Emergency Bucket at Winco

Today, August 30, I saw this display at Winco. I looked up Auguson Farms products on the Internet and a comparable bucket, with 201 servings...is offered for  69 or79 dollars. Sam's Club offers this bucket for $59.00

This bucket also has water filter bottle? Fabulous!!!
NO MSG? Great!

Each grab-and-go pail is filled with more than 200 servings of appetizing, easy-to-prepare food - enough to provide one person with an average of 2,063 calories per day. All food is packed in resealable Mylar pouches for convenience and protection from spoiling. Includes 12-day meal planning guide and a bonus 24-day meal guide to further extend your food cache. Self-filtering 22-oz. water bottle is easy to use and fitted with a filter that eliminates nearly 100% of pathogens and bacteria in up to 100 gallons of water before it needs replaced. No hydrogenated oils, trans fats, or added MSG Made in USA.Weight: 13.9 lbs.

Tomato Season Is Upon Us

I remember when "on the vine" tomatoes were $2.99! For the last few weeks I have been amazed that these tomatoes at Winco were 98 cents a pound. This morning-August 30-I happened to have my camera in my purse while shopping at Winco and ...LOOK! If you like to can tomato products like stewed tomatoes or salsa, this may be the best time to buy.

Avoiding Hantavirus

Mice dropping..about the size of a grain of rice...
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This site http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002358/
gave me some new information. Scarier information! Why? Because it can lurk not only in camping places, but in your own home.

This article tells all you need to know about this life threatening disease...the end of the article tells how to avoid contracting this illness. It tells about how REALLY to clean up the mice scat.

Remember, knowledge is power!

Hantavirus

Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome; Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome

Last reviewed: March 11, 2011.

Hantavirus is a life-threatning disease spread to humans by rodents that has symptoms similar to influenza.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

Hantavirus is carried by rodents, especially deer mice. The virus is found in their urine and feces, but it does not make the animal sick.

It is believed that humans can get sick with this virus if they come in contact with contaminated dust from mice nests or droppings. You may come in contact with such dust when cleaning homes, sheds, or other enclosed areas that have been empty for a long time.

Hantavirus does not spread between humans.

Rodents carrying the hantavirus have been found in many U.S. national parks. Campers and hikers may be more likely to catch the disease than most people. This is because they pitch tents on the forest floor and lay their sleeping bags down in musty cabins.

However, only a couple of cases have been directly linked to camping or hiking. Most people who are exposed to the virus have come in contact with rodent droppings in their own homes.

Symptoms

The early symptoms of hantavirus disease are similar to the flu and include:

• Chills
• Fever
• Muscle aches

People with hantavirus may begin to feel better for a very short amount of time, but within 1-2 days, it becomes hard to breathe. The disease gets worse quickly. Symptoms include:

• Dry cough
• General ill feeling (malaise)
• Headache
• Nausea and vomiting
• Shortness of breath

Signs and tests

The health care provider will perform a physical exam. This may reveal:

• Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)
• Kidney failure
• Low blood pressure (hypotension)
• Low blood oxygen levels, which cause the skin to turn a blue color

The following tests may be done:

• Blood tests to check for signs of hantavirus
• Complete blood count (CBC)
• Complete metabolic panel
• Kidney and liver function tests
• X-ray of the chest

Treatment

People with hantavirus are admitted to the hospital, often to the intensive care unit (ICU).

Treatments will include:

• Oxygen
• Breathing tube or breathing machine in severe cases
• A medication called ribavirin to treat kidney-related problems and reduce the risk of death

There is no effective treatment for hantavirus infection involving the lungs.

Expectations (prognosis)

Hantavirus is a serious infection that gets worse quickly. Lung failure can occur and may lead to death. Even with aggressive treatment, more than half of people who have this disease in their lungs die.

Complications

Complications of hantavirus may include:

• Kidney failure
• Heart and lung failure

These complications can lead to death.

