#1390 theoldmortuary ponders.

Storm Goletti.The storm named after an Italian Cockerel was scheduled to strut around our Peninsular from mid-afternoon.

My grandad kept Italian Bantams at his smallholding attached to his pub. They were very opinionated little hens with fancy feet and extravagant plumes of fancy feathers. Tsthe hens very much liked to sit on eggs, not necessarily their own. The pub guard- geese were very much working women who left their over-large eggs in the tender care of  the fussy little bantams. Several bantams sharing the care of one goose egg. The Italian Bantam Cockerel went on guard duty with the geese. He almost certainly thought he was in charge. He just fussed around at their feet, occasionally attempting a more sexual liaison with no chance of success.

Storm Goletti was nothing like a Bantam but everything like an arrogant Cockerel in our neighbourhood. Noisy, all over the place . It knocked down our bins and scattered and picked over our rubbish. We got off lightly.

But I did put the sensation of the storm to good use and painted a stormy version of  my beloved sea pool at Coogee.

Storm over Coogee

I was even giddy enough to use hand made paper. What else could I do when confined to the house after a  government Red Warning for winds and flying debris. But there is nothing quite like painting a storm while in a storm.

#1385 theoldmortuary ponders

Sunday Sunshine from Sublime Point 4th Dec 2025.

Sublime point is on the Illawarra Escarpment. Overlooking the Blue Mountains and a small section of the coast of New South Wales.

The views are breathtaking and awe inspiring.

But my inner word nerd was just as thrilled with the word ‘sublime’ being in general usage.

I love the words sublime, subliminal and sublimate. Liminal also is pretty gorgeous.

They are like triplet children whose characters and behaviours are significantly different despite having the same parents

The family name would be the latin word Limen, meaning threshold.

The only time I was an ‘A’ grade student in Chemistry was when  I knew in an instant what Sublimation was. Not because I loved chemistry at all, but because  I really loved to dance in clubs and pubs and the highlight of the night was when the Dry Ice was used.

I have always been a little shy of using the word sublime in general conversation . I wonder if it is a class thing…

Maybe now I have actually visited a sublime place I should be a little braver.

Making a point sulimely at Sublime Point. N.S.W

3 words, roots in the same place, and yet completely different.

#1382 theoldmortuary ponders.

Coogee Sensation

I took some time out yesterday to get paint on paper before 2026.

In the past 3 weeks I have described the undescribable sensations I felt when I first saw the colours of the sea at Coogee Beach an hour after I landed in Australia. I have not been lost for words but making a colour sketch was essential as photographs and words can’t do my memories justice. I wanted the vibrancy and translucency of the colours of the sea combined with the milky coffee colour of the mix of sand and waves on the shore line in the brightest of sunshine.

This is my best effort, a mix of vivid watercolour painting and some digital photography tweaking.

For now I am content and optimistic that the job can be done in the New year. 

Happy New Year 2026

#1372 theoldmortuary ponders.

New Bauble from Hong Kong.

A new bauble for 2025. After a slow start to prep we have Christmas 2025 on track. Taking our holiday during Advent made for easy choices of memento purchasing. Baubles have been a particular focus this year. Having never experienced the Southern Hemisphere in December, I wondered quite how Christmas baubles would sit in gorgeous summer sunshine. As it turns out Christmas baubles look absolutely wonderful in bright sunshine. Particularly at Dawn.

One Southern Hemisphere bauble made it into our suitcases. Somewhat loosely described as a bauble, a glittering pale green prawn hangs happily on our Christmas tree.

Prawn Bauble from Melbourne

My own Christmas image for 2025 was a handful of regular festive baubles. Enhanced now by the experience of seeing baubles in both the Southern and Northern hemispheres. Warm cozy background for the familiar wintery experience and splashy, brightly coloured sea shades for the new experience of baubles by a hot summer beach.

#1370 theoldmortuary ponders

Baubles in the Southern Hemisphere.

I have never experienced Christmas in the Southern Hemisphere before. Or any other time to be honest. I was a newbie. As an artist I knew the colours would be significantly different. As a winterphobe I knew I would welcome sunlight like a lizard on a hot rock.

Nothing prepared me for the first hour of coffee and breakfast on Coogee beach half an hour after landing.

Sunrise in a new country is quite the moment. Mind blowing clarity and colours and a small town vividly bustling at 6 a.m.

I am still trying to work out how to paint the sensations and flavours of those first few hours.

