Tag: Exploring Second Life 2024

Sometimes when exploring Second Life it’s easy to miss what is pretty much in your own back yard, so to speak.

For example, it’s no secret I have a home in Second Norway – and I’m very proud of the fact I’ve been able to put down roots there. Recently I added to this by visiting New Deer Isle, a superb setting in Second Life created and held by Kaiden Glocke Tray (KaidenTray), writing about it here. With September arriving, I’ve been able to visit another public location within Second Norway, this one sitting within a cosy parcel of land just under 3,500 square metres in size.

Created by Karmagrl Nesbith (Karmagrl),this setting is genuinely magical and a total delight, with its core theme obvious from its title: Mad Hatter’s Tea Room.

However, to view it purely as some form of homage to the most famous literally works of Lewis Carroll (aka Charles Lutwidge Dodgson)would perhaps be an error. Yes, characters like the Cheshire Cat, the caterpillar, the dormouse, the dodo – as well as the Queen of Hearts, Alice, the White Rabbit and the Mad Hatter himself –  and more, are all waiting to be found; but they are the icing on the cake for what is a richly engaging setting that sits on, under, and above the parcel.

Welcome to the Mad Hatter’s Tea Room! After you come in through the main gate, wander into the gardens through the pink gate. Follow the flower pathway to the main building- the Tea Room. Stop in, sip some tea, imbibe in some delectable bakery delights, and just enjoy the view.

Be sure to walk off the Second Life calories that don’t really count, and take a trip through the grounds, enjoying the whimsical Alice in Wonderland décor. Be sure and go down to the waterfront, and have a glass of wine or a beer, or even a mixed drink in the secret bar that is through the dull looking door that seems to go no where…

– From the introductory notecard to Mad Hatter’s Tea Room

From the pink gates at the landing point (those arriving by road can park their cars outside of the larger wrought iron gates if they wish!) visitors have a choice of following the path directly to the Tea House or cross to the a large terrace overlooking a natural cove cut by water flowing both into and out from the land.

Motifs from Carroll’s books are immediate: the presence of the Queen of Hearts and Alice as greeters in the inner car park as your arrive; the bushy-tailed herald looking as if he’s ready to announce your passage through the pink gate, your arrival, the playing card guard, oversized teacups and caterpillar cars on the terrace…

Meanwhile the garden path meanders gently up to the tea house, offering it own delights of colourful blooms, fountains, budgies in the trees, bunnies at play (or asleep!) and a branching path cutting back across the gardens to reach the upper end of the terrace. A further path leads the way over a little pool of water to where visitors can join the Hatter himself for tea outdoors if they wish, seated at a table cupped in the arm of a stream as it tumbles away from the pool to join with a second stream before both drop away into the cove.

The non-calorific cakes, cream buns and other delights can be enjoyed on both floors of the Tea House, which offers further celebrations of Alice’s adventures as immortalised in animation and film. And don’t let the White Rabbit outside holding his fob watch trick you into believing you’re in any way late for any for of important date and that you need to be moving on; take a choice of tables indoors or out and just enjoy the setting.

Places to sit actually abound throughout the setting, whilst the terrace itself sit over the bar mentioned in the introductory notecard, two sets of steps leading out to its waterfront entrance. Teas and coffees might also be enjoyed in the bar – as might a beer or a cocktail by those so-minded. The terrace also offers chess for those who might fancy a game, and a small teleport base back alongside the pink gates will carry you up to the sky platform and its maze and mix of characters from the books.

To describe Mad Hatter’s Tea Room, however, is to mis the point – it’s a place to be visited and enjoyed. As such, I’ll encourage you to do so, particularly if you love Alice’s adventures, and I’ll leave you instead with a couple more images.

