Last week was not a fun time to be travelling. It involved a lot of time sitting on the tarmac while the de-icer did the work or the snowploughs cleared the runway. It also meant that people start chatting as the delays expand. A few things overheard on the plane:

(Captain over the loudspeaker) ‘We were about to take off then the brake light came on. Looks like the brakes are overheating on one of the sides. This happens some times. We are going to sit here and see if they cool down. It might delay us for another 30 minutes’ (Which lead to an instant mental response – feel free to take your time Captain).

(I felt bad for this woman, she was clearly panicked)  "My house sitter just called and said the ceiling in the kitchen is collapsing. I am on the plane and it is delayed, we are sitting on the runway. There is water dripping down. Can you get over there? I am 5 hours away and she had to leave. Water is coming through the roof! Please?"

"Minus 4 isn’t that cold. We have calves that are born in minus 40”  Response: “In a barn?”  “No. Right into the snow bank. Dripping wet. Over 3 days I saved 5 calves who were struggling with the snow after just being born, wet and everything in 2 feet of snow"  (I bit my tongue … wanting to ask why not in the barn?).

From Monday to Friday, I detest the winter. And yes … the white blankness behind the plane is the snow storm descending as I was waiting to board in Edmonton. At least we got off, I was supposed to be in Europe during the big snow storm before the holidays, a colleague pointed out ‘Hey, did you realize that had we gone, we would have been stuck there for a week?’ Thank goodness for those Canadian airport people .. they are troopers. Hats off!