Monday, April 30, 2018

The odd couple

Cat and swan statues

When I noticed this pair of statues the other day, it made me think of "the lion and the lamb," two unlikely creatures settling down in peace together.

Saturday, April 28, 2018

It's the water

IMG_5885-1_1

Annecy, in the shadow of the Alps, is a beautiful place to visit. The Thiou river runs through the old town and makes for a romantic setting.

IMG_5886-1
We spent the last two days exploring, walking the canals, and enjoying the colorful buildings.

Friday, April 27, 2018

Cities around the world

Gorbio, France

When Downey Daily Photos started eight years ago, we joined a community of city bloggers. One of my favorite city bloggers was Jilly Bennett, who at that time mantained two city blogs, Menton Daily Photos and Monaco Daily Photos. On her Menton blog, she frequently included posts about her nearby home of Gorbio, a tiny medieval town perched on a hilltop above the Mediterranean Sea.

Gorbio, FranceJilly's blogs and photography inspired me to work harder at our own blog. And her photos of life in Gorbio were so enchanting that we were determined to visit the town if we ever had the chance. So...here we are, and it's lived up to our expectations.

I wonder if anyone has ever visited Downey as a result of our blog...and did it live up to their expectations?

Thursday, April 26, 2018

Hands of first impression

DSC_0115

In light of the fact that this is "Executive Assistant" week I thought I would display hands of a local executive assistant. Carla was answering the phone when I took this photo. In many instances, she creates the first impression that a visitor sees. The rest of the visit is flavored by how Carla presents herself to the visitor. I will tell you that every time I see Carla she has a welcoming smile to greet me.

DSC_0114After the first impression, Carla is an efficient worker so that the office will live up to that first impression she created.

“Accomplishing the impossible means only that the boss will add it to your regular duties.” 
~ Doug Larson

Wednesday, April 25, 2018

A mother's hand

DSC_0109

I had some more photos in our "hand" theme that I wanted to share. I think a crucial use of a hand in our society is the touch of a mother's hand. There is nothing softer yet stronger, nothing more simple yet nothing more mysterious, nothing more easy to give yet nothing more essential, nothing more peaceful yet nothing more potentially dangerous. How trusting are the small hands of a child as they take hold of their mother's hand to lead them on their first steps. What a great opportunity to guide the child in the way they should go.

“My mother...she is beautiful, softened at the edges and tempered with a spine of steel. I want to grow old and be like her.”
~ Jodi Picoult

Tuesday, April 24, 2018

Green and growing

IMG_5777-1

One of the things I have loved about Provence and the southern area of France has been the ever-present vineyards you encounter as you drive through the countryside.

IMG_5427IMG_5751

“Wine is one of the most civilized things in the world and one of the most natural things of the world that has been brought to the greatest perfection, and it offers a greater range for enjoyment and appreciation than, possibly, any other purely sensory thing.”
~ Ernest Hemingway

Monday, April 23, 2018

Hail, Caesar

Roman amphitheater at Orange, France

We have a long history of theater in Downey. But it doesn't compare to the history of theater in Orange, France. Here, the Romans built an amphitheater in the early first century A.D. It is one of the best preserved Roman amphitheaters, with the entire face of the stage still existing. The theater is still in use today—the current production is Phantom of the Opera.

"Playing a major role in the life of the citizens, who spent a large part of their free time there, the theatre was seen by the Roman authorities not only as a means of spreading Roman culture to the colonies, but also as a way of distracting them from all political activities.

"Mime, pantomime, poetry readings and the 'attelana' (a kind of farce rather like the commedia dell'arte) was the dominant form of entertainment, much of which lasted all day. For the common people, who were fond of spectacular effects, magnificent stage sets became very important, as was the use of stage machinery. The entertainment offered was open to all and free of charge." (Wikipedia)

Saturday, April 21, 2018

Farmer's market

IMG_5605-1

Today we visited the farmer's market in Apt. While Downey has a farmer's market every Saturday, the market in Apt really outshines. These tomatoes were referred to as ancient...they were seriously as big as my entire hand. And, the cheeses were pretty impressive.

IMG_5627

The spices were beautiful and colorful and the lavender is always a favorite as it is so typically Provençale.

IMG_5620IMG_5615-1

IMG_5616But one of the booths I found intriguing was the one with purses, jewelry, belts—all sorts of accessories made out of can pull tabs. I love new uses for old things and have noticed the creative use of things as we have visited more of the south of France, but this one was unique and cool!