The universe has seen fit to give me a bit of a pause for thoughts both domestically and internationally.  I have decided to revisit our holiday creatively and pleasurably in the new year. January will be a cornucopia of sunshine spam.

For now just Baubles in Sunshine.

#1364 theoldmortuary ponders.

Hard to reconcile the news, that as I wandered the very quiet streets of Windsor in search of another coffee after a boisterous and turbulent 14 hour flight. Something dreadful was occurring in Sydney, a place I have only just returned from. A place that found a place in my heart and mind instantly.

A place that introduced me to Christmas in the Southern Hemisphere. Gorgeous, camp and oversized. Twinkling brightly, defiantly competing with the brilliance of the sun. Now overlooking a landscape of grief and sorrow.

An unimaginable horror in paradise

#1359 theoldmortuary ponders.

Ticket Window- Richard Estes

Our last day in Australia, except we were not expecting it to be our last day. A ticketing irregularity caught us on the hop. Only a chance phone call gave us the heads up of our error of thought.

Blocked up ticket window at Williams Town Beach.

Wednesday as it turned out was a day for surprises as earlier we had met an old friend from London. But in truth we had also sat there a whole 24 hours earlier because we got the day wrong. I have no idea why Wednesday had become such a time vortex.

Crossing, or not, the Rubicon a blocked doorway in National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne.

All was well in the end and by the time Thursday dawned we were well on the way to Hong Kong. And so another adventure unfolds.

Missing our friend or missing our flights would have had sad consequences. As it happened neither occurred but it was pretty close.

#1358 theoldmortuary ponders.

Ross Jones Rockpool

What’s your favorite cartoon?

A somewhat self-indulgent blog. I like to create poster art out of my photographs. I am currently one week into my first visit to Australia. All the glorious things I have seen or the gorgeous people I have had the pleasure of meeting have made this a memorable week. I know that future visits will never quite put my creative head in the same spin as this week’s first impression. This cartoon captures some of my swirling thoughts. Vivid colours. Expansive seas. First Nations art, whilst remaining respectful and without misappropriation. Awe. The first scintilla of a love affair with a new to me country.

#1356 theoldmortuary ponders

What could you do less of?

What should or could I do less of? I have no idea.

Less is definitely more artistically, but as a lifestyle ethos I fear I would struggle to give up anything for very long. Even giving up chores or dull tasks might change life in a way that might not be comfortable. Floating imperceptibly from one Status Quo to the next suits me very well. Allowing life to dictate a path often works better than  a rigid personal doctrine.

Plans have their place but serendipity  often brings more enlightenment.

https://www.facebook.com/share/17jis2AmEk/

Slightly grotty weather and a desire for coffee drove us to an Artist Collective.

The Studio & Co. https://share.google/obOxuu9TDGIFxFUOR

The most delicious place to dodge the rain and be inspired to do more, not less.

My pondering head is ablaze currently, so much new inspiration, so much of everything in a new continent. Now is just not the time to be thinking of doing less of anything.

Even the trees in rain, spark a little twinkle in my soul.

Now is not the time for less.

#1354 theoldmortuary ponders.

Bruce Steer Bermagui Tidal Pool

There is nothing quite like a road trip in a new country to promote pondering to the extreme. But just as in normal life,regular swimming in the sea quietens and distills loud and chaotic pondering. Swimming in foreign parts galvanises some very simple thoughts of how privileged/lucky/fortunate I am to be in this place at this moment, loving the ones I am with.

I am hopeless at remembering the correct lyrics in any song and often hopeless at decoding the sentiments expressed by lyrics.

13 year old me thought this was about making the best of any situation. My more hedonistic school friends thought it was all about a future giddiness that was opening up for  infidelity and wild living.

I do rather like to make the best of any situation. It is not always a virtue and definitely annoys people, but my misunderstanding of these lyrics has kept my glass half full for a long while now.  I would say it is half full for about 95%. The 5% of half empty keeps things real

Anyway the sea pools of Australia are fabulous and I am immune to the slight chill of Spring because my last swim at home was 10 degrees.

Googling Love the One you are With created an excellent AI  precis.

Now as any well tuned woman knows AI is about as accurate as mansplaining . However as my earliest interpretation is highlighted in blue I will take this as a rare moment of AI accuracy.

For certain these are the good times, thank you for the earworm Stephen Stills.

An earworm that accompanied me on an early morning naked swim or bob.

With an unusual  companion. Meet Fay…