Calling your health care provider

Call your health care provider if you develop flu-like symptoms after you come in contact with rodent droppings or rodent urine, or dust that is contaminated with these substances.

Prevention

Avoid exposure to rodent urine and droppings.

• When hiking and camping, pitch tents in areas where there are no rodent droppings.
• Avoid rodent dens.
• Drink disinfected water.
• Sleep on a ground cover and pad.
• Keep your home clean. Clear out potential nesting sites and clean your kitchen.

If you must work in an area where contact with rodent urine or feces is possible, follow these recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

1. When opening an unused cabin, shed, or other building, open all the doors and windows, leave the building, and allow the space to air out for 30 minutes.
2. Return to the building and spray the surfaces, carpet, and other areas with a disinfectant. Leave the building for another 30 minutes.
3. Spray mouse nests and droppings with a 10% solution of chlorine bleach or similar disinfectant. Allow it to sit for 30 minutes. Using rubber gloves, place the materials in plastic bags. Seal the bags and throw them in the trash or an incinerator. Dispose of gloves and cleaning materials in the same way.
4. Wash all potentially contaminated hard surfaces with a bleach or disinfectant solution. Avoid vacuuming until the area has been thoroughly decontaminated. Then, vacuum the first few times with enough ventilation. Surgical masks may provide some protection.

References

1. Bell M. Viral hemorrhagic fevers. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier;2007:chap 404.
2. Peters CJ. California encephalitis, hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, and bunyavirid hemorrhagic fevers. In: Mandell GL, Bennett JE, Dolin R, eds. Douglas and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Disease. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2009:chap 166.

Review Date: 3/11/2011.

Reviewed by: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Assistant in Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

Recent Hantavirus Deaths

I heard on the radio today that there were 2 recent hantavirus deaths. The victims were visiting Yosemite National Park

OK..this is what I already know from past learnings/readings....

Hantavirus is found in mice scat (dried mouse poop) out in the wild.
If you enter a wilderness cabin that you plan to stay in and you see mice scat, this is what you do.
 Get...plastic bags, wear rubber/latex/plastic gloves
     ... some kind of disinfectant spray (even water or windex...anything to spray on the scat so dust doesn't form as you try to remove it. (DO NOT SWEEP DRY MICE SCAT!)
    ...wet bandana or other really good filter to put over your mouth and nose so you do not breathe in the particles.
    ...Spry the scat and then scoop it into the plastic bags (use dustpan or something made out of newspapers, etc....double even triple the bags, tie them off and dispose.

Now...I will go do some research and see how much I got right or wrong and to get more very important safety knowledge.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here is one report:..full credit goes to:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/08/yosemite-cabins-cleaned-inspected-after-second-hantavirus-death.html

Yosemite cabins cleaned, inspected after second hantavirus death

August 28, 2012 |  1:25 pm

Yosemite officials are cleaning and inspecting cabins in the park's Curry Village, where four recent visitors were believed to have contracted hantavirus, a rare rodent-borne disease that has killed about one-third of those exposed nationwide since health experts first identified it in 1993.

Park officials announced Monday that a second visitor had died of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. All four visitors affected had stayed in Curry Village in June, the National Park Service said in a statement.

Now, officials have reached out to anyone who stayed in the Village's "signature tent cabins" from mid-June through August, warning them about the cases, the Park Service said. 

Emails were sent to about 1,700 people Monday evening; letters were to be mailed to additional visitors who stayed in the area but did not have a recorded email address.

Dan Jensen, president of Delaware North Cos. — Yosemite's contracted concessionaire — described hantavirus pulmonary syndrome as a "rare but serious disease" in the email and urged those showing symptoms to "seek healthcare immediately."

Symptoms of the disease — which begin one to six weeks after exposure — are flu-like and include fatigue, fever, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain, according to the Center for Disease Control and prevention. The disease can progress rapidly into breathing problems.

