Protecting Your Loved Ones Against Home Invasion

As a homeowner and a family man, you may not want to think about what might happen in the event of a home invasion. Of course, the only thing worse than thinking about an invasion is thinking about what could happen to your family and how you could have prevented it. That’s why no matter how good your neighborhood is you should always be prepared.

I have come up with a few tips you can use to help prepare your family.

1. Designate a safe area. Remember that movie “Panic Room” starring Jodie Foster? No? Oh…well, check out IMDB to get a feel for what I’m talking about. Basically, a panic room is described as a hidden room with reinforced walls, supplies and surveillance. It’s a refuge one can escape to in the event of an emergency. You don’t actually need a specific panic room; you just need an area you can lock from the rest of the home to guard against intruders. A bathroom works just as fine. Once you have a safe area picked out, make sure your family knows where it is. It should be in a central location.

2. Pick a safe house. If you have good neighbors, consider coordinating with them and designate their home a safe house, if you have their permission. Basically, their home can serve as a safe place for your family to escape to and call the police from if your home is compromised.

3. Practice, practice, practice. “Drill” might be a better word. Pick a weekend and have your family rush to the designated safe area or safe house. Be sure and time how long it takes, and develop ways you can make the escape routes more efficient if need be. Having a plan means being prepared.

4. Look into some home security. There are plenty of systems on the market and many of them are easy enough for children to use. Ones monitored by ADT, for example, come with keychain remotes that can manually activate and deactivate the system at the press of a button. If your children are in danger, they can even trigger the alarm instantly.

5. Consult with local law enforcement. If anyone is going to have the information you need regarding home invasions, it’s your local police. Take a trip down to the station and ask a few questions. Bring the kids, too, that way you can broach the topic of home invasion without scaring them. The police might even be able to point you in the right direction when it comes to home security systems or even what to buy to help protect your home.

6. Go to the hardware store. Some hardware stores offer different implements you can use to secure doors and windows. Of course, you should consult with the CPSC before you install anything in your home.

Remember, you can’t hide the threat of home invasion from your family and hope to be prepared if it happens. Everyone needs to be on the same page.

AR

Thanks AR.

Be aware. Be informed. Be prepared.

Riverwalker

How To Stay Cool During Rolling Black Outs

No doubt that many of you have heard that Texas is on the verge of rolling black outs due to the immense amount of energy being used to keep cool homes. According to an article, one megawatt powers about 200 homes in Texas during hot weather when air conditioners are running for long periods. With the entire country going through a heat wave, it’s no wonder that the energy levels are out of control. Although I am hoping these blackouts will come to pass, I feel we need to prepare ourselves for this possibility and do what we can to decrease our energy usage, as uncomfortable as that may be. Preparation, after all, provides us with the peace of mind to hope for the best.

Prepare for the Problem

To be proactive, begin using perishable foods in the freezer and refrigerator to minimize food spoilage. Also, to keep items as cool as possible during rolling black, limit the amount of times the refrigerator or freezer door is opened. If you are concerned that the meat may spoil, preserve it beforehand, by either the canning method or the dehydration method.

Freeze soda bottles filled with water and when the rolling blackouts occur, place the frozen soda bottles in the refrigerator to maintain the optimum temperature.

Stay indoors and try and keep your body temperature as cool as possible. See tips below.

Close window blinds and curtains to keep the heat out.

If the home is too hot to stay in, try and beat the heat and head to the local pool.

Stay Cool

After exposure to extreme heat for extended periods, the body loses its ability to cool down naturally through sweating and evaporative cooling. Because heat-related deaths are preventable, people need to be aware of who is at greatest risk and what actions can be taken to prevent a heat-related illness or death. The elderly, the very young, and people with mental illness and chronic diseases are at highest risk. Remember to drink lots of water to stay hydrated. If you exhibit any of the symptoms listed below, be sure get to a cool location, and if symptoms persist, seek medical attention.

