Author: Inara Pey

Eclectic virtual world blogger with a focus on Second Life, VR, virtual environments and technology.

SL20B Lab Gab Special: Patch Linden – summary notes

Posted on by Inara Pey
via Linden Lab
On Monday, June 26th, Linden Lab streamed a special session of Lab Gab featuring Vice President of Product Operations, Patch Linden.

The interview was built around questions submitted by users in the wake of the announcement of the session, together with those asking during the session via the live and  asked via You Tube audiences.

Notes:

  • The following is a summary, not a full transcript of everything said.
  • Timestamps to the video are included within each topic / sub-topic.
 Table of Contents

About Patch Linden

[Video: 5:09-14:10]

  • Originally a Second Life resident and business owner who joined the platform in 2004, and became a Linden in September 2007.
  • Initially worked as a support agent and then as a support liaison. From there he moved to the Concierge team, eventually becoming that team’s manager.
  • Shifted focus to the role of Operations Support Manager for a year, then moved to the Product group, the team responsible for defining the features, etc., found within Second Life.
  • At Product he developed the Land Operations team, which includes the Linden Department of Public Works (LDPW).
  • In 2018, he established the company’s support office in Atlanta, Georgia, and in 2020 he oversaw the move to larger office space in Atlanta, interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • In 2019 he was promoted to Vice President, Product Operations.
  • Together with Grumpity, Mojo and Brett Linden, he forms the leadership team overseeing Second Life’s continued development.
  • In his management team role, Patch continues to oversee all of the Lab’s user support operations (some 5 teams), including the LDPW.

Premium Membership and Linden Home Announcements

[Video 1 – 20:07-25:44]

Premium Membership Benefits

  • No specific announcements on additional benefits, but this is something LL are constantly reviewing to see what fits with the overall structure of Premium and Premium Plus.

SecondLifeTime Memberships

  • Two limited-time offers.
  • SecondLifeTime Plus:
    • All of the features of the current Premium
    • Limited to 200 users.
    • Once-time charge of US $749.
  • SecondLifeTime Premium Plus:
    • All of the features of the current Premium Plus
    • Limited to 20 users.
    • Once-time charge of US $1749.
  • Requests must be made via support ticket.
  • It may take time for requests to be responded to.
  • Please see this blog post or this official announcement for more.

Linden Homes

[Video: 14:25-20:06]

  • The next Linden Home theme to be released with the the Ranch Theme, which is dropping as a part of SL20B.
    • These are for Premium Plus subscriptions only, and have a 2048 sq m land parcel.
    • There are 7 styles within the theme.
    • They have a land impact of 703 LI.
    • The will not be subject to region request support tickets until July 10th.
    • See my blog post on the theme for more.
  • The next release after this is code-named “Thousand Island” – which is a hint as to the theme – and the code-name derived from salad dressings (coming off the back of “ranch” – geddit?).
  • [Video: 1:10:23-1:10:58] The Linden Homes web pages will be updated so that if you already have a Linden Home, it will be possible to see if a theme you’d like to switch to is currently available, rather than having to abandon your existing home in order to see the list of available themes via the web page .
Premium Plus Ranch Theme – June 2023

New User Experience (NUX)

[Video – 25:58-35:40]

New Starter Mesh Avatar

  • These were previewed at SL19B but are still to be released.
  • In the interim, the avatars have undergone further testing and approvement.
  • The project now has an overall brand name  – Senra (which fits with the Linden branding, given the latter is a tree and Senra is a genus of plant).
  • Alongside the new avatars, LL has developed a full line of clothing, accessories and attachments, which will be released at the same time as the avatars.
  • A devkit with licensing agreement, for creators wishing to support the new avatar ecosystem and producing clothing and accessories they may wish to sell into that environment, is also in the final stages of preparation for release.
  • These avatars and their clothing / accessories lines (both from LL and creators) will be featured in the new Welcome Hub shopping areas (see below).
  • The entire system is almost now ready for release, and is just waiting on a couple of pieces to be put into place. One of these is on the web side of SL, where incoming new users will be able to select an avatar and customise it .
A preview version of the new, single mesh (head-to-toe) avatars now under the Senra brands, as originally unveiled at SL19B in June 2021 

