Looks like Spring is "springing" right into summer! The high 80's in March, what's up with that? And then there is the rain, seems like every weekend it rains, thinking it does that so the humidity will be the same as the temperature! The air conditioners are revving up, so make sure your A/C has a new CLEAN filter, this will help to keep your electric bill in check. Also closing your shades will help keep out some of the heat except while watching those beautiful Aripeka Sunsets, of course!
Mowing season has begun...
It is that time of year again, the grass and the weeds are growing like crazy. If your car is parked on the grass, please move it when you hear the mower coming your way. Additionally, please take the time to go out in your yard and pick up any hoses, dog leads, toys, shovels, rakes or whatever else you see hiding in the grass, including any trash that has somehow found its way into your yard. Lately, we are seeing far too many take-out cups, plastic bottles and cans scattered throughout the park. Please place you trash in the dumpster and do not throw it in roads, bushes or yards. In order for us to mow and trim your yard, it must be cleared of all of your lawn furniture, hoses, building materials, BBQ's and toys belonging to your children or pets. Your yard must be free of dog feces, please clean up after your dog.
If you have placed permanent or semi-permanent structures in your yard that can be damaged by the mower or the string trimmer or may cause damage to our equipment, you will be responsible for the mowing and trimming of that area.
Now is the time...
If you need to clean the outside of your Mobile Home, now is the time, before it becomes too hot to work outside. If there is mold on your Mobile Home, a mixture of equal parts bleach and water should do the trick, if there is a lot of dirt adding some Dawn Dish Washing Detergent to the mixture of bleach and water will help you get that dirt off more easily. Make sure to rinse your Mobile Home with water when you have finished cleaning it. When using your hose for cleaning your Mobile Home or any other outdoor project, please do not leave it running. Placing a spray nozzle will keep water waste to a minimum.
The water costs for the park are very high and any help with saving water is greatly appreciated. Please repair running toilets and dripping faucets immediately and be sure that your outdoor faucet is turned completely off after each use. Swimming Pools of any type are NOT ALLOWED in the park.
SunWest Park...
This park is conveniently located to Aripeak West and is currently open from 10 AM till 7:30 PM Daily. Swimming is free and the only charge is for parking. There are charges for other amenities at SunWest Park. There is currently no charge for "parking" your bicycle at SunWest Park, so this could make for a nice "free" family outing and getting a little exercise to boot!
Gone Fishing...
One of the nicest things about living in Aripeka is being able to fish, everyday if you want. In most cases a Florida Salt Water Fishing Permit will be required, but there are many exceptions to this rule. The "rules" change frequently regarding size and quantity of each species of fish you may keep, so check regularly so you will be up-to-date on the rules. Remember the old Proverb "give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a
lifetime". Nothing beats a fresh caught fish for dinner.
Fishing in Freshwater requires a different permit than Saltwater, check to see what is required before you cast your line! Knowing the "Rules" will make your days of fishing fun, and not result in a fine.
Some "see you soons"are coming this month...
We don't call it "Good-byes", just "see you soon" as our Winter Guests prepare for their journey back north. It has been a great Winter here at Aripeka West and we certainly hope all of our guests have had fun with us this season. Hope to see everyone back in the Fall to continue the fun!
Things to do this month...
The Chasco Fiesta offers 9 days of fun for the entire family. Starting on April 1st and continuing thru April 9th, there will be shows, music, sports, food and fun!
The Hernando County Fair kicks of at the Fairgrounds in Brooksville on April 15th and runs thru the 23rd.
April Fool's Day...
Although it's not a legal holiday, April Fools' Day is
celebrated all around the world as a day filled with practical jokes and
general silliness. You may want to be a little more cautious or skeptical on
April 1, since family members, friends, neighbors, co-workers and even teachers
may try to tickle your funny bone with a practical joke or a hoax of some kind.
So how did this tradition of craziness begin? In truth, it
remains a mystery, although there are many theories about how April Fools' Day
got started.
Some believe the first association between April 1 and playing
tricks can be found in Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales from 1392. In "The Nun's Priest's
Tale," a fox tricks proud rooster Chauntecleer on syn March bigan thritty dayes and two.
Although Chaucer probably meant 32 days after March (May 2),
many readers apparently misunderstood the line to mean March 32 — or April 1.
Others believe that April Fools' Day was the result of a desire
to celebrate the turning of the seasons around springtime. In fact, many
cultures have historically held such celebrations around the beginning of
April.
For
example, the ancient Romans had a festival named Hilaria on March 25. The
Hindus celebrate Holi, and the Jews celebrate Purim around this time of year.
Still
others believe April Fools' Day got its start because of the adoption of a new
calendar in 1582. Many ancient cultures celebrated New Year's Day around April
1.
In
1582, Pope Gregory XIII ordered the use of a new calendar, known as the
Gregorian calendar, which celebrated New Year's Day on January 1. According to
legend, many people refused to recognize the new calendar or simply didn't know
about it. These people continued to celebrate New Year's Day on April 1.
Eventually,
other people began to make fun of these backward “fools" by sending them
to look for things that did not exist (called a “fool'serrand")
or tricking them into believing something false.