Dizziness

Severe headache

Nausea

Hot, dry skin without sweat

High pulse rate

High body temperature

Unconsciousness

Fatigue

Slurred speech or hallucinations

Typically, the duration of the black outs may only be for an hour or so. During that time, follow these tips to stay cool:

Wet your hair. Just like you lose the most heat from your head during winter, you can apply the same principle in the heat. Wet all your hair, or just all along the hairline in a pinch. The evaporation of the water will cool your head (though it may make your hair a bit frizzy if it’s curly!).

Take a cool bath. Taking a cool bath will lower your body temperature and relax you at the same time. When the air hits the wet skin, it will create a cooking sensation.

Wear a bandanna. A water-soaked bandanna or cool cloth tied around your neck or placed on your head will help lower your body temperature. Another option is to wear a wet terrycloth headband on your forehead.

Keep a spritz bottle filled with water in the refrigerator. When you’re feeling hot, mist your face and neck a few times with the cold water for instant relief. If you have a battery operated fan, you can use this to cool off further. As you mist and fan yourself, the water is evaporated on you skin and cools you off instantly.

Stay in the lowest part of your home. Downstairs is the coolest part of the home. If you have a multiple story home, limit your time upstairs.

Learn From the Experience

If we can use these brief interruptions from our modern day conveniences as a rehearsal for short and long-term emergencies, then we can use it as a learning experience towards being better prepared for hot weather during emergencies. As uncomfortable as this energy conservation method may be, using the above stated tips and staying as healthy as possible during the black outs will make this a short-lived minor inconvenience.

By: Tess Pennington

Thanks Tess for a very timely and informative post. RW

Hacked!

After several years of having a posted email on my website, someone has decided to hack my account and send out unauthorized emails to persons on my contact list.

Apparently my email account has been hacked by some sort of social networking or messenger site. It's sending invites to people who I have sent emails to or received emails from at one time or another.

My apologies to everyone for this problem.

Please do not respond to these unsolicited emails. Mark them as spam or delete them.

I am working to solve this problem on my end.

Apparently this is affecting a lot of persons other than myself, including gmail users as well.

Be aware. Be informed. Be prepared.

Riverwalker

Coral Snakes in Texas

The Texas coral snake is the only member of the Elapidae family found in Texas. This type of snake includes members of the cobra family found in Asia and Africa. The Texas coral snake is a very slender snake with a small indistinct head and round pupils. They are normally about 2-1/2 feet long when fully mature. Texas coral snakes have a distinctive pattern with a broad black ring, a narrow yellow ring and a broad red ring, with the red rings always bordered by the yellow rings. Several harmless snakes are similarly marked, but they never have the red and yellow bands touching.

"Red on yellow, kill a fellow; red on black, venom lack."

This is a saying that is easily remembered and can help you to distinguish the difference between the highly venomous coral snake from other nonvenomous ringed species of snakes.

The picture at the top of the post shows a mature Texas coral snake which was about 2 feet long. Sorry about the poor picture quality but these were taken with a cell phone camera. The picture above gives a better view of this Texas coral snake which was in the process of eating another snake. This particular Texas coral snake gives new meaning to the phrase"driveway dining."

Coral snakes are found primarily in the southeastern half of Texas in woodland areas, canyons and fields of the coastal plains. They also prey on other snakes as well.

Central Texas is home to the four main varieties of venomous snakes found in Texas...the copperhead, the water moccasin, the rattlesnake and the coral snake. With warmer temperatures approaching as spring draws near, you would do well to keep a sharp lookout in order to avoid a hazardous encounter with these creatures.

Be aware, Be informed. Be prepared.

Riverwalker

Snakes in Texas

Snakes occur throughout the state of Texas. Of the 254 counties in Texas, not one of them is snake free.

Granted some Texans may be reluctant to brag about this one, but the Lone Star State is, undeniably, a cornucopia of snake diversity. Although the exact number of species is hard to determine, we boast a stunning 76 species of snakes. If you include both species and subspecies in that number, it gives you a grand total of 115 or more - the highest number in all of the United States.

Snakes often occur in the vicinity of suburban and urban residential areas. They can even show up occasionally in your backyard. If the presence of snakes is deemed undesirable, removing their shelter is one of the most effective ways of discouraging them.