New Welcome / Community Hubs

  • The new Motown Experience and the additional regions are a new Welcome Hub Experience.
  • It comprises multiple regions built around a central Welcome Area, which is part of the renewed Mentor programme.
  • Please see my blog post Linden Lab and Motown: a new approach to user on-boarding in Second Life.
  • This will be the model for future Welcome / Community Hubs.
  • The shopping area within the Hub idea will include times for the NUX Avatar described above, feature other items aimed at new starters, with stores being periodically rotated for different creators.
  • Within the current Hub, the Motown Experience will continue to be expanded in terms of events and offerings.
  • Other partnerships along this line are under consideration, and may be seen Soon™.

Initiatives in Development: TV Show Partnership

[Video: 35:41-37:00]

  • As noted above, the new Welcome Hub features a partnership with Capitol Record Group via their Motown label.
  • This is the latest in a series of partnership with external organisations (Adult Swim, Zenescope, Film Threat, etc.).
  • These are likely to continue.
  • Currently, development is in the works to see Second Life featured in a “fairly significant TV show” which is currently airing (at least in the US, if not on streaming services in general – details were not made clear – and about to enter its 2nd season). Within it, SL will have a “pretty prominent placement”.

Mainland Development

[Video: 49:59-54:26]

  • Due to the volume of work the LDPW is committed to, there have been changes in priority for various projects, meaning resources do get swapped between projects according to demand.
  • However, there are a number of Mainland initiatives underway, which may not always be particularly visible, but which are proceeding as resources allow (e.g. ongoing work to improve the Second Life Railroad (SLRR) and Mainland roads infrastructure).
  • As the page is turned with regards to the old Linden Homes themes and mini-continents, it is anticipated that more Mainland-focused work and activities will come to prominence. For example (and allowing for their historical value) Mainland Hubs might be given an update / refresh in the future).
  • In addition, it is likely that new features such as the upcoming PBR Terrain project (see: 2023 week #20: SL CCUG meeting summary: mirrors and PBR terrain – this blog, and Sneak Peek: Shaking Up the Terrain with Physically-Based Rendering – official blog, for details), although it was noted that care with this would have to be taken in how this is done to ensure full and proper consistency across regions and parcels.
  • Mainland residents with ideas for Mainland improvements can (preferably) submit them as Feature Requests through the  Second Life Jira, although they can be accepted via a Support ticket.

