Exploring Second Life – Page 274 – Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld

Heat and the perils of blogging from the UK

Posted on July 25, 2013April 9, 2021 by Inara Pey

Since getting the new PC (did I mention I had a new PC? ;-)), I’ve been busy sorting various bits and pieces out – not so much installing software, but sorting through files, re-organising things, and so on.

I’ve always been fairly ordered in my filing – paper and computer – and I like to have everything in its place, neat, tidy and sorted. So I was a little surprised to come across a series of shots I took of Verdigris a while back somewhat mis-filed (among my work bits, no less; oops) and lacking a blog post.

The brainchild of Oriolus Oliva, Verdigris must be one of the landmark sites of Second Life; a strange, wonderful village sitting atop a bridge to nowhere, facing N0th1ng Ackland’s trestle-mounted Dirty Rat store across a deep gorge.

This is a brilliant place to visit and photograph – as many have done well before me. It’s also a wonderful place to wander around, mooching through the shops, climbing and descending the stairs to / from the upper gallery stores, admiring the view and exploring the ground level; I personally love the windmill at the end of the bridge.

Regulars to this blog will likely have noticed something of a falling-off in the number of posts I make, particularly over the last week or so. While I don’t want to bore people with the ins and out of the life of a Pey, there are several reasons for this, two of which I will mention (well, I could mention three, but the Tour de France ended on Sunday, so I’m no longer oogling men in lycra & riding bikes every afternoon :)).

The first is that we’re in something of a heat wave in the UK right now. While it is really nice to have sunshine and clear blue skies, it also means it is blue bloody murder sitting in a little study with a PC toasting your toes (or at least blowing out warm air over them), sans air conditioning, and with the windows shut tight against the cat attempting a leap out of them into the wild blue yonder – again (my study is on the upper floor of the house). So the upshot is that, even with the desk fan on throughout the day, by the time I’ve finished my “real” work, I’m at the point where I’m ready to peel myself (quite literally) out of the chair and just go vegetate somewhere cooler.

The other reason is more annoying. Last week I started experiencing problems connecting to WordPress via my ISP, both when trying to read other blogs and in trying to access mine to paste text for draft posts, update posts-in-progress, etc. I wasn’t alone; checking the WordPress forums, it appeared that a fair few people from the UK (and initially using the same ISP as me) were experiencing the same problem. It had thought to have been fixed a couple of times (the initial thread being closed pretty rapidly by WordPress admin as “resolved”). Unfortunately, the situation actually seems to have worsened – people on other UK-based ISPs are reporting similar errors and problems. Quite where the issue lies is unclear, but there is a lot of finger-pointing going on in both directions.

So, as a result of both these issues (and one or two others), my blogging has slowed down somewhat of late, and while I have a mass of articles-in-waiting, I have to confess that firing-up the enthusiasm has been a little difficult at times. I do promise, however, that – as the saying goes – “normal service will be resumed as soon as possible”. Probably when I stop melting :).

In the meantime, enjoy the Verdigris piccies. Or better yet, go pay a visit if you haven’t before / recently :).

Calas Galadhon: closing the park gates – temporarily

Posted on July 22, 2013April 9, 2021 by Inara Pey

The park and wildlife regions of Calas Galadhon have long been a favourite of mine, and have appeared in these pages a few times. They are a landmark experience in SL – thirteen regions completely open to the public and offering a range of activities and events throughout the year, all maintained out of the pockets of Ty Tenk and Truck Meredith, with the welcome help of donations through the many donation boxes scattered throughout the regions.

Calas Galadhon: looking from South Farthing toward Eryn Vorn

Sadly, the challenges of real life, coupled with the overall cost of running thirteen regions, are forcing Ty and Truck to re-evaluate Calas Galadhon and look at ways and means to keep the park open, reduce to overheads (which includes the amount of time they have to spend in-world managing the regions as well as the costs involved) and continue to offer the rich and beautiful environs found within the park boundaries.

As a part of these deliberations, Ty dropped me an IM asking me if I could help spread the word that Calas Galadhon will close on Monday August 1st and remain closed through until early September. This is only a temporary closure, designed to give Ty and Truck breathing space to consider options and look to the future. Full details of the closure can be found on the Calas Galadhon website, and Ty asked me to help spread the word after the planned closure of the Park in January 2013 apparently caused a good deal of concern as many people missed the notices about it at the time.

