Month: May 2023

For the April / May / June build at *80 Days*, Camila Runo offers people the opportunity to roam a small corner of America’s frontier Old West, with a visit to Wind River, a small settlement in the middle of the mid-West, where cattle are brought it for possible herding along the trails to wherever the nearest railhead might be, and from there by rail to feed the towns and cities of either coast.

Get that Old West feeling at WIND RIVER! A dusty cowtown, a native village and vast plains with wildlife and epic sceneries are waiting for you. Stop by and enjoy.

– Wind River About Land description

Quite what brought this little town into being is hard to say. Evidence suggests that the location was much used by native Americans – who have an encampment close to hand -, so perhaps there’s a local aquifer that provides good drinking water, even if the “river” of the setting’s name appears to be absent (indeed, the name “Wind River” might either be the westernisation of the Native American for this broad valley running between hills and mountains and forming a corridor along which the dusty wind is prone to barrel, or is perhaps a touch of dry cowboy humour, given that self-same wind as it blow dust up and across the town).

Perhaps that aquifer, and its distance between significant points of habitation / commerce made the location a ideal point for the Pony Express to establish a waystation where horses and riders could rest-up, then when the Wells Fargo Company came through, using the old Pony Express routes as the easiest means to transport passengers from point-to-point, expanding the old waystation into a full-blown stopover. With this in mind, it’s easy to imagine some enterprising individual coming up with the idea to build a hotel to offer tired passengers with a comfortable overnight stay in a warm bed (for a small price!), the hotel in turn encouraging the rest of the town to grow up before it to become a natural focal point for the local small-hold ranchers to bring their cattle ready to join forces and drive them on to the railhead, as noted above.

Whatever the story behind its origins, it’s clear that Wind River has grown into a small, but vibrant place of commerce; beside the hotel, its Main Street boasts a bank, a large saloon, a bathhouse, and medical-come-veterinary-come-dental practice, a good sized general store, an undertaker, its own town sheriff (complete with gallows to the rear!) and a town hall / court house where some of those incarcerated in the sheriff’s cell might presumably find themselves prior to making a journey onwards to said gallows…

From the flags hanging outside the town hall, I’d guess the time period for the setting lay some time between early 1867 and the start of 1890. I say this because while the flags are short one red stripe, they do contain 38 stars, and while Colorado did not officially become the 38th state of the United States until 1876, a Stars and Stripes with 38 stars was commonly in use in the period from early 1867 through until the start of 1890, when the former Dakota Territory was formed into the states of North and South Dakota.

In support of the above, I’d also note that the town hall celebrates all of the US presidents from Washington through to Grover Cleveland, whose portrait take pride of place behind the main desk / judge’s bench, suggesting he is the current incumbent of the White House  “back east”. As he first took office as president in 1885, this tends to further confirm the setting as being set some time between then and 1889.

The landing point for the setting sits within the stables located at one end of the town’s Main Street, facing down the hotel at the far end. It’s not a long walk down to the hotel, and it is one worth taking as the buildings flanking the dry, dusty street are all furnished in keeping with the setting’s time period and offer opportunities for photography along the way. The raised sidewalks also have some nice touches, such as the planks reaching between the Sheriff’s office and the undertaker’s and town hall; it was not uncommon for the streets of frontier town to turn to quagmires after heavy rains, and so planks connected the raised sidewalks fronting building in this manner were not uncommon, helping townsfolk minimise the need to slog through sucking mud that could be ankle-deep.

For those who prefer, the stables offer a horse rezzer at the hitching post outside, allowing the rest of the landscape to be explored from the relative comfort of a saddle. A trail pointing north from here leads the way past the cow pens to where the main Wells Fargo station sits, a newly-arrived stage sitting outside. Along the way the trail passes a fork leading to one of the small homestead ranches, while the chuck wagons of another ranch crew are parked on the grassland just off the trail – presumably belonging to those who have herded the cattle now contained within the town’s pens.

This is a place where bison still roam – possibly another cause for the presence of Native Americans – and a small group can also be encountered grazing quietly, although a large bear is watching them and possibly weighing the odds of being able to pull down old of the older members of the little herd and have himself a meal.