General Q&A

  • General observations in opening comments:
    • Linden avatars may at times be carrying a tablet. This is apparently clickable and related to the Bellisseria / Mainland passport system (run via the Bellisseria Bureau of Bureaucracy – residents who have a BBB passport can touch an Linden’s tablet and obtain their “passport stamp”.
    • The inclusion of Adult themed regions at SLB20B and the Shop and Hop was a conscious decision to express all of SL’s diversity at a milestone event.
  • [Video: 40:19-42:55] Last Names:
    • Will previously-offered Last Names be brought back? – Probably not, unless the name generates an exceptional number of requests for it to be brought back – and even then it would mean reversing a public statement that “used” Last Names would not be re-featured.
    • Will the cadence of new Last Name options be increased? – releases have largely been with an event / seasonal focus (with some themed offerings as well). It is unlikely this will change.
  • [Video: 43:00-45:40] Adult Linden Home Regions:
    • This has been requested from time-to-time.  However, as:
      • Adult activities / furnishings are permitted in private homes within Moderate Regions (+ Parcel Privacy can be invoked),
      • And additional research by the Lab suggests there is not a general request for residential places with Adult activities can be acted on in public,
      • It is not seen as offering benefit at present, at least in terms of replicating the current themes of Linden Homes within Adult-rated regions.
    • That said, this doesn’t preclude the potential for a special “Adult Theme” of Linden Homes within their own regions, were sufficient demand to arise. There are just no plans in the works for anything like this at present.
  • [Video 45:49-47-29] Zindra / Horizons:
    • Is Zindra (the Adult continent) ever going to be “finished” (in regards to shape, coastlines, etc)?
      • Yes. There are plans to add on to the Adult continent. However, this may not be done utilising the current Zindra “theme”.
      • Rather there are plans in development which may result in a complete overhaul / update of Zindra (at least in terms of the core builds by the LDPW).
    • Is it possible to order Private regions attached to Zindra or the Adult Horizons regions? – Yes, but with a caveat:
      • LL operate the Community Land Partnership Programme (CLPP), and requests for Private regions to join with LL continents as a whole (including Zindra and Horizons) must comply with the requirements of this programme.
  • [Video: 47:47-49:50] Can users consult with LL directly over issues of ToS, copyright, and other policies?
    • The best route for general enquiries / questions on matter of TOS and other SL policies as enforced by LL is via Support, who can generally answer general questions and provide assistance with navigating the policies to gain a clearer understanding.
    • However, Support (and user-facing LL staff in general) cannot consult on legal matters or provide any form of legal advice or recommendations, although very specific questions might be escalated to the Legal Dept for feedback.
    • Where matters of TOS / Community Standards  / violations are concerned, users should file these via the Abuse Report mechanism.
  • [Video: 54:55-58:34] The SL20B Sweepstakes:
  • [Video: 58:46-1:03:39] Demographics over the years:
    • There have been shifts in demographics over the years, some of which are clearly visible in-world, thanks to the changing face of content creation (e.g. from hobbyists happy to bang prims together to semi-professional mesh creators).
    • There have also been other shifts that have been visible – from the technically curious and engaged to the more socially-seeking users (in terms of making connections, seeking social events, etc.).
    • Demographics and changing patterns as a whole are something the Lab tracks as a part of efforts to try to encourage more people to enter SL and become engaged with it.
    • This will continue in the future as LL continue to seek to engage and draw and keep SL vibrant and active as a platform. It may include casting back to older initiatives and trying them again (hence the recent informal Twitter poll by Alexa Linden on Teen Grid and perhaps bringing that back), if it is believed they might work – not that a return of Teen Grid is currently in the works.

Looking at the Linden Premium Plus Homes Ranch theme in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Premium Plus Ranch Theme – June 2023

On Monday June 26th, Linden Lab launched the first Linden Homes theme expressly for Premium Plus subscribers. As had been promised, the theme is “Ranch”, and comprises a total of seven styles. Also as promised, these houses are on 2048 sq metre parcels with a land capacity of 703 LI. For the initial release, a total of 28 regions have been established by LL, located in their own group alongside Bellisseria’s major Stilt Home regions.

The houses themselves are of various footprint, the smallest looking suitable for a 512 s m parcel, and the largest looking like they might feel a little squeezed were they to sit on a 1024 sq m of a Premium home. Here, however, they fit the plots well, although the little cabin-style units do – to my eyes – look very out-of-place.

Premium Plus Ranch Theme: the Stable View (the Spring View is almost identical, but with a slightly smaller footprint)

The landscaping around the houses is well designed, undulating nicely to offer different heights throughout, dirt tracks offering through routes and drives which almost reach onto the parcels. The latter are marked by fences which exist just outside of their boundaries, given a nice sense of property without encroaching on the parcel LI. Lanterns hang from posts which have an unfortunate resemblance to a simple gallows whilst grain silos, water towers, tractors, windmills and other items perhaps common to ranchlands helping to give a sense of place.

