Fearless!

Snow - the last thing I thought I would be posting about when I got back from a Hawaiian vacation! My neice, Nanette, dropped my sister, Lore, and I off at the Kona International Airport Wednesday afternoon in 70+ degree weather and we landed at SeaTac at 12:30 am Thursday with snow flurries licking the airplane window and a couple of inches on the ground - a beautiful, but surprising welcome.

Scott was suppose to pick us up at the airport. I called him from the baggage claim area only to find out he hadn't even left our driveway in Puyallup, 25 miles away. He didn't feel safe even attempting the trip. He also knew that Lore and I are fairly self sufficient women and that we would figure out what to do next. So we did.

We were warned there would be a long line at the taxi stand, but we headed across the sky bridge to the garage to find out. The line wasn't as long as predicted, but the drivers were screening prospective passengers. "Where are you going? Are there hills? Sorry I can't take you there." I didn't blame them. They were driving Toyota Priuses, two wheel drive cars with no chains!

My 75 year-old sister forgot to mention - or deliberately omitted the fact - that she lives on the top of the Tukwila hill. She just said, "Tukwila". Ever the one to point out omitted details, I poked her in the ribs to remind her she'd forgotten to mention the hill. She ignored me and climbed in the front seat. I was riding in the back with a man heading for Kent, who had made it very clear to the driver, there were no hills where he was going.

We headed north from SeaTac, took the exit toward South Center and turned left across the bridge over the freeway. That's when it got more exciting. The two-lane residential street on the west side of the freeway is similar to a roller coaster ride, particularly when there's snow and ice on the road. I'm not sure why, but at one point the driver looked over at my sister and asked, "Are you sick?" (Maybe he meant, "Are you crazy?") Without hesitation, Lore, proudly proclaimed, "No, just old." I chuckled in the back seat, but at the same time could see why he might dump us out right there, about a half mile away from her house.

We turned right, over the bridge that spans I-5 and headed up a 45 degree incline. As the Prius started slowing and slipping, the driver expressed his concerns using the same phrase over and over, "Oh Sh.., oh sh.., oh sh.."

About half way up, I deduced, without much brain power, that the ride was over. He carefully backed up and turned around. Being the back seat driver my husband will attest to, I suggested he should turn his wheels into the curb to keep the car from sliding down the hill as we got out. He didn't, but I did warn the Kent man, he should be prepared to jump into the front seat and take control, as the driver exited the taxi.

So there we were - about three blocks from Lore's house, 1:30 am, on a show covered sidewalk, with carry-on luggage and me with my 14 pound camera back pack. (Lesson learned; I'll be taking a point and shoot next time. Weighs less). We began trudging up the street dragging our suitcases behind us. That was something akin to pulling a snow plow, as the snow piled up in front of the bags. At one point, I just started laughing. The scenario was so unexpected, I had to record it for posterity, or at least for laughs. So while Lore trudged on ahead, I pulled out the camera gear and took a few shots.

Once on top of the hill, it was downhill for half a block and then uphill again. I went ahead and snow plowed up Lore's driveway. Only fell down once hurting my pride more than anything. I had to unload the camera bag to stand up again - another reason to take a point and shoot. I unloaded the camera bag and suitcase on Lore's porch and went back to help her. She had started across the neighbors lawn, a little less steep, but she had taken a fall too. Luckily she wasn't hurt. 

We made it! Hot tea and tales of the adventure were shared with Lore's granddaughter, Dori, who got up to let us in. After Dori and Lore had gone to bed, I stayed up a while longer to capture a few more pics of the amazing scene which had welcomed us home. This is a vacation we won't forget. And I have to say, I have a whole new appreciation for my sister. She may call herself "old", but I call her fearless! BonnieKingPhotography.com