 

SLurl Details

• Mad Hatter’s Tea Room (Alesung, rated Moderate)

 

Update, November 2024: La Côte Sauvage has relocated and has been remodelled

Sitting within a half Homestead region is La Côte Sauvage (The Wild Coast), a natural location held and design by Second Life artist-photographer Caly Applewhyte (Calypso Applewhyte).  It takes as its inspiration the Breton Coast, France – although whether it is predominantly inspired by Brittany’s northern or southern coastline or an amalgam of both is unclear; and while there is a stretch of French coast along the Bay of Biscay actually called La Côte Sauvage, this lies within Nouvelle-Aquitaine further to the south, so is potentially not a factor in the setting’s design.

Note that where or upon what the setting might be directly inspired is particularly relevant;  Caly’s La Côte Sauvage speaks entirely for itself as a small but highly photogenic setting; a place which uses elevation to its advantage, allowing it to represent a coastal area without relying on being backed-up against one side of the parcel or another (or maybe two sides) within which it sits, thus allowing to stand as something of an island setting, whilst also allowing the imagination to interpret as a stretch of coast whilst wandering between valleys and hilltops.

Although sitting within a half Homeland region, the setting is actually split into two parcels: to the south is La Côte Sauvage itself, primarily given over to dray land and with a richness of content that does not feel it is in any way overcrowding the parcel. Then, to the north is the largely open water La Côte Sauvage 2, to which I’ll circle back in a bit.

The landing point is located on the southern side of the land, where a small boardwalk reaches over the water from one of the setting’s beaches to a little knob of an isle that offers the first of many places where those who wish to sit and spend time in the region. On the landward side of the boardwalk, a signboard for the Nature Collective can be found, where donations for the settings upkeep can be made. Close by are further places to sit, one in the lee of one of the setting’s hills, the other on the beach itself. 

The main path of exploration runs north between two of the elevated parts of the location, dog-legging a little to the east to reach the bank of a stream as it cuts through the landscape in a reverse “s”, before turning north again and open out to access another of the beaches. To the left of this path are steps leading up the side of the hill to reach a low plateau claimed by the local sheep and which includes a comfy little seat for any shepherd wishing to keep and eye on them 🙂 . From here it is possible to climb up to the highest point in the setting, where a rotunda has been built to house a small gallery of Caly’s photography, together with a vendor where copies of Caly’s work can be purchased.

This gallery overlooks the beach mentioned above, behind which sits a carpet of grass between the beach and the stream on which can be found a summer house. Neatly utilising the larger half of Cory Edo’s Yara Treehouse outfitted to offer a cosy retreat, complete with a sofa to watch the ebb and flow of the sea. 

The second half of the treehouse structure sits as another little cosy hideaway on the south side of the landscape. It can be reached one of two ways: when following the main path between the hills, a turn to the right at the foot of the the hill there and using the stepping stones to cross the stream; alternatively, a walk east along the beach at the landing point and then following a rock (and spray-drenched!) walk around the base of the cliffs to where a bridge spans the mouth of the stream. On the far side of the cabin from the stream offers a way up to the hill behind it, as well as to a little cove that offers a bit of a hideaway place to sit and spend time. 

Turning to the stream, this starts to the north-east of the land, snaking its way south and west and then back to the east again to reach its mouth. It’s possible to follow a good part of the stream towards its source using its southern bank and two bridges. Doing so will bring visitors to the two final points of interest on the northern side of the setting: the ancient ruins on the northern-eastern hills, and the raised walkway reaching out over the water to an aged stone pavilion surmounting a single island.

Both the ruins and the pavilion, although of different ages, sit will together and add a sense of history to the setting – and in the case of the ruins, with their stand stone, alter and ancient Norse horn, offer a sense of mystery and mysticism, while the columned steps leading up to these points carry a hint of ancient Central American architecture. Meanwhile, the pavilion carries with it a hint of the Romanesque in both its style and its furnishings (and even in foodstuffs set out on the table).

All of the above still misses out on so much the reach has; the manifold places to sit and / or take photos, the coastal soundscape, and the ability to rez items – most notably as props for photography – but do remember to pick up your bits when done.