As well as presenting different footprints, the houses are a mix of single and two storey units, all framed and clad in wood and incorporating the expected porches. All of those set out for viewing in the region are referenced as “open plan”, even though they have individual rooms. However, whether this means the versions rezzed by default are “open plan”, with their more open spaces to be sub-divided at the owner’s discretion, whilst there are other versions available through the rezzers with their larger interior spaces already sub-divided, or whether these seven styles with their mix of open-plan spaces and individual rooms marks the entire theme, I’ve no idea. However, given I am unsure, the following descriptions may not fully reflect all of the the styles available via the rezzers:

  • Buffalo Pastures: a large house with 1.5 floors. A full-length front porch with double doors provides access to to a large front-to-back room with rear door accessing a smaller porch. A second front-to-rear room features a staircase at the front rising to a galleried landing and single upper floor room.
    • Grizzly Point: essentially the same as the above, but with larger footprint to allow a larger main room on the lower floor.
  • Creek Stone: a small cabin-style house, with front and rear porches. This appears to either only have a single room, or is presented only in its open-plan format.
  • Knotty Pine: a large, single-storey building with full-length porch to the front and half-length porch to the rear. A single front door provides access to a large front-to-back main room with a door to rear porch. A central hallway parallels the main room, providing access to three further rooms, all with doors and with front, side and rear aspect views respectively, as well as connecting to the main room via both an arched entry and a door towards the rear of the room. A hatchway within this hall provides access to a loft area (with fold-down steps).
Premium Plus Ranch Theme: Silver Spurs
  • Sliver Spurs: a single-storey L-shaped house with full-length front porch and centre-placed rear porch to half length. A single front door provides access to the main room with views to the rear aspect and door to the porch. An inner hall provides access to two additional rooms.
  • Stable View: a large two-storey house featuring full-length front and rear porches and double front doors opening into an entrance hall with dogleg stairs to upper floor. Two large connecting rooms (both connecting to the entrance hall on the lower floor. Galleried upper floor landing leading to two side-by-side bedrooms on one side and a further bedroom on the other.
    • Spring View: similar to the Stable view, but with slightly smaller footprint and only featuring the two upper side-by-side bedrooms.

I’m not entirely sure what it is with this theme – or whether I’m just increasingly jaded – but I admit to finding them lacking appeal and character. Out of the seven styles, Grizzly Point and Stable View are little more than Buffalo Pastures and Spring View on a light dose of steroids, whilst several of the builds seem to have deliberately oddly-shaped permanent (i.e. those with fixed doors) rooms, some of which seemed cramped even sans furnishing. And while the Knotty Pine does have a novelty of an attic (with window), it’s not enough to lift it into the realm of “like” for me. There is also the weird novelty of stone chimneys rising from several of the designs but without any connection to an actual fireplace. Whist this obviously leaves a freedom of choice as to any actual fireplace actually installed on the part of the owner, it still potentially limits where any fireplace might go if sensibilities of look are to be maintained, which seems to defeat the object – so why not just include one to start with?

Premium Plus Ranch Theme: Grizzly Point (the Buffalo Pastures is almost identical, but with a slightly smaller footprint)

Which is not to say the Theme isn’t proving popular. Whilst writing this piece, the houses around me were being snapped up with horses and stables appearing even before furnishings! For those who are Premium Plus and who like horse riding, will likely find much to enjoy with this theme. For me, however, it’s not enough to tip me anywhere close to considering pumping my subscription up to PP.

SLurl Details

Linden Lab launches SecondLifeTime Premium and SecondLifeTime Premium Plus

Posted on by Inara Pey
via Linden Lab

 

Update: following the publication of this article, Linden Lab published their own official announcement blog post.

On Monday, June 26th, Linden Lab announced a pair of “limited availability lifetime memberships”, wherein Second Life users have the opportunity to make a one-time payment to Linden Lab in return for a “lifetime” membership to Second Life based on either the Premium Account type or the Premium Plus account type.

