I took the photo of the Bald Eagle near Teulon, Manitoba. Some say, it looks like a Robert Bateman. I have added my abstract image of a colourful eagle on the right-hand side. I used a combination of mixed media using coloured ink wells with traditional pens and also coloured pens. I combined both of my elements in the computer.
The eagle is a symbol of freedom and indpendence for many nations including the USA, Russia and Poland, among others.
As a note, I uploaded this image many years ago but accidentally deleted it.
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We are at the cottage and the hydro company had designated a planned outage day a couple of days ago. As I was right in the middle of this, I was thinking “How can I make my life better under these circumstances?”
There are so many things that you can no longer do because it is all dependent upon electricity and power. No more surfing the internet for you! No more googling information at lightening speed access at your finger tips or oogling other people’s profiles or posts on Social Media. No more access to TV or Internet programming like YouTube videos. You are cut off from the world at large so to speak.
You can’t phone anyone unless you have a landline which we don’t. Being in the wilderness, so to speak, we can’t call anyone because we are out of range of cell towers and can’t call over the wifi internet because it is down too. I guess we will have to resort to smoke signals or sending telepathic messages with our minds.
We have a wood stove and although it is spring, it was quite cold at only about 10 degrees Celsius at mid morning. It warmed up a couple of degrees throughout the day.
Actually, going to the bathroom is even a problem because you need the water pumps to be working if you want to flush the toilet and get rid of the evidence of your business. We have buckets of water to the ready for that exact purpose.
It is great to have fridges and stove but they are not usable in a power outage. Food won’t go bad right away especially if you don’t open the fridge door or freezer that often. Cooking requires a BBQ with propane fuel or over an open fire pit or an old-fashioned camp stove. You can’t just microwave something easy to eat nor can you go to a restaurant because you are miles and miles out of town or the city. Neither can you call a food delivery service. Can you imagine how expensive that would be for the distance and gas costs if they even considered coming to your locale? And the tip for the service? Be ready with a manual can opener or fresh food that won’t spoil.
I had planned and followed through on making a batch of coffee before the timed power outage occurred. I was SAVED for sure!
So, we take our lives for granted and all the wonderful infrastructures that society has given us. Thanks to all those people throughout ancestral history and those more recent people who have contributed to a more modern and technologically advanced society with conveniences and those who figured out the paths to take forwards for an improved state of life.
With the experience the other day we needed to experience and to start living the way previous generations had and did. We had to be ingenious and enjoy doing things that other people used to do before the luxury of electricity and power which is not that long ago of an advancement in civilized society.
I have started an initial or tentative list of things to do when there is a power outage. What do you think and what would you add to the list? Here is the list in no particular order of priorities. Feel free to add your two cents worth and contribute to the discussion. The list will be more comprehensive one day.
Breathe
Think, Process and Glean Information
Plan Your Future
Reminisce about Past Memories and Events
Reflect upon Your Life
Light candles
Eat
Drink
Cuddle, Snuggle and Hug someone (or yourself)
Sex (if you are mature enough)
Get dressed or not (stay in your pjs all day if you so desire or just feel like it)
Brush your teeth and comb your hair (We are not savages or wild ones, you know – not yet, anyways)
Read books or magazines or encyclopedias (remember them?)
Draw
Paint
Colour
Write poetry or words of wisdom or Stream of Thought Consciousness Writing
Print by hand or learn calligraphy
Journal
Clean your abode
Organize (everything from your living spaces to your wardrobe and most importantly, your mind)
Study
Work (AKA chores and tasks)
Go for a walk (jog or run, if you still can)
Cycle
Lift weights
Stretch
Exercise
Isometrics
Yoga
Go for a swim (if it isn’t freezing cold out still)
Sit by the water’s edge (Enjoy the water of the lake wave in and out with that lapping sound and sight against the shoreline)
Take photographs (Oh My, Yes, Of Course!!! )
Sleep
Nap
Dream
Relax and Release
Visualize
Say Affirmations
Sew by hand (or mend someone’s heart)
Forgive but do not forget so as not to repeat the experience
Do Puzzles
Hobbies
Interests
Passions
Do a Vision Board
Arts and Crafts
Chop wood or kindling outdoors
Split wood (not hairs)
Meditate
Be mindful
Sit outside
Enjoy the sunshine (when it comes out from behind the clouds)
Appreciate Nature (by watching the leaves and flowers grow, for example or watch the birds fly by overhead high up in the sky)
Feel the windy breeze (as it passes you by on its journey across water and land)
Invest your eyes with gorgeous colour and beautiful sights
Talk to yourself or somebody special – like Billy Idol’s song from 1981 of “Dancing with Myself” that my husband changed into “Talking to Myself” as he often changes the words and lyrics to songs for fun and amusement and why not?
