The Day After Christmas was spent riding around accomplishing nothing. I was trying to get a pedicure, that didn’t happen she was busy. I went to go see about a lid for my bird feeder that I am making that is going to be about 8 feet tall. I bought a piece of Aluminum pipe for the stand, since its very humid here and rains, I thought aluminum will not be affected by the weather. I also bought a huge pizza pan, and two clamps, and then I thought of a cover so that the rain doesn’t affect the food. So I found an aluminum Pot lid and it’s perfect. I plan on attaching some palm leaves to the lid so it looks more natural and maybe decorative too. What I will do is drill a hole through the pan and attached the clamps top and bottom then drill a hole through the lid and put a bolt with three washers and a molly inside the pipe so it stays put. Then digging in the ground and mounting the whole thing.

It needs to be tall since all the birds land on the tops of the trees, the trees here are enormous, so this will be short in comparisons to the tree, But they will be able to see it from above. I really want to see how many birds I can attract with this Feeder. It if works I may make them and sell them. I got this idea, because I was looking around in every store, I even went to Oratina, San Jose and Escaszu. There were no feeders anywhere.

On Christmas morning, I Saw so many birds, that I decided that I really wanted a feeder here, so I can sit on the back balcony, looking at the ocean, and watch the birds in all the trees.

I finally have all the pieces but it took four trips, things are not easy here. Then I was going to go the nursery where I bought my fish tale palm and talk to them about it, it now has a fungus and it killed four limbs. I Saw it when they brought it but I didn’t think it was that bad. Now it is. But I never got there. It was closed by the time I rode my bike. So I rode a couple of miles to a little store on the main highway, which I may add is very busy right now wow…. Tons of people. Then I rode back in the dark on the same highway carring groceries to the house.

Yesterday was spent getting the pedicure, but Hélène’s place is so dirty that I could hardly stand it, So I told her I would clean and organize the shop for her, and that It was my Christmas gift. She has tons of souvenirs, all in bags all over the place, dust and dirt, and gifts but nothing is in order its just thrown all over.. me being the neat nick I am was going nuts looking at it. So after the pedicure I spent about two or so hours cleaning and organizing, then I realized that she lived there in the back when I went to use the restroom. I was sad and shocked. She has a bed like mine, a TV a radio, a hot plate and a washer in the shower. Yes there is a shower there. But its only divided by a short wall to the shop. She told me she pays $300 a month so I suppose she lost her house she told me about and is now living there? Anyway I did it out of my heart, and she was thrilled. She didn’t want me pay for the pedicure but I knew she needed the money and I was happy that she made my feet feel so dang good. Besides it was only c 3000 colones

After I went to this little shop and bought a Costa Rican lamp made of palm stems from the fruit of the palm, which I have used in arrangements in the states, and coco fiber bleached white stretched over a frame to look like a bud of a flower, but it didn’t have any electrical, then I bought two pillow covers from India one a copper color and one a pink with gold threads, they were only 7 dollars each so I thought that was a good price, besides I been looking at them for months now debating weather I should get them.. Never would I do that in the states. I think that my mind is different here; I worry but not anything like I did in the USA. I also bought a cool wind chime. Made of bamboo, probably could have made it myself but it had a wooden toucan on the top a big one and all hand painted for 10 bucks its large so I felt that was a good price too! It was made here so if I ever get visitors they can see what things come from the area.

It sounds silly even to me that I want these things, what good are they? Money spent on trivial things?? But Its material things that make me feel good, I love esthetics, all my life since I was a little girl my mother would have me do all the set up for her dinner parties she would have me decorate the house for every occasion, she would have me find her beautiful things for accents in the house starting as far back as I could remember about age 7. So It’s ingrained in me to love things of beauty, nature, and life.

Then I went to the Il llagar, the hard ware store.. that took about three hours to get across that I needed a lamp fixture, which you find in the states everywhere even at Target I believe?? But here they never heard of it, they thought I was nuts and one guy there said its mucho travajo to try to make one. I insisted it was not and that they should show me the pieces and I will make it myself! So after hours of that… I got the plug, the lamp fitting, and the electrical wire.

I was Riding the white coop de ville, ( SO TOM CALLS IT SAYS MY BIKE LOOKS LIKE A CONVERTIBLE CADDY ) cause its all white with a big white leather seat. Always have liked caddies! When I saw Dennis this American I met on the bus from Oratina, he owns a house here and is from upstate New York. He stopped me in the street, then we went to Poncho villa’s and sat out on the porch and had a mechilada. LOVE THOSE!! When all of a sudden it began to rain and I mean rain hard.. here I had all the stuff loaded on the bike, and it was sitting in the rain god! Oh well Pura vida… I drank the beer we talked and it got dark.. I decided to go for it so I told him have a great rest of the week and I rode off in the dark and in the pouring rain. I put a bag on my head so my pig tales wouldn’t get wet.. and that was hilarious.

As I rode the bag caught the wind and reared back. So It was pretty funny people looking at me in the dark with a bag on my head. I got home fine, just soaked to the bone.. it was cool but not chilly.
Going in the house in the dark with all my stuff wet, was a bit tiring, but Then dried off and changed and put my sarong on. I made some rice pilaf for dinner and drank some water with lemon, sat out on the front deck and watched TV that is at the soda down the way. You can see the TV from my porch.

There were lots of people there last night and it was loud, making me a little upset not much but it was very loud, and every few minutes there was a blast of fireworks DANG IT JUST LIKE VANCOUVER!

Early to bed, This morning I rose early as have been doing, cleaned up the floors and swept outside then I heard the phone guys they were here at 8:00 ready to install the line for the phone!!! YEAH I HAVE A REAL PHONE!!! It took three of them to do it, one to look one to direct and one to actually do it.. laughing the whole time thinking how primitive since you can make a call in the states and have it the next day if not that day! It actually took three weeks here which is not long compared to last time two and half months? But Hey No Internet till April now so God I don’t know how I can continue to internet at places.. its hard.

I heard Toucans this morning and I still do,, but cannot locate them on the tops of the trees, there has been lots of birds and parrots all kinds of different parrots green little ones peach faced flocks of those, parakeets, orioles, white faced parrots, macaws, and more. More than I saw before when I was here.. Maybe tomorrow I go up the mountain for hike and see if I see monkeys and sloth’s and more animals? Maybe depends on what I get accomplished today, I need to go the nursery, and then to Terry’s house to borrow some tools. Hes the American I met a few weeks ago and went to dinner with last week.

It has been raining so the weather is nice, cooler than it has been, around 75 or 78.. so its tolerable. Lots of tourist’s here by the thousands.. the beach is full. So are the streets.. pray I ride safe, with all the quads, and motorcycles, cars, taxis, bikes, trucks. They all use the same roads.

I have been busy with projects, as soon as I can down load photos I will show what I have made. My porches are getting very interesting, with plants and flowers furniture and candles, now wind chimes and some hanging plant devices I came up with VERY COOL! Birds are liking my place.. hope the iguanas stay out! The GEKOS love it here… there cute little things that kiss all the time making a kissing sound. I love um!