Away to the south-west of the town, a long shoulder of rock descends from the mountains to act as a natural buffer between the the town and a small Native American encampment. With teepees arranged around a central fire pit and ponies grazing free, the encampment serves a special purpose, as explained by the information card available from the landing point:

Inside one of the teepees there’s small museum of Native American History (late 19th/early 20th century). There are several dream catchers with old photos of indigenous people. Once you touch them, you will get a notecard with information about a certain tribe. Please note that the choice of tribes displayed here doesn’t reflect any personal preference of the sim owners! It should be considered a representative cross section to raise our visitors’ awareness of the past and the today’s life situation of the Native Americans in general.

There are some small anachronisms present in the build (the saloon features a pianola for example (an instrument which wasn’t available until 1896) which can be heard playing Joplin’s The Entertainer (which wasn’t written until 1902); however, I’d say that such anachronisms actually add a further little quirk to the setting, rather than taking anything away from it. Anyway, they are more than compensated for by those little additional touches of authenticity mentioned above, and which also include a reward poster for one Dave Allen “Mysterious Dave” Mather, a man who led a very interesting (if not untypical for the period) life – eventually more than living up to his sobriquet, given so little is known about his fate!

Rich in detail and atmosphere (do make sure you have local sounds enabled when visiting!) Wind River is another superb setting from Camila and her co-owner, ZamiTio.

SLurl Details

• Wind River (Infinite spirt, rated Moderate)

Tucked away on a finger of land extending out into the sea on the north-west coast of Nautilus, is the idyllic retreat of [REN], designed and held by Noa (Noa Cloud). Occupying a touch under 13,000 square metres on a Full Mainland region, it is another example of how less can be more when creating a public environment, as well as presenting a fusion of ideas to offer a captivating setting for people to visit.

According to the teleport board at the landing point, the setting has four areas to which visitors can be transported; however, three are within easy walking distance of one another, meaning it is really only the gallery space which requires a teleport assist in order to be reached. Plus, there is a little secret within the location awaiting discovery.

 

The teleport station sits between two of the ground-level locations: the Japanese Garden and the Salon Garden. The former is the largest element of the build, sitting above the Salon Garden and connected to it by a stone stairway descending from the landing point. Loosely split into two parts, the Japanese Garden offers loosely paved paths flowing around a summer house largely furnished with western sensibilities but offering a Japanese tearoom. Across the path from this sits a massage table / bench fronts a waterfall – the first of several in the gardens.

A wisteria draped arch alongside the falls provides access to an “inner” garden bounded to one side by more waterfalls. Rich with flower in bloom, pools of water and a smaller summer house set ready for a music recital, this “inner” garden is rich in the sound of bird song. It is a place where one can come to relax and unwind. The paths winding through this garden lead the way to where a second, smaller Zen garden and gravel path run down one side of the little summer house and under the shade of trees, leading the way back to the main house.

As well as offering walks around the garden, one of the paths alongside the main house points the way to where a grassy slope drops down to a broad ledge overlooking a small beach, a set of steps completing the way down to the sands.  The beach curves around the coastline of the setting, skirting the cliffs and passing by a boardwalk leading out over the water to where a pavilion sits surrounded by the waves, awaiting couples who might enjoy a dance.

Two further set of stone steps climb back up from the beach. The first rises to face the front of the salon itself, the two separated by a wide paved path. Outdoor seating provides light refreshment, whilst inside the salon is the opportunity for more music and a touch of afternoon tea or an aperitif, depending on your preference.

Sitting behind the salon is a garden of roses and tulips where deer and a hare roam (or float!) whilst an owl watches over an outdoor reading nook. Steps alongside the nook lead up to the Japanese garden, while a second set of steps rise from an archway to a further small garden, complete with waterfalls of its own, providing an additional quiet retreat.

Throughout all of this there are numerous places to sit and pass the time, and – as if it needs stating – lots of opportunities for photography. There is also, should you find it, the opportunity for a romantic (and literally candle-lit) dinner tucked out-of-sight from the rest of the world. Finding your way too it is not hard – but I’m saying no more about it her; the clue is in the setting’s About Land description. After that, you just need to look behind the curtain – so to speak.

The gallery mentioned above is home to Noa’s own Second Life photography, which is itself engaging and representative of the natural look of Second Life locations. Also as noted earlier, it requires teleporting to reach it – just accept the location’s Experience when touching any board for the first time (subsequent teleports within the setting will be automatic).

Beautifully presented and a joy to visit, [REN] is finished with a subtle sounds cape and presents both restful and engaging to the eye. My thanks to Shawn Shakespeare for the pointer!

