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June 11, 2005
Issue #1

In this Issue:

• The Land of Rip Van Winkle
• Red, White and Blue Food
• June is Bustin' Out All Over
• Westward Bound! Trip Planning
• Gearing Up for Summer

The Land of Rip Van Winkle

Where we are, summer arrived this week! Temps well into the 90’s. A week or so ago, it felt more like winter, with nights in the low 40’s and days that didn’t break 60. Schizophrenic spring in the Northeast.

But then, what would you expect in a place called Florida, New York. Yep, there’s actually a place called Florida, NY. In fact, there are TWO! Read more about the Hudson Valley, Catskills snd the two Florida’s in NY!

Red, White and Blue Food

Believe it or not, the 4th of July is right around the corner. Get ready to fire up the barbeques. We endorse the "lazy days of summer" approach. Keep it simple.

Use a festive tablecoth, paper plates and napkins in the red, white and blue theme. Serve good old American hamburgers and hotdogs with all the fixings. Stick some little paper flags in cupcakes or around a raw vegetable platter.

Red salsa with blue tortilla chips on a white plate. (Or use a blue plate and get the regular whitish chips).

A make-ahead fruit salad that favors red strawberries and blueberries and white Cool Whip on top. Or make a strawberry/blueberry shortcake using those individual shortcakes or angel food cake.

Pick up some patriotic serving dishes for your favorite, tried-and-true recipes for chicken, chili, baked beans, salads or whatever is easy to make (preferably ahead of time).

Bring out marshmallows for toasting around the campfire, or make S’Mores.

Liven up the party with some sparklers (keep safety first). Plan a few old fashioned games like three-legged, potato sack, relay or wheel-barrow races.

An egg toss usually gets a few laughs, or revive some of those jump rope games. Play Pictionary, or charades or a Trivia game.

Go see the local fireworks and parades. Put on some music – oldies, country, or maybe some patriotic tunes.

Enjoy the company of friends and family and celebrate America!

June Is Bustin" Out All Over

Well now that we have the 4th of July menu figured out, a step back to some meanderings about June. June is the month for some significant life events – proms, graduations, weddings and the start of memorable summer vacations.

Flag Day on June 14th is a time to celebrate the American flag and all it stands for. Want to brush up on your flag etiquette? Here are a few pointers:

• It is the universal custom to display the flag only from sunrise to sunset on buildings and on stationary flagstaffs in the open. However, when a patriotic effect is desired, the flag may be displayed twenty-four hours a day if properly illuminated during the hours of darkness.
• The flag should be hoisted briskly and lowered ceremoniously.
• The flag should not be displayed on days when the weather is inclement, except when an all-weather flag is displayed.
• Your flag should be flown at half-staff when a past or present President or Vice-President has died. It should also be flown at half-staff upon Presidential Proclamation. (It's called "half staff" on land and "half mast" on a ship.)
• The American flag is always flown at the top of the pole. State flags and other flags fly below it.
• The union is always on top. When displayed in print, the stars and blue field are always on the left.
• Never let your flag touch the ground.
• Fold your flag when storing.
• Worn flags should be burned or buried. Local VFW, Elk’s, American Legion, Knights of Columbus and some Boy and Girl Scout troops can help with properly disposing of the flag. Please do not throw it in the trash.

More details and some interesting FAQ on proper flag etiquette can be found here.

Don’t forget Father’s Day, June 19th! Ever wonder when this particular tradition started? Well it took a while to become the official holiday we know today. Here a few milestones:

• In 1910, Sonora Smart Dodd of Spokane, Washington, organized the first Father's Day celebration on June 19, her own father's birthday.
• In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge publicly supported plans for a national Father's Day.
• A couple years later, in 1926, the National Father's Day Committee met for the first time.
• Time went by, and it was not until 1956 that the observance of Father's Day was recognized by a Joint Resolution of Congress.
• Ten years later, in 1966, President Lyndon Johnson proclaimed Father's Day to be an official national holiday.
• And in 1972, President Richard Nixon signed into law a permanent U.S. Father's Day to be observed on the third Sunday of June.

Looking for gift ideas?

June 21 – First Day of Summer, Summer Solstice: The summer solstice is an astronomical term regarding the position of the Sun in relation to the celestial equator. The summer solstice is the date with the longest day and hence with the shortest night. This date usually falls on June 21/June 22 (in the Northern hemisphere) or December 21/December 22 (in the Southern hemisphere).

In the USA and some other countries, the summer solstice is regarded as the official start of the summer season. Other views regard the summer solstice as midsummer, with long-standing celebrations and traditions.

The bottom line is that the start of the season (official, scientific, religious or otherwise) doesn’t necessarily coincide with when the weather gets hot. Many Americans mark the start of summer with Memorial Day weekend. Or when the kids get out of school. And daylight savings time can add to the confusion over what is meant by “the longest day”. We have seen discussions on the whole subject and our take is that it doesn’t really matter. Just have a great summer!

June is pretty popular! It has been designated (by various organizations) as

• Dairy Month
• National Safety Month
• Great Outdoors Month
• National Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Month
• National Rose Month
• Turkey Lover’s Month
• National Iced Tea Month
• National Accordion Awareness Month
• Adopt-A-Shelter-Cat Month
• Black Music Month
• National Homeownership Month
• Fireworks Safety Month
  …and that is just a sampling.

Westward Bound

We are soon off on a coast-to-coast journey from New York to Oregon. We prefer to just “go with the flow” and not bother with detailed, pre-planned itineraries. But for this trip we needed to accommodate some specific time-bound commitments.

To make sure we would be in the right place at the right time (and still have time to lolly-gag a bit along the way), we did a bit more planning than usual. Read about how we planned our route and stops…

Gearing Up for Summer!

It's the good old summertime! Chances are you'll be spending more time outdoors. Time for some new lounge chairs or some of those stowable tables from Camping World? Or maybe it's time to get one of those inflatable boats.

Whether you will be enjoying the backyard, taking on a new outdoor activity, or taking off in the RV for summer vacations, consider the possibilities...

Handy tip for how to keep the ants away.

RVer's Notebook A software package thats an RVer's friend. How can it help?

• Keep all the important information about your RV in one place.
• Extensive weight calculator with problem solving suggestions.
• Supports Class A, B, C, Fifth Wheels and Trailers.
• Calculates the correct tire pressure based on axle weight and tire load rating.
• Keep details of your RV service or maintenance records. Costs are automatically added to the expense record for one time entry.
• Supports up to 10 RV's with unlimited Toad or Tow Vehicles.
• Keep track of all of your expenses by category using checkbook type entry.
• Unlimited maintenance or service alerts for your RV or vehicle by mileage, time, or both. Easily turn them on or off.
• Event Calendar to remind you when an event will occur. Keep track of rallies, events, birthdays or whatever.
• Includes an address book for contacts and businesses.
• Keep track of campgrounds you visit and your ratings. Provides support for GPS coordinates and calculates miles from home.
• Enter data in US or metric. Auto conversion between the two systems.
• Includes a Trip Log to record all of your travels, mileage and time between points.
• Preview and print service, expense, fuel and other key reports by specific date range, year to date or all records.

You know the saying, "A picture is worth a thousand words". In keeping with that philosophy, RV Videos can often make learning about the world of RVs more interesting and enjoyable. Great way to learn for newbies, and a handy refresher for veteran RVers.

Until next month, hoping you put a smile in every mile!

Jose and Jill
your-rv-lifestyle.com