Friday, April 20, 2018

The wild horses of the Camargue

Camargue horses

I've always loved horses, and the wild and free beauty of the horses of the Camargue region in France was especially appealing. (You can see an example of how these horses are typically photographed here.) I should have known that the odds of seeing the horses in this environment were about as great as the odds of seeing a bear in Yosemite in the winter!

Many of these horses have been domesticated, and we did see a lot of them in pastures or stables, available for horseback riding throughout the region. Even domesticated, they are still beautiful.

Thursday, April 19, 2018

Mouse hands

mouse hands

When you think of hands, naturally you think of holding a mouse. Thirty years ago that meant you were holding an actual animal. Since the mid-1980s, it has meant wrapping your hand around a plastic device with two buttons that make moving the computer cursor faster and more accurate. But even that device will soon go the way of the floppy drive. Touch pads and touch screens are making the mouse outdated. But no matter what pointing device you use, you will always need your hand to do it.

Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Humans of Downey - Joseph

DSC_0105

"The way I see it, that we all are the same, is that we all have the same chance, we all have the same opportunity, we all have the same way to get toward something. Whatever our dream is we can go out there and accomplish it. The other way we are all the same is that we can converse with others and share ideas. Conversations are the great equalizer in a society. We all may have different dreams but in conversation we can share how we are achieving our dream.

"I am mostly shy. I ended up going through a different path to come to where I am today. When I was young, my mom would tell people that I was shy. When I was 18, almost 19, I actually started to be open to learning things from others that I was closed to before. I'm also unique because I like to struggle. When I find something is hard for me I want to go through it even more just to get through the resistance. So I actually started loving the struggle, the resistance, things that were hard. Even If I stuttered, I wanted to learn more and more. I have found that I want to learn more about people than I think they want to learn about me. I think I'm unique because most people want to talk about themselves but I would rather listen to others because I haven't lived much of my life yet."

~ Joseph

Tuesday, April 17, 2018

Chateau d'If

IMG_5352-1_1

As Pam mentioned yesterday, we are out of town, spending some time in the South of France. For those of you who have read (or watched) The count of Monte Cristo, Chateau d'If may sound familiar. Originally a fortress, but for many years a prison, the Chateau was the island prison of Edmund Dantes for fourteen years. Although the story is fiction, Chateau d'If exists on a small island off the coast of Marseilles, France.

IMG_5363-1_1IMG_5370-1_1

IMG_5373
We spent some time there today and had fun exploring and learning a little about the prison no one was supposed to be able to escape from.

Evidently it was seagull nesting time, so all over the island we came across the birds sitting on or guarding their nests hidden within the wildflowers.

It made for a beautiful day.

Monday, April 16, 2018

Narrow streets

Clermont-Ferrand old town

Two-thirds of DDP is on the road again, visiting the South of France. (So please forgive us our occasional internet-related delays.) Today's picture is of a narrow, winding street in the old-town section of Clermont-Ferrand.

Laundry in Clermont-FerrandReading about the history of this town reminds me yet again of how young my city is. In Downey, "historic" is something from the 19th century. Clermont-Ferrand, on the other hand, is one of the oldest cities in France, being mentioned in Greek and Roman times over 2,000 years ago.

Of course, the downside to all of this history and quaintness is a lack of space and modern conveniences.

Saturday, April 14, 2018

Rives Mansion redux

20180402_173754-1

Finally, the Rives Mansion seems to be in the process of renovation. I must assume that a hand-y man is helping to do the restoration! (Sorry for the bad pun, but I forgot to take the picture I had planned for today and we have a theme of hands for the week.)

Perhaps the reason behind the face lift is that the mansion has changed hands recently. It is nice to see it being restored to looking like the iconic building it is.



Friday, April 13, 2018

In knots

Wetzel's Pretzels

Have you ever watched someone make a pretzel? These hands belong to Lourdes, who is making pretzels at Wetzel's Pretzels at Stonewood Center.

It's fun to watch. First, Lourdes cuts off a line of dough, then rolls it out. (It made me think of playing with Play-Doh.) Next, she picks up both ends and flings them around in some kind of fancy movement that was too fast for me to follow (or catch on camera). At the end of that motion, it lands, magically pretzel-shaped, on the counter. She sticks the ends together, and voila, there's a pretzel, ready for the oven.

