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Fuji-san is beautiful today! Was covered in clouds earlier but it's cleared up. 🗻 #mtfuji #fujisan #富士山 #Japan #lakekawaguchi #河口湖

Sakura Season is Almost Here

Japan Weather Assoc

Here is this year's sakura zensen (cherry blossom front). If you'd like to see or read more, click here. Sakura, or cherry blossoms as they're known in the United States, are a big deal here in Japan. The Japanese gave the cherry tree to the U.S. in 1912. When we lived here from 2008-2010 I found sakura Kit Kats and am hoping they're released again. Here is my post about sakura from 2009...the girls are so little and have changed so much! On a side note, I changed the header of the blog today. I used a picture I took in Kamakura from this post.   

  

Super Typhoon Melor Will be Here Tomorrow Morning

School's been canceled and since we could very easily lose power I made a huge pot of chicken soup this afternoon and put it in my slow cooker. I'll keep it on low all night so in case we lose power tomorrow it'll at least stay warm. I bought some paint for the girls that way they'll be occupied and I'll be happy too! All of the candles and flashlights are on the kitchen counter and ready to go and batteries are charged for the radio. I've even got a book and magazines set aside for myself!

My Ombudsman sent an email out a little while ago, and I'll copy and paste some of the highlights below. Hopefully it sounds worse than it is. I think my mind would be more at ease if Bob were here, but I'm not the only one without a husband home to help, so at least I'm not alone! The ships are out there trying to avoid the storm and getting banged up against the pier. I've done what I can in preparation, so now we'll sit back and watch/listen for updates. This website, if you're interested, explains the different TCCOR conditions. Right now (7:15 pm Wednesday) we're at TCCOR 2.

Expected TCCOR announcements:

- TCCOR 1 at 2200 Wednesday night

- TCCOR 1 Caution at 0300 Thursday morning

- TCCOR 1 Emergency at 1000 Thursday morning

- TCCOR Recovery at 1400 Thursday afternoon

- TCCOR All Clear at 1600

These times are approximates. Please keep an eye on Channel 15 and the CFAY website for updated information.

- As of 2200 Wednesday night, only official and emergency personal are allowed on the roads until the All Clear on Thursday.

- Please stay inside from 2200 Wednesday night until the All Clear on Thursday.. Although it looks like the storm has passed, Security has to access all CFAY locations for down power lines and other destruction.

- The largest amounts of rain should occur between 1000 and 1400 Thursday. Overall, rainfall is expected to be between 2-4 inches.

- As noted previously, schools will be closed on Thursday. The Meteorology Command expects the storm to have passed Yokosuka by late Thursday afternoon, so school should resume on Friday.

- All base facilities will be closed on Thursday... CDCs, the Commissary, the NEX (all locations), the Galley, MWR, FFSC, Purdy gym, etc. Business should resume as normal on Friday. The Emergency Room at USNH Yokosuka will be available for emergencies only.

- All bus services will be suspended on Thursday. There will be no Home to Work buses, shuttles to Narita Airport, or base buses.

- If you have any valuables, please move them away from windows. Typhoon rains have been known to blow side-wise and cause rain indoors. Please have towels ready for such an occurrence.

I'll see you online after the storm!

Weathering the Weather - Super Typhoon Melor

Super Typhoon Melor is on its way! If Bob's ship was in port it would going out to sea; all the ships capable of leaving have already left...at least they will have left by the time this entry posts. This is just another example of the Navy coming first, but I understand why. If the ships are moored at the pier they'll bang along side with the wind and rain, so it's safer for them to be out to sea.

We're in Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness (TCCOR) III right now. I'm sure you're wondering what that means: Winds of 50 knots or greater are anticipated within 24 hours. Secure outside items, secure windows and alert your commands’ essential personnel. All hands should identify loose gear that could become missile hazards and make preparations for stowing and securing them. All hands should also ensure they have a three day supply of food and water on hand. Residents are advised to fill vehicles and grill gas tanks. Ensure emergency kits are ready. Move equipment away from windows and ensure sufficient money and important documents are easily accessible.

It's been raining since yesterday afternoon and there's no sign of it stopping any time soon. I put the girls' bikes in the little built attached to our front lanai and covered the water table and took the toys from the water table and threw them in the shed. It's raining now and will be for the rest of the week, so we'll just relax and try to stay dry...aside from walking driving Keanna to/from school, or at least to the closest parking garage and walk the rest of the way. It's only a 15 minute walk, but will be no fun in the rain!