Of the 587 cases of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome reported in the United States between 1993 and 2011, about one-third were fatal, according to CDC statistics.

"There is no cure for hantavirus, so early medical attention is critical," said Scott Gediman, a Yosemite spokesman.

Gediman said crews began trapping and testing the deer mice believed to be carrying the disease after the first two cases of hantavirus were reported and are continuing to do so. They are also "deep cleaning" and repairing the canvas-and-wood cabins in Curry Village to fix any holes where mice might be able to enter, Gediman said.

Two other exposures have been reported in the park's history, in 2000 and 2010, both in the Tuolumne Meadows, Gediman said. Neither of those cases was fatal.

Yosemite has set up a non-emergency phone line at             (209) 372-0822       for questions regarding the disease, which will be staffed daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

City Bears

Here is just an example of the fact that you don't have to be out in the wilderness to encounter a bear!

Scenario #8 Being Safe In the Great Outdoors

Today in Relief Society, I apologized for being late with the August scenario. I gave out the handout you see below.

This scenario is for August because that is the time a lot of folks go on vacation., camping or hiking. It is also the hottest time in the high desert. I have myself been camping with my family and have thus become more aware of all the precautions one needs to take to stay safe.

 I myself fell victim to heat exhaustion during this August beach camping trip(I am very sensitive to heat and prefer weather temperatures in the 60's.) which often happens to people during the hot summer months. There seemed to be no escape from the heat while camping here...the tents were like solar ovens, the campground open areas had a tiny bit of shade, the sun's effects while on the beach is intensified by the heat radiating back into the air from the sand.

I believe for me personally, to avoid heat exhaustion at a place like this, I will bring a big canopy for more shade, and bring lots of hydration drinks and icy water to sip and to spray on my body. Maybe a battery operated fan.

Some advantages to this experience (we were a Refugio State Beach): no mosquitoes, no bears!

I will try to cover more topics this week, while we are still in the month of August, related to this scenario ....meanwhile, keep scrolling down to see the posts I made recently. E N J O Y  !

A Comprehensive Preparedness Site

I just love this site!
It is easy to navigate, is not too wordy, has memorable graphics, teaches what you need to know and provides a way for you to order things you need, if you so desire.

Storing Food in Time of Drought

Food prices will be going up because of the drought.

Now is the time to stock up on your pantry items before the prices go up.

http://preparednesspantry.blogspot.com/2012/08/storing-food-in-time-of-drought.html

Bears!

If you spend any amount of time camping or hiking, you need to know what to do if approached by a bear...or how to avoid meeting one.
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Campground and Picnic Area Precautions
http://usparks.about.com/od/backcountry/a/Bear-Safety.htm
Never cook or store food in or near your tent.
Hang food and other items with strong odors (ie, toothpaste, bug repellent, soap, etc.) out of reach of bears. Hang items at least 10 ft above the ground and. If no trees are available, store your food in airtight or bear-proof containers.
Change your clothing before you go to sleep; don't wear what you cooked in to go to bed and be sure to store smelly clothing along with your food/smelly items.
Keep the area clean. Be sure to wash dishes, dispose of garbage, and wipe down tables.
Burn garbage completely in a hot fire and pack trash out - don't bury it.
Backcountry and Trail Precautions

Don't surprise bears. If you're hiking, make your presence known. Make noise by talking loudly, singing, or wearing a bell.
If you can, travel with a group. Groups are noisier and easier for bears to detect.
Keep in mind that bears tend to be more active at dawn and dusk so plan your hikes accordingly.
Stay on marked trails and obey the regulations of the area you're hiking/camping in.
If you're hiking in bear country, keep an eye out for tracks, scat, digs, and trees that bears have rubbed.
Leave your dog at home!
If You Encounter a Bear…