Offered as a part of the Second Life 20th Birthday celebrations, these memberships are described by Linden Lab as follows:

For Second Life’s 20th birthday, we will be offering a limited number of lifetime memberships for both Premium and Premium Plus! This will give Residents who upgrade to this membership type the benefits of a Premium or Premium Plus membership for the lifetime of their account! You can see a comprehensive list of what Premium and Premium Plus Memberships are being granted on a first come first serve basis. 

– Part of the LifeTime Memberships announcement

In short, these accounts:

  • Feature a one-off payment.
  • Provide all of the benefits applicable to either the Premium Account subscription package or the Premium Plus Account subscription package, depending on which LifeTime membership is applied for.
    • The currently list of benefits for each account type can be found here.
  • Cost:
    • US $749.00 at the time of upgrade for SecondLifeTime Premium.
    • US $1,749.00 at the time of upgrade for SecondLifeTime Premium Plus.
  • Are limited to:
    • 200 applications for SecondLifeTime Premium.
    • 20 applications for SecondLifeTime Premium Plus.
  • Will remain in effect:
    • Even if the account holder cancels their membership – if they re-join later, they will be able to continue with their Second LifeTime membership.
    • As long as Second Life remains operational.
  • Due to there nature, LifeTime memberships:
    • May not be available to upgrade to other account types (e.g. from SecondLifeTime Premium to Premium Plus). However, requests for upgrade can be submitted via support ticket for case-by-case review.
    • Will not be available for downgrade, but will become the base-level membership account type for the holder.
  • Are being granted on a first-come, first-serve basis.

For further details, visit the official support announcement page.

How To Apply

Applications can be made by Support Ticket only.

  • Go to the Second Life Support portal.
  • Click the orange Submit A Ticket button on the top right of any page of the support portal, and sign in if you have not already.
  • In the support ticket form, select the ticket type Account Issue, and choose Request SecondLifetime Premium Account from the second drop down that appears.
  • Select which membership type you would like – SecondLifeTime Premium or SecondLifeTime Premium Plus.
  • Check the box that states, I accept the fee. This will be required for support ticket submission, and will allow your membership to be processed as quickly as possible.
  • Fill out any additional necessary details in the description section (e.g. if you have recently renewed either your Premium or Premium Plus subscription, add the date of renewal) and click Submit.
  • Allow up to 10 business days for Second LifeTime membership support ticket requests to be processed.

 

Of art, embryos and the Solstice in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
PsyGallery, June 2023: TerraMerhyem – Embryos

It was back to Psygallery, operated and curated by Twister Grut in mid-June for me, this time to view another pairing of exhibitions within the gallery spaces by two very different artists. While each is entirely independent of the other, they nevertheless might be seen as being linked by a thread of – well, life (or at least, within the context of celebrating life).

Within the two-level main hall of PsyGallery sits Embryos by TerraMerhyem. No liner notes are provided for this selection of work, spanning as it does both static and animated pieces. However, given it is by Terra, you can expect it to be nothing short of expressive, and each of the pieces visually engaging. The one set of notes that are provided come in the form of reminders on the floor of each level within the gallery that Advanced Lighting Model should be enabled (Preferences → Graphics → make sure the option is checked) in order to see the works at their best.

PsyGallery, June 2023: TerraMerhyem – Embryos

For most of us, the term embryo most likely brings to mind the stage of human life following fertilisation through until the  ninth week after conception, with mental images of of the growing embryo lying within the womb as it commences its journey towards / into life. Some of this is perhaps evident in the static pieces presented here by Terra, showing as they do male and female human forms contained within protective spheres, like embryos within the womb. However, give that the figures in their spheres are fully-formed adults means this is not an artistic treatise on life per se; rather it is perhaps more of a comment on the fact that from beginning to end, life is a continuous process of growth, maturation, change and – for all of its gregarious opportunities – ultimately isolated and individual.