In Texas, we have an average of 2 to 3 deaths per year from snakebites. This is in comparison with 5 to 7 deaths per year from insect bites and an average of about 8 deaths per year from lightning.

Large species of snakes may live to a ripe old age of 40 years or even longer.

Snakes can absorb heat from the ground, from the surrounding air, and from objects next to them.

An animal that has venom is called "venomous." An animal that would make you sick if you ate it is "poisonous." Only a small number of snakes have venom. So although some people refer to snakes as "poisonous," technically, they should be called venomous.

There is no one simple hard and fast criterion a person can use to tell a venomous snake from a harmless one. None of the popular criteria such as a broad, triangular head, a heavy body, cat's eyes (vertical pupils), a flat body, or rough scales are safe since both harmless and dangerous snakes are known to share some or all of these traits.

Visit the source for more facts about snakes in Texas:

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/learning/junior_naturalists/moresnakes.phtml#s25

Be aware. be informed. Be prepared.

Riverwalker

Food Safety During Power Failures

One of the hazards you and your family may face during a power failure is the potential for food items stored in your refrigerator or freezer to become contaminated by bacteria.

There will be certain foods with the potential to be quite hazardous to you and your family. Other food items may be safe to eat but their quality (taste, appearance, etc.) may have deteriorated. There will also be several types of food items that will be safe to consume.

Foods that have a greater potential to be hazardous to your health should be your main priority. Meat, fish, poultry, dairy products, eggs, and certain cooked foods like beans, rice, potatoes, pasta and pasta salads will all spoil quite quickly.

Other food items may not be hazardous but their quality can be affected by increases in temperature due to a power failure. These types of food items include things like salad dressing, mayonnaise, butter, margarine, vegetables and fruit. These items may be saved from being a complete loss by placing ice inside your refrigerator. A couple of frozen two liter bottles of water can help to maintain the temperature in your refrigerator till the power is restored if the power outage lasts only a short time.

Things like unopened beverages and juices and open containers of ketchup, mustard, jams and jellies, and peanut butter should all be fairly safe for consumption.

Remember to keep the doors closed on your refrigerator or freezer as much as possible to keep the cold air inside and keep your raw foods separate from foods which are ready to eat. Most refrigerated foods should be safe for consumption as long as the power hasn’t been out for more than a few hours. Certain hazardous foods should be immediately discarded if they have warmed up to temperatures in excess of 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a temperature thermometer to check these food items and never taste food items to determine if it is safe to eat. Appearance, taste and smell aren’t always accurate indicators of whether food has become contaminated with harmful bacteria. Food items that have remained frozen should still be safe. Partially thawed food items (still cold or containing ice crystals) should be cooked and used as soon as possible.

The best advice is to remember the old saying:

“When in doubt, throw it out!”

Be aware. Be informed. Be prepared.

Riverwalker

Avoiding Wildfire - Safety Tips for Burning Trash

Many people that live in rural areas routinely burn their trash due to the fact that they have no trash pickup services found in more urban areas. Make sure you do so safely to avoid the chance of a wildfire that could destroy your home or the home of your friend or neighbor.

Safety Tips for Burning Trash

1.) If you need to burn household trash, don't just pile it on the ground.

2.) Always burn your trash in a covered container. Stay with your fire at all times. It only takes a second for a wayward spark to start a wildfire.

3.) Avoid accumulating large amounts of trash over extended time periods. Smaller amounts burn faster and with less risk.

4.) Avoid burning trash during extremely dry or windy conditions. Pay special attention to any burn bans in your area. Keep a fire break of at least 10 feet around your fire.

5.) Avoid burning trash that may contain hazardous items. Toxic fumes from paint and other chemicals could pose a serious health risk. Debri from exploding aerosol cans may cause serious injuries.

You can get fire risk advisories for the State of Texas here:

http://texasforestservice.tamu.edu/main/popup.aspx?id=1991

Be aware. Be informed. Be prepared.

Riverwalker

Foods Potentially Poisonous to Pets

Even though they may not be dangerous to humans, there are numerous foods that are hazardous to pets. The following is a list of foods that may be dangerous to your pet:

Alcoholic Beverages: Any type of alcohol can be poisonous to your pet and aside from intoxication, can cause a coma or even death.

