Typhoon Day! Obviously we survived to tell the tale.
The day started out windy and rainy. You could tell that something was brewing. TCCOR 2 when we woke up. (Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness - meaning damaging winds imminent within 12 hours.)
We figured that we had some time to see the Misawa Aviation and Science Museum, since the storm wasn't expected until later in the afternoon. While we were headed to the museum, Scott received a phone call that we were now in TCCOR 1, and he thought at the time the person said the storm would be starting by 1 pm. Later found out that was only the time that nonessential personnel were dismissed to go home. So we figured we had about two hours to spend at the museum before we really needed to be back home.
Once at the museum, we walked around outside first, and saw all the planes on display. Looks like there were some that you could normally climb steps and look inside, but those stairways were all closed off due to the winds and approaching storm. After checking out the planes, we went inside and first visited the gift shop, looking for that t-shirt. Steve finally found one: in his size, with Misawa AB on it, and he liked it. Finally the search was over...
Headed for the ticket machines next and then into the museum. Nice airplanes on display inside as well - a replica of Miss Veedol, which was the first non-stop transpacific airplane (Misawa to Washington state) as well as one of the first Japanese planes flown in the country, at least in this area I think. There was also a passenger commuter plane, I think from the 1960s, that you could walk through. Some other planes as well. Then we went on to the science part of the museum.
There were lots of interactive exhibits. Most had explanations in English as well as Japanese which really helped. Some of the interactive exhibits were limited to persons between a certain weight and height range, that Steve and Scott were both too tall and above weight for. I had fun simulating walking on the moon, among other things. On the second floor, there were lots of science experiments that were interesting as well as a large display of model airplanes.
We were done a little after noon and headed on home. Back at Scott's, we actually parked the car in the garage and took the lawn furniture into the garage as well. Spent a quiet afternoon watching the storm intensify and watching movies. By 5 pm or so we were in the middle of our (Steve's and mine anyway) first typhoon. Not something that had been on our bucket list for this trip, but it is what it is. Good thing we'd changed the date of the geocaching event - it originally was to be held on Tuesday night!
Cooked dinner at home - garlic lime chicken and veggies. Scott had most of the spices needed and I had the recipe on my tablet. Scott did not have measuring spoons that I could find though, so I guesstimated on seasoning portions. Good dinner by all accounts. Nice to cook for my boy even though I was on vacation.
The storm was pretty much a big to-do over not much. It was pretty much over by 9 pm. We thought it was just the eye, but it never really intensified again after that. Damage the next morning seemed to be limited to a few trees down on base, lots of branches down all over, and Scott's antenna on top of the house was bent over sideways. He never uses it so not a big deal for him.
One more day in Misawa and then we are headed down to Tokyo.
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