Up again at 4 am and checked in at halifax with no problem. Trouble began in Toronto with mechanical problems with the landing gear on the flight to Vancouver. After an hour delay we were on our way. At Vancouver we hustled to the other end of the airport to make our connection to Tokyo. More mechanical problems and a delay of 3.5 hours. A new plain was provided. Again, we were seated in the back row. Is that where they put the people flying on travel points? We were too late arriving in Tokyo to make our connection to Bangkok so Air Canada put us up at the Narita Exel Hotel, close to the airport and gave us vouchers for supper and breakfast. There was a lot of efficient helpful staff around. It has a ... read more

I look out the window and see snow drifts while thinking that soon enough I will be broiling in the heat, in a place where people don't know about snow. There are still a few tenatious apples clinging to the tree. The sun is setting, orange against a bright blue sky. The snow on the underside of the drifts is an almost blue, flecked with the red clay blown in from the potato field across the road. Though we don't leave Canada until Jan. 10th, we bid the Island adieu on Thursday for our annual Christmas in Québec . After celebrating both our mother's birthdays early in the New Year, we driveback to Middle Ohio, Nova Scotia to drop off the dog at his buddy Byron's place. Our friends will care for him while we are ... read more