Sing, Hum, Tone or Chant
Play musical instruments like drums
Dance (solo or with someone else – Umm – again…Billy Idol…)
Tell or make-up jokes
Whisper to one another through the Silence and Quietness (for fun, of course)
Play board games
Play with toys
Play cards
Do magical tricks – pick a card, any card…
Play paper and pen games like tic-tac-toe
Play games like skipping rope, tag or hide and seek (old-fashioned games for the little ones or big ones too)
Play sports
Sit around the wood stove or fireplace or fire pit
Tell stories
Go for a drive
Pray
Count Your Blessings
Write a Gratitude List
Laugh
Love
Live
Kiss (especially SpiderMan Kisses with the upside down kind between Peter Parker and MJ or Mary Jane Watson)
Use your 5 senses of touch, sight, smell, hear, taste
Cuddle or play with your dogs, cats and other loving animals (even hug your plants if you want to although technically, they are not pets, you know…)
Use your 6th sense called Intuition
Be happy, joyful and content!
Appreciate and Celebrate Your Life!!!
Send out positive vibes and energy!!
Send out thoughts and feelings of LOVE!!
Finally, use your Imagination and Create Something Wonderful and of Beauty and Goodness to Benefit the World !!!
Maybe in the future, we will get a generator and will be able to utilize an alternative emergency power source but for what happened a couple of days ago, we were living old school. Here is the thing, YOU CAN AND WILL SURVIVE!!! We will too and we did!
In the meantime, while I have dealt with this unusual situation and circumstances, I just may have decided to not do much of anything at all and simply enjoy life and the passage of time.
So Be Well Everyone!!! Hope this helps someone someday.
Lots of Positive Energy and Love Being Sent Your Way For Sure!!!
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Umbrellas at Night – Photography by Mary Mikawoz – Click on image or link to see the bigger picture.
Last year, we were out for a nice supper along the Malecon in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. There was a fantastic extended Mexican family enjoying the Spanish music produced by the Mariachi band they had hired. Amongst all the frivolity, I was enjoying the moon being at a different angle than further up in the northern part of the continent and the vibrant colours of the umbrellas at each table.
I have created an artistic effect so that it is almost like a painting. I love the colours showcasing red, yellow, orange, blue and green. I have put in tiles to make it a wonderful puzzle effect.
As for me, I love beauty in all its forms. With my art, I am often in a zen-type of mood and feel as if I am “in the flow.” With my photography, I feel as if I am inspired by God or the Universe to capture these moments in time. I feel as if I am zinged when I capture that special shot and it is meant to be.
Thanks in advance for liking commenting, sharing and purchasing. Check out my other images and collections. Thanks for all positive feedback.
Feel free to follow me on my art page to see new photography or artwork as I release them. Thanks, Mary Mikawoz
Thanks for appreciating, liking, commenting, purchasing and sharing.
Mystery Life of an Orange – Photography & Digital Design by Mary Mikawoz – Click on image or link to see the bigger picture.
So, I am interested about you. I have represented 4 oranges in various states of being.
The question is for you? As you reflect up on the images, I ask you these questions:
Are you whole and complete in body, mind and soul?
Are you cut right open like your heart has been sliced and seared open by a knife?
Are you being ripped or torn apart and therefore coming apart at the seams?
Live you life today with full and good intentions other wise before you know it, you will be gone. Do you agree?
These are the mysterious lives of an orange in all its various forms, as are your life and your being. If you do not permit feelings or have your emotions flowing, are you really living at all? Express yourself in the best possible way or method while dealing with the trauma and the problems that await us all. Embrace, forgive, release and let go. Only by facing our shadow side, will we make progress from the negative to the positive side.