Remain calm and avoid sudden movements.
Give the bear plenty of room, allowing it to continue its activities undisturbed. If it changes its behavior, you're too close so back away.
If you see a bear but the bear doesn't see you, detour quickly and quietly.
If a bear spots you, try to get its attention while it is still farther away. You want it to know you're human so talk in a normal voice and waive your arms.
Remember that a standing bear is not always a sign of aggression. Many times, bears will stand to get a better view.
Throw something onto the ground (like your camera) if the bear pursues you, as it may be distracted by this and allow you to escape.
Never feed or throw food to a bear.
If a Bear Charges…

Remember that many bears charge as a bluff. They may run, then veer off or stop abruptly. Stand your ground until the bear stops, then slowly back away.
Never run from a bear! They will chase you and bears can run faster than 30 mph.
Don't run towards or climb a tree. Black bears and some grizzlies can climb trees, and many bear will be provoked to chase you if they see you climbing.
If you have pepper spray, be sure that you have trained with it before using it during an attack.
If a Grizzly Bear Attacks…

Play dead!
Lie face down on the ground with your hands around the back of your neck.
Stay silent and try not to move.
Keep your legs spread apart and if you can, leave your pack on to protect your back.
Once the bear backs off, stay quiet and still for as long as you can. Bears will often watch from a distance and come back if they see movement.
If a Black Bear Attacks…

Be loud, waive your arms, and stand your ground.
Fight back! Be aggressive and use any object you have.
Only if you are sure the bear attacking is a mother who is protecting its cubs, play dead.
If you have pepper spray, use it. Begin spraying when it's within 40 ft so it runs into the fog. Aim for the face.
As with all trips, be sure to research where you are going and what wildlife is in the area. Preparation and knowledge is the key to ensuring a safe trip for you and yours. Keep an eye out for bear warnings and always talk to a ranger if you have questions or concerns.

National Knife Day

August 24th was National Knife Day. I remember as a girl scout long ago, how  at Girl Scout camp, I always wore my jackknife around my neck on the lanyard I made myself . I felt so prepared ...for anything.
It looked like this....

Click on link below to see another kind of knife.
August 24th was National Knife Day!

Insect Repellent Update.

A reader asked Dr. K today which repellents were safe and effective. His answer:

http://www.gastongazette.com/articles/repellent-74561-insect-safe.html

August 20, 2012 6:22 PM

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Dr. Komaroff

DEAR READER: The itch from mosquito bites — or the yuck factor of pulling a tick off your skin — can be irritating and unpleasant. But even worse are the illnesses that insects can carry, including West Nile virus, Eastern equine encephalitis and Lyme disease.

Many people are just as wary of insect repellents as they are of bug bites. They worry that they are dangerous. But used properly, insect repellents are safe. The most effective ones are:

DEET. If you’re in an area with a lot of ticks or insect-borne illnesses, this is the repellent to use. It really gets the job done.

Lemon eucalyptus oil (or PMD, the man-made version) works nearly as well as DEET against both mosquitoes and ticks, but it shouldn’t be used on children under 3 years old.

Picaridin works well against mosquitoes, but much less well against ticks.

2-undecanone (IBI-246) is good for about four hours against mosquitoes, two hours against ticks. I recommend you avoid reapplying it, because too much exposure to these chemicals could be dangerous. So if you are going to be out for more than four hours, use one of the first three on this list.

IR3535 works for about two hours against mosquitoes and ticks. Again, I recommend you avoid reapplying it.

Permethrin works well, but shouldn’t be sprayed or rubbed on the skin — just on clothing or mosquito netting.

Other insect repellents on the market include citronella, catnip oil, bug zappers and ultrasonic devices. They may help a little, for a little while. But they can’t compete with DEET and the other repellents mentioned above.