That no influence is exerted by the artist on how we opt to interpret these pieces, thus leaving us free to interpret them as some form of commentary – per the above – or purely as purely visually engaging, highly creative and imaginative pieces of art similarly enhances the appeal of the 2D pieces; allowing each to be taken as a whole unto itself, or – in the case of four of the pieces – artistic pairings.

Similarly, how we interpret the animated pieces, which mix 2D and 3D creations, is left to out own processes of thought and reaction to art and design. Utilising geometry, images and colour to rich effect, these are pieces literally pulsating – one might say beating with the rhythm of a healthy heart – in a manner which is strikingly beautiful whilst still carrying that suggestion of life and change we might opt to see as a possible message within the static pieces, through both the regularity of their pulsations and their gently repeating motions.

PsyGallery, June 2023: Canaris Restless – Summer Solstice

On the uppermost level of the gallery, and reached via the teleport board is Summer Solstice, a series of images by Canaris Restless offered as a visual essay on the subject of the titular event and how it is viewed by different cultures, past and present.

As Canaris notes, the Summer Solstice has been, and remains for many, a time of new beginnings, and / or renewal of life and growth; a time when all that is good about life is celebrated as the cycle of life moves ever forward; and within this might be ween the thread linking both of these exhibitions into something of a themed whole, if one chooses to do so.

The smaller of the two installations, Summer Solstice is marked by Canaris’ elegant photography captured within Second Life and by free-standing displays of (literally) heliocentric art reminding us of the reality that the Sun – whilst perhaps not worshipped as once it was – truly remains the most prominent giver of life for our world.

PsyGallery, June 2023: Canaris Restless – Summer Solstice

Two very visually engaging exhibitions by two very different artists they many, but Embryos and Summer Solstice do compliment one another in terms of potential themes and ideas, so do be sure to see both when visiting.

SLurl Details

2023 SL viewer release summaries week #25

Posted on by Inara Pey
Logos representative only and should not be seen as an endorsement / preference / recommendation

Updates from the week through to Sunday, June 25th, 2023

This summary is generally published every Monday, and is a list of SL viewer / client releases (official and TPV) made during the previous week. When reading it, please note:

  • It is based on my Current Viewer Releases Page, a list of all Second Life viewers and clients that are in popular use (and of which I am aware), and which are recognised as adhering to the TPV Policy. This page includes comprehensive links to download pages, blog notes, release notes, etc., as well as links to any / all reviews of specific viewers / clients made within this blog.
  • By its nature, this summary presented here will always be in arrears, please refer to the Current Viewer Release Page for more up-to-date information.
  • Note that for purposes of length, TPV test viewers, preview / beta viewers / nightly builds are generally not recorded in these summaries.

Official LL Viewers

  • Release viewer: Maintenance S RC viewer, version 6.6.12.579987, dated May 11, promoted May 16.
  • Release channel cohorts (please see my notes on manually installing RC viewer versions if you wish to install any release candidate(s) yourself).
    • No updates.
  • Project viewers:
    • No updates.

LL Viewer Resources

Third-party Viewers

V6-style

  • No updates.

V1-style

Mobile / Other Clients

  • No update.

Additional TPV Resources

Related Links

Books, Coffee and Chairs in Second Life, oh my!

Posted on by Inara Pey
Reality Escape – Books, Coffee & Chairs – Oh My! – June 2023; click any image for full size

Coffee in large mugs and books I like reading
Bright covers calling and fresh beans for grinding
Stories that soar just like birds on the wing,
These are a few of my favourite things.

with apologies to the estate of Oscar Hammerstein II

Well, the above isn’t something you’ll find in the actual lyrics of any song coming out of the most unusual adaptation of The Sound of Music, let alone Favourite Things, but they are more-or-less what trundled through my odd little caffeine-fuelled mind on visiting the latest region design at Tripty’s (triptychlysl) Full region, Reality Escape.

