It is not everyday that you get to witness an artist painting a mural. This week I was able to catch one after work. His name is Gabriel Castillo. He made this mural for a business in Yonkers, N.Y.
Yonkers borders the Bronx on the north side next to the Hudson River. Yonkers is a city that has been friendly to muralists. They have some murals on building walls near the main Yonkers Train Station.
Gabriel Castillo, besides being a muralist, is a comic book artist. I caught him on the tail end of working on his mural, and felt lucky to witness his work.
Gabriel is here proudly showing off his work. If you like this, check out his work on Instagram at:
What do you do with an old truck? Use it to advertise a business. This is one I found on a rural road in Dutchess County, New York. As you can see, this one has been restored. Since Taste N. Y. is a state slogan to advertise New York food products, I am thinking this truck may not be road operable. Get out and enjoy fall before all the leaves are off the trees, even on a dreary day.
I don’t drink alcoholic beverages, but I will visit wineries, breweries, etc. to see their displays. Some of the micro breweries in New York are known for their food and you can order non- alcoholic drinks.
I completed another round of product photography for a relative. Below are some samples of the photos I took. Which photos do you like?
#1#2#3 Chocolate Cinnamon#4. Chocolate Cinnamon#5 Fir needle soap#6. Hippy soap#7 From above#8 Her mascot is a fairy#9 Christmas theme#10# 11. Chocolate Cinnamon by itself
It is October 1st and what anticipated display has returned? The yearly Minions display! This house in the Hudson Valley of New York has put up different Minions displays for autumn in their yard for at least the past three years.
The past two years the display advertised a business. Last year it was Dunkin Donuts. This year it is RIMS driving school. I wonder if they get sponsorship through this? They should.
For those who asked: There is a stiff metal piece that is the base for the arm and goes into the hay bale. It looks like they shaped the metal to go the way they wanted the arms to go. The arms have some sort of material wrapped around the metal piece.
Hay Bale Autumn and Halloween decorations are more common in some areas of the country over others. It is always great to see the creativeness of our neighbours. Happy Autumn! Happy October!
Are you trying to cut plastic out of your life? Are you trying to find products to reduce your reliance on plastic? I will introduce you to two alternatives to water in plastic water bottles and briefly detail why you should switch.
Reasons to Switch
Not all of us have access to good quality drinking water unfortunately. The water quality where I live is poor. Many times we have do not drink orders. The same is the case at my workplace. Also, I do not want to worry about leaving water in the car as I have a long commute.
One reason to switch to canned water is 90 percent of plastic water bottles are not recycled after they are used. Most of the material is not recyclable. It is said plastic items take many years to break down once thrown out and can cause chemicals to get into the soil and water. Too many of these plastic water bottles end up in the ocean where they affect fish and sea animals. Canned water containers are 100 percent recyclable.
Another reason you should switch to canned water is if you drink water from plastic bottles you can be exposed to the toxins from the plastic. If the bottle has been exposed to heat at any point, the toxins can get into the water and end up in your body. This can cause cancer and other issues.
An additional added bonus to having canned water is the water stays colder longer than water in plastic containers.
Liquid Death
Liquid Death sells in New York in some convenience stores. Liquid Death also has sparkling water and flavoured sparkling water. This company says the water comes from the Alps so it originates outside the U.S. The company mottos seem to be Death to Plastic and Murder Your Thirst, hence the name. The art on the cans is kind of cool, however it resembles a beer can. I needed to explain to numerous people at work it was canned water and show them the can. I have not found this in Sam’s Club or any other bulk seller locally. Some sell Liquid Death on Amazon for cheaper than a convenience store with free shipping.
Rain
Rain is from a source in Georgia, so it is U.S. origin. The great thing about this company is if you order three 24 can cases, they will ship for free. The convenience stores that carry it jack the price up substantially. I have not found it available in Sam’s Club or any other bulk seller locally. I have ordered this directly from the company two times with no issues. They shipped both times through UPS.
The thought of chemicals getting into my body and the fact plastic bottles are not recyclable for the most part was enough to get me to switch. I have seen canned water in England and in Massachusetts but only in seaside areas in the past. I was happy these options started to be available. Both Liquid Death and Rain taste good, but I prefer Rain. I am hoping more companies make the switch to canned water.
Again I am trying something new. I am helping out a relative by taking some product photography shots. These are some of the ones I took.
Rose SoapOatmeal LavenderOatmeal Lavender SoapEucalyptus Lemon SoapCitrus Cedar Sage
I have two favourite shots: the rose soap and the oatmeal lavender on wood. Do any of these catch your eye? I would like to know. It may help me improve.
Sharon's Iconic Travel Photography Blog 