A few safety tips for using insect repellents:

• Don’t use them on infants younger than 2 months old (instead, put mosquito netting over the baby carrier).
• Apply spray repellent outside so you are less likely to breathe it in (and won’t get it on household surfaces).
• Don’t spray a repellent directly on your face. Instead, spray it on your hand and rub some on your face. (Never put permethrin on your face.)
• Whenever you use insect repellent, always wash your hands well before eating. (That’s also good advice whether or not you’re using insect repellent.)
• Spray the repellent lightly (more is not necessarily better) on exposed skin and clothing. In particular, don’t overdo it with DEET. I had one patient who sprayed much more DEET than he needed on every square inch of his skin. He even sprayed it directly on his face, breathing it in as he did so. That patient had toxicity from DEET. Apply it lightly on the skin that will be exposed to insects and not covered by clothing.

Dr. Komaroff is a physician and professor at Harvard Medical School. To send questions, go to AskDoctorK.com, or write: Ask Doctor K, 10 Shattuck St., Second Floor, Boston , MA 02115.

Read more: http://www.gastongazette.com/articles/repellent-74561-insect-safe.html#ixzz24By9ldKf
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MORE IMPORTANT TIPS HERE:

http://www.babycenter.com/408_when-can-i-start-putting-bug-repellent-on-my-baby_1368479.bc

Products containing DEET (N, N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) or picaridin are both recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for adults and children 2 months of age and older. Picaridin is a chemical that's similar in effectiveness to DEET, but it's odorless, lighter, and less irritating. (The CDC has also recommended oil of lemon eucalyptus, but not for children younger than 3.)

• Use a product that contains up to 30 percent DEET; higher concentrations aren't recommended for children.
• Apply the DEET product just once a day.
• Apply the repellent sparingly and only to areas of exposed skin, never under clothing.
• Don't apply repellents near your baby's eyes and mouth, or to cut or infected skin.
• Avoid your baby's hands because young babies often suck on them.
• Don't use DEET products near food.
• Don't use sunscreens that contain DEET.
• When you're back indoors, use soap and water to rinse the areas of your baby's skin where you applied the repellent.

You may want to try a natural insect repellent such as citronella, but read the label first to make sure that it's safe for use on babies. (Repellent products must state any age restrictions.) Natural repellents generally don't last as long as chemical repellents, so you may need to reapply frequently.

HYDRATION!

Perhaps the greatest outdoor danger in the summer is:  TOO MUCH SUN AND HEAT!

Stay safe during this heat wave!     Stay hydrated!

Dehydration can get bad enough to require hospitalization!    Stay hydrated!

You may wonder if water is better than sport drinks. Here is some great information on that topic!

One idea is to...

Make your own sport drinks! Why spend a dollar or more a bottle? Fill your own bottles with

your own homemade hydration drinks!

One simple recipe if you want to make your own hydration or sport  drink:

• 70% water
• 30% orange juice
• small amount of sugar or honey to your energy and taste needs
• pinch of salt (sodium is good, great if you can get some with potassium also)

This mom made her own homemade gatorade for her little boys who play sports outside in the hot sun alot and so get dehydrated quickly.

You can invent your own recipe. Just be sure you have some sodium in your drink, and some sweetener/ carbohydrate.

some folks fill a bottle half way with their water or sport drink and then before leaving the house, add liquid to the top. This way you do not have a totally solid mass in your bottle when you want to start drinking. It is said cold water is absorbed better by the body.

Heat Dangers

NOW is the time to stay indoors a lot...especially during daylight hours! August seems to me to be the hottest month of all here in the high desert.

If you have to go out or really crave to go on a walk...know how quickly you can get dehydrated or get heat exhaustion, etc.

The following tips are from this site:

http://hiking.about.com/od/Safe-Summer-Hiking/a/Safe-Hiking-In-Hot-Weather.htm

You can click on the above, or read it right here:

Hydration

On hot days, your body can lose large amounts of water through perspiration. The general rule is that you can sweat roughly a quart of water every hour—and even more when hiking uphill or in direct sunlight. Hiking at higher altitudes will also accelerate the loss of body fluids. In arid climates, you may not even notice how much you’re sweating because of rapid rates of evaporation. And as you perspire, you also lose vital minerals from your system.

