365 Photo A Day - Jan 15 "The Wheels on the Bus"

Time to head home after a full month at the coast.  Hardly slept a wink last night as I was dreaming of the moment I came home to my handsome Mr.  It turned out to be anything but boring! 

Mom drove me to the bus and we shared a Tim's coffee until the bus arrived.  I got pretty misty before we parted.  It will feel very strange to not wake up at her house tomorrow.  I had a lot of luggage - thank goodness for the backpack I received for a Christmas gift and the duffel which came with my gym membership and I still had to sit on my suitcase!

Our bus set off and we rolled rolled down the big ol' highway.  The route I was on stops at quite a few places along the way.  I always enjoy the trip.  Unlike the bus trip down to the coast, this bus had sparkly clean windows because I guess it started in the city and the most muck gets splashed up through the passes.  So I press my nose against the glass (not REALLY coz who knows how many other perhaps not so clean noses have done this before me?) but I do sit on the right side so I get to see all the scenery scroll by on the journey. 

I was stunned to witness the trees damaged by an ice storm by Hope BC.  I had seen articles on the news but it was still shocking to see the extent of the broken off branches for many miles alongside the highway.  Actually, I tried to get a few photos of that - my attempt at one is the bottom left image in the collage above ... but it turned out very blurry because the bus seemed to sort of "shimmy".  I chalked that up to me sitting in the middle of the bus and perhaps that's the way it is with it being a long vehicle.  

We continued on, shimmy shimmy down the highway, each mile drawing me closer to home.  Another funny thing is for a while whenever the bus turned a sharp right on the highway for quite some distance, the horn would go off.  Now I don't know if this was an intentional thing or not on the driver's part and I forgot to ask.  

On past Yellow Lake where despite the gloomy day there were several gatherings of folk ice fishing. 

Then we arrived in Penticton and our driver announced to us that the bus needed to be looked at by mechanics due to that "shimmy" which we'd felt - it was not "normal".  Hmmm.  We were asked to wait in the depot until they found out what the problem was and upon that we would then find out how Greyhound would see us to our final destinations.  In the end (and after a delay) we were informed we would be getting a taxi home.  Wow!  Thats an hour and a bit in a taxi.  

I commend our driver and Greyhound, they organized this very expediently and us six passengers were quickly bundled into two taxis and we set off for the last leg of our journey.  

And nicely rolling home when we had to be detoured for a bit due to an accident south of Okanagan Falls and north of Vaseaux Lake.  

But we eventually got to Osoyoos (home sweet home!!!)  I noticed the cab fare rang up to about $140... good thing I wasn't paying.  

My handsome husband was waiting for me with a bouquet of flowers and I just melted into a happy puddle.  And that was my exciting day.  

Do you remember a most unfortunate travel day too?