Loch Tredach Inn & Retreat, December 2024 – click any image for full size
Loch Tredach Inn & Retreat is a Full region leveraging the Land Capacity bonus offered by Linden Lab. It is held by Isabelle Larkspur, who is largely responsible for the region’s design and for most of it being available as a public venue. I caveat things here because most of the north-eastern quarter of the region is given over to a private home and extensive grounds, which means it is both private and the landscape is their own.
Given that this part of the region is a private residence, it will play no further role in this article, other than to note it is possible to accidently wander into the property from the north side of the rest of the region – which is open to the public throughout – without spotting the signs warning of the private property. Should you witness a change in the local environment as you explore the ruins beyond the Aviary, you will know you have crossed the property boundary and at risk of trespass.
Loch Tredach Inn & Retreat, December 2024
But that said, even in respecting the privacy of those living in the region, the rest of the setting offers a lot to see and appreciate, bringing together as it does a mix of wild countryside, mystical locations, romance and opportunities for skating, dancing and simply relaxing. At the time of my visit, the region was dressed for winter, and as it was my first visit, I have no idea if only the seasons change here through the year, or if the majority of the region goes through periodic re-dressing; that’s something I’ll have to find out in the future!
Welcome to the enchanting Loch Tredach Inn and Retreat – a place where romance, vibrancy, and magic come together to create unforgettable memories. Step into a realm where every corner is a canvas waiting to be painted with the hues of love and joy. Capture the essence of the season. Every nook and cranny offers a picturesque backdrop for your lens to capture candid moments, from secluded gardens to the mystical ruins.
– from the Loch Tredach Inn & Retreat Destination Guide entry
Loch Tredach Inn & Retreat, December 2024
The Landing Point sits towards the centre of the region, on the west bank of a frozen lake where snow falls in mist-like sheets, and a pavilion sits out over the frozen water, held up by stout wooden legs oblivious to the cold, and a fire in the hearth awaits the opportunity to warm cold fingers as it provides further cosiness to the pavilion’s genteel comfort. A somewhat Dwarven-looking Santa stand stands at the pavilion’s boardwalk, ready to offer skates to those wising to take to the ice.
From here, it is a short walk south and over a bridge spanning the bubbling stream that feed the lake to reach the inn of the setting’s title, its red timbers announcing the promise of warmth and comfort inside. Nestled between the inn and a shoulder of the curtain walls of rock that run from here to the west and then northward along the coast sits another pavilion, this one fully enclosed by tall glass windows and doors, the home of a hot tub ready for use by guests at the inn.
Loch Tredach Inn & Retreat, December 2024
A path from here runs towards the western rocks, and following it gives explorers the choice of crossing another bridge and heading north, or turning south over the snow and into the arms of the cliffs, where a romantic little hideaway overlooks the stream’s high falls, the tumbling waters offering a rainbow to visitors.
Meanwhile, the route north passes steps leading down to snowy shelf of rock with chairs drawn close against a blazing brazier, and onwards to where a folly presents a bookworm’s retreat – although the weather might be a tad cold for wintertime use; just as well, then, that another pavilion stands close by with a fire of its own, and comfortable seating where books might be reasonably carried and read.
Loch Tredach Inn & Retreat, December 2024
Beyond this, the path passes through a rocky hallway to arrive back close to the Landing Point. A round folly stands close by, looking down on the lake as it guards the entrance to the setting’s more mystical elements. Here, trees bend their backs to present an aisled walkway passing between rock wall and gentle slope to arrive at a beautiful venue suitable for a range of events – and which I believe I’m correct in saying is available for hire by those seeking somewhere special for a party or wedding or similar. Stone steps climb from the terrace overlooking this space to reach a mirror pond surrounded by crystal walls, within which more steps rise upwards through the clouds, presenting if not a stairway to heaven, then certainly one to a floating garden.
Overlooking the main venue with its flagstones serenely floating on the waters beneath and its beckoning ruins, sits the Aviary. Reached either by climbing another stairway rising up to it from the venue space or by climbing the slopes of the hill on which it sits from the Landing Point, the Aviary offers an indoor space suitable for a special events such as a wedding reception or more formal / romantic dance, and includes a terraced space outdoors with seating.
