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Today started early about 4:30am after I went to bed at 2:45. I got mine and daddy’s breakfast from the hotel desk. I took a luxurious hot shower. Marriott did a wonderful job getting the sulfur smell that normally plagues the Florida water supply. We left the hotel at 5am almost on the dot. We made a quick stop at the Flying J gas station to pick up some water for the ride over and Daddy needed a decent cup of coffee since Marriott has now gone to Starbucks which he hates.

We arrived at the airport just after Barb and Bob. We had to wait outside the door until they got the place open up and ready for everyone. After the Kenny (the guy in charge of the warehouse) arrived, it seemed like everyone started to pour in. We all got the last luggage items weighed in and then Dad and I slipped away to enjoy the breakfast in the staff break room. The final weigh count was 1017 pounds excess of the passenger allowed weight. At $1.75 a pound you can just imagine the cost of bringing supplies in to the country.

Sam came to the office and I got to see him before I left. I still have major hero worship for that man. He always brought me home. I was really sad this time to know he is retired and would not be flying but he saw me off that alone was such great thing. There is a book being written about him and he asked me to submit a few of our favorite stories.

After breakfast, we had to go back out to the warehouse for the group weigh in. That is when all the passengers have to stand on the scale together and get weighed. In the DC3s weight distribution is important. I love this plan. My wish would be to fly the 300 tail numbers which is my favorite In the fleet but we got the runner up which is 200.

I got my miracle phone call about 5:35 and got to say my last good-byes. I have never been choked up about leaving to go to Haiti before but this time, I am leaving a lot behind. A lot of good people, unanswered questions, uncertainty, etc. I have to have faith in those around me to handle what is needed.

We got loaded on the plane and took off into the most gorgeous sunrise. Dad and I sat in the very back row where it is the coolest temps. The extra fun part is you can hear the chain rattle which brought back great childhood memories. There DCs does not have fans or another thing the modern planes have. I could tell Sam was not the pilot but the guy did a pretty good job. About mid way a crew member came and offered drinks and Debbie snakes to everyone, I just wasn’t up for eating. The guy beside me was chatty but I spent most of the time reading my book. The crew member did let us know we would be making a gas stop in the Bahamas and that we could pre-order hot breakfast for those who wanted it. It was to include eggs, ham, and toast. We were warned that any one component might be missing. The cost was $5 US. Most ordered, I did not since I do not eat pork.

At the Bahamas we all had to get off the plane and go through security. There was a flush toilet there we could use. The stop lasted maybe 30 minutes. Dad was asked to be the one to go collect the breakfasts from the café and bring back to the plane. After take off Dad passed out the breakfast to those who had ordered it. LOL yep there was something missing ….the ham. 5$ for eggs and toast.

Once we began to approach the coast of Haiti, the ride got really bumpy due to the hot air. The temp was over 96 degrees on the ground. The land is green from all the recent rain and is beautiful. We landed in Cap-Haitian and it was overwhelming all the changes. The old airport building that I recalled as a child was a shell of building that the trees and plants were overtaking. The runway ran differently. The faces were all the same from the custom agents to the porters.

Here in Cap-Haitian we went through immigrations and then customs went through everything and gave Dad a figure on how much it would cost to be allowed to bring the food and supplies into the country. This time is was just over 200$ US. Each trip is unique and you never know what you are going to have to pay and why. Dad, I , the passengers going to Port au Prince and those we picked up who are headed back to the US all loaded the plan for the 15 minute ride up the plateau.

The ride was so bumpy I was sure I was not only going to lose breakfast but lunch from 2 days ago. WOW. You would freefall a few feet and then back up. My butt was coming up off the chair. I could not read my story any more as the words where all over. I just settled back and hoped that 15 minutes would pass quickly.

We landed at the dirt airstrip of the Pignon airstrip about 12:30pm. Jean Jean who was supposed to come pick up forgot and we had to wait for the driver to come. We visited with some of the youth that hang around the airstrip. They warned up that pick pocket thievery is up and Dad can no longer wear his phone on his belt. We talked about some of the mob justice that has deterred some of the crime in the area.

The driver arrived and we loaded the truck. When all was said and done we had to leave a piece at the airport for someone to hold. Everything else made it inside the cab or in the bed. Dad had to sit in the back bed and hold things on while I was in the back seat between the boxes and the door. I had a sew machine that dug into my leg with every bump.

We made the 2.5 mile tip in about 15 minutes. That is how bad the roads are. Driving into the drive way was amazing. It really did feel like coming home. The grass has grown so tall and the yard needs some serious work, but that will all happen in the coming weeks. Daddy’s two dogs were so happy to see him. One is named Meanie an one is Chunky. Both Haitian mutts.
The house was not in horrible conditions but the critters have been about. There was 2 dead tarantula. Live roaches were all over the kitchen. The sad thing was the food had to be put away so we turned on the frig and waited for them to get cold before putting the food in. There is not time to clean it yet and yet I can’t have them crawling in the food. They were also in the draws along with some other critters.

I made sandwiches for lunch. He had a ham, cheese, and horseradish sandwich and I had a cheese and horseradish. We tried to get the internet working but Hughes net shut it down for lack of activity and we can’t call or get on the internet to let them know. Dad bought some minutes on his Haitian phone at the Pignon airport and now we are having to use those precious minutes to get a stupid company to turn on the service. We put more stuff away and Jeanine arrived to help with the cleaning. Dad and I then took a nap.

I woke back up about 5pm and dad had already had his shower. While working on the unpacking I heard a bang on the roof and recognized that sound, it was an avocado falling off the tree. I ran and grabbed it knowing I was going to make salad for dinner. After dinner we got all but 3 of the boxes uploaded. We are making our to do list and I am assessing all that needs to be done here. WOW is about all I can say. I got the water in the bottles and in the fridge for tomorrow and daddy got the filter filled so we will have fresh water tomorrow.

The 12 volt lights are not working and with nightfall here meaning there are more creatures than I am willing to shower with that will wait until morning. I like to see the lizards I dodge. LOL Dad and I visited and made our “to do list” before we went off for bed.
The generator cuts off at 10pm and then no lights. It really is good to be home.

**We get to upload files between 2 and 6am CT. I will load the pics to Flicker and send y’all the link to them.