Category: Exploring Second Life

If you are, like me, a cat lover, you might like to take a little trip out to the Cat Museum in Second Life. Curated by Selena Alexandre, it makes for a curious, playful visit – in much the same way as cats are curious, playful companions.

Currently featured in the Destination Guide, the museum occupies a 2048 sq m parcel of mainland, making for an easy visit. It is divided into a number of areas, again for easy browsing; on the ground floor, to the left as you enter through the front doors are plaques and boards honouring famous cats from the physical world, film and cartoons – with 10 Downing Street’s cats prominently featured (pity they aren’t actually running the country, particularly given Larry’s Twitter account 😉 ), together with Félicette, the first of two cats to fly in space (launched by the French Centre d’Enseignement et de Recherches de Médecine Aéronautique (CERMA)) – and who was also recovered after her 15 minute flight.

At the back and two the right of the ground floor are information boards with factoids relating to cats, together with information boards spanning the meanings of a cat’s tail and ear movements, their general anatomy and information on plants they can enjoy or prove harmful to them.  This section also presents visitors with the opportunity to have a photo of their own real cat(s) in the museum. All that’s required for this to happen is to send a 512×512 full perm image of your cat(s), together with its / their name(s) to Selena in-world.

On the upper floor of the museum, things are a little lighter in tone, with a series of LOL Cat posters – some of which may be familiar to cat lover, particularly those who join in with the Caturday Tweets on Twitter on the weekends. There’s also a video screen on the upper floor, although at the time of my visit, it didn’t appear to be working.

With cat-related paraphernalia and information boards evenly split between Spanish and English (click on the flag where boards are in a single language), the Cat Museum is, as noted, a fun little visit for cat lovers. Just ask your furry boss for time off before you book a visit – after all, and as they saying goes: dogs have owners; cats have staff 🙂 .

SLurl Details

• Cat Museum (Shishapangma, rated: Moderate)

Destiny Gardens – click any image for full size

Update: Destiny Gardens has closed. SLurls have therefore been removed from this article.

Destiny Gardens is a fully region island primarily landscaped by Adalynne Romano (AdalynneReed) and held by Destiny Milos. Making use of the additional 10K land capacity available to full region owners (to give a total capacity of 30K), Destiny Gardens is a veritable temperate summer paradise – but visits to it may come at a cost to some.

This is a place that, from the landing point in the south-west through to all three other corners, is awash with colour from trees, shrubs and flowers. The landscape, raised to the south and low-lying to the north, is cut by waterways and pools, some of the latter quite large, the channels themselves crossed by a variety of bridges, all of which make for interesting rambles along trail, through grass and across shady glades.

Destiny Gardens

The landing point, in the shape of a paved terrace atop the raised landscape to the south-west, offers gazebos in which to sit, together with outdoor seating, opportunities to play chess, and the first hints of the art to be found scattered across parts of the landscape in the form of a sculpture by Mistero Hifeng. It is also a place where bicycles can be obtained for those wishing to take a ride – but I’d suggest the great part of the region really doesn’t naturally support bike riding. Take the way down from the landing point, for example: this is marked by steps cut into the grassy banks and slopes, and also by wooden suspension bridges that can end in some precipitous slopes, while some of the log bridges down in the lower areas don’t naturally lend themselves to being ridden over 🙂 .

To the northern side of the island sit two little cottages built to identical lines, each within its own garden, their wooden roofs overlaid with turf. Cosily furnished by Destiny, these both appear to be open to the public. Also to the north side of the island is a topiary garden and shaded sitting area for visitors to enjoy. Meanwhile, south and east, the trees give way to more open land surrounding a large body of water in which merhorses swim, the banks of the pool again rich in flowering plants while water tumbles from the neighbouring upland of the landing point.

Destiny Gardens

This only scratches at the surface of the region’s delightful colour; the use of flowers throughout the region is among the most extensive I’ve seen recently. There are additional places to sit and enjoy the scenery, be it in waterside gazebos or pergolas on a stone patio or bridges strung between tees and bowing over streams. It is also true to say not everything in Destiny Gardens is above ground. Search carefully, and you may find the entrance to a network of tunnels  – but be warned; not all of them are entirely dry!

It’s not quite all plain sailing – or walking – however. There can be cost for some visitors, as I mentioned towards the top of this article. The volume of plants  – even when repeated across the region – means there is a lot of texture handling to be done as you explore or cam. There’s also a lot of alpha meshes used in the creation of things like drifting dust clouds, all of which additionally keeps the viewer busy in rendering. For me, these combined to drop my frame rate to single digits and forced me to disable shadow rendering when not taking photos.