Teru Teru Bozu - Welcome to Japan's Rainy Season!

It's raining, it's pouring, the old man is snoring....

Early summer is the rainy season in most parts of Japan...mid June to mid-late July. Tsuyu is what the Japanese call the rainy season, it means plum rain (plums ripen at around the same time), and even though it's been rainy all last week and will be this coming week, I don't think it's as bad as it was last year.

Japanese children make Teru Teru Bozu (てるてる坊主) dolls, and that literally translates to "shiny-shiny Buddhist priest." They're pretty common around this time of year, hanging from porches, laundry clips and balconies. We made and hung ours in front of the sliding glass door. Supposedly if you hang them up it's supposed to stop the rain, and if you hang them upside down then it does the opposite! According to Wikipedia, "This amulet is supposed to have magical powers to bring good weather and to stop or prevent a rainy day."

We made ours and got them hung up. They're simple to make, and while we used cloth napkins, people also use tissues. They're the same concept as ghosts that we Americans make at Halloween time....make the Teru Teru Bozu exactly the same way.

It's easy to make one! You'll need two pieces of tissue paper (or a cloth napkin, etc) and a piece of string. Crumple one tissue into a ball and put the ball in the middle of the other sheet. Tighten the flat tissue around the ball, tie it up at the base, and that's it! Hang your teru-teru bozu outside a window a few days before the day you want the sun to shine. Ours are up because we don't want rain for fireworks on the 4th! The base has stuff going on all day and fireworks at night.

There is also a Warabe uta (Japanese nursery rhyme) that goes along with teru teru bozu:

Teru-teru-bozu, teru bozu
Do make tomorrow a sunny day
Like the sky in a dream sometime
If it's sunny I'll give you a golden bell

Teru-teru-bozu, teru bozu
Do make tomorrow a sunny day
If you make my wish come true
We'll drink lots of sweet rice wine

Teru-teru-bozu, teru bozu
Do make tomorrow a sunny day
But if it's cloudy and you are crying (i.e. it's raining)
Then I shall snip your head off


I think the last line is a tad bit creepy!

Hydrangeas Galore

About five or six minutes from our house, on Route 24, there's a little stretch of hydrangeas on the side of the road. When I saw these blooming last year I was so excited to see how they'd look, what color they were and how big they'd get. I took the girls around this time last year, click here to see those pictures, and went again Wednesday on our way home from the base.

The flowers are already on their way out, I wish the weather was nicer last week...didn't want to go in the rain with them. So even though the flowers aren't as nice as they were last year, I still got some pictures, the girls were able to talk about how much bigger the flowers are compared to their heads, and Keanna decided she wants to plant these flowers in our front yard.

I'll put a few of this year's pictures on the left and last year's on the right.

Sakura in Kamakura

Sakura is the Japanese word for cherry blossoms. Did you know that the Japanese gave the cherry tree to the United States back in 1912? I didn't! Well, if I did know I've forgotten up until Julie and I were talking about it. In 1965, 3800 more trees were given and accepted by Lady Bird Johnson. Last week and the week before were the two weeks when they peaked, and we were out and about taking it all in. We arrived at this time last year, the peak of sakura season, so this year I knew where I wanted to go to see them. Bob's been working later hours than usual and on weekends too, so anything we wanted to see had to be done without him.

The Japanese are very serious and proud of the sakura; last year they even had Kit Kat Sakura! Every year the Japanese Meteorological Agency and the public track the sakura zensen (cherry-blossom front) as it moves northward. From what I read it begins in Okinawa in January and reaches Kyoto and eventually Tokyo at the end of March or the beginning of April.

Last Friday evening we went with Julie and her family to Kamakura. It's only two stops away by train and takes about 15 minutes to get there. Specifically Dankazura and Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine. Dankazura is a walkway that leads almost from Kamakura Station down to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine. I went to these places on New Year's Eve...click here if you want to see more pictures and to learn about how the Japanese traditionally ring in the new year.

On Tuesday the girls and I went to Hase Temple (Hasedera) and Daibutsu/Great Buddha of Kamakura. We walked around, took some pictures and enjoyed the afternoon. The weather was beautiful and we were happy to take advantage of it. Below are pictures of a garden at Hase Temple and Daibutsu. I'm still experimenting with the panoramic stitching thing. Click the pictures to enlarge them.














