You’ve come to expect nothing but good quality from me, but I have to admit, I haven’t had a moment to really crank it out. I can, however, present you with some random snaps from Australia about subjects almost completely unrelated to anything at all, for your enjoyment. I think you’ll find that instant pleasure from my photographs is much better than delayed gratification from my ramblings.

(At the least, it’ll distract you long enough to let me think about actually composing some sort of writing…)

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Alice, the giant 15-year-old gourami at the Tumby Bay fish & chips shop, “The Fish Plaice”, who is a vegetarian and interacts with people on the outside of her tank. (Yes, Aussies, I thought to myself, “Alice? Who the fuck is Alice?”)

Australia’s ants are very enterprising. Here some bull ants are attempting to make quick work of a leftover piece of somebody’s picnic; sometime I’ll take a video of the “regular” ants here in Australia, who are all Starbucks addicts as they appear to be very caffinated.

One of my favorite photographs from Paul and Rebecca’s wedding. I really do love black & white photography; you can probably see why.

Not something you’d see on your way to the bathroom — a bottlebrush blossom, one of the native shrubberies in Australia that blooms. I can’t tell where they got the name for it, however.

I like some of dem French-fried pertaters, mmmHRMMM.

The name of this Australian ice cream bar had me giggling for a long time, for all sorts of reasons. I loved putting Giant Twins in my mouth. (So much to write, so few electrons…)

Satin Pillows with Hints of Storms Pending
(on the rocky beaches of Whyalla, by the marina, before a rainfall. OneSteel in the background.)

The HMS Whyalla, the first ship ever built by the Whyalla Shipworks and now permanently drydocked 2km from the shore as a museum of maritime history. Translation: A big fucking ship sitting in the middle of a park.

Australia has all the comforts of home, including combines of a popular green sort. (in Cummins)

Kayla, Rebecca’s oldest daughter, probably protecting her wedding dress from melting to the upper deck of the HMS Whyalla in the 112+F degree heat.

My mother-in-law, Sharon, making a desperate jump to snag the bridal bouquet at Rebecca’s wedding. She’s pretty spry for a grandma.

A Yankie Cat in an Aussie Hat
(modeling a hat in Cheap-as-Chips, a discount store in Whyalla)

Curious Paula, Rebecca’s youngest daughter, and a cute button at that. She’s our godchild and pretty quiet so far, but she gives me shy looks from time to time.

Does this plant make my ass look phallic?

Sam: Conqueror, Hill-Climber, and Dashing Explorer
(ontop of Rocky Hill)

Sausages, fondly known as “snags”, on a barbie. Lovely things, fried to perfection.

This is an almond custard scroll, otherwise known as cocaine-in-a-pastry. I love these things; as you can tell, I had already eaten about 3/4 of it before I got enough sense back in my head to take a picture. I think I’ve had about 10 of them so far. They are lovely, they are sweet, they are….I can stop at any time. Really. I just don’t WANT to.

“Too close for missiles, I’m switching to guns.”
(Yolanda using her fake Scottish thistles to her advantage.)

A fair dinkum Aussie breakfast — eggs over easy, bacon rashers, fried tomatoes, and baked beans on toast, complete with some OJ. The author notes that he had to be rolled off his chair at the completion.