It’s this aspect of rezzing that brings me back to the the open water  to the north of the land, offering as it does the opportunity to rez something like a rowboat, pedal boat, windsurfer or similar and take to the water and travel around the setting (just be careful about straying into the neighbouring half of the region!

In all, a beautifully crafted setting, relaxing, and fun to explore – but don’t just take my word for this!

SLurl Details

• La Côte Sauvage (Arianna, rated Moderate)

Poesy – the art of poetic composition – is a well-chosen for the name of the Full region of Poesy Wildes on two counts: it both reflects the core theme of the region, which is a celebration of poems (and literature) and because it is a accurate reflection of the compositional skill of region holder Raven Fairelander (RavenStarr Fairelander). To call this region “enchanting” is really an understatement; it is a marvellous journey through the worlds through both its subject matter and Raven’s creativity.

Poesy Wildes is an enchanting retreat which offers visitors a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the world of literature, prose, and poetry. The air is filled with the whispers of verses, and every corner invites contemplation and inspiration.

From the region’s About Land description

Watched over by Edgar Allan Poe – who requests visitors forgive him his silence as he is deeply engrossed in writing Lenore (originally A Pæan), so I’ll leave you to discover him – the region is wreathed in twilight, the Sun apparently just having set. However, such is the beauty of Poesy Wildes that it naturally lends itself to a range of EEP settings.

The landing point sits to the north-east of the setting, within an orangery. It’s worth spending a little time here, as there is an Experience to accept and HUD to collect. Obtaining the latter both triggers a request to join the former and provides ready access to the 20 poems any literary excerpts that have been the August focus of the region. Also available at the landing point is a Love Project Teleport HUD, providing access to locations such as The Magic Hour and Ai-Mura, both of which I visited in July 2024 (see Wandering in The Magic Hour in Second Life and Ai-Mura – a Love Project in Second Life), as well as other locations linked to the project – again, acceptance of an Experience will be required for this HUD as well.

Just outside of the landing point is a further teleporter to key points within Poesy Wildes and – until the end of August, at least, details on the location’s photo contest. Finally, the ground just outside the landing point carries the first of several quotations awaiting discovery within the region.

The easiest way to explore the region is to simply follow the path – and your nose, should the path peter out – and see where it leads. Poems and excepts are clearly mounted on boards throughout the landscape, and the HUD allows you to access them on-screen for easier reading. In addition, selecting a piece on the HUD allows you to both use the Visit button to hop to it directly, and / or listen to an audio recital of the poem or text. I admit that some of the prose is a little difficult to read on the HUD (and understandably so, given its length), but to be able to hear the stories and poems whilst wandering their locations is additionally immersive.

At the time of my visit, the setting featured the following writers and their works: Emily Dickenson: Because I could not stop for Death (1890), This is my letter to the World (1890), “Hope” is the Thing with Feathers (1891) and I stepped from Plank to Plank (1896); Edgar Allan Poe: The Tell-Tale Heart (1843) and The Raven (1845);  Lewis Carroll: an expert from Chapter 7 of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and Jabberwocky from Through the Looking Glass (1871) and Rudyard Kipling: The Way Through the Woods; and If- (c. 1895).

Then there are individual poems and excerpts from T.S. Eliot – The Naming of Cats from  Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats (1939);  William Wordsworth: I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud (1804/1806); Alfred, Lord Tennyson: The Eagle (1851); W.B. Yeats Aedh Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven (1899); Oscar Wilde: In The Forest from Uncollected Poems (1876-1893); Amy Lowell: The Garden by Moonlight from Pictures of the Floating World (1919); Judith Wright: Egrets from Birds: Poems (1949/1962); Christina Rossetti; except from The Goblin Market (1859/1862) and Virginia Woolf, taken from a 1937 BBC Radio broadcast in the series words Fail Me. 