These are deep thoughts but theses are necessary ones. So, I ask you, “What do you intend to do about your life?”
As for me, I love beauty in all its forms. With my art, I am often in a zen-type of mood and feel as if I am “in the flow.” With my photography, I feel as if I am inspired by God or the Universe to capture these moments in time. I feel as if I am zinged when I capture that special shot and it is meant to be.
Thanks in advance for liking commenting, sharing and purchasing. Check out my other images and collections. Thanks for all positive feedback.
Feel free to follow me on my art page to see new photography or artwork as I release them. Thanks, Mary Mikawoz
Thanks for appreciating, liking, commenting, purchasing and sharing.
Look Way Up – Photography by Mary Mikawoz – Click on image or link to see the bigger picture.
I was sitting up in a Muskoka chair on the deck of our cottage when I looked up. I do that sometimes. I just look around at different angles and directions. I looked up at the incredible trees and saw that this beautiful ice ridge had formed off of the roof. I was intrigued and thought to myself, “How Beautiful!”
I like that nature can frame its own creations in this way. I love the flow and rhythm of the ice and how one lone icicle is dripping away from it all.
This reminds me of The Friendly Giant who used to say, “Look up, Way Up.” What a wonderful TV show that was. I really enjoyed it as a child. Interestingly enough it started off as an American show and was brought up to Canada and to CBC so that we could enjoy the program.
As for me, I love beauty in all its forms. With my art, I am often in a zen-type of mood and feel as if I am “in the flow.” With my photography, I feel as if I am inspired by God or the Universe to capture these moments in time. I feel as if I am zinged when I capture that special shot and it is meant to be.
Thanks in advance for liking commenting, sharing and purchasing. Check out my other images and collections. Thanks for all positive feedback.
Feel free to follow me on my art page to see new photography or artwork as I release them. Thanks, Mary Mikawoz
Thanks for appreciating, liking, commenting, purchasing and sharing.
Contrast Quadrants – Photography by Mary Mikawoz – Click on image or link to see the bigger picture.
I call this piece “Contrast Quadrants.” This imagery reminds me of life. There are many different ways of looking at things. One of the best ways is by using a quadrant or a matrix. I think life looks different depending upon what your current perspective or point of view is at.
In one case, you are in a positive area and other times, you are negative. One side is left and the other side is right. One is blue and white while the other side is golden and black. One is up and the other is down or one is top and the other is bottom. One is dark and one is light.
I have transitioned the pieces between the contrasting imagery. I hope you like it and provokes you into some thoughts about perspective about the meaning and use of contrasts in our lives..
As for me, I love beauty in all its forms. With my art, I am often in a zen-type of mood and feel as if I am “in the flow.” With my photography, I feel as if I am inspired by God or the Universe to capture these moments in time. I feel as if I am zinged when I capture that special shot and it is meant to be.
Thanks in advance for liking commenting, sharing and purchasing. Check out my other images and collections. Thanks for all positive feedback.
Feel free to follow me on my art page to see new photography or artwork as I release them. Thanks, Mary Mikawoz
Thanks for appreciating, liking, commenting, purchasing and sharing.
Polar Bear Splits – Photography by Mary Mikawoz – Click on image or link to see the bigger picture.
This is an incredibly gorgeous and huge white polar bear. He is relaxing or doing some yoga poses and stretches or gymnastics. He is definitely exercising of some sort or another. This is why I have called the photo “Polar Bear Splits.” He is stretching and relaxing until he is chillaxing. Onward and upwards for an incredible animal but also be very cautious because they can be very dangerous bears.
As for me, I love beauty in all its forms. With my art, I am often in a zen-type of mood and feel as if I am “in the flow.” With my photography, I feel as if I am inspired by God or the Universe to capture these moments in time. I feel as if I am zinged when I capture that special shot and it is meant to be.
Thanks in advance for liking commenting, sharing and purchasing. Check out my other images and collections. Thanks for all positive feedback.
Feel free to follow me on my art page to see new photography or artwork as I release them. Thanks, Mary Mikawoz
Thanks for appreciating, liking, commenting, purchasing and sharing.
My Apple – Photography by Mary Mikawoz – Click on image or link to see the bigger picture.
