Well, now that we've had a couple of days to calm down after the near-flood here in Mount Vernon, Washington, I want to pass along a tip.

My wife Kellie and I made the decision late Monday afternoon to "pack and leave" - based on the best info from the weather service.  It was a frantic couple of hours, getting the kids organized, etc.  But this time (we've done this before)... I realized that taking some 'before' pictures of the house might greatly speed potential Insurance hassles in the coming weeks.

Digital camera?  Well, of course.  But what about upcoming computer connections? 

So before the major packing and moving valuables up on top of shelves... I took about 10 minutes and walked the house, taking pictures with the camera built into my cell phone!

Sounds like a simple idea but the benefits are immediate.  First, the cell-phone is always at hand.  And taking digital pics is as quick as 'point-and-shoot.'  Next: because the pictures are in the cell phone, it's a trivial matter to 'send' them to insurance reps if the absolute worst happens. 

Now that the flood threat has passed, I've got about 30 snapshots of our house in the 'before' state.  Furniture, stereo, garage/shop equipment, etc.  All ready to go.  At this point, I'll delete them.  But the cell-phone is ready for the next time.