Category: Reviews

While we have never met, Jeannie Schimmer is a woman somewhat after my own heart; someone driven by curiosity and the need to create. It was a drive that started with a single goal which – as I’ve found myself, as doubtless have many others – evolved into something far greater. In this case, an entire public region.

I wanted to learn how to make a proper wharf. After the wharf came a little village, then came the countryside and so much MORE! Feel free to wander around and explore.

-Jeannie Schimmer on creating Calland

Called Calland, the region is a pleasing mix of open spaces, waterside spots, a little village and pleasant walks. It’s is also a place which appears to be going through continuous evolution – again the mark of a creative mind twiddling with ideas and updates.

An example of this comes with the local church; original shots of the setting show the church to be modest, traditional affair with white wood sidings and a tiled roof and steeple. The current church is a far more modern design, its wooden-beamed sides and general form making a strong statement whilst also fitting with the surrounding fir trees and those growing across the hills behind the north of the village.

This village sits just back from the Landing Point – a paved waterfront quay marked by boat moorings, houseboats and a parade of shops. The quayside also give the first indications that there are activities to be enjoyed here: a bubble rezzer sits next to a bicycle rezzer, the pair of them giving visitors the choice of floating or pedalling around the setting if they wish.

The church mentioned above sits to one end of a road paralleling the quay, and which might be considered the village’s main street. It is home to the local garage, movie theatre and more shops sitting with their back to those on the quayside. Facing the church at the far end of this street are parkland offices – the park presumably being the open lands above and to the north of the town.

An old mine tunnels under the hills of the park as a means to to reach the region’ northern side. It is actually one of four routes for doing so. The second takes the form of a boardwalk at the eastern end of the quays, and which passes between the park offices and a large house boat. The remaining two lay a walk westward alongside the quayside from the landing point.

The first of these latter two takes the form of a footpath meandering its way through a formal garden; the second a walk north along the region’s western edge. This passes by way of a deserted bar and a 1950’s style diner, together with a floating pier and a shingle waterfront which runs between the water and a small bungalow (possibly a private home; I’m not actually sure) and a walled garden respectively.

The formal garden, meanwhile, offers places to sit and pass the time, games, including mah-jong within its small auditorium, and dancing. Beyond it, the path continues on to the parklands, sandwiching the bungalow and walled garden (which again offers places to sit and is popular with the local rabbits and birds!) between itself and the west-side coastline.

The northern landscape offers winding paths, horse grazing (and horse riding), an impromptu shindig, a Hobbit hole home(!) and outdoor seating. The east side of the park is particularly hilly and semi-rugged, the paths and trails slithering between the higher peaks, with bridges spanning streams, water falling from the higher slopes, with the local bears keeping their eyes on things.

Two islands complete the setting. The larger, sitting to the north-west, is connected to the rest of the region via two bridges. A large house and grounds take up its space. Again, I’ve no idea if it is intended to be a private residence or not; however, as I did not wish to invade privacy were it to be so, I didn’t dally there.

The second island sits within a bay on the north side of the region. Cut off from the rest of the landscape by water, it is home to the Racoon Creek camp ground. The best way to reach it without flapping your arms and taking to the air is via the zip line that extends down from the hills in the middle of the mainland area to the pier at the entrance to the camp site. For getting back across the water after a visit, try using the local bubble rezzer on the arrival pier.

Tranquil and with considerable details throughout (there is much I’ve intentionally not mentioned here), Calland is a charming place to visit, offering a fair amount to do and a lot to appreciate.

SLurl Details

• Calland (Calland II, rated Moderate)

In my previous Exploring Second Life piece, I visited Lavender Springs, a location tucked away on Heterocera, and designed by some of the talents behind Cerulean Sea (see: Relaxing in Lavender Springs in Second Life). At the time I noted that a return visit to the Cerulean regions on my part would be forthcoming. However – and for reasons I’ve yet to determine – my system / viewer decided to be very unhappy when I did earlier in the week, performance-wise, so I’m shelving that for another visit at a later date.

Instead, and to make up for this, I decided to drop back to Lavender Springs and head west along Atoll Road to visit the TNC Commons, a further part of The Nature Collective no too far away. The work of Teagan Cerulean, Emmerson Skye Cerulean (Emm Evergarden), TNC Commons covers just 8048 sq metres, forming a charming and picturesque corner of Second Life, literally packed with information and places to visit.

The Nature Collective welcomes you to TNC Commons, a blend of urban charm, green space, and forest trails. With exhibits, gardens, and open spaces to gather or reflect, TNC Commons invites you to connect with nature and community.

