The Sunset - September 2013

 

A Message from BJ...
 

As everyone knows by now, the United States Postal Service is planning to close the Aripeka Post Office on September 13, 2013.  We are fighting to keep the Aripeka Post Office, but unless something happens very soon, it is looking more and more unlikely that will happen.  In lieu of the facility remaining in our town we are willing to accept mail delivery to our homes or "cluster boxes" located in our community.  Even this will be an uphill battle as the USPS continues to move away from curbside delivery in all areas of the country.  The fight goes on...

 

On a happier note, I would like to thank everyone for the wonderful party for Gene & I.  We had a great time and really appreciate your thoughtfulness.  After eating some great food and cutting our beautiful cake, Henry played the sax and Gene & I danced the night away.  Wonderful memories for both of us.

 

So okay, enough with the rain...

Rain has been falling all summer long, lots of rain, so much rain that we have reached our normal yearly rainfall amount and there are still four months left in the year.  September is normally a rainy month in this area, so I guess we should be prepared for more of the wet stuff.  The almost daily rains have hampered our efforts to keep the lawns and fields mowed this summer, but you have to admit the grass is very green!  In addition to making the grass grow tall, the rain has found us a few roof problems in the park.  If you are experiencing a minor roof or window leak, by all means, take care of it now before it creates more damage.

 

Along with the rain...
 

The same rain makes the grass grow and the flowers bloom, also helps the keep the bug population growing.  Pasco County constantly battles the mosquitoes all summer long, but when the rains come like this, it makes their job all the more difficult.  They have been placing fish in the canals that encircle the park, these fish eat the mosquito larvae, they have been dropping pellets from the helicopter in the wooded areas that inhibit the larvae from hatching and they have been spraying our streets in the park to help control the adult population and even with all of their efforts, there are still plenty of mosquitoes out there waiting to bite you if you venture out into the wooded areas. Remember to used your mosquito repellant when you go into the wooded areas around the park especially around dusk or dawn.  Fire ants are popping up around the park, we are trying to kill these ants, but with each hill eradicated it seems that a new one appears, watch where you step and you can avoid them.


Scoop the poop...

During the month of August we received several complaints about "someone" not "scooping".  We have told those complaining of "poop" in their yards to watch and get a picture of the culprit.  Everyone has a cell phone with a camera theses days, so if you chose not to "scoop", please remember to "smile" as you will likely be on camera.  Seriously, everyone in the park should
know the rules, if you have a dog, please be a good pet parent and "scoop the poop"!  Your dog must  be walked on a leash with you holding the other end, loose dogs are not permitted.


Did You Know...

If you yelled for 8 years, 7 months and 6 days, you would have produced enough sound energy to heat one cup of coffee.          
A person cannot taste food unless it is mixed with saliva. For example, if strong-tasting substance like salt is placed on a dry tongue, the taste buds will not be able to taste it. As soon as a drop of saliva is added and the salt is dissolved, however, a definite taste sensation results. This is true for all foods. Try it!

The average person falls asleep in seven minutes.

It's possible to lead a cow upstairs...but not downstairs.

Dogs have four toes on their hind feet, and five on their front feet.

The ant can lift 50 times its own weight, can pull 30 times its own weight and always falls over on its right side when intoxicated.

A cockroach will live nine days without it's head, before it starves to death.

Butterflies taste with their feet.

Polar bears are left handed.

A duck's quack doesn't echo, and no one knows why.

The fingerprints of koala bears are virtually indistinguishable from those of humans, so much so that they could be confused at a crime scene.
       
Ten percent of the Russian government's income comes from the sale of vodka.
 
The sentence "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog." uses every letter in the alphabet. (Developed by Western Union to Test telex/two communications)
 
The only 15 letter word that can be spelled without repeating a letter is "uncopyrightable".

Stewardesses' is the longest word that is typed with only the left hand.
 
Men can read smaller print than women; women can hear better than men.

Bullet proof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers, and laser printers were all invented by women.

The reason firehouses have circular stairways is from the days of yore when the engines were pulled by horses. The horses were stabled on the ground floor and figured out how to walk up straight staircases.

The airplane Buddy Holly died in was the "American Pie." (Thus the name of the Don McLean song.)

Pearls melt in vinegar.

Honey is the only food that doesn't spoil.

More people are killed annually by donkeys than die in airplane crashes.

Coca Cola was originally green.
 
40% of McDonald's profits come from the sales of Happy Meals.

Months that begin on a Sunday will always have a "Friday the 13th."
 
Debra Winger was the voice of E.T.

During the chariot scene in 'Ben Hur' a small red car can be seen in the distance.

The first couple to be shown in bed together on prime time television were Fred and Wilma Flintstone.