Destiny Gardens

However, this does not detract from the sheer natural beauty of the region, or its photogenic qualities. In terms of the latter, a contest is running through until September 10th, with a L$6500 prize pool. Images should be posted to the region’s Flickr group, which can also be joined at the landing point, where full rules of entry for the contest can be found. Photos not intended for the competition are also welcome in the Flickr group.

Destiny Gardens makes for a fun, colourful visit. There’s a lot to see and find, and there is a grace about the design that makes it instantly welcoming. Our thanks, once again, to Shakespeare and Max for the pointer!

Destiny Gardens

SLurl Details

• Destiny Gardens (Destiny, rated: Moderate)

[Eclectica] A New Dawn – click any image for full size

Update: [Eclectica] A New Dawn has closed. SLurl details have therefore been removed from this article.

Maddy  (Nibby Riddler) has a eye for region design; she has shown this through at least two iterations of her region designs carrying the name of Eclectica (about which you can read more here and here). So it was with delight we received an invitation from her to visit the latest incarnation of her work: [Eclectica] A New Dawn – and we weren’t disappointed by all that we found.

For this iteration, Eclectica has returned to the ground, the last time we visited, it was a skyborne archipelago. It forms two large islands separated by a narrow ribbon of water splitting the land between east and west. Both islands are richly wooded, the trees giving rise to a lush landscape, within which are hidden Maddy’s trademark skills in presenting an environment that is rooted in both the natural and the fantastical, both intertwined to present a magical environment in which it is easy to relax and lose oneself.

[Eclectica] A New Dawn

From the landing point on the southern tip of the eastern island, surrounded by the vibrant colours of summer, a grassy path leads forth through iron gates, then branches to the left as well as running northwards.

The former path leads to a waterside gazebo presenting a view out towards a marvellous vignette encompassing Maddy’s love of the fantastical: a giant hand reaching down from the sky, a carousel caught within long fingers, the cups of the ride falling into the waters below, surrounding the legs of a woman forced to dive from the ride as the carousel is swept upwards, as if snatched from the grassy shore. It’s a marvellous scene, unexpected, a scene capturing both fantasy and offering a nod and a wink of humour. It is also one of several vignettes scattered through the trees.

[Eclectica] A New Dawn

The path north along the edge of the eastern sea is marked by pools of flowers floating mist-like above the grass. It leads the way to a gabled set of gates. Beyond these, a covered bridge reveals this eastern island is not one, but two: its northern “headland” in fact a small isle topped by an elven arched circle, a place to dance amidst the bloom of trees, flowers and vines.

Between the southern landing point and northern isle are numerous points that offer places to sit and enjoy time alone or with a friend / lover. these range from individual seats, hammocks and beds, through a fenced garden with little hints of Asia, a pool and folly, to a conservatory looking north over the waters – and more to be discovered beyond.

[Eclectica] A New Dawn

The garden, surrounded by a ring of trees and shrubs, feels like it has been lifted from the comfort of a childhood story and set down within the middle of the island to offer a place of peace and sanctuary. This is a place where time can be passed in reflection. Not even the motorbike and side-car parked within it really look out-of-place, but more another echo of a memory.

The conservatory, meanwhile, looking north across the waters of a small bay, flowers clinging to rocks, has a more open, social feel to it. This is a place for sitting and chatting, relaxing and just being in the moment. Chairs and sofas can be found indoors and out, a deck extending out over the water offering a place to watch swans on the water, the little ice cream carriage adding a sense of easy relaxation to the setting.

[Eclectica] A New Dawn

Beyond the conservatory familiar pools of flowers in the grass point to two paths. The more eastern runs to a little glade-like setting atop a shoulder of rock, a place with further touches of Asia mix with a little soupçon of fantasy in the glass-like flowers and gently floating spheres. The second path leads by way of trees arched as if to form a gate, to a Romany caravan hidden within its own encircling glade. With its gaily coloured tents pitched in the grassy clearing, benches and little beds of flowers, this has all the feeling of being a home, and place of warm safety, familiar in its bric-a-brac, where cares and worries can again be put aside.

To the west, the second island – reached by a single log bridge spanning the channel between them – is very much a place of two halves. More rugged in nature, it is initially a lush, temperate woodland , cut by a single path climbing west to where temperate gives way to tropical, the trunks of great palm trees rising skyward, while the grass gives way to sand, descending to the broad, shallow sweep of a beach.