Reality Escape – Books, Coffee & Chairs – Oh My! – June 2023

Books, Coffee & Chairs – Oh My! is exactly that – a celebration of three of Tripty’s (and dare I say, my own) favourite things in life; I personally love curling up with a book and a but mug of freshly-brewed coffee (straight from my own grinder by way of the coffeemaker and milk frother). More than this, however, is the fact that it is a genuinely engaging region worthy of a visit.

Trippy is not new to SL, although her Profile might suggest otherwise at first look. Who she might have been previously is not important; as she notes herself, sometimes in life, all one can do is walk away from something for a time. However, I’m glad that she has decided to return, because whilst I’ve never (knowingly, at least) met her, she has a core of creativity and imagination which results in the richness and beauty of her region builds.

Reality Escape – Books, Coffee & Chairs – Oh My! – June 2023

This is a simple, quiet and elegant region design that is easy on the eye and which can be easily enjoyed with a pleasant stroll; it is also a place with its own little quirks that add to the setting. The latter is evident directly at the landing point, sitting at the southern extent of the island. Here three little humps of grassy rock rise from the water, like mossy shells of turtles swimming along. The watery gaps between these three and the rest of the setting are spanned by bridges in the form of oars supported by books.

In addition, just across the water, at the point where the local stream reaches the surrounding waters, is an arch of chairs held aloft by statues. Shortly before reaching the sea, the stream passes over another channel of water by means of a culvert formed by the heavy forms of giant books. This not only marks the landing point as being separated completely from the main body of land, it further adds another element of quirky charm to the setting. The water channel is also crossed by a footbridge linking the fullness of the region with the landing point, beyond which a series of paths cross the grassy lands, offering multiple points of exploration.

Reality Escape – Books, Coffee & Chairs – Oh My! – June 2023

The land itself is home to a single building, located on one bank of the stream. A former wooden-framed greenhouse, it now formers a cosy, inviting café; a place where books and a beverage can be enjoyed indoors and out, according to one’s preference. It is a place packed with details and bric-a-brac which deserves not only a visit, but time taken to appreciate how much has been put into it.

For the rest of the setting the paths offer the best means of exploration as they meander gently northwards and into the hills towards that end of the setting. Exactly which of the two main paths you take from the café matters not. Both depart the riverside decking at the café (or if you prefer, you can saunter up the loosely laid stones of the café’s garden path to re-join the path leading away from the landing point). Whichever path visitors take, they will be guaranteed a reunion with the other main path around the mid-point of the island before they separate once more.

Reality Escape – Books, Coffee & Chairs – Oh My! – June 2023

The shorter of the two paths then continues on to a little east-facing bay and a campsite – one of many places visitors can sit and enjoy time or a quiet read. Further to the north, reached by the other path, the landscape climbs gently upwards to where a thumb of rock is raised over the rest of the setting, water tumbling from one side to feed the region’s stream. Crossed and re-crossed by the trail, the stream helps the many fields and meadows around the setting to bloom and the local trees to grow, offer fingers of shade to travellers and splashes of colour.

Throughout all of this are multiple places to sit and pass the time. Some are what might be called “conventional” – a rocking chair here, a tepee there and deck or two over the water, and so on. Others are more unusual -, or quirkily unexpected – a rack of bus-stop seats arranged as waterside seating; garden chairs converted to swings , benches forming steps and more oversized books helping to form the landscape, stepping up a slope like a garden fence.

Reality Escape – Books, Coffee & Chairs – Oh My! – June 2023

However, the truth is that this is a setting for which words are not enough; there is a beauty to Books, Coffee & Chairs – Oh My! that is captivating (not to mention photogenic). Add to this the attention to detail and decorative touches by Trippy, and this is the kind of place which should be seen first-hand. That said, I wouldn’t leave doing so for too long; Trippy tends to rework the region periodically, so Books, Coffee & Chairs – Oh My! might soon disappear; which in some respects will be a shame – although I’m also curious to see what new magic Trippy cooks up for people to enjoy.

SLurl Details