Category: Second Life

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

• Books, Coffee & Chairs – Oh My! (Reality Escape, rated Moderate)

Briarwood Estates is an all inclusive, family role-play community and luxury residential estate. The work of Frankie Jade LaFoxx (Frankie Foxpaws) and her team, the estate covers multiple regions and offers a wide range of amenities and facilities for local residents and for visitors. These include a equestrian hub with horseback riding trails, a hotel and spa, farming, games, a marina and boating, shopping, live music, and more.

One of the more public elements within the estate is the Briarwood Wildlife Refuge which has recently been featured in the Destination Guide. Located on a homestead region, the refuge is linking to several of the surrounding regions via footbridges. Perhaps most notable among these for incoming visitors is the main information (and event?) centre, sitting to the east of the refuge. This presents a model of the estate in which available rentals are highlighted, as well as showing the public routes through all of the regions, with the walls presenting event schedule boards and general information for both visitors and residents, and which does much to present a picture of a well-run estate.

The refuge proper starts across the bridge from the information centre, and carries the following description:

Briarwood Wildlife Refuge is a wildlife refuge within SL. It is one of the first wildlife refuges operated by Briarwood Estates. The refuge protects more than 14 acres of marshes, grasslands, and woodlands.

Bounded by a sandy-shingle beach and open waters, the refuge is also cut through with watery channels that have the feel of being both human-made and more natural inlets, steams and a large pond. Together, this break up the landscape in such a way to suggest a natural location curated by human hands and eyes in order to offer the best environment for the wildlife and animals within the refuge.

The majority of the landscape is low-lying, suggestive of the wetlands of the description, with cart tracks offering various routes through and around the grasses and up into the few hills which also help to break-up the landscape. Most of the refuge is fairly open, the trees numerous enough to line the trails and tracks and provide shade, but not so numerous they overwhelm the park.

Most of this landscape is given over to the local wildlife, although there is also a meadow bounded by dry stone walls to one side, it and the barn within it home to sheep and goats. A second meadow, this one bounded by a fence and water, can be found across the grasslands, the home of a mare and her foal, the stables here suggesting more horses might also call it home – or they might equally be home to the donkeys wandering a little further away, but still within the boundary marked by the white fencing.

The local wildlife includes bears, deer, foxes and waterfowl, and is spread fairly broadly across the refuge as one might expect, offering opportunities for photography and discovery. The trails offer an excellent means to explore the setting, but if you have a wearable horse, they also offer the means to enjoy a little riding whilst exploring.

Considerable care has gone into presenting Briarwood Wildlife Refuge as a wholly natural environment, perhaps most notably in the time spent blending the mesh forms of the rutted tracks into the terrain. This is something which if not done properly, can lead to jarring results when gaps or holes are spotted or the texturing of the mesh does not match that of its surrounds. Here, however, the blending is a tour de force in how to do things properly to the point of near-perfection (aided by the inclusion of terrain textures in Alex Bader’s landscaping kits, allowing them to be applied to terrain), and does much to add to the expressive gentleness of the refuge.

The main exits from the refuge link to Briarwood Village to the west, which appears to have public access, allowing visitors to extend their explorations, and Briarwood Oaks to the south. The latter link takes the form of a cut stone, paved bridge spanning the water channel between the two regions. However, as this bridge is gated at either end and the gates are apparently locked against public access, I assume Briarwood Oaks is for local residents only, and their privacy should be respected, rather than attempts made to cross the bridge and go a-wandering among the houses.

True, the weather within the refuge is a little rainy – but again, this is in keeping with the overall tone of the setting, and it offers its own opportunities for photography whilst also working across a range of EEP settings for those who would like to de-emphasise the rain – as I hope the images in this article show.

Overall, a very engaging and photogenic setting in which to explore and take photos.

SLurl Details

• Briarwood Wildlife Refuge (Isthmus of Briarwood, rated Moderate)
• Briarwood Estates (rated Moderate)