could re-establish its position on the sled. A perilous trip but we made it.

The first thing everyone did was have a drink. First Sam, then Kerry and me.

Then I finished making the supper I had started two days ago: chicken tikka masala, rice and a salad. We ended up eating at 9:30.

Sam who had cried almost all the way from the airport to the house was now a happy baby who lay on one of Kenya's dog cushions with the dog sprawled out beside him. He grabbed her cheeks and nose and the toy in her mouth. Kenya was very interested in this new puppy I had brought home.


We trundled off to bed at 11 all of us exhausted.