Camping & Outdoor Safety

More and more families are enjoying the pleasures of camping and outdoor life. Some advance planning will make camping trips more enjoyable and safer.  Look for a campsite that offers good drainage, with a good combination of sun and shade.  Check the area for hazards, and instruct children about things to avoid such as poisonous plants, wild animals and moving vehicles.

Here are a few more safety tips to help you enjoy your time in the great outdoors:

• Wear shoes, sandals or moccasins at your campsite; glass, cans, sharp rocks and hot embers can hurt bare feet
• If you bring perishable food, use a portable ice chest to keep it from spoiling
• Keep the site clean. Dispose of cans, bottles and garbage safely in a campground trash can or appropriate receptacle
• Obey signs and warnings concerning wildlife.  If raccoons, skunks, porcupines or other small animals come to your campsite, scare them away with a flashlight or a loud noise.  IMPORTANT:  Don't keep food in your tent where it can be smelled by animals -- store it away from the campsite
  
• Never leave a fire unattended.  When finished with it, spread the burned pieces/embers out, soak them touroughly with water, and then cover them with sand

These safety tips will keep you and others safe but it will keep the campground clean and safe from fires.

Information was provided to us by Safety Sense Enterprises Inc.

Please remember while you are away, do not share your events on social networking sites as it tells people you are not at home and leaves your home vulnerable to break in.

Be sure to have someone check on your home regularly - having lights scheduled to turn on and off at various times in different rooms is recommended to appear as if you are at home.  Remember, lights turning on and off at the same time could indicate a homeowner is away.
If you have pets, remember to either board them away from the home or be sure to have someone come to check on them daily.

Family Time by Frank Zimmerman

In this day and age of work pressures, deadlines, commuting and working overtime, make sure that you set aside time for quality family time.  That is what I will be doing as you read this - as my wife and I will be in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains at Boone, North Carolina.  I will be meeting our first grandchild for the first time - a beautiful baby girl named Elizabeth Grace Blaha - born on April 15th!


A special added bonus is that our other daughter is only 2 hours away in Charlotte and will be driving up for the weekend to meet us.  So we are looking to a joyous and restful time with our whole family together for a few days.


So, whatever your family situation is - take the time to enjoy time with your family.  Travel safely!