Sadly, the overhaul of the regions is likely to see the loss of four of the regions from the park; the three main water regions of the Bay of Balfalas, Belegaer & Sea of Nurnen, and also the loss of Eryn Vorn (which I’ve personally always found spectacular). One of the remaining regions may also be converted to an OpenSpace region, although as noted, options are still being considered.

If you’ve not visited the parklands, and wish to do so before any changes do get underway, now is clearly the time to do so. I really cannot over-state how beautiful all of the regions are, and how they make for a fantastic place to visit.

Yes, there are parks throughout SL, but Calas Galadhon presents an astonishing and completely contiguous landscape through which you can wander at will and feel like you are exploring an entire country, or where you feel you are truly in the wilds, far from home. On top of this, Ty and Truck take extraordinary care to present an environment where there is a lot to do, and live events occur throughout the year.

Calas Galadhon: horses gazing in Mirrormere — Calas Galadhon: horses gazing in Mirromere

This is a place you can visit and re-visit in the sure knowledge that things are always changing, evolving, showing the subtle passage of time as new features are added, others mature and evolve, all kept in balance and harmony with one another. For my part, I love all the attention to detail, especially with the wildlife, and the changing seasons through the year. I also love the fact I have the freedom to wander so far without fear of bumping into someone’s private property (there are no tenants in the regions), and can stop and sit at one of the many different campsites, panic areas, lodges, riverside shacks and so on, which are scattered around the park offering places to rest, to think and to simply observe.

There is a wonderful romance across all of the Calas parklands which is quite unique in Second Life – at least for me. Not only are there places where couples can be romantic if they so wish – there are plenty of cuddle spots and a dance locations throughout the parklands – the very names of the regions are themselves romantic, drawn as many of them are from Tolkien’s works, and there is all the romance of discovery to be enjoyed as you wander the trails, paths and cart-rutted tracks, wondering what you’ll find around the next corner or over the next bridge or in the next valley.

In some ways, I’m actually regretful that the park doesn’t allow a controlled number of tenants within its bounds; I’d like nothing more than to have a small cottage sitting on the edge of Calas Galadhon itself. It would be my ideal location and perfect home. However, I can well understand Ty and Truck’s desire to keep the parklands tenant-free; as mentioned, I certainly appreciate the fact they do when wandering through the parklands myself!

Calas will be re-opening during September, have no worries about that; it may be a wee bit smaller when it does, and some things may have changed, but it will be re-opening.

In the meantime, why not take a couple of hours and go and experience them to the fullest, particularly if any of those earmarked for closure hold special meaning for you. The chances are that if you do, you may well run into me doing the same. And if you haven’t discovered Galas Galadhon for yourself as yet, now is never too soon, whether or not changes are in the wind. As I said earlier in this piece, it really is exceptional. If you do, don’t forget to drop a small amount of your appreciation into one of the donation boxes :).

An Untroubled time in Second Life

Posted on July 18, 2013April 9, 2021 by Inara Pey

To celebrate the fact I’m getting settled with the new PC (and have finally caught-up on all the Windows 7 updates – I think) and again have a little more time to get in-world and peek around after some RL matters demanded my attention, I decided to pay a visit to The Untroubled Sound – possibly one of the most photographed locations in SL, and deservedly so.

Modelled after the Marlborough Sounds on the South Island of New Zealand, I feel some affinity with The Untroubled Sound as somewhere deep inside me, courtesy of Dad’s side of the family, there is a little bit of New Zealand heritage.

The region has been designed and developed by Theartfullone Skytower (Arty for short) and is home to a number of his ventures, including Artful Designs, TAO audio and The Deep House Cafe. The main part of the region is devoted to a small marina-type environment, with wooden quays for sail boats, a boatyard and the Cafe itself, with the buildings doubling-up as very subtle stores for Arty’s various businesses.

A sim surround helps develop the illusion that one is deep within the sea-drowned valleys of the Marlborough Sounds, and it is easy to imagine oneself boarding one of the sailboats or yachts moored here and heading out into the valleys and into bluewater for a day’s sailing before returning to the marina once more and spending a little time chilling at the Deep House Cafe or perhaps strolling around the island to the campsite or simply to admire the flora here.

One of the great charms of The Untroubled Sound is the degree of love and passion for his native South Island Arty has poured into the place, which includes embarking on a project to re-plant the region using trees and plants native to the region in RL – many (if not all) of which have been created by Arty himself. This work is apparently – in another nice touch on Arty’s part – being undertaken by Te Papa Atawbai – the New Zealand Department of Conservation!

