While We Were Sleeping-Japan Cries. Are We Prepared?

I heard the familiar Earthquake Detector App on my Android Phone next to my head Thursday night. The Earthquake Detector gives me a familiar buzz and  I hear it constantly, but I look at it often because of a swarm of earthquakes in Arkansas. Arkansas is beautiful, the French/Sioux word for "downstream" home of Mockingbirds, Apple Blossoms, and Dogwoods. My Bree, my daughter and family, thought when they were moving to Arkansas, the earthquakes we a "thing-of-the-past" and the only worry was going to be the tornadoes and with most residents they are of little worry. Please don't encourage Bree to be complacent with the "crazy weather" warnings. But, the earthquakes worry were gone. But, now it's different.

The Old Mill near my daughter's home in Arkansas

Something changed in Arkansas, right near where Bree lives there have been more than 700 quakes in only six months. So, I monitor the quakes. I suppose I couldn't do anything, but I still look.

The buzz on Thursday night had awakened me again and I turned on my phone and put my glasses on to focus on what Arkansas was doing again. I had been noticing that off the coast of Honshu, Japan there had been a lot of quakes, just as Hawaii has been having near Kona. I have noticed that quakes lots of the time,  come in swarms. The first earthquake is not necessarily the strongest. I saw that it was, somewhere off the coast of Honshu. I thought, "No, not 8+" I went to sleep thinking that my Earthquake Detector App was wrong.
The next morning we were off to get our day going and Steve and I had a day off together. I was almost alone at my exercise class and there wasn't much said about the quake, but we did talk about strange tsunamis. Steve and I went for yogurt and then later out to eat just a bite, for an early dinner at Wood Ranch and then out to a friend's house in Wheeler Canyon. She is Japanese, we talked of the Huntington Gardens in San Marino and that the beautiful Formosan Cherry Blossoms in the Japanese Grotto that are now blooming. I had looked at the Huntington's events, as the Japanese Taiko Drummers were going to have a performance and the Bonsai Show was due at the end of the month.

 Steve took so many pictures of my friend and I looking at all of her glorious gardens

 

Yes, Steve did get some information on an expected Tsunami in the Ventura Harbor.

Water and Sand were pulled-out of the harbor during the Tsunami

 My Steve took the information in without saying much about it. And me? I still thought it wasn't as strong as originally listed on my phone, farther out in the ocean and maybe very deep, or the information could have been an early take on the size and the magnitude would change. I had no idea that the change would be more intense than even what I had seen on the phone app.

 My friend's garden pictures are posted here, my prayers, love, and thoughts are with all to the people of Japan and those there to help in the relief effort.

I find that I have an abundance of gratitude for our blessings and we are saying our prayers for the victims and those that are in such terrible sorrow. Prayers sent for so many. Oh... Sendai, Japan, I hope and pray for your dear ones and your beautiful town is restored.

I find that my reflection this evening is for our family to be even more diligent and to be prepared for all kinds of crisis' and disasters. My more prepared is going to be going to more of Steve's emergency events and for me to practice of what he preaches. I want to have more emergency supplies and really we do have a lot, more is better. because as Christians we need to have enough for all of those that need us and our supplies. I will never forget the older man who came to our Emergency Event and said to me at my emergency display booth while looking over all of our supplies. He asked, "Where is your PDW?" And I thought.. "Oh, acronym for my 'Personal Digital Assistant' (A Palm) Why did he need to see my phone?" When he said, "Where's your gun?" I showed him my Scriptures and he said that won't save you. I think I may have giggled out-loud.

 Interestingly, my husband's CERT class attendance rose to an unbelievable size. He expected about fifteen persons and now is teaching in one class about fifty. Many said it was the recent quake and other following great problems that spurred them to join. Steve loves lots to come to class. He doesn't receive more money or commission on the numbers of people, but it helps to teach teamwork and wonderful teaching moments with the drills. Sometime I think he is a modern-day Noah.

Santa Paula to the Sea