Each of the poems is set in an environment well suited to it. for example: In the Forest can be found along the woodland path leading away from the landing point (and where the goblins have set-up there market stall) whilst Jabberwocky will bring you face-to-face with said beast, and Poe’s stories are to be found residing with him up on the hill and indoors. Of them all, however, I think my favourite in terms of setting is Egrets, although admittedly, I did use a daytime EEP with which to try to capture it, as the setting is so picturesque.

Also to be found within the region is the Moonlight Garden, one of two main areas offering the opportunity for romantic dancing, whilst the Poesy stage offers periodic readings and recitals together with Sunday writing workshops (07:00 SLT every…Sunday). There are also multiple places to sit and relax and simply enjoy the setting whilst the sheer beauty of the setting makes it a joy to walk through. And do keep an eye out for the eagle – not only can you read the poem, you can make like a hobbit (or dwarf or wizard) and take to the air on it!

One thing that I strongly recommend when visiting is to have local sounds enabled; not only does the soundscape add to the general ambience of the region, in places it also includes elements that match the nature of the poems. The local audio stream also offers music well in keeping with the theme and look of the setting, and so is also worth considering whilst exploring the region or resting within it.

From landing point to shingle beach through to the hilltop Poe residence, Poesy Wildes is a genuine place of beauty. The poems are particularly well-matched to the landscape whilst the short stories from Poe are ideal for the coming season. I’ve not attended any of the recitals or the writing classes, but I would imagine that the schedule – which are currently scheduled until the end of August – will be updated for September in due course. It is is, I’ll certainly endeavour to hop along to and event. If you fancy joining in with events as a writer, poet or musician – or because you’ll like to help out with tours of the region, please contact Raven.

And all that said, I’ll leave you to drop in to Poesy Wildes  and appreciate it for yourselves. Enjoy!

SLurl Details

• Poesy Wildes (Last Island, rated Moderate)

Back in May 2023, I moseyed on over to the *80 Days* region, operated by Camila Runo and Jocelyn (ZamiTio), which at the time was presenting an opportunity to visit a small corner of America’s Old West in the form of Wind River, a small frontier settlement from (most likely, given some of the visual cues), the mid-1880s (see: 80 Days in the Old West in Second Life).

Located on a sky platform, the precise location of the setting wasn’t given at that time, although Wild River appeared to be far enough from any railhead to warrant stockades for cattle, either as a staging point or starting point from seasonal cattle drives to the nears railroad junction for shipping off to either coast.

To be honest, and reasons being what they were, May 2023 was the time of my last visit to *80 Days*, so I have no idea what happened between times and whether or not Wind River survived throughout the intervening period – my apologies to Camila and ZamiTio for my lack of visits – however, it is now part of an expanded setting within *80 Days*, entitled Copper Canyon and Wind River, of which the  About Land description states:

Copper Canyon is a barren frontier area in the Old West. Under the burning sun lies an arid landscape of red rocks, forming the canyon after which the area was named. Wind River, in contrast, is a busy Wild West town amid high green hills.

– Copper Canyon and Wind River About Land description

As Copper Creek is at the ground level and the newer of the two locations, I’ll start there, and just as the description suggests, this is a desert location, suggestive of either the New Mexico Territory or Arizona Territory, but the exactly decade is unlear. The landing point sits on the north side of the region, tucked within a barn just within the boundaries of Copperburg, a windswept at dusty place in which Yul Brinner and his crew of unlikely heroes might well recognise as much as “Big John” Cannon.

Given the setting is intended for role-play, there are some rules to follow, (posted on the wall of the barn), and visitors are asked to consider changing into the period costumes offered via two packing cases. The female costumes fit a variety of bodies, and so should work in most cases – although I was a little disappointed to see they didn’t include the option for use to inhabit a more gun-savvy look in the manner of a Martha Jane Canary or a Myra “Belle” Starr or a Pearl Hart (to name but third women of the period adept with handguns and / or rifles, even if none of these particular individuals as far west as Arizona or New Mexico!).

