“A Perfect Flower is Nearly Old”

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Athan Selidor, Gulf of Lune, Roche

It’s Thanksgiving in the United States, where my typist lives and she’s celebrating. She makes her own holiday traditions when possible, lately liking Thanksgiving-in-a-jar. That’s a Mason jar filled with a layer each of turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, stuffing and gravy. Today I’m posting a couple of photos each from three of my favorite sims .The first is Alia Baroque’s Athan Selidor.

By the way, I’ve just discovered Fotosketcher from reading about it on Eddi Haskell’s blog. It’s fun to play with but I certainly won’t be using it a lot here. My new header and the top photo of the kittens in the pumpkins (taken at Sparrow Song) are edited in a watercolor from Fotosketcher.  Near to Athan Selidor is Anon Beyond the Gate.  The second sim is Gulf of Lune.Gulf of Lune is part of the Calas Galadhon park system. There’s lovely winter in other areas of the park.And last but not least is Roche. These have been around a while and were among the first places I visited after finding my way out of newbie hell. I love them.

The title of this post is from the film My Old Lady. That’s one of the best movies I’ve seen in a while. There were some moments during when I worried it was going to get too dark and depressing but then it lightened up and had a most satisfactory ending. An old apartment building with a garden in Paris, Maggie Smith and Kevin Kline. Lovely!

Even with many humans behaving unconsciously and badly, there are others making art, music, films, stories, virtual worlds and generally demonstrating hope, kindness and generosity. Lots to be appreciative of.

 

 

 

 

 

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The High Country

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Chamonix, Durango, Rogla, Sansara, Svan, Yuki Koen

Magical winter sims are showing up all over the grid. There were several sims I went to yesterday to take autumn photos and construction was happening to change the season. Making a mental note to return in a week or so, I then moved on to some winter showcases but it was not meant to be. While lovely, I couldn’t get any good shots, things wouldn’t rez and I had trouble with almost crashing and that walking through molasses feeling. Beaches and clubs are popular in Second Life. Then there are those who choose to live in snowy country year round. There are old-timers in those parts; I know because I travel there. Sometimes I walk. Often I ride pods or trains because you can see things you might otherwise not know are there. The picture above is of the upper level at the Chamonix Snow Resort. It’s up (or down?) the road from the YavaScript Pod Station in Durango where I often begin a tour.  Durango is on the continent of Sansara. Usually I just start walking and hop on a pod when it goes by.  When you pay attention, you’ll notice that you’re welcome to visit some homes when the owner and their guests are not around. Above is the great room at the Chateau Chamonix.In the snowy country there seems to be many more roads and intersections than other places on the mainland. I get hopelessly lost when encountering the choices of three ways to continue. There are ski runs, skating rinks and shops as well as private homes.Like many places on the mainland, there’s a quirky mixture of styles and taste. But it always feels peaceful and not once have I met someone troublesome, which I can’t say about other places I’ve explored. Above is an outdoor art gallery in Svan called Yuki Koen: Snow Garden of Delight. The land description: “A quiet corner…Hiroshige, Hokusai, Hasui, Hiroshi Yoshida, and other Japan gems…”

Even though I rarely meet the inhabitants and creators, when I see their little worlds I think they must be wonderful people and I’m glad they’re alive on the planet now.Above is the Rogla Mansion Clocktower where I rested and warmed my toes and hands. There’s a ghost lingering there; you can see it in the upper center of the photo.It’s great that the seasonal showcase sims are covered by the many talented virtual photographers. The ones I’ve visited are indeed magical and it was nice to see couples skating and and individuals enjoying the views.

Above, the pod is taking a brief stop near a ski run. It was a serene afternoon for exploring Sansara.

 

Zen Retreat and Todai-ji Temple

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Jeogeot, Todai-ji Temple

There’s a zen retreat I visit sometimes. It’s been summer there for at least a year now. There’s meditation, tai chi, groups that meet and information cards in several areas. It’s open to the public, except for at least one private home which has a closed door. When I walk the grounds there might be a few people meditating; we leave each other alone.  One of the areas is Todai-ji Temple, “a partial representation of Buddhist temple complex in the city of Nara, Japan”. As you explore the grounds, you’ll find the area is made up of a patchwork of related parcels. This is located on the continent of Jeogeot, off Wellington Road, where I like to walk or ride a pod. On the other side of the road is a large area devoted to Kwan Yin.Some of the buildings are simple. The structure above is in regards to Tara Ling.

“Tara Ling is group land for practice and study within SL. If you are interested in meditating in SL, or have an affinity to Tara in any of her manifestations… join our group!”

When you walk to the back and up the stairs, you’ll find information and resources.Being on the mainland, there are some distractions from the builds of others around. Lately there have been a couple of grungy diesel trucks just off the road, crashed into the shrubbery and buildings, along with another questionable vehicle. Those trucks, along with tanks and such have been travelling erratically up and down Wellington. But acquiring a zen-like perspective, one simply takes that in stride, right?

This is a peace pagoda. When you step inside and turn around, there’s an info card about the pagodas, of which there are about 80 around the world.

My typist finds it helpful to watch me use the tai chi poseballs. She’s finding that doing tai chi is very beneficial for symptoms of cerebellum damage she’s experienced for quite a while.