I've added the pictures from both days to a Shutterfly album, click here if you want to see them.

The Earth Moved

Get your mind out of the gutter! Bob's not home...it's been four months since he left, can you believe it?! We had a 4.8 earthquake this morning around 7:20 am Sunday our time, so 6:20 pm EST on Saturday. I was awake and chatting with Susan on my laptop at the time and the girls were sleeping. It was a beautiful morning with a great breeze and the sun out, so I opened the window all the way but kept the blinds down. I heard something that sounded like a low rumble of thunder, then my bed started to shake, the fan pulls were swinging, the blinds were rustling and I looked to my left and saw the alarm clock shaking.

I typed to Susan, "earthquake...[8-10 seconds later]...still...[10 seconds after that]...still." Finally it stopped, I took a deep breath, then realized I had actually heard it before feeling it! The epicenter was in Chiba, the peninsula to the northeast of us; not too far from us. There was no damage, nothing fell off the walls, we didn't lose power, etc, and I haven't felt anything since.

This afternoon the girls each got a haircut. Well, more like a trim, but Keanna's needed a few inches taken off and it looks so much better now. My middle sister, Sara, has been the only person to cut their hair, so when I told them we were going, Keanna asked if Aunt Sara was coming here. They both did great in the chair and sat still. It was nothing fancy for either of them, just trim the dead ends and clean it up a bit. Sara always put some layers or angles in Keanna's hair, just to frame her face, but I didn't want to attempt anything fancy with someone new. Maiko came highly recommended and she did a nice job with the girls, so I have a cut scheduled for Wednesday. My hair was last cut in March, so it's overdue. When we got back they wanted to take a picture for Bob. Both of them were so happy and kept saying their hair was "Just so cute!"


I forgot to post this picture when I wrote about going on the waterfalls, owl park and paper making trip. Julie took this picture while we were eating our vending machine lunch. I love the expression on Sydney's face, that's typical of her. And Keanna's making a funny face...she's really developing a sense of humor. And thank goodness she's taking after me in that department and not Bob. He does have a sense of humor, it's just a bit dry!

Here Comes the Sun

As soon as we were given the all clear to leave our homes, we were out and about and on the train to Zushi! It's only one stop down from the train station outside our gate, and the girls and I love going down there. There are little shops, farmer's markets, a grocery store and two ¥100 stores. They have some neat stuff in them, and for the price (¥100 is about $1), you can't go wrong!

I talked to Julie this morning and both of us wanted to hunt down the new Kit Kat flavor, Caramel Macchiato McFlurry. I found a website that lists the upcoming flavors and release dates, so now we know what to keep an eye out for and when. Julie said, and I agree, that it's nice knowing, but the fun was going into different stores not knowing what we would find.

On our walk out of our housing area and to the train station, we noticed the stuff set up for Friendship Day was still out. It's an open base day that happens once in a while on the housing bases and the main base as well. It was supposed to be today (Saturday), but due to the weather was postponed until tomorrow. Then late yesterday afternoon it was announced that it was being cancelled on Sunday too. So anyway, as we were walking up to the track we saw the tops of the tents and it looked like they were setting it back up for tomorrow, but as we got closer our jaws dropped!

After stopping in a couple of stores we accomplished our goal of finding Caramel Macchiato McFlurry Kit Kats! So another one added to my list! We found Kit Kat ice cream cones as well, or as the label says, "Cone Ice."

TCCOR All Clear

"Here comes the sun, here comes the sun, and I say it's all right..."

We just got the message that normal activies can be resumed...no more base lockdown! Later this morning we're going to take the train into town, walk around and enjoy the sunshine!

We had some heavy rain and lots of thunder and lightening last night, and when we got up this morning it was overcast, but now we see blue sky and the sun is shining!

Weathering the Weather

We're in the middle of Tropical Storm Sinlaku as I type. It's been raining most of the day and right now it's overcast and drizzling, but not a steady rain. We're surrounded by hills and mountains though, so it really isn't bad. Julie and I were talking about it today and she raised that point, and a valid one at that. We're in Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness (TCCOR) II right now. I'm sure you're wondering what that means: Winds of 50 knots or greater are anticipated within 24 hours. Secure outside items, secure windows and alert your commands’ essential personnel. I put the girls' bikes in the little built attached to our front lanai and covered the water table and took the toys from the water table and threw them in the shed.

