As Halloween creeps around the cobwebbed-corner, many of our thoughts will be on decorating, pumpkin-carving and costume-making. Before the parade of ghosts and witches comes knocking on your door, here is a list of helpful things that you can do to keep your home and yard safe from all the trick-or-treaters.

• Clear your yard of ladders, hoses, leashes, flower pots, low tree limbs, and anything that could cause someone to trip.
• Be sure to keep your outdoor steps, porch and walkways well-lit.
• Use batter-powered jack o’lantern candles instead of a real flame.
• If you do use candles, keep them away from where trick-or-treaters will be walking or standing.
• Dried flowers, cornstalks and crepe paper are highly flammable.  Make sure paper or cloth decorations in the yard can’t blow into a flaming candle.
• Consider fire safety when decorating.  Don’t overload electrical outlets with holiday lighting or special effects.
• Keep any pets secure in the home.

Times a Changing

November 3 it is time to change the clocks back.

This is a good time to check your furnace filter and install fresh batteries in your home smoke alarms.