Iwakuni Friendship Day Rehearsal 5/4 and Friendship Day 5/5

It's a gorgeous day and I'm on my BR balcony looking right toward the golf course. On April 1st, they started bulldozing the beautiful golf course to begin construction on more housing, but then the work abruptly stopped about 2 weeks later . . . I'm glad Paul & Betsy aren't here to see this!


Looking to the left, you can see the bowling alley (with the dark roof) and beyond are new barracks where the Mac Dome used to be. Everything is changing!


There are a few jets still parked across the street - they'll have to move them out today. Above there's a jet practicing for the big show tomorrow.


I'm afraid my new camera doesn't take good zoom photos . . . bummer!


FRIENDSHIP DAY 5/5/12

It's about 8:30 AM Saturday morning 5/5 - which is Friendship Day here on MCAS Iwakuni. The flightline across the street from us is being used as a parking lot today, and is already filling up. Last night when we were biking back from sushi at Akiyama, there were cars "stopped" alongside the road for the night, already in line, so they could drive in early this morning! And the city of Iwakuni had set up porta-potties - that was thoughtful. Someone said they were lined up half-way to Hiroshima . . .


By 10 AM the lot has nearly filled with cars & motorcycles - all in perfect rows, of course. It's a gorgeous warm day today, but Stan is still a little under the weather from his virus or whatever from last week, so we're staying in.


I videoed a brief shot of jets flying over the base to give you an idea of the noise! But the air show is my favorite part of Friendship Day! But I've heard they probably won't be able to have it any more because the new Iwakuni Airport will be open soon & regular domestic flights will be scheduled.


The sun shining brightly on some of my balcony plants.


Snapdragons & strawberries! But last year was the only year we actually got to eat some of our strawberries, since it was the first summer we spent here in Japan.


It's nearly 5 now, and most everyone has left. It takes a while to get everyone off base, but they're patient, so it's very quiet now. We spent a relatively quiet day watching movies . . .


Colorful tour buses all in a line headed for the Contractor's Gate near our building.


And later, I catch a glimpse of the Super Moon high over our "floating island" - beautiful end to a nice day!

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