The town has all the expected amenities – town hall, saloon, bank, sheriff’s office, and a well-stock general store – but it is perhaps a little past its prime; the wind and dust have weathered shingles and hoardings, a couple of business appear to be no longer in operation and the local shoe shop is doing its business no favours, given its shoddy state. Dominating the main (as in only) street is a gallows, suggesting that violence and frontier justice tend to go hand-in-hand here.

At the southern end of the town sits a pleasant little adobe-style home, where both chickens and bees are being reared to provide fresh eggs, poultry and honey. It offers a comparatively pleasant oasis of live and home tucked out of the reach of the wind, being largely sheltered from the latter as it sits in the lee of the slope rising up to the local church and neighbouring graveyard – a literal boot hill, if you will.

The church overlooks one end of the canyon from with the setting likely takes its name, one side of which is home to Pueblo-style structures sitting up on rocky shelves and reached by a steep slope. As with the little casa with its honey bees and chickens, these stacked “apartments” seem to exude more welcome and homeliness than the nearby town.

The canyon runs east and then north from the mouth facing the church, the red sandstone of its vertical, narrow walls doubtless giving it its name. It’s not hard to picture a posse blazing down the gorge, the should of gunshots echoing loudly as they give chase to bank robbers or other miscreants of a violent nature (or maybe just because they didn’t particularly like them!).

At its far end, relative to the church, the canyon opens out onto flatlands, the trail sweeping past the Wells Fargo station and back up into Copperburg.

Wind River is reached directly from the landing point for Copper Canyon; just click the large sign inside the barn to be transported upwards via the local experience (which you should accept if you’ve not previously done so).  When I first arrived – again, within the town’s barn – I mistakenly thought this was more-or-less the same setting as I’d visited back in May 2023; but while there are a lot of commonalities, so to are there subtle differences, enough to make a renewed exploration worthwhile, even if you’ve been to Wind River in is past iteration.

The town itself remains much the same, although static NPCs have been added. The main street carries familiar clues as to the likely period; Grover Cleveland’s portrait remains pride-of-place in the town hall, suggesting he’s the sitting President, and the Sheriff’s office bears a Wanted poster for Dave Allen “Mysterious Dave” Mather (although this appears to have been joined by one for Jefferson Randolph “Soapy” Smith II I don’t recalled seeing from my previous visit, but I could be mistaken). However, things have also changed within the town; the combines roles of MD, dentist and vet once held by A.J. Simmons are now under the purview of one Sam Vimes M.D.

Further out of town to the west can still be found the Native American encampment which forms an informal museum on Native American life – one of the teepees contains hanging dreamcatchers with portraits of Native Americans. When touched, these will provide a notecard providing brief notes on the People and their history (and please note, this setting is not intended to be historically accurate in overall style, containing as it does artifacts from different tribes, its function is as a generic setting representing in general terms (and as a museum) of Native American life, rather than being the focus on a specific tribe or group.

It is off to the north where there are perhaps more obvious changes to the setting – horseshoe ranch appears slightly different in layout to my pictures from May 2023, while some of the buildings around the cattle pens on the north side of town appear to have been shuffled around – which gives the feeling that as with real life, nothing is ever static, building can be knocked down and replaced – or extended, at least, which could be the case with the ranch house.

As with Copper Canyon, Wind River has a Wells Fargo station a short distance from town. Also offering a small general store, the station offers a map of the Territories and their surround from 1867, and if you sit in the stagecoach waiting outside, you’ll be teleported to Lost Mesa within the Western Territories role-play estate (and the stage coach there will return you to Wind River). similarly, sitting in the wagon just across the trail from the Wells Fargo office (and conveniently placed next to a road sign pointing to its destination) will carry you to Blind Horse Creek, another Western RP region.