Follow the paths around the region and you’ll find information boards on the local flora which both help to give more context to the region and deepen the immersive experience, as it feels is if you are on a conservancy trail through an area of the Sounds.

This is another region which, although already stunning in its design and look, to me looks to be an ideal showcase for the use of materials. The buildings are all of wooden construction with what appear to be corrugated steel roofs, while the quays are all wood plank and wood piers and brick walls with heavy chain decoration and stone pathways – all of which (allowing for the more complex prims and possible LI inflation) would likely look pretty amazing with materials added.

I’ve already mentioned that my SL has been given something of a new lease of life thanks to the new PC – I’m still twiddling with settings to determine what I’m most comfortable with – but I’m also using a pre-release of Firestorm, which offers a new set of windlights which are also somewhat O.O and which I’ve been experimenting with, as well as adding a few more to my personal preferences, all of which I hope will help me further with developing a look and style to my pictures. Not sure this actually means improving anything in my snap-taking, but it is new shiny for me to play with :).

In the meantime, if you’ve not visited The Untroubled Sound and want to enjoy a little slice of New Zealand paradise – I warmly recommend that you hop on over there and have a look for yourself, and leave you with a brief slide show with images in a decent resolution (for a change!).

In a vampire’s garden

Posted on July 13, 2013April 9, 2021 by Inara Pey

I’m not usually drawn to regions in SL with a vampiric theme to them but the home of the Gehena Vampire Clan is special. Designed by Clan member LouLou Teichmann, who is also Tableau Vivant’s set designer, working with the assistance of Neva Crystall, the region is beautifully constructed and presents an environment well worth visiting – and where visitors are welcomed and left free to explore on their own.

From the castle high on a rocky promontory, reached by a winding stone road, across to the tall, slender lighthouse and the stone-and-wood watchtower, the region is genuinely one of the “must see” places in SL.

Between these landmarks are a number of farmhouses set amidst a carefully sculpted landscape which mixes fields, trees and water, complete with the traditional “vampirey” elements: an old church and a couple of cemeteries.

The overall design for the region suggests it might be designed to fit the 19th century, the classic era of the vampire tale. However, take a peek behind the castle-bearing promontory and you’ll find a very modern stage area and dance floor.

A lot of vampire-themed regions are focused on role-play. Gehena Vampire Clan, however, is first and foremost a home – as the About Land floater states. I don’t think any of the farmhouses on the ground are used as homes – I get the impression clan members actually live overhead – but just in case they are, please be aware you might be approaching a private home when admiring them.

One of the things that attracted me to this region is that it is hard to escape the feeling that there are tales to be told here. The castle standing high overhead, the fires lit in the hearths as if to ward-off the coming night, the ship standing-to offshore, the church yard and cemeteries; they all encourage the imagination to take flight and weave stories about this mysterious realm and the people who live here. In fact I was very tempted to write this piece in the form of a short vignette.

Pictorially, there are stories to be told here as well. It really is one of the most photogenic regions I’ve visited. There is scarcely an angle or a camera position which doesn’t offer itself up as an opportunity for the framing of a good snap.

I opted to keep to a windlight setting which (to me) matched the theme of the region, using the Bristol setting with a few minor tweaks to try to evoke the latter part of the day, and to provide a what I hope is a slightly brooding air in keeping with the theme of the region. However, it’s worthwhile experimenting with settings, as the region really does lend itself to a variety of lighting conditions, as I hope the last of the pictures on this page shows :).

If you’ve not dropped-in on the region before, I would suggest you add it to your list of places to visit; the clan are very visitor-friendly and do not intrude unless the region guidelines are being broken. You’ll certainly find it worth your while to take time out to visit, whether or not you’re into vampires and bats. It really is that good. Oh, and make sure you have sound on should you visit.

Dining out in Second Life

Posted on July 5, 2013April 9, 2021 by Inara Pey

The Grove Country Club Estates is an upmarket residential estate in SL covering (at the time of writing) some ten regions which have all been painstakingly landscaped and which mix residential parcels with parks, roads and waterways. To the north of the estate is Patch Thibaud’s clifftop house of Majesterium, which is also open to the public.

As a residential estate, this is not my usual choice for a destination review per se, and this article isn’t intended to be such. However, I have to admit I do find the estate attractive and do like to occasionally walk the parks and wander along the roads, always taking care to observe the privacy of the residents (you can actually hire a bicycle from the welcome area when visiting).

One part of the estate to which I’m particularly drawn in Casablanca Bay South. Mostly water, this region has a hook-like sandy prominence jutting out into the sea, upon which sits the most attractive tapas and wine bar I’ve come across in SL.