Proper hydration is essential to the health of the body’s organs, including the brain. Dehydration can lead to impaired brain functioning, which then results in confusion and impaired judgment. Blood can also thicken, forcing the heart to work harder.

• Start the hydration process before you go out. Begin to hydrate a couple of hours before you hit the trail.

• Pay attention to your body. There’s a difference of opinion about whether you should only drink when you’re thirsty or drink before you start getting thirsty.

Many hiking sources suggest that you may experience a lag between when your brain tells you that you need water and when your body actually begins to require more fluids. More recent studies suggest that you should trust your body to let you know when you need to drink.

The key is getting to know your own body’s reactions. Personally, I tend to wait too long to drink, so I make it a point to remind myself to sip some water sooner rather than later on a hike. Especially on hot days.

• Drink frequently. Instead of guzzling a bunch of water all at once, take smaller and more frequent drinks of water.

• Cold water is best. Your body will process cold water more quickly. Fill up your water bottle or hydration system with ice to keep water cool for as long as possible while you’re out.

• No, beer doesn’t count. Alcohol can speed up dehyration because it’s a diuretic. So will caffeine-laden energy drinks.

• Check your urine. If you’re properly hydrated, you should be able to produce a large amount of light-colored, clear urine. If the urine appears dark and concentrated, you may be dehydrated.

Preventing Hyponatremia

Yes, you can drink too much water. On my first overnight trip into the Grand Canyon, our group was warned of a condition called hyponatremia. It can occur when hikers drink large amounts of water without replenishing electrolytes. That can cause blood sodium levels to plunge because too much salt ends up getting sweated out of the body. Hyponatremia is a potentially serious condition that can lead to seizures.

• Replenish With Electrolytes. In addition to restoring fluids, you need to maintain your body’s proper levels of sodium, magnesium, and potassium. Salt residue on your clothing or the inside of your hat is a possible warning sign of hyponatremia. So as you rehydrate, alternate water intake with consumption of fluids with electrolytes, such as sports drinks.

• Eat snacks with salt. Salt in foods can help restore sodium levels in the bloodstream. So in addition to drinking plenty of fluids on hot days, be sure to snack frequently on foods with salt, such as nuts, pretzels, and trail mix.

Preventing Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke

Hot conditions can overwhelm the body’s cooling mechanisms. Heat exhaustion results from a combination of high body temperature and dehydration. It can lead to heat stroke, which is potentially fatal.

In the event of heat stroke, it’s critical that you lower the victim’s body temperature by immersing or keeping the person wet to increase evaporative cooling. The victim needs hospital treatment as soon as possible but shouldn’t be allowed to try and hike out on his or her own.

• Take breaks. Forget about setting any personal bests. Stop more frequently and for longer durations than you would on a cooler day.

• Look for shade. Get out of the sun as much as you can, both on breaks and on the trail. Especially when the sun is lower in the sky, portions of the trail may be shaded by trees or slopes.

Related Articles

• Running in Hot Weather - Running
• Beat The Heat
• Hydration — The Ten Essentials for Climbing Safety
• Take it Outside - Conditioning Your Body for Hiking
• Fill Up on Fluids - Pregnancy Nutrition

Storms Bring Blackouts

Yesterday, we had that big downpour in Victor Valley! My, it was a nice refreshing "cool down" for us!

But it did have some drawbacks.

Our daughter happened to be at Target on Palmdale Road here during the storm. Well, what happened was that while she was in the dressing room all the electricity went out. Since there was no electricity to power the intercom, the Target employees had to use their very loudest voices to tell the customers scattered all over the darkened store to leave. No transactions could take place, of course.

