Here’s my report on today’s trip and torment — a torment shared by the entire US and most of the world!

I was devastated to hear of the passing of Dolly Parton this morning

There are not enough words in the English language  to express how much I loved that feisty, funny, feminine, feminist firebrand, so I’ve been sharing other people’s tributes to her on my Facebook page most of the day.

Dolly loved everybody and judged nobody. She made billions and gave billions to wonderful causes. She was a delight to watch and to listen to. Her interviews were both profound and profoundly funny and endearing.

God, I loved her soooooo much!  IF there’s a heaven (and there ought to be for people of enormous goodwill like Dolly), it is rejoicing tonight at her arrival even as we are rejoicing that we shared the same planet with her for as long as we did.

Even T-Wrecks (or his handler) got this right

… (for the first time in his miserable life), although I don’t believe for a single second that he wrote what’s on his page about her:

He has ordered all U.S. flags to be

lowered to half staff for a week starting tonight at 6 p.m.

What an international icon and inspiration Dolly Parton was. Singer, songwriter, philanthropist, and gen-u-wine Christian (one Christ would actually claim!).  She was the full meal deal.

Took a Bus to Grecia this morning

…one day earlier than usual because Cindy couldn’t walk today and I didn’t want to go two straight days without hanging with her, so I swapped days so I can walk with her tomorrow.

I stopped at the bank to get 30,000 colones and then walked to El Gallo to see if they still had the three bird sculptures that I’ve had my eye on for almost a year.

My one year anniversary of arriving in Costa Rica is Sept. 4, so I gave myself permission to splurge on an anniversary gift.  And of course it had to be critter-related!

(I gave up my entire Critter Corral plushie collection before moving here. That was heartbreaking! Even my serval plushie!)

Alas, the macaw (lapa) (my favorite!) was sold.  But the other two I loved were there, so I asked the young man if he could give me a discount on them if I bought both of them instead of just one. He could and did!

So, I got them both for about $60 USD. That was a lot less than they were offered for several months ago, so I snagged them and asked if he would be getting the macaw/lapa one back in.  He said he thought so, but didn’t know when.  I told him I’ll keep checking back.

He also had a couple of cute sloth sculptures (one of them was a mama and baby), but they didn’t float my boat as much.  I will definitely get the Scarlet macaw if they get it in again, or if I find one somewhere else. There’s also a smaller bird sculpture that I may get at some time.

They had a beautiful white cockatoo, too, even though cockatoos aren’t native to Costa Rica. Animal sanctuaries here have a few specimens, though (confiscated from people who imported them illegally), so I might fudge and get the sculpture at some point, just because it’s so beautiful.

Oh!  That reminds me! 

While I was walking on the back patio this morning. a toucan flew overhead across our back yard.  I wasn’t expecting one. so I wasn’t able to get a photo of it. (That brief exciting vision is what prompted me to go check on the bird sculptures today!)

I ate a half sandwich at Subway and then walked to Peri and Rosvil for a can of pineapple slices, bacon and sliced ham.

Then I walked to Mercado Municipal, waited for the bus to load, and got back home around 11.

I’ve walked 9,987 steps so far today.

And now it’s time to hit the hay!

Good night!