Swim and swimming are words I like because they involve me being directly in the flow. I love being in water but have not always. I once had an experience where I was at a public swimming pool and midway across it, I simply forgot how to swim. I am not kidding. I was about to panic but I said to myself “Stay Calm. You can do this.”
I somehow figured out how to float and then make progression across the pool to the side. I was so upset, I swam to the ladder and immediately got out of the pool and left. I changed and went home. That was that.
I did not go back to water of any sort for a long period of time. Even taking a shower was kind of like a mini-crisis. I could not trust myself not to drown or so I thought. I am not sure what happened exactly. I was doing fine that day in the pool but perhaps I just was not focussed enough. I do not know what came over me. What had come naturally to me from years of lessons in swimming, now became a big time issue for me.
Fast forward a number of years and on many levels, I still had my fear. Then something switched in my brain again. I realized that water is good. I came to value it whether it was coming through internally when hydrating myself or through being in it for showers and what not.
I actually think I have to thank Wim Hof for this one. I reviewed one of his books where he suggested doing cold showers along with his breathing technique. I quickly implemented the specific breathing practice and loved the results so it was only natural to end my hot showers with turning on the cold for a few seconds and then longer. I no longer feared the water and had a new profound respect for it.
Now, when I go swimming in the lake again, I revel being in the cooler waters. It is enticing and engaging. Now, I am swimming in a pool again and I love the way my body feels immersed in the soft, luscious and fluid substance. I love the subtle feel of the water as it encapsulates and surrounds my body. I love the flow of the water as I take each stroke swimming. It is an incredible substance that can be a vapour, a solid as ice or fluid as water. I now and again love my H20.
Thanks for appreciating, liking, commenting, purchasing and sharing.
Panoramic Winter Scene – Photography by Mary Mikawoz – Click on image or link to see the bigger picture.
This is a panoramic scene of Lake Winnipeg just as freeze up is starting to happen. Even though Lake Winnipeg is the 10th largest freshwater lake in the world, it gets so cold here that semi-trucks can drive on the ice roads. People go ice fishing as a sport and enjoyment all winter long, when safe to do so.
The sky was particularly playful this day at this time. “It was dancing and swaying to the music.” It is just like Johnny Rivers was singing to the clouds in the sky.
With my art, I am often in a zen-type of mood and with my photography, I feel as if I am inspired by God or the Universe to capture these moments in time.
Thanks in advance for liking commenting, sharing and purchasing. Check out my other images and collections. Thanks for all positive feedback.
Thanks for appreciating, liking, commenting, purchasing and sharing.
Boulder Rock – Photography by Mary Mikawoz – Click on image or link to see the bigger picture.
This boulder normally would be under water but the water levels in the lake were so low that it not only was amongst the lowest levels in history but the surrounding forests were on fire nearby. This is off of Matheson Island that you can only reach by boat or taking your car over a ferry boat.
I love the way the boulder has a unique shape. I love the way a pool of water has surrounded the rock. Together the shape of the rock and the offsetting pool of water somehow complement each other in the sand.
With my art, I am often in a zen-type of mood and with my photography, I feel as if I am inspired by God or the Universe to capture these moments in time.
Thanks in advance for liking commenting, sharing and purchasing. Check out my other images and collections. Thanks for all positive feedback.
Thanks for enjoying, liking, commenting, purchasing and sharing!
Feather and Seaweed – Photography by Mary Mikawoz – Click on image or link to see the bigger picture.
I love seeing and taking photographs of things people normally would not notice and would just walk right on over or right on by. I was amused by this white feather that popped itself on the sandy shoreline along the lake. The bird who lost its feather had no idea that it was creating art amongst the green seaweed swirling by the water’s edge.
With my art, I am often in a zen-type of mood and with my photography, I feel as if I am inspired by God or the Universe to capture these moments in time.
Thanks in advance for liking commenting, sharing and purchasing. Check out my other images and collections. Thanks for all positive feedback.