Loch Tredach Inn & Retreat, December 2024
As noted above, it is beyond the Aviary that the land belonging to the private residence commences, so explorers should proceed from it with caution. This residence can also be reached via the trails on the south side of the island as they cross a high bridge to the east of the in.
Here the boundary between public spaces is more obvious, a pond and fast-flowing stream (which also tumbles its way down to the lake below) marking it for all eyes to see. Prior to reaching the stream, however, the path offers a chance to visit the local café and lighthouse.
LLoch Tredach Inn & Retreat, December 2024
With Itan dancing columns throughout, multiple places to sit – not all of which are mentioned here – plus the general beauty of the setting, Loch Tredach Inn & Retreat makes for an ideal visit.
Blue Origin’s New Glenn performs a full 7-engine statis fire test at Space launch Complex 36, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, December 27th, 2024. Credit: Blue Origin
As we’re at the end of 2024, rather than looking back over the year, I thought I’d look ahead to some of the spaceflight events hopefully coming our way in 2025. Note this list intentionally does not include schedule missions to the ISS, SpaceX Starlink launches or test programmes, or similar.
New Glenn Maiden Flight
While Blue Origin didn’t meet their target to fly their new heavy lift launcher, New Glenn, before the end of 2024, the flight now looks set to go ahead in early January 2025. Specifically:
On December 27th, 2024, and after some delay, the company finally received a license from the FAA to conduct New Glenn launches out of Canaveral Space Force Station for five years.
That same day, the rocket, which has been on the pad for final testing, completely a full static fire test of its core stages engines. The test saw all seven core stage engines run for a total of 24 seconds, over half of which saw them throttle up to 100%.
While a launch date has not been disclosed by Blue Origin, an airspace advisory has been released referencing NG-1, the name of the flight, and warning of airspace restrictions around and over Florida’s Space Coast for the period 06:00 through 09:45 UTC on January 6th, 2025, with the option for a second airspace restriction being enforced at the same time on January 7th, 2025.
As I’ve previously noted, the flight will be carrying a prototype Blue Ring satellite platform capable of delivering up to 3 tonnes of payload to different orbits, as well as being able to carry out on-orbit satellite refuelling (as well as being refuelled in orbit itself) and transporting payloads between orbits. However, Blue Ring will not physically detach from the launch vehicle’s upper stage for the flight. Additionally, the flight is seen as the first of two flights required to certify New Glenn to fly United States Space Force national security and related payloads, and will hopefully see the first stage make a safe return to Earth and landing on the company’s Landing Platform Vessel 1, Jacklyn.
Japan Goes Lunar Roving
January is also the target month for Japan’s second attempt at a private lunar landing, in the form of the Hakuto-R Mission 2, developed by ispace. It is a follow-up to the Hakuto-R Mission 1, a technology demonstrator mission also launched by ispace, which took the “long way” to the Moon, covering a total of 1.4 million kilometres in a 5-month journey.
However, the lander and its payloads were lost during it landing attempt on April 23rd, 2023, after a disagreement between the main flight computer and the vehicle’s altimeter resulted in it entering a sustained hover some 5 km above the lunar surface, expending its propellants so it fell uncontrolled to the Moon’s surface.
The Hakuto-R lander Resilience with micro-rover Tenacious visible, undergoing final preparations at a JAXA facility in Tsukuba, Japan prior to being shipped to Kennedy Space Centre. Credit: ispace/JAXA
Like its predecessor, Hakuto-R Mission 2 comprises a lander vehicle some 2.5 metres tall and 2.3 metres wide intended to demonstrate a reliable small-scale lander capability with data transmission and relay capabilities for use as a part of the US-led Project Artemis. The lander will launch atop a SpaceX Falcon 9, but unlike it predecessor will head directly to the Moon, where it will land in Mare Frigoris, the Sea of Cold.
Once there, the lander – called Resilience – will deploy a micro-rover called Tenacious. Weighing just 5 kg, this has been built as a multi-role vehicle by a team in Luxembourg. Once deployed, it will demonstrate autonomous driving capabilities as it explores the area around the lander, and will also partner with the lander in an ISRU (in-situ resource utilisation) demonstration, attempting to extract water from the lunar surface, heating it and splitting the resultant steam into oxygen and hydrogen.