The city with the most Roll Royces per capita: Hong Kong
Percentage of Africa that is wilderness: 28% Percentage of North America that is wilderness: 38%

The US Interstate road system was designed so that one mile in every five must be straight. These straight sections are usable as airstrips in times of war or other emergencies.

The cruise liner Queen Elizabeth II, moves only six inches for each gallon of fuel that it burns.

You can tell from the statue of a mounted horseman how the rider died. If all four of the horse's feet are on the ground, he died of natural causes. One foot raised means he died from wounds suffered in battle. Two legs raised means he died in action.

Our Events...

In October we will begin our Winter Events.  Event will be posted on our Monthly Calendar located at the end of each monthly Newsletter.  We will also post Events on the Message Board located at the entrance to the Mobile Home Park and on the Bulletin Board located under the Pavilion in the RV Park.

This year we are planning to have Pool Tournaments,  Card Nights, Bowling Nights and weekly Potlucks.  If there is an event that interests you and you think would be of interest to others, please let me know.  We are also considering having Daily Walks and Bicycle Riding a couple of days a week.

Other events we are now investigating include Canoe and Kayak Trips, Fishing on The Thunder, Gambling on the SunCruz and others to be announced.  Please let us know if you are interested in participating in any or all of these activities.

Projects...

This winter we would like to do a little project.  Many of you have seen the little Totem Pole Signs (or maybe the BIG ones) that consist of an upright pole with arrow signs giving the mileage to other cities and places of interest.  We would like to create one or two or three, however many it takes to display the home towns and places of interest of our residents and guests.  We will cut out the "arrow signs" and residents and guests can paint and decorate them and show off their "artistic" skills or at least their writing skills.

This will be fun and make a great decoration for Aripeka West.  So use your imagination to help us create some "art work"!

September Birthdays...

If you were born in September, we sure don't know about it!  We would like to wish you a Happy Birthday, but we don't always know when your Birthday is.

If you know someone at Aripeka West that has a Birthday in September, please let us know!





Fishing...

OFFSHORE
Offshore action has been hot! Grouper fishing has been excellent in a variety of depths ranging from 30-to 125-feet of water. Finding good bottom is the key and spending time on the water with eyes glued to a good sonar will help you locate those kinds of spots that will be your future honey holes.
Bluewater action has been somewhat disappointing for some anglers making long treks offshore. Billfishing action has been slower than normal for blue and white marlin, sailfish, and swordfish. The 42nd Annual Old Salt Loop Billfish Tournament ran last weekend with only one billfish being released by Ken Cummins aboard the vessel, Team HOOKER, winner of the event for the second time. They also weighed fish in each species of the “fun fish” division (tuna, dolphin, and wahoo, that were all weighed in). Scott Rickert aboard the Reel Screamer scored top honors with a bull dolphin weighing 38.36 pounds.
Mangrove snapper have been active, and after last week’s full moon, good action all around from Sarasota to Hernando Beach were reported. Most any rock pile will hold mangos, and generally the deeper the depth, the larger the fish, however, plenty of keeper mangrove snapper reside on hard bottom areas from Clearwater just off the beaches to up inside Tampa Bay. Small pilchards, shrimp, or cut squid will all work for mangos. Night fishing seems to be best for these fish, but they certainly will hit at midday.

INSHORE
Sunday, September 1 is a free fishing day with no license required. A couple of times a year anglers are given a pass with no license to worry about, and this falls on the day that snook will be reopening. But the fishing has been tough with the heat. Fishing inside on the flats will see water temperatures hitting the low 90’s at times when the rains slack. Rain has been tapering off this week and the water temps have been back on the rise again. Some anglers are avoiding the heat all together by doing some night dock light fishing for snook. As of Sunday, September 1, this fishery will be open again after an emergency closure 3 years ago due to a hard freeze that lingered for days, killing thousands of snook. For those who disagree with the opening, catch and release fishing for these fish remains their only option.
Trout fishing on the incoming tides has been good in some areas with good water flow. Fort Desoto and the Mullet Key area has some of the best trout fishing along with the south end of Tampa Bay off Pinellas Point.
On the south end of our region, Capt. Andy Cotton fishing out of CB Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key reported catching snook, trout, bluefish, jacks, and juvenile gag grouper while fishing Sarasota Bay and the surrounding waters with DOA Deadly Combos and CAL Jigs with Shad tails. His night fly trips around the docks have produced catches of snook.

FRESHWATER
The heat is on! Literally, if you are on the water after 9 a.m. and you want to catch fish, you’re pretty much relegated to flipping plastic worms in areas that are shaded by mats of hydrilla, lily pads, hyacinths or some other cover, or crank baits like the Rat-L-Trap in deeper water. Before that hour look to the early times for bass on surface lures in frog patterns around structure.