[Eclectica] A New Dawn

Dominating the view is a play on classical mythology: a great figure rises from the waters, supporting a great cup on his shoulders, the Moon lying within its bowl. While it may well be the Moon he holds aloft, rather than the celestial sphere, the allusion to the fate of Atlas could not be clearer – or more romantically phrased: just as Atlas was confined to the western extreme of Gaia, so to does this figure, rise from the western extremes of this world. It’s title meanwhile, I Will Bring You The Moon, offers its romantic touch.

It’s a most unusual sight to behold from the beach and yet, within this setting, does not remain in any way incongruous. Rather, it adds a sense of mystery to the beach, one perhaps coupled by the remnants of a submarine caught in the southern rocks. Facing this across the sweep of sand, a board walk points the way around the northern headland to where a beach hut guards the estuary of the region’s stream, perched on the back of a rocky islet: the perfect end-of-day location.

[Eclectica] A New Dawn

With scrupulous attention to detail, rounded off with a matching sound scape and – for those who like music to accompany their explorations – a gentle audio stream, [Eclectica] A New Dawn is, simply, a delight.

SLurl Details

• [Eclectica] A New Dawn (Kymor, rated: Moderate)

Peace of Mind – click any image for full size

Peace of Mind is a Mainland parcel a little over a quarter region in size, held and landscaped by Talacious (Talacious Tigerpaw).  It’s a quirky design that offers as much vertically as it does horizontally for the willing explorer, so a stout pair of walking boots might be recommended!

The About Land description offers a warm invitation to arrival to explore, relax and have a little fun, with Talacious noting she has a passion for landscaping, design and art, and hopes that people find a little peace and tranquillity when visiting.

Peace of Mind

Visitors arrive on the beach, a narrow sliver of sand sitting between high craggy shoulders of rock that reach back inland. Water tumbles – a little erratically in places – from one of these high mesas, eventually finding its way down to the beach where it rolls over the sand and into the sea.

Three opportunities for initial exploration are offered from the beach: a short climb up stone steps to a caravan, oddly perched on a shelf of rock and now so much a part of the landscape, nature is taking up residence on the outside as much as someone ins living on the inside. More stone steps run up alongside the caravan and to the conservatory sitting above and behind it, while a wooden bridge spans the water in its rush to the sea, offering the way to one of several routes up into the high cliffs and rocks surrounding the setting.

Peace of Mind

Those climbing to the conservatory will find it is home to a warm-looking bathing pool, while the path branches left and right – offering a further choice in routes of exploration. While you take is entirely up to you; suffice it to say both – and the path winding upwards from the log bridge down by the beach – offer routes of discovery.

Trails wind between the trunks of tall pines and other trees and slide between tall cliffs and hunched rocky outcrops, leading the traveller past local wildlife, over pond and root and through the occasional shower of rain, before inevitably winding upwards. As they do so, the paths climbing the cliffs may change from bare rock to tiled step (or back again) or from grassy trails to dirt tracks, all of which twist and climb – sometimes very steeply – up to the high plateaus above.

Peace of Mind

These high tables are home to more curios awaiting discovery – a pair of trees houses here, with the remains of an old van that must have had a bugger of a time climbing up the steep trail; a house cut into a hill there, surrounded by sunflowers that reach down into a little box canyon where yet another cottages sits, roof covered in grass and more sunflowers growing above it bay windows. Just below the house-in-a-hill sits a Tuscan villa, a paved set of steps reaching up from it to a narrow promontory on which sits a further tree house, even as hollow logs offer a bridge to a large house standing on the headland, and the destination of the rocky path winding upwards from the beach. This last appears to be the house of Talacious; however, like the other buildings sitting both high and low, it appears to be open to the public.

With the many different paths and bridges connecting them, finding one’s way around and between the houses is something of an adventure, and reveals some of the more quirky elements of the parcel – such a  set of stone steps supported on nothing more than a wish, leading the way to vine-arched bridge spanning the gap between one plateau and another. Meanwhile, the path winding down from from the garden of the twinned tree housesoffers a way past a cavern, also awaiting exploration.