One of the team responsible for Tenacious checks the little rover before the cover is closed on the payload bay containing it. Credit: ispace
The mission will carry a number of additional payloads, perhaps the most unusual of which is Moonhouse, by Swedish artist Mikeal Genberg.
For 25 years, Genberg has had a dream about a little red house (“all house in Sweden are red!” he states) on the Moon; throughout that time he’s visualised it through art installations here on Earth, and has even seen one of his models flown aboard the space shuttle, courtesy of Swedish astronaut Christer Fuglesang. Now, Tenacious will carry one of Genberg’s little houses to the surface of the Moon. It is secured to a platform on the front of the rover, and represents the culmination of Genberg’s 25-year-long dream.
Mikael Genberg’s Moonhouse mounted on the front of the micro-rover Tenacious. Credit: ispace / JAXA
As to its meaning – Genberg notes that it could be many things, depending on who you are. A symbol of life; for the potential for future life; a beacon of hope that anything is possible if we put our minds to it; a commentary on humanity and our treatment of the one home we have; as art, it has the ability to speak to each of us, and to do so differently with each of us.
Fram2 Private Polar Mission
Due to launch in around March 2025, Fram2 is another “all-private” space mission in the mould of Jared Isaacman’s Inspiration4 (2021) and Polaris Dawn (2024) flights. Also utilising SpaceX Crew Dragon Resilience, Fram2 will fly a crew of 4 on a mission of up to 5 days duration in a 90º inclination orbit between 425 and 450 km altitude. It aims to observe and study aurora-like phenomena such as STEVE and green fragments and conduct experiments on the human body, including the first X-ray of a human in space.
The Fram2 mission will utilise SpaceX Crew Dragon Resilience, which will once again be fitted with the panoramic cupola in the vehicle’s nose section, replacing the ISS docking mechanism. Credit: SpaceX
The crew for the mission comprise:
Chung Wang, the mission commander and co-bankroller, a Chinese-born Maltese crypto currency entrepreneur who founded f2pool , one of the largest Bitcoin mining pools in the world, and Stakefish, one of the largest Ethereum staking providers.
Jannicke Mikkelsen, the vehicle commander, and co-bankroller for the mission, a Scottish-born Norwegian cinematographer and a pioneer of VR cinematography, 3D animation and augmented reality. A skilled speed skater, she will become the first Norwegian astronaut and the first European to command a space vehicle.
Eric Philips, a 62-year-old noted Australian polar explorer, who will serve as the vehicle pilot as will be the first Australian national to fly in space (while both Paul Scully-Power and Andy Thomas were born in Australia and flew on space shuttle missions (Thomas flying multiple times), they only did so after becoming US citizens).
Rabea Rogge, a German electrical engineer and robotic expert, who will fill the role of Mission Specialist and will become the first German woman to fly in space, beating-out those selected as a part of the privately-funded programme Die Astronautin, specifically set-up to fly a German woman in space by 2023.
The Fram2 crew (l to r): Chun Wang, Jannicke Mikkelsen, Eric Philips and Rabea Rogge
Fram2 is named for the Norwegian polar exploration vessel Fram, a veteran of multiple expeditions to both poles between 1883 and 1912, including Roald Amundsen’s historic 1910-1912 southern polar expedition, is planned to launch in March 2025.
Tianwen-2: Asteroid Sample Return Mission
China will continue its deep-space exploration ambitions with the planned May 2025 launch of Tianwen-2 (“’Heavenly Questions-2”) robotic vehicle. Whilst bearing the same name as the highly-successfully mission to place an orbiter around Mars and a lander and rover on the surface of that planet in 2021 (and covered within past Space Sunday articles), Tianwen-2 is a very different mission: that of rendezvousing with, and landing on, a near-Earth object (NEO) asteroid and gathering up to 100 grams of material for a return to Earth.
