Tag: Exploring Second Life 2014

Kittens Heaven, Demented Love (Flickr)

The end of another year draws ever nearer, and in the northern hemisphere this means thoughts turn to those of winter landscapes and cold, crisp mornings, something which tends to be carried into Second Life as well. Many regions are estates have already welcomed the soft cover of snow and winter scenes are starting to appear appear the blogsphere.

With December on our doorstep, I decided to head away to Kitten’s Heaven, Isabelli Anatine Hak’s homestead region, which offers a place for people to visit and relax and enjoy a spot of photography if they wish. Freshly remodelled for the winter months, Isabelli was putting the finishing touches to the region in its new look when I arrived, as she completed furnishing the main house.

Kittens Heaven, Demented Love (Flickr)

Surrounded by icy waters which are in turn surrounded by snow-capped and dusted craggy cliffs and peaks, Kitten’s Heaven offers a picturesque scene of frost coated trees raising bare branches to the sky, under which can be found reindeer, bears, foxes – and even a penguin or two. There are skis available for those feeling active (snowboards may also be added), and a large frozen lake offers plenty of space for skating – but do mind the cats as they enjoy their own little bit of ice boarding!

A sliver of unfrozen water separates the lake from two rocky outcrops. Upon one of these sits the main house, a large Tudor-style building, reached by a rocky, snow-covered path. Here visitors will find refreshments to fortify them against the cold, and fully furnished rooms upstairs to explore. A snow-covered span of  rock bridges the gap to the second plateau, where an outdoor café offers hot soup and mulled wine to those of a hardy disposition who enjoy the bracing outdoor air.

“Wot’s going on over there, then?” Kittens Heaven, Demented Love (Flickr)

There are numerous places to sit down and enjoy the surroundings, be in on a sleigh or next to a blazing camp fire  or in the little cottage where more of Isabelli’s love of cats can be found. As noted above, wildlife abounds, and there is also a mysterious little man with his lantern taking a peek at what’s going on – but I doubt he means any mischief!

Kitten’s Heaven always offers an eye-catching and warm welcome to visitors, and even though snow may lay heavy on the ground right now, that hasn’t changed with this make-over. So why not hop over and take a look for yourself?

Kittens Heaven, Demented Love (Flickr)

Related Links

• Kittens Heaven SLurl (Rated: Moderate)

 

 

Pinoy Hideout, Lions Hill (Flickr)

Pinoy Hideout is a full region designed by Neva Crystall for Kate Gavin and the Pinoy Hideout group. Open to the public (group membership by invitation), It offers visitors something of everything: discovery, dancing, shopping, relaxing, music, romance…

Given this is a Neva Crystall design, it goes without saying that the island is immediately eye-catching. Two rocky plateaus nestle a handful of boutique shops and the Pinoy Hideout café bar between them. The tops of these plateaus are occupied by a cosy house (open to the public) and a large wooden deck respectively, the latter offering a place to dance and enjoy any entertainments which might be laid-on – although dance systems can be found throughout the island.

Pinoy Hideout, Lions Hill (Flickr)

Below the plateaus, beaches and low-lying grassland encircle the island, offering plenty of opportunity for walking, taking photos, and simply letting feet and mind wander free. A waterfront chapel looks ready to host a wedding, while further around the coast is one of the more intriguing hideouts: the hulk of an ageing ship-of the-line or old privateer, propped up on rocks.

Offshore sit two smaller islands, one a mix of sand and rock, the other rich with foliage and marked by the ruins of an ancient stone tower, another cosy spot held with the curve of the broken walls. Elsewhere, an oriental bath house sits above a bridge leading to a small tea house, the curve of a small inlet sitting between them.

Pinoy Hideout, Lions Hill (Flickr)

I’ve no idea if the “pinoy” is the name is a deliberate Filipino reference, but Piony Hideout offers a pleasing melding of tropical, western and oriental influences stirred and teased into a gorgeous island design which is crying out to be photographed. In fact, there is a photographic contest under way as I write this – information can be found at the teleport landing  point.