This image is kind of funny and cute. This little squirrel had been chomping down on an apple that had grown on the front tree of our house. I have to give credit to my father for he had a green thumb and planted all the apple trees in the front and back yards.
He definitely noticed me as evidenced by his upright ears and bulging eyes. I think he was thinking, “Is she going to steal my deliciously, fine apple?”
As for me, I love beauty in all its forms. With my art, I am often in a zen-type of mood and feel as if I am “in the flow.” With my photography, I feel as if I am inspired by God or the Universe to capture these moments in time. I feel as if I am zinged when I capture that special shot and it is meant to be.
Thanks in advance for liking commenting, sharing and purchasing. Check out my other images and collections. Thanks for all positive feedback.
Feel free to follow me on my art page to see new photography or artwork as I release them. Thanks, Mary Mikawoz
Obstruct and obstruction are interesting words. I immediately go to the thought of “Where are you, personally, causing obstructions in your life?”
I think of me getting out of my own way. I think of my belief systems and associated thoughts that are limiting what I can do. I think about all the barriers that I have placed in front of me in my life. For example, I can simply think, “I can’t do this.” This can apply to me being able to write or to me going to work out or whatever task or goals I have at hand. For many, it can relate to work or even how we deal with conflicts or problems with people and our interactions with them on a day to day basis.
“I can’t” is in many respects saying, “I won’t.” It becomes a choice.
Photography of Roger Bannister. Photo Credit: Bettmann/Getty
People believed that the 4 minute mile could not be beat until Roger Bannister did so in 1954. As of April 2021, 1663 athletes have been able to break that unsurmountable goal, according to Wikipedia. That is quiet an accomplishment when the belief system in society was that it could simply not be done at all. They thought it was a physical impossibility.
Photography of Usain Bolt. Photo Credit: Getty Images
Likewise, there was a 10 second barrier for the 100 metre race. Since the 1990s, many athletes have broken that time. Usain Bolt is the current world record holder at 9.58 seconds which he accomplished in 2009.
Photography of Jim Hines at Olympic Games. Photo Credit: Getty
However, credit must be first given to Jim Hines for being most noted as the first male athlete to break the 10 second barrier for the 100 meters. That very same night two others accomplished the same feat. Ronnie Ray Smith and also Charles Greene also broke the 10 second barrier on an eventful night that is known as “The Night of Speed” on June 20, 1968. Jim Hines went onto win Gold at the Olympics in Mexico City when the first legally electronically recorded time was used.
You see, we are only limited first and foremost by what our minds can believe and then achieve. The physical action, if that is what it is your goal, is only the next step along in the process after the mind thinks it through.
We need to examine our obstructions in our belief systems and thoughts because we are creating neural pathways over and over again like a groove in a record. Similarly, a common held belief that was commonly held was that, “You can’t teach an old dog a new trick” but you can.
Neuroplasticity says that we can positively affect the brain and create new neural pathways. This has been proven in all mammalian species. Human cognition can improve both structurally and functionally. How great is that knowledge?
So, the question, I ask is, “What and where are you obstructing your thoughts and belief systems which are preventing you from achieving your best?”
Mary Mikawoz February 18, 2023
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Snow Geese – Photography by Mary Mikawoz – Click on image or link to see the bigger picture.
Actually, this photographic shot is pretty rare. Although I live in Manitoba, it is difficult to find Snow Geese in our neck of the woods. If you look at a migratory map, you will see that they go quite far up north. I caught this image as they were migrating south in the fall time.
According to Wikipedia, “Snow geese breed north of the timberline in Greenland, Canada, Alaska, and the northeastern tip of Siberia…”
I hope you like this image.
As for me, I love beauty in all its forms. With my art, I am often in a zen-type of mood and feel as if I am “in the flow.” With my photography, I feel as if I am inspired by God or the Universe to capture these moments in time. I feel as if I am zinged when I capture that special shot and it is meant to be.
Thanks in advance for liking commenting, sharing and purchasing. Check out my other images and collections. Thanks for all positive feedback.
Feel free to follow me on my art page to see new photography or artwork as I release them. Thanks, Mary Mikawoz
Mary Mikawoz Creative Pursuits Blog 