[redwitch]

For those who don't know, another_Linda's house was struck by lightning last Saturday. Fortunately, it only created a small fire and minor damage. It also taught me a couple of lessons that I thought I'd pass on.

1. If there's a lightning storm that is truly close to your home, walk the perimeter of your home afterwards. It is possible that the lightning struck the ground close to your home, so make sure there is nothing smoldering.

2. If you are a snowbird and have no one watching your house, be sure a neighbor walks the perimeter of your home as well as their own. It may be the only way both homes are protected from fire.

3. If you have someone watching your home, make sure that at least one neighbor has the your watcher's phone number so they can do a check of your home after a storm. They won't know the storm was directly over your home unless someone tells them. (Some of the home watch services won't do this without charging extra -- if they won't, get a new one!)