A screen cap of the Tianwen-2 vehicle arriving at 469219 Kamoʻoalewa. Credit: CCTV
The target for the mission is a quasi-moon 469219 Kamoʻoalewa, thought to be around 40-100 metres along its longest axis. It orbits the Sun at distance of between 0.9 and 1.0 (the average distance of the Earth from the Sun) and with an orbital period of 365-366 days. This makes it appear as if it moving around the Earth, although it is in fact oscillating around the L1 and L2 and L4 and L5 positions, and not actually gravitationally bound to Earth, never coming closer than some 14 million kilometres.
What is particularly interesting about 469219 Kamoʻoalewa, first identified in 2016, is that spectral analysis suggests it is likely silicate in origin; combined with its orbit, this points to it possibly being a lump of rock ejected from our Moon as a result of an asteroid impact. However, it could equally be an S-type asteroid (which account for around 17% of all known asteroids) or possibly an L-type, which are exceptionally uncommon.
Thus, given the mix of potential heritage, 469219 Kamoʻoalewa has been seen as an intriguing subject for up-close study ever since its identification, and a number of proposals have been put forward up-close study, as well as being the target for observation by numerous Earth-based telescopes. Following launch, Tianwen-2 is expected to intercept the asteroid in 2026, and conduct remote sensing activities which will include identifying locations for sample acquisition. It will also deploy both a nano-orbiter and a nano-lander for independent study of the asteroid.
To collect samples, Tianwen-2 will send down a sample gathering unit which will conduct both touch-and-go operations similar to those used by Japan’s Hayabusa2 probe sent to obtain samples from the near-Earth asteroid 162173 Ryugu (2014-2020), and NASA’s OSIRIS-REx (2016-2023) mission to gather samples from asteroid Bennu, and also anchor-and-attach – the first time such a technique will be attempted.
The two approaches to gathering samples: in touch and go, the sample gathering vehicle will briefly touch the surface of the asteroid to gather a sample, the spring-loaded arm of the sample gatherer absorbing the vehicle’s downward momentum before pushing it back away from the asteroid. With Anchor-and-attach, the sample vehicle will attempt to use four legs with penetrators to grip the asteroid’s surface, prior to the sample arm being deployed to collect material. Credit: CCTV
After gathering samples, Tianwen-2 will depart 469219 Kamoʻoalewa and make a fly-by of Earth in 2027, which it will use to both drop-off its sample capsule and also complete a gravity assist manoeuvre in order to travel on to rendezvous with active asteroid 311P/PanSTARRS, which orbits the Sun every 3.24 years and exhibits the characteristics of both an asteroid and a comet, including having up to six comet-like tails.
Estimated to be around 240 metres across and always orbiting the Sun beyond the orbit of Mars, 311P/PanSTARRs was first identified in 2013, and observations in 2018 suggested it might have a companion orbiting it. Tianwen-2 is expected to reach it in 2034.
Two images of 311P/PanSTARRS captured by the Hubble Space Telescope and showing its tail formations. Credit: NASA, ESA, D. Jewitt
Dream Chaser Rises
May is the month that will hopefully see the launch of the newest addition to the fleet of vehicles that help keep the International Space Station (ISS) well-stocked with supplies and operational, when a ULA Vulcan Centaur VC4L lifts-off from Space Launch complex 41 at Canaveral Space Force Station, carrying Tenacity, the first Dream Chaser Cargo vehicle from Sierra Space.
Referred to SSC Demo-1, the mission will see Tenacity and its Shooting Star power and cargo module carry out a check-out mission of up to 45 days duration which will see the combined vehicle rendezvous and dock with the ISS, undergoing check-out by ISS crew and eventually undocking, after which the Shooting Star module will be jettisoned and Tenacity will return to Earth for an aircraft-style landing at the former Space Shuttle Landing Facility, Kennedy Space Centre.
Dream Chaser Tenacity and its cargo module undergoing testing at NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility, Kennedy Space Centre, Florida. Credit: NASA
When operational, Dream Chaser with Shooting Star will have the largest all-up payload capacity of any ISS resupply vehicle: 5.5 tonnes; 5 tonnes of which can be pressurised. However, missions will likely be flown with lesser payload amounts. In addition, Dream Chaser can return to Earth with payloads of up to 1.75 tonnes, comprising equipment, experiments and general waste.
