Visiting Furillen during the last couple of months has been a respite and inspiration for me. It was a single photo that first intrigued me and I was delighted to find this estate/homestead provides something for me that I’ve been missing in my virtual life.
It’s a peaceful place and has a vibrancy suggested by the weather as well as the changes that observant visitors notice. I haven’t gone often; it has a power that stays with me while I take care of other (mostly self-chosen) virtual activities. Sometimes I’ve taken my camera, others I’ve just sat or wandered around.
The virtual Furillen, rated Moderate, holds about 18 — 20 avatars. It feels spacious. The Janitor, Serene Footman, will boot and ban those who cause one’s stay to feel troubled.
From the land description: “An island off the northeast coast of Sweden. Once a limestone factory, now a hotel. Remote, bleak, beautiful.” 
The current Windlight Sky is Bryn Oh’s Immersive Grey Dust, as seen in the first three photos. The snow constantly falls but that can be turned off in your viewer. After asking for feedback, The Janitor will be changing the seasons while keeping the atmosphere and spirit of the place. 
The sim has its own music stream by Serene Footman and is quite lovely to hear. Recently there were a couple of days of Bowie playing 24/7 and during the exhibit of portraits this past weekend, Moon Edenbaum selected music to loop through the viewing as accompaniment. 
There’s a very active Flickr Group. Photo contests are held; the first one allowed everyone to vote, the second will be voted on by the entrants for simplicity. The winning photo is displayed on the sim and the photographer picks the next theme. The current theme is “Cold” and the winner will be announced on the 7th.
Fashion photographers are welcome as well as landscape, art and any combination of such. There’s a group one can join for the purpose of rezzing temporary props. I’ve not seen it abused; The Janitor does a great job.
Machinima is allowed too; I asked. Unlike photography, permission is supposed to have been obtained to film someone’s place. (This is often overlooked and is most often not a problem.)
This is one of the well photographed scenes at Furillen.
I find the place inspires happiness and creativity in me. I’m all for enlightenment and the higher dimensions as many are and often don’t experience them as pastel, neon or flashing. Being easily over-stimulated, I’m not seeking frenetic visuals that promise to maybe “break my computer”. The word soul comes to my mind. Part of it may be the suggestion of those lives where we could hear ourselves think and were very much in tune with our environment.
There are attractive donation sites conveniently scattered about the sim. Furillen isn’t commercial or subsidized and donations are important.
The best way to keep up with Furillen insights and information is to follow the Furillen blog, which I find refreshing to read. On some of those days when my eyes are glazed over from information on the internet, this blog is still appealing and makes sense to me. Often there’s simply a photo of the day.
The blog is also important for understanding the details of unique events to be held. This past weekend, Shooting the Shooters, a portrait exhibit of some of the photographers at Furillen by Moon Edenbaum was available for two days, which turned into three. There was seating to watch the portraits projected onto the screen at a pace that allowed for taking things in without blocking everything else out and feeling frazzled. It was kind of hypnotic.
The music was selected by Moon Edenbaum to accompany the portraits. A photographers name would be projected along with some descriptive words such as “the secret of a moving body” and “a tender step towards a dream”. Then the photographers portrait was shown.
It was refreshing to be welcomed and hear others being welcomed by the photographer and Serene Footman. I was also thanked by both as I was leaving. 
As many photogenic spots as there are at Furillen, I have most enjoyed shooting in the hotel rooms.
Million Happy Endings 