Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Where are Kevin and Ruth now? Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Where are Kevin and Ruth going next? Kuwait City, Kuwait on March 31st.

Monday, May 25, 2015

We're approved!

I'm disappointed. I expected more response to yesterday's post. I figured that you all were a technologically advanced lot who would have hundreds (or at least tens) of suggestions of exciting apps for our smartphone. But, maybe you all use these fancy devices simply to make phone calls. To those of you who did leave a comment, thank you!

We're often surprised by what topics engage people and which ones do not.

It's like when I post on Facebook what I think is a great photo of a landscape, and it only garners a dozen or so "likes" But, post something of a baby or a dog and it 'll get forty! Interesting stuff.

Busy day here at the park yesterday. I guess the beautiful weather had people thinking of summer, and quite a few of our seasonal campers brought their trailers in. I think there are around 40 of our 80 seasonal sites now occupied.

Seasonal camping spots starting to fill up.

We had our two summer students in on the weekend stacking firewood. What a big job. But they plugged away at it, and got it mostly done.

Not much left.

Because it's all in here!

We figure our young owls are about eight weeks old now. One of them has left the nest, and the other has ventured out onto nearby branches, but isn't flying yet that we know of.



Finally got the approval for our Saskatchewan Health Insurance. They sure do make you jump through hoops to prove that you're a resident of the province. I haven't been to a doctor in about 10 years, so maybe we'll go get a basic checkup and 28 point inspection now that we're going to be in one place for a few months. Seeing as it's "free". 

So, we now have Saskatchewan driver's licences and Saskatchewan Health Insurance. All that's left is to get Saskatchewan plates on the little blue car and the motorhome. I'm going to change the brake pads on the car today, and get it reinspected on Wednesday, then we should be able to get the plates. I'm going to leave the motorhome until September, and then we should be all done with our official change of residence stuff. What a pain.

Our daughter and her family are moving back to Ontario next month, so they'll be going through all of this stuff soon too! Fun. Not.

Thanks again for doing all of your Amazon shopping through our links here at Travel with Kevin and Ruth. We're having a record month in that department, and all of that income will be put towards our travels this fall.

Time to stock up on RV drinking water filters...


And for our Canadian readers, a fantastic deal on a quality printer. This is almost half the price of what they sell for on the American Amazon site, so it's definitely a steal of a deal...today only...


34 comments:

  1. Sorry to hear you had to jump through hoops to get your health card, but that seems to be the way in Canada nowadays. A sad reality of what once a world-class system. Re phone apps...the cell I have for traveling is so old it doesn't have the ability to use them. I've considered getting a smart phone to replace it, but the extra expense is hard to justify when I only used the old one maybe 8 or 9 times this past winter.

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    1. But we didn't get our iPhone to make phone calls. That's the whole thing...if you only need a phone for phone calls, then there is no point in getting a smart phone. But for travel, a smart phone is very handy. I think it's one of those things that once you have one, you'll wonder how you did without...

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  2. Darn guess I should have left a comment about apps...oh wait...I dont have a clue, dont have any apps myself. have a fancy not so fancy phone because I got it free when my contract rolled over. and it has bigger numbers and bigger screen..... :-)

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    1. Ha, too funny! Well up until last month we didn't need apps either, we didn't even have a cell phone! ;-)

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  3. Hope you are able to get a doctor! Some people I know have to go to a walk in clinic to be seen.

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    1. I don't mind going to walk in clinic to see a doctor. What's the difference?

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  4. I feel your pain. But think of all those government employees that wouldn't have a job if they weren't there to make you jump thru all those hoops... :cD

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    1. If we lead a "normal" life it probably wouldn't have been so difficult, but we are not "normal"! ;-)

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  5. Congratulations on your new health insurance and move.
    We have a smart phone and Suzie does use it for various things. Don't know what because she is always with me when we use it.

