Minasan ohayoo gozaimasu, (good morning everyone)
I’m in Okinawa, Japan, visiting my daughter Christina and her family. The island is located right in the middle of Typhoon Alley. It’s rained almost every day I’ve been here. As we prepare for Typhoon Chaba, I’m reminded of a nursery rhyme poem.
Rain, rain go away,
Come again another day.
Little Johnny wants to play;
Rain, rain, go to Spain,
Never show your face again!
The typhoon is expected to hit the island on Thursday. Christina deals with tropical storms at least six times a year and she’s calm. But I’m terrified of all the howling wind and rain we’re already experiencing. She’s stationed on Kadena Air Force Base and most of it (schools, businesses, etc.) is closed to prepare for the storm. The patio furniture is still put away because of the weather that hammered the island two weeks ago, so we don’t have much to do outside. We’re just loading up on groceries and water.
My grandsons, Triston and Ivan, are more interested in the movie Star Wars Clone Wars than the swaying palms and slashing rain. Triston is serious and older than his seven years, while Ivan is playful and still carries his Blinkie (a worn Winnie-the-Pooh blanket) everywhere he goes. Here are a couple of pictures of them playing their favorite sports.
Aren't they two cuties? The top picture is of Ivan; the bottom is Triston and Christina.
Now back to the storm. Preparing for severe weather on a military base is a group effort. A soldier doesn’t hesitate to help someone in need, so everyone is pitching in to help their neighbor. This outpouring of love and care reminds me of my military days. Even then nothing compared to the camaraderie soldiers show to each other.
Everyone tells me not to worry. That the worse of the storm will go in another direction like the one did two weeks ago, but I’m still leery. I grew up in Virginia and New Jersey and never worried about typhoons, hurricanes, and earthquakes. Oh, my!
Right now I feel like one of my heroines in danger. If nothing else, battling this storm gives me an authentic experience to write about. Hey, that’s the first ray of sunshine I’ve encountered all morning.
If you’ve went through a harrowing experience or endured something that gives a personal touch to your stories…please share it.
Until later,
Pamela Varnado, AKA: Pamela Vee
AFTER GLOW available now (http://www.thewilderroses.com/)
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