Monday, July 29, 2013

Outdoor Spring Cleaning List

By Jim Thorpe


Spring cleaning includes the outdoors just as much as it does the scouring of kitchens and wardrobes. It's time to step out into the rest of your property and make sure everything is living and functional.

Any kind of exaggerated motion is impossible for someone that's truly drowning. Think about it, when you barely have enough oxygen to survive another 10 seconds, how are you going to find enough energy to splash around?

Make sure it's all in good working order. Replace and fix anything that needs it.

Inspect the health of your trees, grass, garden and anything else living you may have in your yard. Some lawns may need sod to cover dead spots.

"Move!" was the only command he gave as he shot through the water toward them. As they quickly moved out of his way, he darted past, closing in quickly on the nine year old daughter quietly drowning nearby.

Place the ends of the ladder on firm, flat land to give you a good foundation. If your ladder leans, make sure that you place the base of the ladder at an angle from the roof so you don't risk the ladder toppling backwards as you climb.

The roof may have developed leaks, causing water damage in your insulation and attic. Your snow brackets could have come loose, increasing the risk of massive slide off as the temperatures start melting that foot of snow buildup.

Too often people don't know how to recognize the signs. One parent could be five feet from the pool side and another watching while fixing snow brackets on the roof, and neither could see it coming.

Get on the roof safely, and then inspect every element: the chimney, snow brackets, shingles, rain gutters, satellite, etc. This should be done on a particularly dry day with someone who can help you do it safely.

Take each of these steps and spread them out over several weekends. Don't think that you have to run the whole marathon at once, especially with little to no training over the past 3 or 4 months.

First, the person is extremely quiet. Far from being able to cry out for help, the only energy they have is spent on breathing. Hence when the sounds stop, call out to them if they're okay. If they can't answer, help them.

They have experience and education on their side that will help them do it faster and more efficiently than you ever could. Next, wear sturdy shoes with soft rubber soles to give extra traction.

Balance your expectations with your leisure time to help everyone be happy. Make sure the family members that are meant to participate know about it in advance as well.

Third, there doesn't seem to be a supporting kick below. The bottom half of the body goes still. Some other things to look for include: head low in the water, mouth at or below water level; head tilted back and mouth open; glassy eyes and empty; eyes closed; appear to be climbing a ladder; trying to swim but not getting anywhere; trying to roll over onto back and not using legs. The quiet times are the deadliest.

Help them plan for the future by making plans in advance. Strike deals where needed, but you can increase the peace in your relationships by letting them know what to expect. As you scour your kitchen, take a look outside. Start planning today to get everything out there taken care of as well.




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