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    1. Me I have a dumb phone (disposable) so she can find me and send texts, I can't hear on the phone anyway.

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    2. I sometimes think that smart phones aren't always that "smart"!

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  6. I have two smart phones, both have skype so I can make and recieve calls where I have wifi, one the windows phone I can use as a modem to get internet with my laptop and I use copilot instead of having a stand alone GPS. the other I have no cel service and use onnl with wifi. Both have banking apps, evernote which I use to keep a daily journal, shopping lists, all my vehicle information and various other notes. Both sync with my laptops so I don't need to write a lot on the mini keyboard on the phone but can edit any note on either and check for accuracy on the computer. Having poor hearing and slurred speech from FA, a disease I also do some texting.
    Other apps I have tried and removed because they weren't useful for me or are incorporated in ones I do use I've forgotten except for walking/biking is built in copilot. Another I do use is gas buddy, it also helps me find POI's
    Mickey

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    1. That is exactly the way we will be using our iPhone! We won't have cell service either just free wifi. We may buy a SIM card for data when we are traveling to other countries and then buy a pay as you go plan if we can't get free wifi then we can use the iPhone as a hot spot. I like the idea of keeping important info/notes on it because you never know when you may have to have it at hand. Thanks for the ideas.

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  7. Great job stacking all that wood.

    Glad you have your card. Hope you only have to use it for "good" check ups.

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    1. We have the high school students to thank for the wood stacking. It is almost all done just a small bit of it left.

      We are rarely sick so hopefully we will stay that way but we are definitely due for a good once over check-up.

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  8. You'll find that most people don't buy apps if it's free free is always good
    If they do spend any money it might be the $.99 ones
    Also the majority will take the free ones load it play with it and then delete it
    And then your problem with the free ones they're limited to what they will show you and do for you
    so is someone really going to spend a dollar or four dollars for something that you don't like don't know how to use and then delete it thank not
    Now If they make an app, that cost under $.99 that can track my golf cart around the park I'll buy it
    And seeing as how Some of us don't fly and living on a fixed income airline apps don't do us any good
    Now being someone that marvels At your stamina The only app that I would need personally would be a hospital location App, after 200 yards or the nearest watering hole
    Now most everybody probably has a weather app although there's only about three good ones out on the free market today
    If you like to stargaze there's two or three out there that are excellent did I say they're free
    Also there gas buddy did I say that was free as well
    Seeing as how you don't fly for a sport you have pilot one is free and pilot two cost$
    Yes you do drive an RV and they have apps for that too as well ,,however are you 70 long 13.8 high 14. Wide And weighed in at 80,000 pounds we have an app for that to (cost)
    Think of apps like a big box of mixed candy you just spent four dollars for that box of candy are you going to like every single one
    Probably more so than the free box of mixed candy
    The other thing is if you ask people how many apps they have on their phone they probably can't tell you(how many are going to cheat and look right now)
    So it all boils down to they can tell you where the best place to camp the best state to go to the best restaurant in town , the best state park to go to but there apps are a whole ball of worms
    I can only tell you that MY Godiva dark chocolate is the best in the box but I'm not going to tell you that
    So that's probably why nobody slipped there apps to you
    So I hope you have a app,y good day

    Sent from my iPad

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    1. Mister Ed, what apps do you use for star gazing?

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    2. It's called sky View It is a free app
      After you downloaded it go out side at night aim at any star looking at the screen it will show you the Star or the constellation as you move it around the horizon it'll find other constellations
      While you have it on that particular*star touch the star on the screen and it'll give you the name and description
      The best star to test your app is the moon then you can travel all over the universe
      It will also tell when ISS ( International space station ) is coming to come interview
      And any other satellites

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    3. Someone also mentioned translating apps (free)
      I tested one that translates American to Japanese to my daughter-in-law real cool she got a laugh out of it

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    4. That sky View app sounds really neat. We will definitely have to give that one a try! As for a translator app, it would only be good to us if we can use it without having to have the iPhone connected to the internet. Kevin will search to see if he can find one and then see how good it is.

