Last evening as we were driving the Snake River Canyon we were treated to some of the best clouds.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
iPhone Apps
Today starts the first of my recommendations for iPhone (and possibly Android) Apps. As the owner of both an iPad and an iPhone, I like to be up to date with some of the best apps (short for applications) out there. Here are few that I find helpful. I hope you agree.
Do you have a score or more of those loyalty cards that supermarkets and pharmacies and airlines give out? Until recently, I had a keychain filled with these little cards for stores such as Albertson’s, Smith’s, and CVS, as well as cards for United, Continental, and/or American airlines. Now I have all my loyalty cards listed on a convenient iPhone app called CardStar. The app lets you take a picture of the loyalty card bar code so you don’t have to enter the pesky numbers. Then when you get to the store, just click on the CardStar app find the name of the store (which is nicely alphabetized) and you’re done. Since I have my iPhone with me all the time, it’s a great way to access all those cards and I don’t have the wad of cards to deal with in my pocket! Because the app is connected to a location map, the right loyalty card will appear on your screen when you “tell” it to!
The other day I told you about Words With Friends. This is a fun way to stay in touch with friends, keep your mind active, and if you are in a long line, you can always pull out your smartphone and play a round or two.
One of my favorite news apps is Fluent News! It’s a compiler of headlines...click on a headline you want to read, and the article appears. It has variable print, so you can make letters larger in order to read them on a small screen.
If you are a camper there are 2 apps to find campgrounds in the USA. Instead of carrying the huge campground directories around, get one or both of these apps and let your smartphone do the work. You can search for nearby campgrounds; call or email the campground; and look at the maps for detailed directions. In addition, you can save your favorite campgrounds so you can find them again and again. RVParking.com and RVPark Finder are both free and useful.
Lastly, there’s DocScan. Just the other day a check was mailed to me and I needed to tell the person who sent it to me, that I had received it. I clicked on DocScan and it took a perfect picture of the check and placed it in an email. Of course you can do the same thing with the camera function on an iPhone, but it’s hard to crop the resulting picture and oftentimes, small print appears fuzzy. Not with DocScan. It’s made to focus on small print and it’s really easy to crop a document.
BTW, I usually “buy” free apps and if I like them, I upgrade to the paid version. Sometimes, the free app works so well, it does not need upgrading.
Do you have a score or more of those loyalty cards that supermarkets and pharmacies and airlines give out? Until recently, I had a keychain filled with these little cards for stores such as Albertson’s, Smith’s, and CVS, as well as cards for United, Continental, and/or American airlines. Now I have all my loyalty cards listed on a convenient iPhone app called CardStar. The app lets you take a picture of the loyalty card bar code so you don’t have to enter the pesky numbers. Then when you get to the store, just click on the CardStar app find the name of the store (which is nicely alphabetized) and you’re done. Since I have my iPhone with me all the time, it’s a great way to access all those cards and I don’t have the wad of cards to deal with in my pocket! Because the app is connected to a location map, the right loyalty card will appear on your screen when you “tell” it to!
The other day I told you about Words With Friends. This is a fun way to stay in touch with friends, keep your mind active, and if you are in a long line, you can always pull out your smartphone and play a round or two.
One of my favorite news apps is Fluent News! It’s a compiler of headlines...click on a headline you want to read, and the article appears. It has variable print, so you can make letters larger in order to read them on a small screen.
If you are a camper there are 2 apps to find campgrounds in the USA. Instead of carrying the huge campground directories around, get one or both of these apps and let your smartphone do the work. You can search for nearby campgrounds; call or email the campground; and look at the maps for detailed directions. In addition, you can save your favorite campgrounds so you can find them again and again. RVParking.com and RVPark Finder are both free and useful.
Lastly, there’s DocScan. Just the other day a check was mailed to me and I needed to tell the person who sent it to me, that I had received it. I clicked on DocScan and it took a perfect picture of the check and placed it in an email. Of course you can do the same thing with the camera function on an iPhone, but it’s hard to crop the resulting picture and oftentimes, small print appears fuzzy. Not with DocScan. It’s made to focus on small print and it’s really easy to crop a document.