Although
we can't really pinpoint how or when April Fools' Day got its start, people the
world over still celebrate it with glee year in and year out. Pranks can be
quite simple, such as telling a friend his shoe is untied, or very elaborate,
like some of the hoaxes described below.
Whatever
the gag, it usually ends with the prankster yelling “April Fool!" when the
victim falls for it. To give you a sense of how seriously some people take
April Fools' Day, here are three of the greatest April Fools' Day hoaxes of all
time:
- Swiss Spaghetti Trees — In
1957, the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) news program Panorama announced
that Swiss farmers were harvesting a record spaghetti crop thanks to the
elimination of the spaghetti weevil. News footage showed Swiss peasants
pulling spaghetti from trees. Thousands of viewers were fooled. The BBC
reported receiving many calls inquiring how to grow spaghetti trees!
- “Taco" Liberty Bell —
In 1996, Taco Bell announced that it had bought the Liberty Bell to help
ease the national deficit. When the company claimed it would be renaming
it the Taco Liberty Bell, thousands of citizens were fooled and called to
complain. The company revealed it was a practical
joke a few hours later, but not before reporters asked
White House press secretary Mike McCurry about the sale. Creating a joke
of his own, he responded that the Lincoln Memorial had also been sold and
would now be known as the Ford Lincoln Mercury Memorial!
- “Left-Handed" Whopper —
In 1998, Burger King ran an advertisement in USA
Today announcing its new
"Left-Handed Whopper," which was specifically designed for
left-handed Americans by rotating all condiments exactly 180 degrees.
Burger King revealed the hoax the
next day but claimed that thousands of customers had requested the new
sandwich at their restaurants!
Aripeka Community Club...
The Aripeka Community Club Dinner will be on Monday 4th at 6PM. Bring a covered dish and join your neighbors for some great food and spirited conversation!
Tax Day April 18th...
Just another day, think again, April 18th is not just any day, it is TAX DAY in April 2016 for filing your 2015 Tax Return! Yes, this year TAX DAY will be April 18th!!
Ask almost any American citizen when tax day is, and you're likely
to hear "April 15th". While
this is normally the day that taxes are due, that isn't the case this year.
With that in mind, here are the "Big Three" dates to remember this
year.
April 18, 2016
No, April 15 doesn't fall on a weekend this year. So why do your taxes need to be filed -- and your outstanding balance paid -- three days later this year? Because in Washington, DC -- and DC only -- April 15th is a holiday this year: Emancipation Day.
No, April 15 doesn't fall on a weekend this year. So why do your taxes need to be filed -- and your outstanding balance paid -- three days later this year? Because in Washington, DC -- and DC only -- April 15th is a holiday this year: Emancipation Day.
This celebrates the
day that Abraham Lincoln signed the Compensated Emancipation Act, which freed
over 3,000 slaves living in the District of Colombia, well before the
universally known Emancipation Proclamation was signed. Usually this falls on
April 16, the day Lincoln signed the Act. But that falls on a Saturday this
year, and by law, it needs to be celebrated on the nearest weekday.
Not only should you
file and pay for any outstanding balance on your taxes, but if you need an
extension, you must file Form 4868 before
April 18.
October 17, 2016
If you were able to file for your extension in time, this is the new date by which you must file your taxes and pay any outstanding balances. Like the "normal" tax day, this usually falls on October 15, but because that is a Saturday this year, October 17 is the new date.
If you were able to file for your extension in time, this is the new date by which you must file your taxes and pay any outstanding balances. Like the "normal" tax day, this usually falls on October 15, but because that is a Saturday this year, October 17 is the new date.
April 15, 2019
Double-check that year again so you understand what we're talking about here. It's not a misprint: it's supposed to say "2019." If you go back and read over the two previous dates, you'll see that I wrote "pay for any outstanding balance." That's because if you're actually owed a refund, the Treasury gives you three more years to file your taxes in order to claim it.
Double-check that year again so you understand what we're talking about here. It's not a misprint: it's supposed to say "2019." If you go back and read over the two previous dates, you'll see that I wrote "pay for any outstanding balance." That's because if you're actually owed a refund, the Treasury gives you three more years to file your taxes in order to claim it.
Of course, the
Department has good reason for doing this: by waiting three years to claim your
refund, you are giving the government an interest-free loan over a very long
time period. But be careful, waiting this long will only work in your favor if
you are certain that you'll be owed a refund.
If you calculated wrong, the penalties for being three years late can be very hefty -- and this situation
should be avoided in general if you want to stay out of hot water.
Earth Day...
When
is Earth Day 2016? This observance always falls on April 22. On Earth Day,
enjoy the tonic of fresh air, contact with the soil, and companionship with
nature! Walk through the woods in search of emerging wildflowers and green
moss. Go outside, no matter what the weather!
Earth
Day History
Ever
wondered how Earth Day started? This observance arose from an interest in
gathering national support for environmental issues. In 1970, San Francisco activist
John McConnell and Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson separately asked Americans
to join in a grassroots demonstration. McConnell chose the spring equinox
(March 21, 1970) and Nelson chose April 22. Millions of people participated,
and today Earth Day continues to be widely celebrated with events on both
dates. The most common practice of celebration is to plant new trees for Earth
Day.
Calendar of Events...