If Bob's ship was in he'd probably be going out to sea...just another example of the Navy coming first, but I understand why. If the ships are moored at the pier they'll bang along side with the wind and rain, so it's safer for them to be out to sea. He's never had to do that before, and it's done with submarines for the same reason.

Monday, Monday

My dad is 58 today. I don't think he'll care that I post his age, but when my mom's birthday comes in December I know better not to publicize hers! And happy birthday to Uncle Rodney too! Hope you don't mind me posting your age either. And in case you haven't figured it out, they're twins. In the first picture dad's showing the girls how he makes ice cream at Mortensens' Restaurant in Newington, CT. I've helped countless times from toddler to adulthood, and it never gets old! The second is with my mom when they came to visit us in Hawaii, and the last is him coming down the hatch of Bob's last submarine...and that's Bob in the background.

Yesterday was a rainy day, so since our plans of heading up to Tokyo with Julie and Noah were scrapped, we stayed home and baked brownies. Keanna woke up yesterday and today insisting we all wear our "cooker hats" as she calls them. On Saturday she and Sydney took plastic bags and put it around their feet...I thought they were going to attempt plastic bag sack races! Keanna brought the handles up to her knees and twisted and tied hers, put it on her head and said, "Look mom, I'm a cooker!" Then suddenly there was one for Sydney, one for me and one for Bob. But since Bob isn't here, the girls insisted it sit on his chair at the kitchen table awaiting his return. So after we all had our hats on, they wanted a picture taken so we could send it to him on the ship. That's right fellow submarine wives, I can email him photos underway! Anyway, I took a picture with my laptop so the quality is poor, but it captures the moment. Mine and Sydney's hats are NEX bags and Keanna's is from WalMart. No, there isn't a Walmart here, but there are still some in my bag holder thing. I wish the other side was showing because it says "Aloha" on it and has the Hawaiian Islands on it as well. She instructed the bow go in the front, and believe it or not, they are custom fit. Well, Sydney was fussing with hers so it loosened.

After lunch we made the brownies, and since Bob's not here I let them have some of the batter. Normally we all have a bite each and Bob tries to scrape out the bowl, but we totally took advantage of him not being here and kept it for ourselves. I actually had two bites and let them go to town. Anyways, the two of them really did go to town before I poured it in the pan! By the time the oven had preheated I realized we had eaten so much that the 13"x9" would be too big. I opened up the cabinet expecting to find my Longaberger 8"x8" but nope, the pie plate was right there in front and that's what I went with. Keanna was so excited to have a brownie pie, so when it cooled enough to cut, I cut them in pie slices. Needless to say, that went over quite well! As you can Sydney still has batter on her face. She insisted she could lick it off, but yeah, obviously that didn't happen! The brownies came out great, and as Keanna pointed out, they're just like Bob likes them, nice and mushy in the middle!

Out and About

It's been drizzly, raining and at some points absolutely pouring over the last few days. I heard last June it rained all but four days, so when we woke up this morning and saw the sun with blue sky, I knew we had to do something outside. The Wii helps with cabin fever, no doubt about it, but I'm about out of finger paint, so perfect timing for a sunny day!

Every time I drive to the base I pass a small spot with hydrangea bushes. For you local readers, or Dave and Mayumi, it's on 24 just after the toll road entrance on the right. Over the past week or two they've bloomed and look absolutely beautiful. They're so full of flowers, and the blooms are huge! It's a stretch on a main road, so pulling over to snap some pictures isn't an option. My mom has a few hydrangeas in the yard, and she does a great job of maintaining and pruning them from year to year. But I have never seen such large flowers, or bushes so full like this before! Mom, you think it's the salt air? We're about 10 minutes from the beach, so I'm not sure if that's what helps them along or not.