Six Dream Chaser resupply missions to the ISS have been contracted, using at least two Dream Chaser vehicles, Tenacity and Reverence (although construction on the latter is currently suspended). The date of the first operational flight (CRS SSC-1) has yet to be given, but is unlikely to be before 2026.
Space RIDER Flies
The European Space Agency (ESA) is expected to debut its entry into the reusable spaceplane market in the latter half of 2025 with the maiden flight of Space RIDER (Space Reusable Integrated Demonstrator for Europe Return), a two-stage vehicle designed to provide routine and relatively low-cost capabilities to delivery payloads of up to 620 kg to low-Earth orbit.
I’ve covered Space RIDER in the past, but briefly, it is a small-scale reusable lifting body supported by an expendable service module which supplies it with main propulsion and electrical power when in orbit, prior to being jettisoned before the main vehicle re-enters the atmosphere. Payloads are intended to be experiments and science instruments, which the vehicle returns to Earth at the end of a mission, although it will have the ability to deploy smallsats in space as well.
An artist’s impression of ESA’s Space RIDER in orbit. The black module with solar panels to the rear is the vehicle’s expendable service module. Credit: ESA
Massing 4.9 tonnes at launch (including the service module), the lifting body – referred to as the Re-entry module (RM) – masses 2.8 tonnes on landing. The combined craft has a length of just over 8 metres, of which 4.6 metres is that of RM, which includes a payload volume of 1.2 m³.
Designed to be launched atop ESA’s Vega-C rocket, Space RIDER can remain in orbit for up to 2 months at a time conducting experiments. Following re-entry, the RM will use its lifting body shape to drop its speed from Mach 25 to Mach 0.8 (roughly the speed of an commercial airliner) as it descends, prior to deploying a drogue parachute at between 12-15 km altitude, which will slow it to around Mach 0.22. After this, a parafoil is deployed, which allows the vehicle to glide under control to a horizontal landing. It is designed to make up to six flights into space, and has a turnaround time of “less then 6 months”.
The Year of Fly-bys
2025 is going to be a year of fly-bys for several deep space missions, including:
January: The ESA / JAXA BepiColumbo mission to Mercury will complete its sixth and final fly-by of the planet as it uses Mercury’s relatively weak gravity to both decelerate and swing it on to a trajectory from which it can establish itself in orbit around the planet. The manoeuvre will mark the end of 9 fly-bys of three planets – Earth (1); Venus (2) and Mercury (6); the next time the probe reaches Mercury (after another passage around the Sun) in November 2026, it will fire its motor and enter orbit ready to commence its primary science mission, over 8 years after its launch.
March: ESA’s Hera mission, launched in October 2024, will perform a fly-by of Mars en route to its final destination, the Didymos binary asteroid system, where it will carry out a detailed study of the aftermath of the NASADouble Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) which impacted the asteroid Dimorphos in an attempt to deflect it in its orbit around the larger Didymos.
An artist’s impression of ESA’s Hera mission, complete with its payload of two cubesats as they observe the asteroid Didymos. Credit: ESA
March: NASA’s Europa Clipper mission will also fly-by Mars as it makes its way towards Jupiter in order to study the icy world of Europa. The second of two such mission to be launched – the other being ESA’s Juice mission (see below), The NASA mission will make better progress to Jupiter by virtue of being launched atop a more powerful rocket – the SpaceX Falcon Heavy.
April: NASA’s Lucy mission will complete its fourth fly-by of a celestial body, and the second of a main belt asteroid – 52246 Donaldjohanson, named for the paleoanthropologist who discovered the famous “Lucy” fossil. This vehicle is on a complex mission to examine eight separate asteroids (2 within the main belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter; four more in the L4 Trojan cloud occupying the same orbit a Jupiter, but 60º, which it will reach in 2027; and a pair within the Trojan cloud trailing Jupiter in its orbit by 60º, which it will reach in 2034 after a further fly-by of Earth at the end of 2030.
August: ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) will make a fly-by of Venus as it gathers the momentum it needs to reach Jupiter and start its studies of Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. The fly-by of Venus will be the second of four such manoeuvres, the other three (August 2024, September 2026, January 2029) being around Earth.