      Kevin may add his "two cents" to this reply as well but you are right about the apps Mr. Ed. There are probably only a few good free ones out there that would be worth keeping and unless it is a fantastic app we most likely won't be buying very many. Kevin is pretty picky about what we want and need on the iPhone and will be checking them out thoroughly before deciding if we want it or not. Thanks for your opinions.

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  9. Not an Apple weenie, otherwise I would have left you a list ;)

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    1. We aren't either, we only have the iPhone because it was given to us for free! ;-)

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  10. I have a 5 year old "smart phone" that isn't so smart any more. I use it for weather.com and google maps mostly. I can check my email. The biggest thing I use it for is to teather my laptop. I MUCH prefer my laptop to any phone. Sorry I can't help. I should be asking you what to do with this thing other than the basics although it came with so much crap on it that I can't delete, there probably isn't room for anything more. I did put solitaire on it for standing patiently in line.

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    1. We agree, we would rather use our laptops to the phone as well. Our phone will rarely we used as a phone and it will rarely be connected to the cellular network unless we are traveling and buy a SIM card and a pay as you go plan, so both the apps you mention need us to be connected to the internet which most of the will only we free wifi connections. The mapping system that Kevin has is great because we don't need to be on the internet to use it. The only downfall is that we need to download the area/state/country maps beforehand and when we have a free connection but once that is done the mapping system worked great. We tried it out on our way back up through the States at the end of April. Our daughter showed us how to delete stuff from our iPhone, can't help you if it isn't an iPhone though.

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  11. Just like my FB posts. If I post a silly joke I get a hundred likes. If I post something about poverty, politics, or religion it gets no likes. Smart phone is new to me, I am still investigating apps. Most of the ones you posted don't apply in Mexico. As for the pic you posted of seasonal campers, that dude has one big fifth wheel. I give that a like!

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    1. I tend to not comment on politics or religion on anyone's fb page because that's when fights can start and I don't want to lose friends over something like that and I think that maybe a lot of people are like that but a silly joke is something everyone likes! ;-)

      That fifth wheel is about the standard size these days! I am glad that we don't have to travel with it.

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  12. We have androids, and don't much care about apps, tho Jimmy did get a "translator" app for his phone. This should be helpful when we're out of North America. Too many people spend too much time gazing lovingly into their phones, missing meaningful exchanges and flashes of beauty ... IMHO. Love those owls!

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    1. You are right about too many people gazing at there phones. In South Korea, everyone was on their phones! We only got the iPhone to be a helpful tool when we are traveling. Kevin is going to look and see if he can find a translator app that will work without being connected to the internet and if he finds one that he likes he will certainly be posting about it.

      The owls are beautiful and it looks like the second baby will be taking flight in the next day or two. It was way out on the branch from the nest last night.

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  13. I do have a smart phone, but it is smarter than me. I really can't use it for too much. BTW I love your elephant pic.

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    1. I think that will be the case for me too! Kevin is going to have to show me how it all works. ;-)

      Thanks, we love that picture too!

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  14. I have my Kindle app so I can read while Jim is in the hardware or fish store. I also have Google earth, sanidumps locations, a couple of news apps, mileage tracker, gas buddy, where am I?, yelp, passport america, field trip, weather bug, walmart overnight, pet first aid, a couple of games, allstays rest stops. Those are the ones I use the most. If you ever figure out what makes people decide to comment on a blog or FB post, let us all know. Makes no sense.

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    1. Thanks for all the suggestions Sandy! That will give Kevin some else to research.

      I think what makes people comment either on the blog or on Facebook will remain a mystery! ;-)

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  15. wish we had "free" medical here in the states....obamacare sucks.....ya'll are lucky!

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    1. Our medical system has a lot of faults, and it's certainly not free...however it's better than the American system.

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