All told, a delightful addition to the Second Life landscape; I look forward to popping back again and again – as I’m sure you will as well. Just be sure to explore carefully, as there really is a lot to see – both above and under the waves!

Pinoy Hideout, Lions Hill (Flickr)

Related Links

• Pinoy Hidedout (Rated: Moderate)
• Piony Hideout Flickr group

With thanks to Honour McMillan for the pointer.

 

 

The Sanctuary by the Sea, Brysk (Flickr)

Brysk is a homestead region currently shared between Nailah Carrlucci and Armon Aeon. While the two halves of the region may be independent of one another in terms of ownership, Nailah and Armon have worked to present their lands as one, bringing us a public place caught in an Indian Summer as the trees turn to gold, inviting visitors to explore and relax which winter slowly takes a grip on regions elsewhere…

Nailah’s portion of the region, The Sanctuary by the Sea, features a large stone church with cobbled paths beyond its low surrounding walls. A small tavern – more a converted stone out-house – offers visitors a choice of local wine or ale, both served by the chubby monk in attendance. A towered stone house, one of Maxwell Graf’s beautiful mesh creations, is open to visitors, offering a place to relax and chat with friends. A short distance away and reached either via tree-lined track or across stone bridge, is the landing point, surrounded by trees touched by the changing seasons. This offers another invitation for visitors to sit for a while and pass the time: chairs and loungers from Cory Edo, warmed by a fire pit and with a large stone fountain splashing water nearby.

Sanctuary Falls, Brysk (Flickr)

Beyond the low line of craggy hills which divide the land, lies Sanctuary Falls, Armon Aeon’s land. This is altogether more rural, a place where red and gold leaves float on an ocean of white-tufted grass and deer wander among grazing horses, while tall trees mix greens and yellows against the backdrop of snow-capped mountains that surround the region. Water is a feature here, with falls, streams and ponds. A touch of fantasy is also caught within the landscape, as tall carven figures stand on either side of one of the waterfalls, and further afield, under the shade of a gnarled tree, an elven couple lay in and eternal stone embrace.

Both The Sanctuary by the Sea and Sanctuary Falls offer visitors a restful visit, and lend themselves to a broad range of windlight settings for photographers. Given their complimentary nature, I couldn’t help but combine them into a single little machinima, which I hope you enjoy (if it doesn’t play at 720p automatically, click the gear wheel and select)!

Related Links

• The Sanctuary by the Sea – Nailah Carlucci
• Sanctuary Falls – Armon Aeon

My thanks to MorganaCarter Resident for the pointer to Brysk.

Nordan om Jorden (Flickr)

Fellow blogger Kate Bergdorf recently announced that following a winter make-over, she was opening her homestead region, Nordan om Jorden, to the public. Ever the one to explore pastures new, I hopped over to take a look.

The layout of the regions is deceptively simple, presenting a rural environment suggestive of a coastal farm in the midst of winter, snow heavy on the ground, trees pointing naked, gnarled branches towards the sky. A hardy, and late-growing crop sits within a field, offering a warm splash of yellow against the cold white of the snow, while a tractor sits on the edge of the field, the conditions on the ground not entirely conducive to harvesting the crop.

Nordan om Jorden (Flickr)

Beyond the field, horses wander through the snow, hay bales offering them something to munch on, while a rutted track, the snow within it furrowed, leads the way around a tall rocky outcrop, a gap within in providing access to the far side of the land.

Here sits a beach house sitting back from a sandy beach not entirely lost to the encroaching snow. Lights hang from the boughs of trees and a panic bench offers a Thermos of something hot to drink from the hamper beside it. Inside the beach house is a place to sit and a warming fire for those feeling the pinch of the cold.

Nordan om Jorden (Flickr)

As noted above, this is a deceptively simple design, which offers a number of little winter vignettes with the fenced crop, crows wheeling overhead, the tree-lined track, the horses wandering across the snow, and sheep penned by walls and fencing …  all present their own photo opportunities which at the same time coming together to paint a complete picture. For those who are feeling active, there are a couple of rezzers which will provide you with a sled on which you can ride across the snow, while the beach house offers a quiet place to sit and talk.