Now open at the Serena Arts Centre and Plaza is an ensemble art exhibition with something of a seasonal taste, given this time of year tends to be the time of stories, tales and magical fables, whilst also being suited to any time of the year.
Fairy Tales or the Magical Power of Dream Worlds brings together BelleAllure, Captainofmysoul, Dantelios, JanaOrchid, Mystic Audion, Sheba Blitz, Raven Cedarbridge, Barret Darkfold, Evelyn Irelund, Hermes Kondor, Pagan Lane, Magda Schmidtzau, AmandaT Tamatzui, Vita Theas and Pask Wasp, with Christian Carter providing a marvellous homage to Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland.
Serena Art Centre and Hub, December 2024: AmandaT Tamatzui (l) and Magda Schmidtzau (r)
Each artist has been invited to submit two images on the subject of fairy tales and dreams, with the organisers describing the exhibition thus:
From past to present, fairy tales have inspired visual, decorative and performing arts. From theatre to opera, ballet, painting, sculpture, textile and cinema. Inspired by the tales in the saga, every artist fed and improved the next generation of stories with their own unique touch. Let’s embark together on a journey to dream worlds.
– Introduction to Fairy Tales or the Magical Power of Dream Worlds
Serena Art Centre and Hub, December 2024: Sheba Blitz (l) and Vita Theas
The art itself encompasses multiple genres and formats: original art uploaded to Second Life; photography captured from within Second Life, digital art created with AI assistance, avatar-centric pieces, abstract art, and more.
This results in a richly diverse selection of art, and an excellent way for those perhaps new to art in Second Life to witness an engaging cross-section of artistic expression from around the globe. All have something to say in an of themselves and the over-arching theme, but I confess to being drawn to Vita Theas’ pairing of images, which come with a folktale and poem respectively (both penned by Vita). The story is that of Elder Leaf and the Ice Warrior, the other a poem of the sea, life and cycles. Alongside of Vita’s pieces I came close to falling in love with Pask Wasp’s beautiful interpretations of two classic tales: Tom Thumb and Sleeping Beauty.
Serena Arts Centre and Hub, December 2024: Pask Wasp
All told, an engaging exhibition and worth taking time to see.
Calas Galadhon Christmas 2024 – click any image for full size
So, Santa has (hopefully) made all his visits for 2024, and the year is marching to to close. However, for those seeking to retain the joy and excitement of Christmas can do little better than take a trip to the Calas Galadhon Christmas regions and embrace the warmth and fun offered by the three Calas Midwinter regions.
Following the general design seen in 2023, Tymus Tenk and Truck Meredith, together with the rest of the Calas Galadhon estate team, have once again bring forth a setting that offers opportunities for entertainment, ice skating, sleigh rides, balloon tours, horse riding and plenty of opportunities for photography.
Calas Galadhon Christmas 2024
As is common for the Calas seasonal regions, a visit commences high in the air at a crowd-clearing landing point, complete with a walk across an (Ant)Arctic setting to the teleport portal. However, in difference to previous years, rather then carrying you down to the regions proper, this will first deliver you to Santa’s workshop (follow the arrows!). Teleporting will require acceptance of the local Experience, but this only needs to be done once (and then only if you’ve not previously accepted it).
The workshop allows you to see Santa’s pixies and fairies and elves all hard at work (presumably getting up a good stock of toys, gifts and stocking fillers for Xmas 2025 now!). Santa himself is present, and will let you take a photo with him if you’re nice.
Calas Galadhon Christmas 2024
Beyond the workshop is the loading area, where presents and toys are stack ready for transfer to the outdoor loading bay for Santa’s sleigh – and it is out beyond the sleigh loading area is the second teleport portal that will transfer visitors down to the ground level.
To the south, the expanse of Midwinter 3 forms open countryside, here and there broken by woodlands, hills and water, ripe for exploration on foot or horseback (there is a horse rezzer for the latter just down the slope from the sleigh ride tours or you can add your own, if you have one). Also to be found within this region is a local Christmas Market, once again given a sense of life by static NPCs, while the land and woods have a mix of wildlife. Tucked away within the hills and gorges of the southern extent of this region sits a teleport back up to Santa’s workshop.
