Mom's New Ride!

Mom just got a new car!  Here are a couple of pics.  Notice the one with her new car and Mark's old one which is 46 years older! Oh by the way her car is a Prius C and she really likes it.

Our New Stove

Our new wood burning  heater has just arrived.  Of  course it has arrived in Michigan so we still have to get it back to Japan.  Hopefully United doesn't lose it or break it as it has been on order for almost a year and three quarters so if they do we are gonna freeze over the next two winters.  Anyway we really like the look of the stove.  Next pic of it will be once it is installed and maybe a fire through the glass.

Fantastic Grand Haven!

We always forget how nice Grand Haven really is in the summertime.  And it seems to keep getting better.  Though it is a bit touristy now, hey what are we anyway!   And what better way to see it than pull out the old Camaro!!! Of course when not driving, there is the Tip for Mexican food, Fricano's for pizza, plus a multitude of other restaurants, no wonder we have added a kilo on a week!

Pauline at the beach!

The car with the pier in the background need to zoom in to see the pier

The road between town and the beach

Main Street

Us, with THE Lighthouse behind at sunset

ROAD TRIP!!!

If you have been following, you know we were waiting out for the typhoon to pass and then fly to Michigan.  What we kept quiet was we were getting picked up from the Grand Rapids airport by Mark's mom, nephew Greg and his partner Hayden, niece Tayler and packed into a van for a twelve hour road trip to North Carolina for a wedding.  Mark's sister Laura was getting married and there was a conspiracy by this group and the groom to surprise her with our arrival.  But it was a bit of an endurance test.  Luckily the wedding was casual with a Western theme (we came dressed in Western Pacific formal wear).

Anyway all went great, Laura was surprised.  We met and approve of the groom and his family so they have our blessing, as if that counts for anything!

Oh and then we turned around and drove back after the wedding.  That meant another 12 hours.  Whew!!!

Laura being given away by the van driver!

Us Crashing the Wedding

More Photos later.  Sleep now!!!!

The wedding party

It Has Finally Turned

Not wanting to jinx things but we know many of you are watching.  Typhoon Neoguri has finally turned.  A lot further north than expected but it has definitely turned.  It looks now as if it will make landfall near Sasebo.  A lot closer than we would like but still far enough away.  And it is losing strength fast.

Battening Down

We are getting ready to leave the boat for three weeks and fly back to the USA.  Since we have arrived in typhoon prone areas we have tried to split our time off the boat in order that one of us is always ready to look after Sari Timur during a storm.  We were advised it is very early for typhoons here so we felt confident leaving together.  Well guesss what!!!  Typhoon Neoguri is out there and the long term predictions are a bit sketchy but it looks like we will have a pretty uncomfortable night before we leave.  But it shouldn't be a direct hit.  Okinawa is going to get hit directly, and Guam was missed but still had some impressive weather.  We have seen some footage of two hobie cats damaged in MYC though luckily it sounds like the damage was minimal, and another short video of waves breaking over the top of the naval housing in Orote Point.  For those not in the know that point is well over a hundred feet high.  But it is exposed in a way that the waves climb up the point.

We are keeping our fingers crossed that Sari Timur will be fine.