If I’m honest, I’m not actually a great one for the idea of dining in any form in SL, and none of my homes in-world have every had a kitchen or dining area. However, as a means of providing a social venus where friends (and strangers) can meet and sit and chat, restaurants in SL offer perhaps a preferable venue to pitching-up at a club, etc. In fact, I met one of my longest-known in-world acquaintances at a restaurant, many years ago, and I can still remember simply sitting and chatting with him to the point where the wee small hours of the morning were fast on their way towards growing up…

Del Vino, designed by Coralie Bilasimo has a certain chic and a Mediterranean charm about it which makes it and instant delight – and probably a place that, where it to exist in real life, I’d be dining at quite regularly (and my waistline resenting me even more as a result…).

The Mediterranean touch is not by accident; the entire estate is intended to evoke a Mediterranean feel, and incorporates both Tuscan and Andalusian elements, and as one of the community’s builders, Coralie has had a hand in shaping the overall theme and bringing it to the fore through works such as del Vino.

Downstairs is a vaulted room offering party dining space around a simple wooden table, while upstairs is a more intimate dining area, with smaller tables for up to four and a banquet table out on the verandah overlooking the beach. The interior design is by Emery Milneaux, one of the estate’s co-owners, and fits the style and design of the building perfectly.

This is an exquisite build, where charm, chic, landscaping and an eye for detail and interior design come together to produce a truly memorable location within SL. I’m also pretty sure it’s one the images here do less than justice. If you are into SL building design and architecture – or simply want a marvellous place to meet with a friend or two and sit and chat, del Vino is absolutely worth the visit. And for those with a romantic bent, why not take a stroll along the beach afterwards, or perhaps along the jetties of the marina just to the north?

Getting Derailed in Second Life

Posted on July 4, 2013April 9, 2021 by Inara Pey

Derailed, located on the region of Crash Boat, is another of those places happily found by chance. Still under construction and the home of HISpose/El Patio Inc, attention to detail and an eye for landscaping already combine to present a place ready to be explored and enjoyed – and which makes full use of the ground space available.

As well as the HISpose/El Patio store, there are beaches, a watchtower, paths to walk, a stream to follow, waterfalls, woodland, a ranch and even an old railway station and tracks apparently long-abandoned and overgrown / half-buried, even though old diesel engines and rolling-stock are present.

The ranch looks like it might be a private house, although I think the residents all live up in the sky. There is a sign at the gate warning you to beware of the dog, so keep an eye out in case ;). Otherwise the place has an open invitation to visitors to roam as they will.

Going from the flags which can be seen, this is clearly a rural / coastal area of the USA: the Star and Stripes is proudly on display for the 4th July, and rightly so. A further hint as to where we might be can be found on the bench of the railway station, for the keen-eyed.

The Destination Guide offers several teleport points – the default central 128, 128 for the region, one for the beach, and the one I’m using here, which delivers you to the custom-made mesh railway station which is a delight to the eye.

From here you can roam freely around the region, visiting the store, following the paths, walking the boardwalks down to the beach – take your pick. I particularly like the walk through the wooded area to the west of the region; this is very mindful of a number of my favourite regions in SL, and very much gives me a feeling of being “at home” when exploring Derailed, even more so as the trees are by Alex Bader, as are a number of other notable landmarks and elements (such as the aforementioned boardwalks) in the region.

There are a number of lookout points around the region which offer good vantage points for those wanting to take photos, including the watchtower / lighthouse on the west side of the island – although the path up to it can be a little tricky to climb; I found myself getting thumped sideways a few times due to collisions. A rain coat, brolly and boots is also recommended for another climb as well – it’s a little wet at the top, although there is a weather shelter provided!

For those who need a break from their wanderings, there are places to sit down and relax – the woods have a hammock for the really tired, while the beach areas off sand, sitting and a chance to soak the UVs.

I’m not sure what else is planned for the region, although the main store itself is still undergoing some work – beware the Under Construction warning signs! As it is, it offers a very pleasant and photogenic environment, and it’s hard to see what else it needs given the balance which has already been achieved.

All told, a superb build, beautifully executed and well worth a visit – don’t forget to sign the guest book in the railway station when you do!

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Category: Exploring Second Life

Heat and the perils of blogging from the UK

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Calas Galadhon: closing the park gates – temporarily

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An Untroubled time in Second Life

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In a vampire’s garden

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Dining out in Second Life

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Getting Derailed in Second Life

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