BTW, I usually “buy” free apps and if I like them, I upgrade to the paid version. Sometimes, the free app works so well, it does not need upgrading.
Monday, August 29, 2011
The Flower Eater
Here’s one of our “blossom browsers.” She’s so pretty it’s hard to get angry at her. This year her twins are chomping on the flowers. The young buck is too. I’m beginning to wonder if the young buck is her fawn from last year?
Notice the flowers are gone!
Sunday, August 28, 2011
WWF
For those who know, WWF is an acronym for a smartphone game called Words With Friends. It’s a type of Scrabble that is played with other folks who have the game on their smartphone. I’ve been playing the game on my iPhone and iPad.
I became hooked on the game at Christmastime, when my niece was on disability and a lot of us were trying to keep her occupied as she recovered. I guess it worked, as she recovered...but by then I was addicted to the game. At any given time I have several games going at the same time with friends and family from east coast to west coast!
As with Scrabble, it’s a vocabulary/strategy game. The goal is to score the most points while blocking your opponent from getting more points. It can become a “cut-throat” game if you let it get out of hand!
The most points I’ve ever scored with one word is 179! The word was THIMBLES (can you find it above). THIMBLES was a 7 letter word that went through a double word space, a triple word space AND a triple letter space on the board. Seven letter words automatically score an additional 35 points, and they are the hardest words to make.
Recently, playing a game with my sister, I scored 3 seven letter words in a row...ANGRIER, PILLOWS and OCTANES. I’ve never had that happen before.
When we went to the Adriatic in May, I discovered I could play the game wherever there was a wifi...so I played with my WWF friends while I was in Corfu, Croatia, Albania, Greece and Slovenia!
I play a “non-cut-throat" version of the game with 2 of my WWF friends...we are not looking for point value as much as we are looking for word length! I believe this version of the game is more fun and really stretches our vocabulary!
I became hooked on the game at Christmastime, when my niece was on disability and a lot of us were trying to keep her occupied as she recovered. I guess it worked, as she recovered...but by then I was addicted to the game. At any given time I have several games going at the same time with friends and family from east coast to west coast!
As with Scrabble, it’s a vocabulary/strategy game. The goal is to score the most points while blocking your opponent from getting more points. It can become a “cut-throat” game if you let it get out of hand!
When we went to the Adriatic in May, I discovered I could play the game wherever there was a wifi...so I played with my WWF friends while I was in Corfu, Croatia, Albania, Greece and Slovenia!
I play a “non-cut-throat" version of the game with 2 of my WWF friends...we are not looking for point value as much as we are looking for word length! I believe this version of the game is more fun and really stretches our vocabulary!
If you would like to play a game of WWF with me, just ask. It’s great fun and it’s a good way to keep your mind working! If you look at the boards above, you can see my handle is cruztalker.
PS: I play a pretty mean game! I’ve been doing crossword puzzles for years, I read a lot and I’ve always had a great vocabulary...three assets when playing WWF.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Young Buck
This past week a young buck has been hanging out at our house. He’s quite pretty and very camera shy! So far all I’ve been able to capture are the tops of his new antlers ,
his backside!
and him running away!
If he is going to survive, he needs to have these qualities!
End of an Era?
17 years ago I wrote a book that became a best seller...and had 4 different editions. From that book, I did a lot of consulting nationwide and wrote 72 more books and launched a university class. Today that class ended! Lack of enrollment! It’s a sign of the times. For the first time since I was 17 I am not gainfully employed!
Life goes on...and a new era is beginning. I don’t know what that era will bring, but I’m excited to see what it has to offer!
Life goes on...and a new era is beginning. I don’t know what that era will bring, but I’m excited to see what it has to offer!
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Dewy
I love looking at the huge puffballs that are rampant this time of year.
This morning I caught one that still had dew on it!
Amazing
...look at the tiny droplets clinging to the plant.
Mother Nature (captured on a iPhone no less)!
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