Robert’s Ramblings

Tucked away in an out of the way corner of Gluttony is a little door into a the curious world of charismatic creatures, pretentious portents and enchanting entities.

I did not see her at first, this exotic mermaid reclining atop a vintage chaise longue. When I did she emerged fully formed in my mind the way a leafy seadragon emerges from its camouflage of weed and algae.

To my surprise I found her engrossed in a story written more than 200 year ago about a Swiss family bound for Australia only to be marooned on an uninhabited tropical island.

Do mermaids read Wyss? Well this exotic beauty seems as engrossed in the story of us as was Disney’s Little Mermaid with her Prince Eric. I hope she finds happiness in this curious and whimsical place.


#Mermaid #clubcurious #adlfringe #fringe2023 #gluttony #swissfamilyrobinson #JohannDavidWyss

I’ve been privileged this Adelaide Fringe season 2023 to be part of this wonderful group of performers and their show ‘Celtic Sounds: Reimaginings’.

Their talent, commitment and hard work leading up to these shows has been inspiring to witness and rewarding to be involved.

If you are a local and have not yet seen this show then please consider supporting us and coming along so see while you have a chance.

I promise, the music will continue in your head long after the show is over.


#Adelaide #fringe #fringe2023 #celticsounds #gluttony #ireland #dance #irishdance #celtic #performingarts #singing

One of southern Australia’s most exotic fishes is the South Blue Devil. Even though they are quite common on along the greater Adelaide coastline I still experience great delight when ever I come across one on a dive.

Firstly let me say they are the grumpiest looking fish I know! Juxtaposed with that scowling face is the most amazing iridescent blue and flowing body. Combined it creates a uniqueness uncommon in fishes of South Australia.

Grumpy, gorgeous, exotic and local. I am happy to dive with these guys any time.


#bluedevil #southernbluedevil #paraplesiopsmeleagris #thebarge #night #scuba #diving #underwaterphotography #portrait #glenelg #southaustralia #fish

I grew up to the music of ‘The Police’ and later loved Sting’s solo work. In all the intervening years I’d never seen a live performance of either. This week I was stung at last and finally got to see Gordon Sumner, AKA ‘Sting’, live here in the Adelaide Entertainment Centre.

Wow! Despite being 70 years old Sting sang with the power and tone of a self half his age. For nearly 2 hours he rocked us with his 1957 Fender Precision bass guitar, wowed us with his musicianship and gave his all to make it a special night for us all.


#Sting #performingarts #adelaide #entertainmentcentre #concert #livemusic #music

Recently I took a little detour on my way home from the ‘day job’. There are a few places I like to go at Outer Harbor giving access to some beautiful seascapes and at times breathtaking bird life.

On this moody evening the wildlife had made itself scarce, probably moving east to the protection of Torrens Island under the threat of a coming storm. There was drama unfolding in the western sky and that’s where I was drawn.

The sun remains hidden behind the brooding clouds, but there is a crack in everything; that’s how the light gets in.


#Ocean #seascape #sunrays #storm #clouds #aerial #outerharbor #blackandwhite #sunset #leonardcohen

Fiery sheets of rain fall in the western horizon but none of it reaches the water below while the ocean is calm even as storm clouds loom overhead.

I loved the incongruity of this scene tonight as people played and swam in the warm shallows while small boats lingered out at sea.

What a beautiful night to be out.


#Grange #beach #ocean #sunset #goldenhour #twilight #southaustralia #rain #storm #clouds

Eleven years ago today I originally shared this image, titled ‘The End of Time’.

Back then I did not write or share the story behind the image. I could not. Today I will tell its story.

Growing up this was our family clock which stood proud on the kitchen mantelpiece, struck its gong once on the half hour and rang the full count of hours on the hour. Once a week my dad would wind both springs and adjust the time. I do not recall it ever stopping in his healthy years.

The sound of that clock’s chime is one of my fondest memories of home.

In dad’s last bed ridden days we would visit regularly and I often found the clock had stopped. This both saddened me and made me angry. I would always leave with the clock wound, the time set right, and give an admonished plea to someone to please keep it running.

On this evening, eleven years ago and a day, I captured this image of our family clock as an idea about how little time we had left with dad and that it would soon be over.

He died peacefully the next day, eleven years ago today.

I miss you dad.


#dad #clocks #death #time #mechanicalclocks #memory

There was something lovely about today. The people I work and play with seemed happier and the day had a beautiful lightness about it.

Add to that a gorgeous balmy evening with my girl and nothing could have been lovelier.


#Red #rose #abstract #love #beauty

Watch a Common Gurnard Perch (Neosebastes scorpaenoides) for a while and at some stage it will sneeze a shower of debris. Watch it even longer and you just might see some poor critter vanish in a cloud of debris. The source of the sneeze now obvious.

Gesundheit!


#CommonGurnardPerch #Neosebastesscorpaenoides #gurnard #perch #fish #thebarge #night #scuba #diving #nightdive #southaustralia #glenelg #underwater #photography

This Mosaic Leatherjacket, (Eubalichthys mosaicus) on my ‘Barge’ night dive was another unwitting sleep swimming subject as torches and strobes brought light to the darkness.

The strange thing about lighting up the night time sea floor it that is seems to have minimal impact on the nocturnal state of its inhabitants. Daytime fishes keep on sleeping. Nighttime critters keep on foraging. It’s pretty much business as usual.

Still I can’t help wince that my strobes firing at point blank range don’t trigger some distress. Hopefully nothing that therapy cant
help with when me and my lights have gone.


#MosaicLeatherjacket #Eubalichthysmosaicus #leatherjacket #triggerfish #fish #thebarge #night #scuba #diving #nightdive #southaustralia #glenelg #underwater #photography