All of you who read my columns know that this time of year, with the temperatures cooling and the garden finally producing, all the flowers blooming, the cotton pickers working in the fields, and the holidays about to start, is my very favorite time of year. According to a recent Courier News poll, it is the favorite time of year for most people.
But autumn is also a time when there are some particular safety challenges of which we should all be aware. And they have direct bearing on all of the things I listed above, which are what make this time of year so special.
I know there will be several articles in this and all newspapers and media outlets this week about Halloween safety, so I won't spend a lot of time on that, but there is one item of concern about Halloween I do want to mention. All of us who have four-legged children need to be particularly careful from now until a few days after Halloween to watch our pets closely. For some reason, there are a very small number of unsavory folk out there who think of All Hallows Eve as an excuse to maim, torture and even kill other people's precious furry friends. So for the next couple of days, if (when) your pet goes outside your house, stay outside with it and keep it in sight until you bring it in. Try to keep potty trips to the daylight hours; most devilment regarding animals seems to occur after dark. And if your pet is an outdoor pet, make sure fences and gates are secure and you have a good lighting source over the area, which will discourage these ne'er do wells.
On Halloween night, when children are present in costumes, you must absolutely confine your pets. It is only for a couple of hours that night, so making your outside pet comfortable inside an outbuilding or even in a bathroom, with plenty of food and fresh water of course, should not be a big problem. This is for the protection of the children of course, to prevent any unforeseen accidents, but it is also for the sake of the pet. Dogs really have very bad eyesight, and a child in a costume must seem terrifying to pets, especially if they are elderly and not accustomed to being around children of any type, vampires or princesses or otherwise. An ounce of prevention will really pay off in this instance.
Another safety problem specific to this time of year is the huge number of farm implements on the road. Farm machinery is present in an agricultural community such as ours most of the year. But while different crops are planted at different times and the machinery is sort of spread out over a couple of months in the spring, it seems that in October and early November, every single piece of farm equipment in this entire county is on the roads at the same time. There have been several minor accidents already this year involving personal vehicles coming over an overpass too fast and running head on into a farm implement coming very slowly up the other side. Really folks, you don't have to be the fastest thing on your section of the road. Slow it down when you go over an overpass or around a blind corner, especially out in the county. Always give the farm implements the right of way, they are a lot harder to maneuver than your pickup truck and if you try to play chicken with a cotton picker, the picker will win, I absolutely guarantee it.
The third thing to be aware of at this time of year is of course fire safety, especially as it relates to temporary sources of heat such as space heaters and fire places. With the nights turning very cool and the days warming up, most of us are not wanting to turn on the furnace, so we drag out one space heater or throw a couple of logs on the fire. This is all well and good, as long as you remember a few very important safety rules.
First, before you light a fire, have your chimney inspected and cleaned by a reputable chimney sweep. Your insurance provider should have a list of these contractors. Also, be sure your flue is open. Otherwise, you will still be trying to get the smoke out of your house next Easter. And be sure there is nothing flammable hanging over or sitting in front of or close to an open fire. Stockings hung for Santa are of course a requirement, but they should be hung well away from the open fire area.
Do not set anything on top of or next to a space heater. Do not set a space heater within 5 feet of a bed, chair or other flammable furnishing or item, including draperies. Be sure you have guards on the hot parts of the space heater. Be sure it is a newer model that will shut itself off automatically if it tips or falls over.
This weekend officially starts the holiday season, as most churches are having fall festivals and Halloween parties, and Halloween itself is next Monday. So here's hoping you all have a safe and festive week, and that the worst thing that happens to you and yours is that you sneak a little too much candy out of the candy bowl.
plenbooks@live.com