Calas Galadhon Christmas 2024
The ground-level arrival point overlooks all three regions, being located up the uplands of MidWinter 2. As is usual with the Calas Christmas settings, this includes the traditional sleigh rides through all of the regions. Alongside of these is a landmark giver, which will present visitors with a notecard containing landmarks to the major locations within the regions, helpful for those who want to get somewhere quickly.
On the other side of the hill from the sleighs sit a couple of rezzers for skis and sleds, allowing visitor to scoot down the slope towards the southernmost region, thus giving a quick means to go exploring. Another new (I believe, as I don’t remember it from 2023 but could easily be wrong) is the cross-country ski tour. This requires membership of the Calas Group to obtain the skis alongside it (or you could try the skis from the rezzer close to the ground-level arrival point). Just sit on one of the two skiing pose balls and select the tour.
Calas Galadhon Christmas 2024
Of course, in the run-up to Christmas the Pavilion was the focal point for events, with the lake below it available for ice skating. The latter remains popular whilst the former now makes for a quiet visit with the Christmas events drawn to a close – and the portals remain for quick TP flips to various locations. There is once again seating all around the lakeside, and a nice little touch for this year is the Disney Island sitting out on the ice. Other attractions here include the balloon ride, the Calas Polar Express train, couples photo points, and indoor cuddles / conversations before the great fires in the Pavilion’s lounges.
As always, the Calas Galadhon Christmas regions offer a lot to see and enjoy – so make the most of them now to both continue your Christmas and holiday celebrations and before they once again vanish into the night for another year!
The Outer Garden, December 2024 – click any image for full size
It has been just over two years since my last visit to Bisou Dexler’s The Outer Garden, a place of beauty and enigma, art and creative spark, and peace and contemplation. It’s a location which generally combines two settings, once which may change on a very subtle level from time to time / with the seasons, and the other often presenting something completely new.
The first of these settings is home to the main Landing Point. It is a sky platform occupied by the decaying hulk of a once grand manor house; one now with roofing gone and walls broken and cracked, and signs in places of attempts to rebuild. A long hallway stretches before arrivals, pointing the way to a distant stair climbing to a round window.
The Outer Garden, December 2024
Rooms sit to either side of this hallway, one to the right two on the left. The first, and closest to the landing point, appears to have one been a grand chamber. Now flooded by the waters pouring in from the walls, it is a beautiful garden space, with a snowy floor (as with much of the rest of the building) and pools through which the water tumbles and poppies, lobster claw, cattails and herbs grow, and over which gnarled trees hang their boughs.
A hole in the wall here offers access to the remnants of another grand room, of which little is now left but for columned wall sections and a tumbled tower, its sides open to the snow-covered gardens wherein multiple attractions might be reached and numerous more opportunities for photography found. Or’ if preferred, tea might be taken within might have once been a further hall linking two wings of the now broken and tumbling house.
The Outer Garden, December 2024
Of the other rooms, one offers itself as a living space come boudoir; a place of music, art, and retreat, the jumbled furniture, floating balloons, musty books on their shelves and the detritus of a fallen ceiling and roof giving it a sense of romantic charm. Beyond it sits what appears to have once been a private garden space or courtyard, separating the lounge / boudoir from the empty shell of the second room which can only be accessed from the grounds outside.
The long hall itself is (as ever) beautifully dressed and well frosted with winter, again offering multiple opportunities for photography. However, closest to the landing point is an introduction to the second setting within The Outer Garden, together with the first of two teleports leading to it. Simply sit at the mirror and select the option To Find Solace. On arrival, walk through the tunnel with its 3D representation of a garden from a Ukiyoe painting to where a trapeze artist’s ring hangs and you can teleport on to the main art installation (it doesn’t matter which of the listing destination options you choose.
The Outer Garden, December 2024
Your destination will be a gorgeous 3D representation of a traditional Japanese painting, one which draws on Hagoromo, one of the most-performed Japanese Noh (dramatic dance) plays. Subject to multiple adaptations over the centuries (including W.B. Yeats, who drew upon its story for his one act play, At the Hawk’s Well), it tells of s fisherman who, whilst out walking on a springtime night, happens upon the feather cloak of a tennin (an aerial spirit or celestial dancer) hanging on a tree bough.
