We will be dedicating the month of March to Spring Cleaning here at Aripeka West. The Park will do its' best to get the place looking nice. We will be working to clean and do minor repairs to the vacant mobile homes in the park, we will be mowing and trimming to get the grounds looking their best, we will be removing things that have accumulated on the vacant lots and around the vacant trailers. We are asking you to do the same on your lot. Please remove any trash or unwanted items you have stored on your lot and under your decks and mobile homes. If you are unable to do this, please contact the Park, we may be able to help.
Over the winter, many "things" just seem to have landed in Aripeka West that simply don't belong stored outside. Remember that it is time to start the mowing season and if you have items on the grass in your yard we will not be able to mow and you will have to take care of lawn maintenance yourself.
Furniture specifically designed for outdoor use and in usable condition, grills and free standing fire pits in working condition and bicycles in working condition are allowed, but we will not move them to mow, mowing around these items will be you responsibility. Dog tie outs, stakes, toys, chews, balls and food and water dishes must be removed from your yard when not in use. The same applies to children's toys and pools. Hoses may not be left on the grass when not in use and clothes lines are limited to the Umbrella lines, please do not string clothes lines between trees or otherwise install regular lines, these types of lines pose a danger.
Think of your neighbors, please take an objective look around your lot and make sure that it "says" what you want your neighbors to think of you. Spring begins on March 20th, let's get ready for it!
From "Butts" to "Poops"...
The complaints continue! Almost every day we receive complaints from residents about "Butts" and "Poop". Please take a moment to pick up after your dog, it is the rule and any responsible dog owner should not have to be told over and over to obey this rule. Dog feces creates pollution and effects our streams, canals, rivers and the Gulf of Mexico, it has a negative effect on our future quality of life. And to those of you who smoke, cigarette butts are "litter" and the rules also state that you do not throw litter anywhere in the park. Cigarette butts do not decompose, they are the litter our children will have to deal with in the future. Do you want your Children and Grandchildren to have as good or better quality of life than the one you enjoy? Please "Scoop the Poop" and "Snub the Butts" then place them both in the dumpster where they belong!!
Your gardens...
This is the time of year to start taking care of your gardens. For those of you who have small gardens on your lot, please remember that it is your responsibility to care for these gardens and to keep them looking nice. You will be asked to remove these gardens if they are not maintained to facilitate grounds maintenance. Please do not plant anything on your lot that is not in some type of garden planter to protect it. You will be responsible for mowing and trimming around any plants you put in your yard, whether a ground planter or a regular potted plant. Plants are not to be left in their garden center pot just sitting in your yard, so if you buy them, be prepared to plant them right away in an appropriate planter.
Did you know...
Mardi Gras
The feast before the fast
by Holly Hartman and Chris FrantzMarch 4, 2014 |
In the United States, Mardi Gras draws millions of fun-seekers to New Orleans every year. Mardi Gras has been celebrated in New Orleans on a grand scale, with masked balls and colorful parades, since French settlers arrived in the early 1700s. Hidden behind masks, people behaved so raucously that for decades in the early 19th century masks were deemed illegal in that party-loving city."Mardi Gras" means "Fat Tuesday." Traditionally, it is the last day for Catholics to indulge—and often overindulge—before Ash Wednesday starts the sober weeks of fasting that come with Lent. Formally known as Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras has long been a time of extravagant fun for European Christians. In fact, some people think Mardi Gras celebrations have their source in the wild springtime orgies of the ancient Romans.Masks, Music, and Mayhem
French royals, feather-covered showgirls, Energizer bunnies, painted clowns, masked lions—you can find them all (and countless others) in the streets of New Orleans at Mardi Gras. By dawn on that most famous Tuesday, people have claimed the best spots on the streets to watch fabulous floats, outrageous performers, and visiting celebrities go by. Many travel hundreds of miles to be a part of the excitement.
Marching bands, some of them founded more than a century ago, also take to the streets with music and festive dress. They open the day by spreading jazz music through the city before the more than 350 floats and 15,000 costumed paraders take over the scene. Crazy costumes and wild make-up are the order of the day for paraders and parade-watchers alike. The most lavish get-ups can be seen at the cross-dressing beauty pageants in the French Quarter, where bawdy costuming may reach new heights (over seven feet, in heels).
Krewes: New Orleans Royalty
Mardi Gras has long combined wild street activities open to everyone with events organized by private clubs known as krewes. Today, thousands of people belong to about 60 krewes that plan the parades and balls of New Orleans' Mardi Gras. The oldest krewe, the Krewe of Comus, was founded in 1857 by men who feared the outrageous antics of Mardi Gras would lead to the holiday being outlawed. They hoped that secret societies could keep the celebrations alive. The Krewe of Comus withdrew from the parade schedule in 1992 when it refused to sign an ordinance prohibiting racial discrimination.
In 1872 the Russian grand duke Alexis Romanoff visited New Orleans at Mardi Gras. A group of businessmen organized the Krewe of Rex to host a parade for the occasion, and appointed a "king for the day" so that the grand duke could have a royal reception. Naming kings and queens at Mardi Gras balls has been a tradition of the krewes ever since. Another tradition began with that royal visit: the Romanoff house colors—purple for justice, green for faith, and gold for power—became the official colors of Mardi Gras.