Thanks for appreciating, liking, commenting, purchasing and sharing.
Summer Time at the Lake – Photography by Mary Mikawoz – Click on image or link to see the bigger picture.
This is a panoramic view of Lake Winnipeg during the summer time. Lake Winnipeg is the tenth largest freshwater lake in the world. The one benefit of covid was that the fishermen and fisherwomen did not fish and so the stocks replenished themselves and so they are not as depleted stocks as they had been.
With my art, I am often in a zen-type of mood and with my photography, I feel as if I am inspired by God or the Universe to capture these moments in time.
Thanks in advance for liking commenting, sharing and purchasing. Check out my other images and collections. Thanks for all positive feedback.
The breeze was blowing across the waters near Grand Beach, Manitoba. It is part of the Lake Winnipeg system. I took this photo midway between West Beach and East Beach in the Lagoon.
I can still hear the wind whipping by and remember the plants swaying to the moving air flow. You can see the ripples of the water behind.
With my art, I am often in a zen-type of mood and with my photography, I feel as if I am inspired by God or the Universe to capture these moments in time.
Thanks in advance for liking commenting, sharing and purchasing. Check out my other images and collections. Thanks for all positive feedback.
I was walking along the shoreline of Lake Winnipeg enjoying the autumn leaves turning all sorts of brilliant colours of orange, yellow and red. Down at my feet were these series of jagged little rocks.
It was as if they were a smaller scale of a formation of rocks being pushed up against each other. It reminded me of the heaving and cleaving of tectonic plates pushing against one another.
They stuck up straight up out of the Earth in a vertical fashion. They were interesting and intriguing and so I took a photograph of them.
On the basis of the name alone of this photograph, Jagged Little Rocks, it reminds me of the “Jagged Little Pill” album by Canadian singer and songwriter Alanis Morissette.
Thanks in advance for liking commenting, sharing and purchasing. Check out my other images and collections. Thanks for all positive feedback.
I was walking along the shores of Lake Winnipeg up around Matheson Island. The water had receded so I could walk along the area that is normally under the lake. It is interesting how the water has picked up and perfectly placed the rock on the middle of some crack lines going off into many directions and angles. You can even see the shadow of the rock from the setting sun in the west.
I like the way your eye is taking in off to many directions yet creating the effect of coming back to the center of the image where the rock is king while appreciating the balance of the composition.
Thanks in advance for liking commenting, sharing and purchasing. Check out my other images and collections. Thanks for all positive feedback.
This is a photograph of the dock at Washow Bay which is north of Riverton on the way to Beaver Creek Provincial Park. It is a favourite spot for fishing by locals.
This was taken in the spring time as the ice was starting to melt and as you can see it is a bit dodgy to be on. There is absolutely no way you could safely take your snowmobile for ice fishing on Lake Winnipeg as you can do most of the winter time when freeze up happens.
Soon the ice will refreeze and sports fishermen and fisherwomen can go back to their glory.
I have taken the liberty to put some special effects to the picture which highlights the different depths of the ice as it disappears
Thanks in advance for liking commenting, sharing and purchasing. Check out my other images and collections. Thanks for all positive feedback.
I took this image of Peyto Lake after hiking up the trail to the top view and to appreciate this incredibly beautiful azure colour of the water. I like the way there is snow up in the mountains and the sky is so dramatic looking.
The hike is 3.8 miles round trip but it is totally worth it. The lake is found 40 kilometers or 25 miles north of Lake Louise on the Icefields Highway. Currently, Peyto Lake is closed to visitors until November 2020. It has been open to visitors since 1941 but right now, it is undergoing renovations by the Canadian government in the amount of 2.9 million dollars.
According to Wikipedia, “Peyto Lake is a glacier-fed lake in Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies…It was named for Bill Peyto, an early trail guide and trapper in the Banff area.”
Thanks in advance for liking commenting, sharing and purchasing. Check out my other images and collections. Thanks for all positive feedback.
Mary Mikawoz Creative Pursuits Blog 