At the time of writing, one part of the region is closed to visitors. This is the southern part of the island, reached via a stone bridge. Called Floodwood, it is currently still being worked on (hence being closed) and I understand that Kate plans to offer rentals there for those looking for a place to live.

Nordan om Jorden – BERG gallery (Flickr)

Another point of interest for visitors lies not on the ground, but up in the air over the region. This is Kate’s new art gallery – BERG. This is located in a cosy skybox offering an intimate space in which work by invited artists can be displayed. You’ll need to use the SLurl in the link above to reach the gallery (at least for now), as there is no direct TP from the ground. At the moment, examples of Kate’s own work are on display, but the plan is to feature artists on a three-month rotational basis. The gallery will likely focus on – but not necessarily be limited to – fine art photography, fashion photography, landscape photography, erotic photography and portrait photography.

Related Links

• Nordan om Jorden SLurl (Rated: Moderate)
• BERG Gallery
• The Bergdorf Reports

Autumn [Imagination], Intouchable (Flickr)

A year ago, I was drawn to ARNICAR India’s beautiful region, Imagination. Back then I described it as “a perfect haven for those wanting to escape the trials of the world or who are looking for a place to soothe their tired minds. Predominantly water, the region has a number of small islands scattered across it and, in one case, floating over it.”

Now called Autumn [Imagination]  and having been relocated to Intouchable, the region offers an autumn-themed design which sees a subtle shift in presentation whilst retaining all of the beauty and tranquillity I discovered there in 2013, with much that remains familiar within the changes made.

Autumn [Imagination], Intouchable (Flickr)

Water still forms the predominant feature, hence one reason for my continued attraction, and if anything is far more prevalent. The landmark will deliver you close to the middle of Imagination, where a familiar large fob watch sits with a broken face and gears hanging out of one side of the case, a reminder that while here, time holds little importance. Three tree-lined paths form a Y around the landing point, presenting the visitor with a choice on their arrival. Which one you take – if any – matters not; all three will lead to discovery and delight as you explore.

Walking beneath the golden arches of each is worth the time, as each path has its own character and contains small motifs from earlier designs for the region, giving those who have visited before a pleasant feeling of familiarity and comfort. Keep your eyes peeled as you walk, as there are some wonderful little touches and details that are oh-so-easy to otherwise miss.

Autumn [Imagination], Intouchable (Flickr)

A small island lies a short distance through the ankle-deep water from the paths. Here children play, Wendys and Lost Boys in the long grass, their laughter sprinkling the air as the chase one another or fly kites. Nestled against the rocks of the island is a tented boat – perhaps their home; certainly a place for visitors to sit and forget their worries.

Another island floats serenely at the end of one of the paths, the waters of the open sea washing against the rocks of a breakwater beneath it. You’ll have to fly up to the little house atop the island (or at least I didn’t find a teleport). If you do you’ll discover a lovely collection of bonsai trees and more places to sit and snuggle, or to dance. Platforms scattered around the island – on the water and in the trees – offer similar retreats from the worries of life, or places to share with friends.

Autumn [Imagination], Intouchable (Flickr)

For those who prefer not to walk, rideable horses wander through the region, simply right-click on one to mount it and you can set off on your wanderings. One thing I would recommend is that you try keeping to ARNICAR’s chosen windlight for the design (seen in all the images here); the dark skies, rippled by the odd wave of cloud and with the sun dipping towards the horizon perfectly complements the rippled waters below whilst also brighting the golden colours of the trees to the fore.

The description for Autumn [Imagination] is a quote from George Bernard Shaw: Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine and at last you create what you will. It’s perfectly apt for this place, imagination brought it into being, and it is turn stirs the imagination as you explore.

Autumn [Imagination], Intouchable (Flickr)

Do keep an eye out for the hippos! 🙂

Related Links

• Autumn [Imagination] SLurl]  (Rated: Moderate]