Thursday, April 12, 2018

Caring hands

DSC_0103

Yesterday I talked about the dexterity of hands. Hands can do so many different kinds of work. Hands can also communicate emotions. A pat on the back can be a great encouragement. A shaking fist in your face can be intimidating. In this shot, Joseph's hands are showing Odie support and affection. Odie responded with calmness and gratitude. Our hands are very powerful. We can build up or tear down. The choice is ours.

"You can always tell about somebody by the way they put their hands on an animal." 
~ Betty White

Wednesday, April 11, 2018

Trained to use sharp instruments

DSC_0100

Hands are so versatile and dexterous. You could fill a book with all the ways we have found to use our hands. These are Lulu's hands. She has trained them to move with precision to both hold a portion of hair and then cut off just the right amount. She combs the hair to get it even, then holds both the hair and the comb while holding the scissors in the other hand. I've tried it. I needed a third hand.

"The final forming of a person's character lies in their own hands." 
~ Anne Frank

Tuesday, April 10, 2018

On the one hand...

IMG_5277-1

Continuing with our focus on hands, tonight I ended up on Firestone Blvd. in front of the Exotical Hawaiian Apparel store that has been there for as long as I can remember.

IMG_5272-1It is a great store jam-packed with anything Hawaiian you could want, but you gotta admit, these mannequin hands are just a little creepy...

IMG_5279

Monday, April 9, 2018

A non-virtual option

Rubik's cube

I walked around Stonewood Center this weekend looking at hands (this week's DDP focus). And the first thing I noticed is the very large proportion of hands that were holding cell phones. That's why this young man stood out. Alberto was filling his waiting time with an actual toy (a Rubik's cube) rather than a virtual one.

Saturday, April 7, 2018

Kitchen garden

20180408_100344

Yesterday Steve posted about the signs of spring. I love this time of the year—it is when I start to see the tomatoes ripening and my herbs sort of exploding in their boxes.

20180408_15454520180408_154535

I have a bit of a mixture of things—a dwarf potted orange tree as well as a few different flowers mixed in for color. Oh, and peppers...I really like peppers.

20180408_154515"Gardening is cheaper than therapy...and you get tomatoes." 
~ FOODMATTERS.TV

Friday, April 6, 2018

Spring is here

DSC_0092

A positive sign that spring is here is the green leaves showing up on the trees after a long winter sleep. The trees on this block are coming to full foliage in different degrees, but by the end of April they all will have their leaves supplying the tree with nutrients.

DSC_0097

Another positive sign that spring is here is the vivid colors that keep popping up in the flower beds.

Thursday, April 5, 2018

Celestial orbs

Yard art

Eight years of DDP has taught me to always be on the lookout as I drive around Downey. One result is that I happen to notice a lot of yard art, and this celestial sun, moon, and stars decor was no exception.

Tuesday, April 3, 2018

Orange Estates oranges

20180303_095610-1

Orange Estates still has remnants of the orange trees that once covered much of Downey.

KCET  wrote an interesting article that tells the tale of Downey: From Orange Groves to the Apollo Space Program.

Sometimes I forget how long people have lived in the Downey area. It was in the late 1800s that John G. Downey realized the great potential of the citrus industry in southern California. He imported a number of different varieties of oranges into his settlement, and by the 1880s there were many acres of orange groves in the areas adjacent to Downey.

Fun fact: An orange tree can grow to reach 30 feet and live for over a hundred years.

Monday, April 2, 2018

Facelift

Old Moravian church

The Moravian Church of Downey closed its doors nearly a year ago, but something new appears to be going on there now. The building may be getting a facelift, but the beautiful belfry is still there in the background.

Sunday, April 1, 2018

He is risen!

IMG_5269-1

Resurrection Sunday, also known as Easter Sunday, is when we, as Christians, celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. This holiday is referred to by Wikipedia as a moveable feast because it doesn't always fall on the same day each year.

IMG_5265-1Since Easter falls on April 1st this year, we also share the day with April Fools Day. Known for a day to "fool" people, there are a number of stories of fooling the public. According to History, in 1996, Taco Bell, the fast-food restaurant chain, duped people when it announced it had agreed to purchase Philadelphia’s Liberty Bell and intended to rename it the Taco Liberty Bell. In 1998, after Burger King advertised a “Left-Handed Whopper,” scores of clueless customers requested the fake sandwich.