Back in early April, I dropped-in to Ivy Glad on the Homestead region of Beauty Atoll. Held by the Katz >.< Meow group, the region has been beautifully and artfully crafted by the combined talents of Cipher Silbersztein and Shaw Noel.
Mostly flooded (hence my attraction to the region, given my enjoyment of places with a watery focus), Ivy Glad looks like a lowland area overcome by water, yellow grass still visible above the waves to the south, with areas of higher ground forming islands rising from the surrounding flood.
On one of these, slowly being lost from sight in the encroaching woodland, stands what’s left of a large building, perhaps the shell of some former industrial plant. To the west of this sits a smaller outbuilding, also in a losing battle with nature, some of its windows now without glass, sections of roof gone, and its brick interior now the playground of butterflies. Sitting tied-up alongside a wooden jetty reaching out from this outbuilding sits the unexpected bulk of a 17th Century sailing ship, mist wrapping itself around her.
To the north-east of the region lies another area of dry land, an old railway track – perhaps a spur line – leading from it and out into the flooded plain. Here are signs of habitation nestled within what remains of another old brick building, its walls now mostly gone. Rocking chairs gently pitch back and forth as stream rises from cups of tea or coffee set before them, rugs and books add a touch of colour and homeliness while an old washstand offers a place for a gardener to work.
Stories lie throughout the flooded landscape and the structures to be found here, from the ruins on the main island to the great brick arches of a broken bridge and the ivy-hung remnants of a concrete and iron tower, rising from the waters like some lonely sentinel. Then there is the incongruous presence of the sailing ship, at once a part of the landscape yet at odds with the bricks and concrete and hints of abandoned industry.
For those who simply want to visit and sit and pass the hours, Ivy Glad offers much as well; be it the rocking chairs and rugs mentioned above, the sofas sitting on a small rising amidst the flooded grasslands, or under the great beams of the ruined building, where lie a wrought-iron table and group of chairs, park benches also not far away. For the romantic, a bed lies atop a sturdy wooden platform on the water, offering cuddle and conversational poses.
Photographers are well-served here; the layout of the region is wonderfully photogenic and invites one to play with sky and water windlights. For those who need accessories, rezzing is allowed – but as always, do please remember to clean-up behind yourself if you do rez anything.
All told, a lovely and tranquil setting well worth a visit.
Related Links
- Ivy Glad, Beauty Atoll SLurl (Rated: Moderate)
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 