SLurl Details

• [REN] (Strutter rated Moderate)

You won’t find Fitzwilliam Darcy waiting to host you at Pemberley, the Full region in Second Life … Nor, to be honest, will you find any grand manor house ready to captivate your gaze from afar, or signs of the gardens and English countryside across which  Elizabeth Bennet first caught sight of the house.

– This blog, December 2021

These are the words I used to open my last article concerning Pemberley, the private Full region held by Jude Mortensen, NataliaLinn and Aria Christen, and which borrows its name from Jane Austin’s Pride and Prejudice, when I visited it in late 2021.

Well, times have changed, and Pemberley recently re-opened to the public with a new look for the summer of 2023 – and I should here offer apologies to Aria, Jude and NataliaLinn for being unable to take up their invitation to visit ahead of said re-opening; time hasn’t been on my side for extensive SL explorations of late.

True, there is still no grand house nor formal gardens per se, to be found within the new design, which has been visualised by Aria, and elements might appear a little wilder in places than one might expect to find in Regency Hertfordshire; however, these matters are of trifling import. What is presented is a setting intended to encompass the romance and visual richness of Austin’s novel, and I have little doubt she or her leading character would feel at home walking the paths and gardens here.

A visit starts towards the south of the region, the landing point sitting within a folly so typical of Regency gardens, lifted above the surrounding landscape by the helpful shoulder of a hill. From here, the path gently descends into the gardens below, passing between two ranks of trees, their boughs raised up over the path like an honour guard holding aloft their swords, an ancient and bent tree at their head standing like some grizzled Sergeant-Major holding the rank to its discipline.

Descending by way of steps laid into the ground using logs cuts to size, the path slopes down to where a raise stone terrace sits atop four paved ramps, itself crowned by an octagonal fountain. This perhaps offers the first hint that the setting is designed to capture the romance embodied in Austin’s Pride and Prejudice, rather than represent it: the date carved into the door lintels sitting below the main platform suggest it may have been constructed during the Victorian era.

With three further ways down from the fountain, visitors have a choice or routes for onwards exploration. It doesn’t matter which is taken as they all offer a sense of romance and mystique as they are followed. To the east, for example, the ramp drops down to where the path immediately splits, one arm pointing north to were the outlines of a high wall might be seen through the foliage, the other pointing due east to pass through an archway formed by the split, twisted trunk of another ancient tree, and thence through a vine and clematis draped hall hinting at something waiting beyond.

That “something” is in fact the remains of a once magnificent structure dating well back prior to the Regency period. The great arches set into the remaining walls at ground level suggests this may have once been an abbey of some kind, the stonework within the arches looking as though it may once have supported stained glass.

Together with the flagstones still visible despite nature’s attempts down the centuries to reclaim the ground, the walls enclose a space with a sense of enchantment about it, dominated by a single massive wall to one hinting at its former glory. Now, wisteria weep their blossom and teardrop chandeliers around the edges of this cloister-like setting, the flagstones lying across it suggesting they are awaiting the arrival of guests for an open-air summer ball.

The other arm of the path runs past a gardener’s cart and onwards up to a gate on the wall, providing access to a summer house set within its own courtyard. Here again is the richness of dichotomy found within Pemberley. On the one hand, it’s not hard to imagine the likes of Ms. Bennet and Mr. Darcy strolling through the garden to come to this grand summer house so they might sit in genteel conversation – or which Elizabeth and her sisters might consider it a marvellous place to spend an afternoon. However, sitting within the courtyard are thoroughly modern bicycles, whilst inside is a very modern coffee house / café in terms of the overall furnishings and much of the beverage selection!

The remaining paths similarly lead to or past various locations to be found within the gardens. These include an alternate path up to the summer house, further follies and remnants of structures that might be related to the former abbey (or they might not be!), bridges which reach back and forth over the local stream and in one corner, a cosy little house where it is possible to imagine the Bennet family sitting down to a meal. The beauty here is that, whichever path you take, you will eventually find the means via intersections, bridges and steps, to find your way completely around the setting and perhaps even to the little rowing boat and its own sense of romance.

Sitting under its own environment settings – although I admit I did opt to haul the Sun a little higher into the sky for the photos herein – Pemberley is highly photogenic and makes for a rich and rewarding visit. Do make sure to have your local sounds on for the fullest experience, and if so minded, share your images in the Pemberley Flickr group (link in the region’s description.

My thanks again to NataliaLinn, Aria and Jude for their invitation, and to Shawn Shakespeare for the reminder that I really should get my rear end over to the region and explore!

SLurl Details

• Pemberley (rated Moderate)