Taking the hagoromo, the fisherman plans on keeping it as an heirloom; however, the tennin sees him with it and begs for him to return it to her, for without it she cannot return to the heavenly realms. taking it, and demands its return – for she cannot return to Heaven without it. At first, the fisherman refuses, but touched by the tennin’s sorrow, he relents: he will return the hagoromo to her – if she will show him her celestial dance.
The Outer Garden, December 2024
After hesitating in turn, the tennin agrees to his terms and she performs a symbolic dance honouring the Moon and its phases (represented by the number three, five and fifteen), before the fisherman returns her cloak to her, and she vanishes, “like a mountain slowly hidden in the mist”.
Within Bijou’s Hagoromo, elements of this story are present; there are fish to represent the fisherman, there’s the shoreline where he walked with his friends; little island sit on the water whilst the Moon can be seen in a number of symbolic forms. However, what is offered should not be taken as any literal interpretation of the play; rather, it is, as noted a 3D celebration of traditional Japanese art into which we can step and experience from within.
The Outer Garden, December 2024
Multiple places to sit are available for this, including what I’m going to calla “celestial cart” which can carry visitors around and through the painting. To explore on foot, simply pass under the line of Torii gates and drop down to the level below, and then from there make your way around (and down) to where another mirror teleport will return you either to the Torri gates or back to the intermediary teleport point, with the mirror there taking you back to the main landing point.
Throughout all of this there is a sense of serenity to be found; wandering the halls of the house or along the covered walkways of the painting, there are no distractions of unnecessary sounds or music (which is not to say The Outer Garden is entirely without sound; rather sounds are restricted to where they need to be), allowing the mind to settle and appreciate without undue agitation.
On Monday, December 23rd, 2024, Linden Lab announced a special holiday gift for all Second Life users: six months access to the upcoming 2025 seasons 1 and 2 of MadPea Unlimited, which commences on January 1st, 2025.
MadPea is well-known name within Second Life, producing a wide range of interactive games, adventures and experiences in Second Life, some of which I’ve covered in these pages. Unlimited is MadPea’s subscription premium group, providing members with early access to games and experiences, product releases, gifts, and hunts. Membership costs L$6,000 for three months.
With the gift from Linden Lab, residents get 6 months access to MadPea Unlimited – that’s two Seasons of Unlimited activities normally valued at L$12,000 – from Wednesday, January 1st, 2025 through until the end of June 2025. As such, the package includes all of the membership benefits through the first two seasons of MadPea Unlimited 2025.
What MadPea Unlimited brings you
Why We’re Doing This
Second Life is all about celebrating creativity, community, and connection. By teaming up with MadPea Productions, we’re giving our residents the opportunity to experience some of the most innovative and engaging content available in our virtual world. Since 2008, MadPea and its talented crew of designers, writers, developers and artists from all around the world have been creating immersive and thrilling fun across over 100 gaming experiences with a large and active ‘Pea’ Community of well over 26,000 players. Whether you’re a seasoned explorer or new to Second Life, this gift is our way of saying thank you for being part of our vibrant community.
– From the Linden Lab blog post about the MadPea gift
An important note with the gift is that is does not require any sign-up or commitment to any on-going subscription; to participate, all residents need to do is hop along to the MadPea Unlimited region from January 1st, 2025 (the region and its SLurl will be be public on the 1st) and join the fun.
This is NOT one of those things where we give it to you, you sign-up, and then six months later, you’re automatically going to get dinged every month or something like that. This is a pure gift. They’re [MadPea] taking down the paywall for all of our residents for six months. At the end of the six months, we may continue it; at the end of the six months we may stop it – but there’s no obligation; it’s purely a gift, and hopefully people will enjoy it.
– Linden Lab Executive Chair, Brad Oberwager, discussing the MadPea Unlimited gift with me
Obviously, even should the offer not be extended, anyone who has joined in the fun and enjoyed themselves through the six month gift period can always opt to take out an Unlimited subscription directly with MadPea at the end of that time if they want; but the key thing here is that for the duration of the gift period, no sign-up is required.
As a former MadPea player, I’ll be looking forward to the opportunity to renew my involvement in MadPea’s adventures – so maybe I’ll see you there!
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 