Patricia Sands

Author

2011 Next Generation Indie Book Awards Finalist

Summer’s over? How did that happen?

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Well that’s it, right? Labour Day (or Labor, for our friends south of the border) weekend, no matter where you live in North America, is the signal that summer is over. In Toronto, the Canadian National Exhibition (fondly referred to as The Ex or the CNE) has been a feature during the last two and a half weeks of August beginning in 1879. When the Ex is on, you know the bell is tolling!

Of course there will still be nice weather (hopefully) but students are in their classrooms, summer holidays planned and anticipated for so long are in the memory bank, and fall/winter clothes are in the shop windows.

Did you take a lot of photos this summer? I did. Well, okay, I’m always taking photos no matter what the season or the reason.

What images from this summer will stand out for you?

Digital photography has had such an impact, I only know one person who still buys film for her camera. Do you? Do you print some of your photos and keep them in albums or do you store everything on disks or post them on a blog? Do you have a camera or do you take all your photos on your phone? I’ve been astounded by the quality of some cell phone photos.

I’m really interested in hearing how your approach to photography has changed in the last few years so, if you have a minute, leave a comment and let me know.

In the meantime, I’ve attached a terrific photo slideshow of summer images compiled by The Denver Post. Just click on the link below to see it. Afterwards, make a slideshow of the favourite photos you took this summer!

Captured: The Last Days of Summer | Plog — World, National Photos, Photography and Reportage — The Denver Post.

Tourrettes Sur Loup

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If It’s Friday, It Must Be France …

Buckle up and keep your camera ready! The drive to the medieval village of Tourrettes Sur Loup is breathtaking. Only 14 kilometres from the Côte D’Azur, it’s easy to reach and might be combined with a visit to St. Paul De Vence. Much smaller than St. Paul and far less touristy, we like to take visitors there. If you approach from the west, the moment you come around the last corner takes my breath away every time.

I can’t tell you the number of photos I’ve taken of this view. Different times of day, changing seasons, sunny, cloudy, any excuse makes it simply irresistible to my shutter mania.

Established in the 11th C, the natural setting created the fortification of the town. How did they build those towns? All by hand … it boggles my mind. The 12th C church is built on the site of a Roman temple. Don’t miss it!

The village isn’t overloaded with shops (click here for a complete list and the town’s official site … in French, but you can figure it out) and their products are truly artisanal. Le Bois D’Olivier is our favourite with beautiful olive wood products produced by hand since the 1950’s by the Dubosq family (father and now son). Simply walking into their shop is a buzz! I love the warm shades and textures of olive wood. I haven’t seen better prices or finer work anywhere. (Trust me, I’ve looked at way too much olive wood!)

Further along La Grande Rue you will find Poterie La Bergerie‘s awesome cave-like atelier where delicate ceramics are crafted and hand-painted with violet motifs.

You’ll want to pop into many of the other shops as you stroll through. Tourrettes Sur Loup has been famous for the cultivation of violets since the 1880’s.  The locally well-known Fête de Violettes is celebrated every March.

Walk down to the bottom of the village to find a panoramic view past a Roman aqueduct right down to the coast. When you’ve filled your camera chip, have a fine meal at La Médiéval, where the friendly owner fills a glass of rosé like I’ve never seen before. Check to make sure it’s open before you go.

I’ve attached a video below that gives you a bit of a tour through the village. It also shows how the Dubosq men work their magic with the olive wood.

It’s a long video so pour yourself a glass of wine and enjoy!

[dailymotion id=xjl5g8]
Le travail du bois d’olivier. Saladier artisanal…dubosqguillaume

10 Random Facts

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10 Random Facts

There’s a quirky little game of tag going around the blogging community right now, and I’ve been poked by the lovely Linda Burke (@LBurkeWriter)N from my #Wana711 blogging class. (Which was presented to us by Social Media Goddess and mighty fine lady, Kristen Lamb.)
To play, you simply need to be tagged by someone. Then you list 10 random facts about yourself and tag four more people.
Here are my random facts. Hmmm – wonder who I’ll tag in return …
1. Like my fellow blogger, Linda Burke, I’ve just been involved in Kristen Lamb’s fantastic blogging course and I’m part of the Zoomer sub-group that consists of six of us of, shall we say, ahem, a certain age. Kristen is offering the course again and I strongly recommend it. Click here for the details.
2. I finally got around to having braces at the age of 59 and now have the nice straight teeth I always wanted.
3. Sometimes I just have popcorn for dinner when I’m alone.
4. I’ve always had pets until a few years ago when our last one passed and our travel plans made it impractical. At one point we had two dogs (a black Lab and a Wheaten Terrier), three cats, and a pet squirrel we rescued when he fell out of a tree.
5. I love to ski and Whistler, B.C. is my favourite ski destination. The first time I went there was in 1970. Um, it’s changed a tad since then! There is a fantastic selection of runs on two mountains (Whistler and Blackcomb) and an awesome new gondola that goes across the valley from one peak to the other. Take a look by clicking here.  It’s a great place for golf and a huge mountain biking destination in the summer. The scenery is spectacular at any time!
6. Normally I’m not a picky eater. Just don’t feed me mushrooms or lentils, thanks.
7.  Much to my surprise I truly enjoy reading on my Kindle and, although I still appreciate holding a print book in my hands, I would say I’m definitely a convert.
8.  I’m a part owner (with five other members of my Bridge Club and  two friends who are horse trainers) of a racehorse named Sweet Like Sugar.  She gave us all a thrill by winning her first race. We’re waiting to see what happens next. (Let me assure you this was not a major investment but it’s a lot of fun and, well, you just never know … )
9. During the four months we have been in Antibes, France this summer, as well as loving every minute of the experience, I’ve been doing some research for my next novel. A lot of the action takes place in this part of the world  and I can’t wait to see what happens next! I’m about halfway through the first draft.
10. I have a wonderful blended family of seven plus 2 sons-in-law and a daughter-in-law and six grandchildren. As much as I love traveling with my husband, I miss them like crazy and will be thrilled to see them when we get back to Toronto. The babysitting requests are already piling up!
I’ve actually got five keen bloggers waiting to share their random facts with you. Thanks to @NatalieHartford, @PatriciaCavigli, @Angela_Peart, @Melissa_Foster, @GeraldineSolon for agreeing to participate with such enthusiasm!
Thanks for stopping by. Every day is a gift so make the most of each one. Give back what you can, count your blessings and spread good karma wherever you go. It’s the least we can do … and that’s not a random fact! Leave a comment and tell us one about you.

A hex on Hurricane Irene!

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If it’s Friday … well, this Friday, we need to be thinking about everyone who will be affected by this terrible storm!

I simply can’t bring myself to post about another wonderful day on the Côte D’Azur when so many people on the East Coast of the United States and Canada are waiting to see what this massive storm may bring in the next day or two. My thoughts are with them.

I’ll bring you back to France next Friday.

In the meantime this inukshuk is here to point the way to safety as Hurricane Irene approaches. An inukshuk (also spelled inuksuk, plural: inuksuit), is an Inuit word that literally translated means “stone man that points the way” and is symbolic of the human spirit.  They are stone cairns that were originally erected by Inuit at prominent locations throughout the barrens to serve as guideposts or markers. The Inukshuk symbolism is far reaching – they were a beacon to those looking for the right direction and a safe passage. I hope this one guides you and yours safely through the storm.

 

The hands of many and the efforts of an entire group were required to build these massive sculptures. They are the result of a consensus of purpose, of focused action by a united group, and teach us that as good as our individual efforts may be, together we can do even greater things.

Together we are all focused on your safety.