Peace of Mind

However, said cavern is not the “secret caves” referred to in the About Land description. This requires a little discovery. Clues are provided, and I don’t want to spoil the fun. Suffice it to say: look for the “arrowed” paths  in the grounds of one of the houses, or the sign board watched over by rabbits (then touch the rock behind it). And when you do find your way into the caves, be sure to follow the paths all the way down and to give the wall below a certain sign concerning life a tap …

Peace of Mind is, as I’ve mentioned, a quirky place. It is rich in detail, albeit with a few rough edges that could do with a little attention (waters falling into grass and vanishing, or floating above the beach as it flows to the sea, for example, while the odd tree floats rootless above the ground). But these are not sufficiently problematic as to spoil the overall effect, and it’s clear that Talacious has poured a lot of her own personality into the parcel’s look and feel, together with her sense of fun.

Peace of Mind

So if you are looking for something just that little bit different to explore, Peace of Mind might be for you.

SLurl Details

• Peace of Mind (Buncrana, rated: Moderate)

Missing Melody – click any image for full size

The heat of summer has left the grass long and golden, roots reaching deep into the soil to gain moisture. Closer to the local stream and river, the grass and moss are still green, benefiting from both the plentiful water seeping into the land on either side of the waterways and from the shade offered by tall trees of a rich woodland. But the seasons are turning; the sky offers a paler Sun than might have been blazing down in the midst of summer and the trees are slowly losing their canopies of leaves, scattering them across the ground below, where their gold and reds form a slowly decaying carpet and litter the calm surfaces of the river’s arms.

Such is the tranquil scene awaiting visitors to Missing Melody, a Homestead region designed by Bambi (NorahBrent). Still under construction, it is nevertheless open to those wishing to explore it, offering a beautiful autumnal look and feel with – at the time of our visit at least –  a delightfully minimalist approach to a setting Bambi describes as a “shabby rustic theme”; an approach I hope continues through to the region’s completion in this form, and things don’t become too crowded.

Missing Melody

The yellowing grass sits at the northern end of the island, lapping around the broken tower of an old windmill and appearing to leave a tractor stranded within the waves of seeded grass heads as sheep graze fitfully. From a distance, it might be easy to mistake the grass for a field of corn and the lodge sitting close by for a farmhouse. Closer examination, however, reveals the truth of the grass, while the lodge appears to be more of an artistic retreat than part of a working farm.

An unsurfaced road, rutted and marked by rocks on either side runs past the lodge and points the way south to where a bridge reaches over a branch of the river (almost the landing point) to arrive at a little café. Such little places are very much a staple of many regions designs, offering places to sit and perhaps cam around the setting.

Missing Melody

Between lodge and café, the road runs through the region’s woodland and past an old shack that fits the region’s shabby theme perfectly while also offering a cosy interior with a rich homeliness about it. Behind the shack, a path directs feet towards a deck reaching out over the coastal water. This almost – but not quite – reaches an off-shore fishing shack converted for use as a little snug for couples.

Eastwards from the road, the land gets a little more rugged in nature. Bridges and steps offer a way up among the rocky humps, passing a wrought iron gazebo and passing over tumbling falls to reach a shabby platform of a tree house before the land tails off into a small headland dominated by a great water tower.

Missing Melody

The theme of music is presented here not only in the region’s name, but also in the way the wrought iron gazebo offers a home for a musical trio of guitar, piano and drums, with pillows, logs and benches set out under strings of lights bulbs to offer space for an audience should musicians arrive.

Meanwhile, the idea of a missing melody is perfectly framed by the weathered form of an old grand piano sitting behind the hunter’s lodge. Apparently being slowly claimed by nature, the piano would appear to be more of an artistic statement, carefully placed with sheet music anchored by vines, while an old curtain or blanket hangs from the ppiano’s closed lid. The placement of these, and the little models of two little robins, perhaps giving the lie to the piano simply having been abandoned and add to the idea that the nearby  lodge is the residence of someone with an artistic bent.

Missing Melody

There are a lot of little touches through Missing Melody – picnic benches along the roadside, little snuggle points scattered around the landscape; deer to be found within the woodlands with their misted ground, and plenty of opportunities for photography (rezzing is permitted with auto return set to 60 minutes – but do remember to clear up props ahead of that limit).

Yes, there are a couple of rough edges – trees floating over water, for example; but again, this is a region still under construction, an matters like that will be addressed. In the meantime, Missing Melody is already a photogenic destination – and our thanks again to Shakespeare and Max for the nudge in suggesting we visit.

Missing Melody

SLurl Details

• Missing Melody (Aftershock, rated: Moderate)