 

 

And Snowy November

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Enchanted Escapes, Never Totally Dead

It was a surprise when I landed in this beautiful, wintry place. I’d used a landmark in inventory, expecting something else, expecting to spend about five minutes. Then I found I didn’t want to leave, taking a lot of pictures of which these are my favorites. I hadn’t been quite ready for winter and have been avoiding winter sims. My typist had walked along the river in her city looking at the beautiful autumn landscape; then a week later about seven inches of snow happened. Too early.

This place was so quiet and peaceful. For me, it lives up to the name, Enchanted Escapes. This is the Never Totally Dead location, which is what I’d been looking for. It’s one of my favorites shops that I revisit as often as I can. There are unobtrusive teleport signs scattered about for the store and demo area. The spooky old house is also a teleport to shopping.Never Totally Dead is taking part in the MadPea Blood Letters hunt and I’ve seen at least two almost nude female hunters running through the frost here. While I was there I experienced less lag than usual which also added to my enjoyment. This sort of place is part of the magic of Second Life for me.

November

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Isle of Serendipity

I was in a mood to visit a seasonal and atmospheric place that still had a sense of warmth when I came across a photo of Isle of Serendipity. It was perfect for what I was looking for. The area for the public has great views; the residential area seems to be skirting around it and the boundaries are easy to discern.There are small farm animals about, including some sheep that wandered into the chapel. This is the third of Neva River’s builds that I’ve had the pleasure of visiting. I like the interiors as well as the outdoor areas. This house is near the landing.I especially like the sky and water. Since I don’t fuss with draw distance stuff and doing a lot of editing, these photos don’t really do the build justice. The landing area, to the right in the above photo, has pictures on the walls. There’s seating nearby in which to relax and enjoy the view.This was taken from outside of chapel of what I’m guessing are private residences. It rained while I was exploring further up the hill but there is shelter with small stoves and seating. Very lovely place.

 

 

 

 

 

For Writers, Readers and Other Avatars

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The Chamber Library

A number of additions have been made to The Chamber Library since it was first featured in the destination guide about a month ago. Like me, you might have wondered what’s so great about reading classics on notecards. It’s so much more than that.Nothing seems to have been replaced, rather an expansion has happened, a sort of tunneling down for more floors with additional authors and areas to hang out. Some of the added writers are John Keats, Charles Dickens, Eleanor H Porter, Washington Irving, short stories by James Joyce and Andy Adams and children’s tales by Beatrix Potter.People can gather to discuss works they like. Now that most of us aren’t being forced to read this stuff in school, it could be a reintroduction that could lead to reading more from our real life local libraries.There are already 35 pieces on the shelves by SL residents. You simply click on the shelf and a menu pops up for selection. The submission instructions are near the landing and are simple. Since Storm Septimus keeps tinkering with the library, allow some time for the submission to be taken care of. Just like the magic of uploading art and photos to put on gallery walls, your writing could be on the shelves of a library along with beloved writers.There are different themed reading and hangout areas to suit different moods. There are closed off spaces that look like room for future development.I like seeing virtual libraries and take the time to visit when I wander by in my travels, although I don’t think I’ve ever posted about any of them. Many have been around for a long time.I hope The Chamber Library will also be around for a long time.

A Photography Excursion to Innsmouth

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Innsmouth, virtual destinations

It was just two of us, going to take some pictures, and the sim had a surprisingly large amount of people on it. My companion, less than a year old in SL, wanted to take some photos for an exhibit at Winter’s Gallery. The theme was something like “Heaven and Hell” and the photos were to be taken in Innsmouth.   I simply enjoy taking photos. I’d been to Innsmouth before and wanted this opportunity of going with someone who accepts that I’m kind of slow. Those brief, flitting, high-speed visits aren’t for me unless I’m disliking what I see and how I’m feeling.  The sim is gorgeously spooky. I lightened the exposure for these pictures so stuff could be seen. When I went back to check the SLurl for this post yesterday, I noticed that Day of the Dead decorations were still out as well as a few more hazards, it seemed.The prefabs of some of the buildings can be purchased, something I’d overlooked before.While we were there, well over a month ago, I learned that the sim was for sale and there was a meeting going on of people interested in saving Innsmouth. At the time they seemed to be doing well regarding donations. What the status is now, I don’t know.There were quite a few people gathered in the Opera House for the meeting. We peeked in and then went on our way, taking pictures.

Innsmouth, “a dark, New England coastal town”, has been around for a while; I think it’s older than me. I feel good about getting to revisit it, instead of overlooking it for the latest showcase sim.

 

Asalia House

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Asalia House, virtual destinations

Very recently I visited Asalia House to see what seasonal changes had happened since I haven’t been around much lately. It had a new look since the last time I was there. Some familiar decor pieces were in use again, which I like. The beach sand was something I’ve not noticed anywhere else and I’m favorably impressed with it. This is a small sim which I can more easily imagine as real.Much of the area was peaceful and simple. There’s a charming little cluttery area shown in the photo above.There were lovely views in all directions. I lingered and now I’m grateful I did.The animals paid me no mind and went about eating and gazing at the horizon.I liked the style inside the cottage.The place has many of my favorite elements and when my typist logged off she felt as though the time here was well spent.

Preparing this blog post yesterday, I checked to make sure the landmark was still good. Arriving in the water, I walked towards land and discovered that reconstruction is happening once again.