BirdTalk Dear Bird Talk, I will be gone for sixmonths. What can you do if the toilet is not ushed; when it sits there for a while, the water turns yellow and it stinks? Also in the taps, when you run the water. Can you help, when there is no one to run the water. ank you. Linda Christensen Lethbridge, AB Ed.: We have found that having someone check the house every two weeks is the best bet. That is also very, very good, should you ever have a home insurance claim. When no one is available for a house visit, it may make sense to hire one of the “look after your house/cottage” services.They can be quite reasonable.We have had exactly the same problems in the U.S. and we simply turn off all of the water before we come home. We also cover the toilet seats with SaranWrap or something similar, and make sure that all of the shower and sink drains are closed or blocked. Dear Bird Talk, I will be turning 70 next year and am trying to understand the premium increase clip levels at 70 and 75? I am basically healthy, with one med for blood pressure and no other existing conditions. If I can get an estimate of the approximate % increase at 70 and 75, that will help in my decision to buy versus rent. Bruce Oxley Sidney, BC Ed.: And I am going to be turning 75. Travel insurance is very necessary, if you travel, and very expensive at older ages. I will give you the current Early Bird gross prices for YOU, if you travel for six months: Ages 66 to 70 $ 934 Ages 71 to 75 $1,299 Ages 76 to 79 $1,946 Ages 80 to 85 $3,214 Ages 86 and older $4,665 We have many discounts available for claim-free years and for purchasing regularly from Medipac. Next year, for instance, if you buy our Early Bird product at age 70, with our best discounts your price would be $765, not $934. Over 86, it makes a huge difference; with maximum discounts, your price would be $3,825. A little tip for people who are changing age bands would be to start your insurance coverage before your birthday, even if you are not leaving before your birthday. So, if you are turning 80 and want to go for six months, buy seven months of coverage and start the policy one month earlier, if that will keep your age at 79. That would save you $1,200. Oh, and don’t waste your money buying zero deductible. I know a lot of you like that, but it makes no difference at claim time, and it is 10% less, of course. Dear Bird Talk, Returning from our usual winter in Florida last year, I consulted my family doctor for a slightly swollen neck. Turns out that it was a very fast-moving lymphoma and before you could say Bob’s my uncle, I was in the middle of chemo. Talk about getting your world rocked and having to deal emotionally with your mortality, as well as the loss of three big bucket-list items (a trip to the Philippines, a cruise in the Orient and a trip to China). But, by late October, I was declared in full remission (blessing #1). But we were s-o-o-o missing not being able to travel to our beloved Florida home. And mentally, a er the ordeal of chemo, we REALLY wanted and needed that respite. My wife suggested that we talk toMedipac who we have beenwith since retiring 12 years ago. ey suggested that we submit an application for special underwriting, along with all mymedical and test results. ey worked with us every step of the way and were so compassionate and caring and then, blessing #2. ey o ered me coverage for the rest of the winter. Our Florida beach never looked nor felt so wonderful and healing. anks, Medipac. Whatever time I will be blessed with in life, you will always be my insurer of choice. Harold Gri th St. Catharines, ON P.S. You have o ered me coverage again this winter. You should see the smile on my face. Ed.: We have a big smile on our faces, too, when we get letters like yours. Thank you, and we will do our best to live up to your high expectations. Dear Bird Talk, Has anyone used a car delivery service from Toronto to Tampa, Florida? Harvey Bates Innis l, ON Ed.: Yes, there are several and they are quite expensive, but we have found them to be very reliable. Some use priests and ministers to drive the cars rather than 18-year-old yahoos and I would ask about the drivers when booking. Another fun option would be the Amtrak Auto Train. It only goes from Orlando to Washington, but you can get a good night’s sleep and get rid of a lot of miles. It starts at around US$400 for two and a small car, and goes up from there. I would recommend a small bedroom at about double the price. A good tongue-in-cheek review is here: https://www.ohhowcivilized.com/taking-amtraksauto-train-car-washington-dc-florida Dear Bird Talk, Cedar Breaks National Monument, Utah − “At an elevation of more than 16,000 kilometres…” at sounds really impressive, but perhaps inaccurate! Carlsbad Caverns National Park, NewMexico − “Explore a whole new world more than 1,100 kilometres below the ground…” at also sounds very impressive, but perhaps inaccurate! Just thought I would point that out as an indication that your readers DO pay attention to detail. We would like to read reliable information. Patricia Stuart Glaslyn, SK Ed.: We are going to send our editors and proofreaders to the bottom of the Carlsbad Caverns and will advise on their retraining progress. Thanks. Dear Bird Talk, What domost snowbirds do about snow tires if you are heading south in January and coming home in May? Harvey Bates Innis l, ON 10 | www.snowbirds.org
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