I am writing this post to remind you to check out your lanterns. If this blackout happened in your neighborhood at night, you would be plunged into darkness. Do you know where you keep your lantern? Are the batteries working? Solar lanterns are great! We have some in our home. I keep one on the top my chest of drawers.

Do you have a little flashlight in your purse? I do!

It came in handy once lately for not only me but my fellow staff members at the Family History Center. I I left the center to go down the hallway to the bathroom. I opened the door...it was pitch black.  For some reason, the lights in there were not working that day. So I went back to my purse at the center and got out my little flashlight and went back to the bathroom. This particular bathroom had its stalls beyond a second door and there was quite a distance to walk (past the sinks) to reach it. It would have been so frustrating, even dangerous to use this bathroom in total darkness. I was so happy I could share my flashlight with other ladies (both staff and patrons) that needed the restroom that day.

99 Cents Only stores carry some good styles.

Lightning

"If you hear it, fear it."

This is another saying, if heeded, that can save your life.

 The other day, I was going to go on an errand. I got in my car and as I drove a few blocks toward my destination, I saw some pretty dark clouds and heard a low rumble of thunder. I turned the corner and made my way back home. I had imagined the worse that could happen and knowing my luck...I decided to not put myself in the position of being in danger. What did I imagine? I was imagining myself getting struck by lightning as I walked across the parking lot of the store I had planned to go to.

 "Better safe than sorry!" is another great maxim!

Swift Water Dangers!

Swiftly moving water, can sweep you off your feet and carry you towards danger, even death.
 Many tragedies happen when cars drive around barriers that have been erected on flooded streets.

The saying is: "Turn around, don't drown!"

I myself have had the experience of almost being swept off my feet as I crossed a river, even as I had a walking stick to dig into the bottom of the river and even as I held onto the hand of another person as a took one careful step after another. The power of swift rivers and flash floods should never be underestimated.

Mosquitoes!

Read  Are You A Mosquito Magnet? and How To Naturally Repel Mosquitoes Outside

 to learn how to avoid mosquitoes...or at least a lot of them!


MOSQUITOES! They like to suck your blood! They spread disease...like West Nile Virus, like Malaria...etc. The bites itch..some folks are allergic to the bites.

Besides wearing long sleeves and pan legs and a net around your face, you can use commercial repellents.

Or see what kind of natural, DEET free repellents work well on you:

Scenario # 8 SAFETY WHILE CAMPING IN THE GREAT OUTDOORS

When camping with children, you need to be extra alert and cautious about what possible danger there is.
 Teach your kids the RULES OF CAMPING SAFETY !

We recently went camping with all of our kids and grandkids...Here is one snap shot from that adventure!
By the way, the only injury we had was: a sliver in that cute little blond girl's toe!

Safety in the SUN

The beach is so much fun: splashing in the waves, running in the surf, riding your boogie board, etc. Be sure you do all you can to prevent painful sunburn!!!

Be sure to have a SUNSCREEN BUDDY to apply the sunscreen lotion to your back...it is almost impossible for you to do it yourself and reach all the skin you want to cover. Sunscreens also come in spray form.

 Some moms have their kids wear long sleeved shirts to protect their skin!

SO...REMEMBER THE SUNSCREEN !

Slivers!

I just returned from 3 days of beach camping. There were about 13 grandkids all under the age of 11. The worst thing, thankfully that happened, as far as needing first aid goes, was a sliver in the toe of 3 year old Cosette.

MY daughter in law saved the day by being able to carefully remove it from Cosette's big toe using tweezers. Another person was needed to hold Cosette down (lovingly!) because she cried a lot, anticipating great pain.
One daughter said she always used a needle to remove her kids'slivers.

After returning home, I did some research and found out about this hand tool for slivers: Do check out the description by clicking on...

Uncle Bill's Sliver Gripper

Also...here is a detailed video of how to really remove a hefty sliver well...this one has bleeding, so fair warning:


http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-remove-a-splinter