Apple Seeds: Can have varied effects on pets.

Apricot Pits: Can cause respiratory difficulties such as breathing, coughing and sneezing.

Cherry Pits: Can cause respiratory difficulties such as breathing, coughing and sneezing.

Candy containing the sweetener Xylitol: Can cause liver damage and even death.

Chocolate: Although pets should never have any type of chocolate, milk chocolate is not nearly as dangerous for animals as semi-sweet or unsweetened bakers chocolate. Chocolate poisoning can cause irregular heart rate and rhythm, restlessness, hyperactivity, diarrhea, vomiting, panting, muscle tremors, abdominal pain, bloody urine, increased body temperature, seizures, coma and possibly even death.

Coffee: Can result in increased breathing and heart rate, restlessness and affects the central nervous system.

Grapes: Large amounts of grapes can be poisonous to pets and can cause vomiting, diarrhea,
lethargy, abdominal pain, lack of appetite and kidney damage.

Hops: May cause panting, elevated temperature, increased heart rate, seizures and possibly death.

Macadamia Nuts: Can cause vomiting, lethargy, hyperthermia, abdominal pain, stiff joints, lameness and tremors.

Moldy Foods: Can have varied effects on pets including vomiting and diarrhea.

Mushrooms: Different types of mushrooms can have varied effects on pets such as, depression, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, tearing, hallucinations, defecation, liver failure, seizures, drooling, urination, kidney failure, heart damage, hyperactivity and in some cases, death.

Mustard Seeds: Can have varied effects on pets.

Onions and Onion Powder: Can cause gastrointestinal problems such as vomiting and diarrhea.

Peach Pits: Can cause respiratory difficulties such as breathing, coughing and sneezing.

Potato Leaves and Stems: Can cause problems with the digestive, nervous and urinary systems.

Raisins: Large amounts of raisins can be poisonous to pets and can cause vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, abdominal pain, lack of appetite and kidney damage.

Rhubarb Leaves: Can cause problems with the digestive, nervous and urinary systems.

Salt: In large quantities can cause electrolyte imbalances.

Tea: Can have varied effects in pets.

Tomato Leaves and Stems: Can cause problems with the digestive, nervous and urinary systems.

Walnuts: Can cause gastrointestinal problems such as vomiting and diarrhea, as well as respiratory issues such as sneezing, breathing and coughing.

Yeast Dough: Can be dangerous as it will expand and result in gas, pain and possible rupture of the stomach or intestines.

Source: ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center

Be aware. Be informed. Be prepared.

Riverwalker

Christmas Safety Tips

Christmas is a special time of the year for you and your family. Following safety tips will help to keep the holiday season joyful. Have a safe and happy holiday!

Christmas Tree Safety

Consider an artificial tree as they are much safer and cleaner.

A real tree should not lose green needles when you tap it on the ground.

Cut one inch off the trunk to help absorb water.

Leave the tree outside until ready to decorate.

The tree stand should hold a minimum of one gallon of water.

Check the water level daily.

Make sure the tree is secured and cannot be knocked over.

Keep the tree away from all heat sources.

Use miniature lights that have cool-burning bulbs.

Always turn off the tree lights when going to bed or leaving the house.

Never use candles even on artificial trees.

Dispose of the tree properly after the holidays.

Home Safety

Make sure you have a properly working fire alarm.

Use only outdoor lights on the exterior of the home.

Never use worn out light strings.

Connect no more than three strands of lights together.

Never use an indoor extension cord outdoors.

Avoid overloading wall outlets and extension cords.

Keep outdoor electrical connectors above ground and out of the snow.

Never use electric lights on a metallic tree.

Extinguish fireplace ashes before going to bed or leaving the house.

After parties, check under and around chairs, sofas and other furniture for smoldering cigarettes if there have been people smoking in the house.

Have at least one working carbon monoxide detector in the house.

Have a fire extinguisher available.

Source: http://www.ntsi.com/articles/christmassafety.html



Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday season!

Be aware. be informed. Be prepared.

Riverwalker