Catch as Catch Can
The millions of colorful beaded necklaces thrown from floats are the most visible symbols and souvenirs of Mardi Gras. In addition, millions of cups and toy coins known as "doubloons" are decorated with krewe logos and thrown to parade-watchers. Some "throws" are especially prized: only the luckiest folks manage to take home the hand-decorated coconuts from the Krewe of Zulu.
People do outrageous things to catch the most throws. Some dress as priests, hoping the many Catholics on the floats will shower them with goodies. Others dress their children in eye-catching costumes and seat them, holding baskets to catch the loot, on ladders that tower over the crowds. Others give up on the costume ploy altogether, finding that taking clothes off can be the quickest attention-getter.After Katrina
Hurricane Katrina slammed into New Orleans at the end of August 2005, but within a few months the city decided that Mardi Gras would go on. Many of the krewes had safely stored their parade floats before the hurricane. Some of the most popular parade routes, including St. Charles and Magazine Streets, were spared in the storm. For after-parade decadence, the French Quarter also emerged relatively unscathed.
Spring forward...
Get ready...Daylight Saving Time begins on March 9th at 2AM! Get those clocks set, don't want to be late for your Sunday Morning things to do! The sunrise will be later as will the sunset, it means Spring is here and the days will soon be longer. Hopefully we will enjoy some wonderful Spring Time weather before the beginning of Summer. Looking forward to a little kayaking, boating and swimming.Ever been to Colorama...
Our RV Park Resident Henry on the Sax!
He plays many Wednesday Nights!
Even know what Colorama is? Colorama is located a 9302 Denton Avenue Hudson, Florida between US 19 and Little Road. Colorama is a Music Persormance Experience, Colorama is an Experience! Every Wednesday at 7:30PM they have Casual Jam Night, the House Band Performs and anyone with musical talent can sign in to play with the band. There are singers, drummers, strummers and yes, even Herny Sax on occassion, who stop in on Wednesday to play for fun. They also have feature shows, singers and comedy acts. You can have dinner at Colorama, Show Tickets include a Buffet Dinner, but you can buy tickets for just the show without dinner, on Wednesday you can order off the menu and admission is FREE! Bar service is available and their prices are reasonable. Call for shows 727-863-7539
St. Patrick's Day...
In Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day is a religious holiday similar to
Christmas and Easter.
Erin go Bragh translates
to “Ireland forever.”
The very first St. Patrick’s Day parade was not in Ireland. It
was in Boston in 1737.
The largest parade in the US, held since 1762, is in New York
City, and draws more than one million spectators each year.
Over 100 US cities hold a parade every year. Some of the other
biggest St. Patrick’s Day parades are in Chicago, Illinois and Savannah,
Georgia.
In 1948 President Truman became the first president to attend a
St. Patrick’s Day parade.
The city of Chicago goes so far to celebrate that they dye their
river green.
Green is associated with Saint Patrick’s Day because it is
the color of spring, of Ireland, and of the shamrock.
To celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, 110 million people will
celebrate the day by wearing green, making an Irish-inspired meal, or going out
to celebrate.
There are 33.7 million U.S. residents who are of Irish
ancestry. That number is almost nine times the population of Ireland
itself.
15 million cards are exchanged on St. Patrick’s Day. 10% of all
St Patrick’s Day cards are sold in New York.
19 Presidents of the United States proudly claim Irish
heritage—including our first President, George Washington.
St. Patrick is a hero in Ireland. And there are about 60
churches and cathedrals named for him in Ireland alone. One of the most famous
cathedrals is St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin. These grounds bear the mark of
the place where St. Patrick baptized his converts.
Aripeka West St. Patrick's Day Party...
The celebration will begin on Sunday March 16, 2014 at 3 PM in the RV Park. The Park will prepare the food, with Traditional Corned Beef & Cabbage, Drunkin Irish Stew and Shepperd's Pie and all the Irish accompaniments. Coffee and tea will be provided. There will be a $5/person charge for dinner this year due to the huge increases at the grocery store especially the price of BEEF. You do not need to bring a dish, the park will supply the food. You must RSVP for this dinner. You will receive your RSVP on March 3rd. Please RSVP no later than March 10th so we will be able to take advantage of any Sale Ads. Please include $5/person when you return your RSVP in the envelope provided. Live music by Ali & Rob and Henry on the Sax! Remember, think "green" as in "the wearing of the green"!
Clean up Bonfire...
While the date of the Bonfire is still up in the air, the planning is not. We will have us a really big bonfire, hot dogs with all the fixins'and when we say "all the fixin's", we mean it, there will be chili, sauerkraut, mustard, ketchup, slaw, peppers, onions, cheese. letuce, tomato, relish and anything else that we think just might be good on a "Dog"! There will be plenty of chips and dip and of course marshmallows to roast! So what will you need to bring? Well, a cooler with you favorite beverage and a chair to make yourself comfortable beside the fire!
Remember our Bonfire coming at the end of March, the date to be announced!