The last few times I've driven that way I've paid close attention to a parking lot or side street. Well today I got the courage up to navigate off the main road, and found a small side street to park on. We walked down a small hill and onto the sidewalk with the flowers. The girls couldn't believe it. Keanna wanted to pick them and put them in the vase with the flowers I already have. No, not flowers from Bob, but weeds from the front yard that the girls so lovingly picked for me; they're in a shot glass on top of the stove. I explained that these wouldn't exactly fit in the "vase" with the other flowers, and that we couldn't pick these since they're not in our yard. I'm assuming they're on city land, and the last thing we need is to get into any type of trouble. They're very strict here, and the crime rate is incredibly low. So as beautiful as those flowers were, there was no way we were picking even one. Sydney picked up a couple off the ground, but they weren't the snowball, just small buds. I took a lot of pictures of the girls out there, and the rest can be seen in my online album.

After our short walk, we went to Maruetsu. It's a store with 3 levels...the basement is a grocery store, main level has clothing, cosmetics and shoes, and the top floor is stationary, a little play area for kids, books/magazines and a small sewing section. Which, by the way, I'm still on the hunt for straight pins. The NEX is always out, and the ones today had the colored ends on them. I need plain ones so I can hang the girls' wooden letters in their rooms! Anyway, getting back on track, we've been in there once before with Bob, so at least I knew where to park. That's half the battle after all! It's on the same road as the hydrangeas, but it has a parking garage off a side street. I've never seen such a small parking area...well, maybe Aloha Tower in Honolulu, but this one is a match or a very close second. I think it feels smaller because the ceiling is so low. You have to get a ticket when you pull in, and thank goodness there's a green light blinking. I hit that, and sure enough the ticket popped out. They validate parking, so I knew to bring the ticket in with us. Now on the way out, all I had to do was stick the ticket in the slot. Thankfully I didn't owe anything, and knew I wouldn't. But look at this thing! Not a word of English on it! Oh, forgot to mention that there's a recording on both machines. It's a woman talking...I'm guessing she's saying "Press the button and bring your ticket in for validation," but who knows. And on the way out the same voice said something including "Arigato," so she thanked me for something!

We browsed around inside the store for a little bit, and I couldn't help but chuckle at the shopping cart. It's a small one, just like the others I've seen here, but this one had a child's seat in the front! Sydney wanted in right away, then she got bored and Keanna wanted a turn. Sydney was too big for it...I mean, she fit just fine, but her legs hung low. Keanna on the other hand was moving the thing on her own.

Lately Keanna's favorite book as been The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, and she instantly recognized the cover. Keanna wanted to know why it looked different, so I explained that since we live in a different country and the people here speak a different language, the way they write is different too. She's familiar with them talking different from us, but hasn't noticed, or at least said anything, about seeing it.

The grocery store is always my favorite part about shopping out in town. I checked for Kit Kats, and they had White and Green Tea. Already have those in my collection, so was able to keep on walking down the candy isle. We passed an interesting product though, Calpis Milk. You thinking what I'm thinking? "Cow piss?" Yumm, appetizing, huh?! And in the cookie isle I found Elise cookies. My sister spells her name "Elyse," but I thought this was a neat find.

On the way home I drove the same way I also do, only today I got stuck at a red light in front of a little corner market. I don't think it's even considered a market since it's so tiny, but anyway, I snapped a couple of pictures, and love the expression on the woman's face. I was able to zoom and crop it in the Shutterfly album, so you can see it better there, but she must work or own the place since she has an apron on. The next time I'm out and it's not raining, I'm going to find a place to park and go there. If worse comes to worse I can park in the Maruetsu garage and figure out how to pay!!! I drove by a car dealership too, sorry Uncle Bruce, not Honda! I man in a suit came out into my lane a little bit and put his hand up asking me to stop. I did, wasn't sure if he was crossing or not. When I came to a complete stop he bowed to me. Then he waved out a white Toyota Crown. He bowed a couple of times to the car as it was driving away, then again to me. I figured a guy just bought a car and was taking it off the lot. But it was kind of neat, being bowed to like that. I waved at him and nodded my head in return, then he bowed again at me! We were no more than 10' away from each other and we had made eye contact.

Lastly, the kids each got a treat of their choice today since they behaved so well and didn't drive me crazy. Keanna was so happy to get her ice cream cone. It's not actual ice cream, but it's a wafer cone with sort of a sweet cake in there. I think they're gross, but she loves them. Sydney wanted me to take her picture after Keanna asked, and the expression on Sydney's face is priceless. When I was filtering through today's pictures I saw it and instantly thought of a picture of her from a couple of years ago. I don't know how I remembered this certain photo, but it just clicked. She just has a look of pure disgust on her face, and I can't help but chuckle and shake my head.