– TNC Commons description

Again sitting just off the Atoll Road (and thus passed by the local tour pods), the Landing Point for the setting sits back from said road, and alongside the TNC Info centre, where you can – if not already familiar with The Nature Collective and the work of Emm and her friends – discover the secrets of the the Nature Collective and its network of locations and associated locations around the grid.

The Info Centre sits to one side of a cobbled street lined on the other side by little rental apartments. This street is cut through along part of its length by tram tracks – and be careful where you stand on arrival, as the tram is indeed running, and can sneak up behind the unwary as it comes to a halt at the Info Centre!

Jumping onto the tram will take you on a trip around the Commons – which includes a rather novel hop by the tram over the footpath running along the front of the apartment houses 🙂 . This journey offers a pleasant loop around the landscape, and is certainly worth the ride – particularly as it does have a number of station stops at points of interest along the way, allowing you to hop off and explore (you can also explore on foot, obviously).

The far end of the street is home to The Dancing Rabbit Café – a special place for many, and if you know why, you know; if you don’t – please take the information pack from the stone rabbit to the right of the steps leading up to the Café. It is a thoroughly charming corner and, due to its meaning, also has its own Landing Point. Passing around the Café via the little canal to one side or the path between the Café and the neighbouring apartment house on the other will bring visitors to the garden spaces to the rear which includes more outdoor seating for the Café and an event space.

One of the local tram stations is just to the other side of the latter, but for those on foot, steps can be found to the upper parts of the setting – charmingly called The Canopy, due to it being shaded by tall oaks, fir trees and one special tree in particular. Spread throughout this area are places to sit and relax, places to meditate, water features offering space for local wildfowl and critters.

Also to be found throughout is – as noted a wealth of information (including some on the aforementioned particular tree). These information boards allow you to obtain the TNC Connect HUD, offering more on The Nature Collective; information on the secret language of trees (the Wood Wide web); links to external nature-related websites and more; together with opportunities for mindfulness.

A further HUD, the TNC Travelogue, can be obtained at the entrance to the setting from the Atoll Road. It provides SLurls to other locations around the grid associated with The Nature Collective. A sign board alongside the HUD giver also provides direct TP links to those locations.

There are some little quirks to the setting which  – to me – add charm. The warning signs for the tram track are placed such that the provide warnings to approaching trams rather than pedestrians, and the track does change gauge to cross a bridge. This is genuinely not to pick holes; in the case of the gauge change, it’s a classic example of making used of different creations to produce a means to add further visual interest to a setting.

In all, a richly engaging visit – as one would expect when it comes to The Nature Collective.

SLurl Details

• TNC Commons (Itame, rated Moderate)

Back in September 2024 I dropped into Les Bean at the Salty C, a coffee house within the Cerulean regions (see Coffee and a Salty C in Second Life).

Designed by members of the extended Cerulean family, notably (at the time of my visit) Emmerson Skye Cerulean (Emm Evergarden) of The Nature Collective fame and Teagan Cerulean, it is one of a number of places held across Second Life by members of the family – and somewhere to which I’ve received an invitation to make a further visit, and plan to do so in the near future.

Another location designed by members of the Cerulean family – V Cerulean Rhys (Veronika Nightfire)and Dani Cerulean (Dani Varela) joining Emm and Teagan – is that of Lavender Springs, a charming retreat offering hot springs, relaxation and opportunities for photography, sitting on the south side of Heterocera.

Located at the end of a short dirt track connecting it with the cobbles of the Atoll Road, Lavender Springs sits and an open-air retreat, a large sign encouraging people to explore, and a notice board offering information on the Cerulean Sea, the Nature Collective and the Greenwich Café – a coffeehouse apparently inspired by England’s Lake District, and so may well end up on my list of places written about.

Small it might be, by Lavender Springs is perfectly formed and richly engaging. Three hot springs are available for bathing – two on one side of the stream flowing through the setting. The third is reached via a fallen tree trunk now doubling as a bridge across the colder waters of the swiftly-flowing waters of the stream as they tumble away from the local falls.

The first two springs are reached by crossing two wide stepped decks. One is the home of a massage therapy area, the other offers relaxation in the Sun. They are partnered by a stack of Zen rocks forming a tall pedestal for yoga and meditation.

Oak, Jacaranda, Wildberry form a screen of mature trees to provide shade and some degree of privacy, while the large pool into which the stream flows perhaps offers the opportunity for cold plunges after time in the hot springs. For those seeking a quieter means of relaxation, a swing might also be found.

Watched over by egrets, completed by a gentle soundscape and offer a lot of detail in so small an area, Lavender Springs is another space adding considerably beauty to the Mainland.

SLurl Details

• Lavender Springs (Notata, rated Moderate)