Photogenic and rounded-out by a very nicely-done sound scape, containing some nicely subtle historical touches and with opportunities for horse riding (or wear your own!) the combined *80 days* Old West settings make for an engaging visit.

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Infinite Spirit is a Full region rated Moderate

• Copper Canyon
• Wind River

Second Norway is a excellent place in which to have a home in Second Life, particularly if you like driving, sailing, and / or flying. It’s a place I’ve written about a few times in these pages, particularly during the period of the estate’s uncertain future back in 2020, and its rescue by Vanity Bonito and following it into her network of estates where it remains to this day, managed by one of her highly-capable teams (see: Second Norway: the future is bright).

It was also in 2020 that I made the decision to move to Second Norway myself, and it has been my primary home in SL ever since; it’s an exceptionally comfortable estate in which to live and has a great mix of public and residential places for those looking for somewhere to visit or somewhere to live. One of the locations offering a mix of both is New Deer Isle, a Full private region leveraging the available Land Capacity bonus and offered to people to visit by designer and holder, Kaiden Glocke Tray (KaidenTray). Within the region, he has brought a touch of New England’s charm to Second Norway, as the About Land description notes:

Welcome to the New Deer Isle, inspired by the state of Maine in the United States. There are limited rentals here, fishing, sailable waters and it is near a drivable road that leads to Mainland adventures! Explore, enjoy our events have a wonderful time!

– New Deer Isle About Land description

As with myself, Kaiden has been featured in Linden Lab’s Spotlight series, where is work as one of the foremost (and award-winning) Second Life landscapers is justifiably highlighted. His attention to detail within his designs – something very much evident within New Deer Isle – makes his work a must-see, and this particular region is an absolute delight to visit, whether you teleport in  directly, or opt to visit via ‘plane or boat.

Those coming by air can avail themselves of Toka airfield (which has gained a surfaced runway since my last flight in, when it was still grass, but is still better suited to smaller, lighter aircraft than airliners or the like). Those flying-in to Toka will have the opportunity to see some interesting warbirds dispersed among the stands and hangers, and will find  New Deer Isle just a short walk across the bridge at the airfield’s southern tip

If coming by boat, a trio of short piers are available on the west side of the setting. These appear to have rezzing open should your boat get returned. There are also some moorings across the water on the east side of  New Deer Isle, located at the Crowded Retreat yacht club – but at the time of my visit to New Deer Isle, Crowded Retreat (also designed by Kaiden on behalf of region holder Cr0wd), was listed as Closed – Under Construction, so I did not venture into it and thus cannot say what mooring, if any, is currently permitted there; however, it might become the subject of a return visit in due course!

It’s at the moorings on the eastern side of New Deer Isle that I’m going to start with my meandering description, as this is home to the XX Motorcycle Club, an open-to-all hangout and (I assume) the space for the events mentioned in the description. It is here that some of Kaiden’s little touches can be appreciated – the club’s bar contains all the typical detailing one might expect: pool, beer, darts, places to sit (table and booths).

However, a wander upstairs will reveal something perhaps a little more nefarious. Dominated by a pair of tables set out as if for a board meeting (except for the hand guns, baseball bat and knuckle dusters in evidence, together with a rack of semi-automatic rifles behind the chair at the head of the tables!), are racks containing a sizeable about of bundled paper money and bullion. Also to be found is a board indicating the crew is either planning a raid on “Lind’n Bank”, which appears to be in Moscow(!), or about to make a trip to Mordor and Mt. Doom(!!) . quite which it might be I’ll leave you to decide; I just love the humour evident here 😀 .

From the entrance to the motorcycle club’s hang-out it is possible to make your way eastwards to the local town (which is also home to the land landing point for those teleporting in). This offers a wealth of detail along its various roads and along its waterfront. It is here that the local Rental Office can be found by those interested in making one of the available houses in the region their home. The rental office opens out onto a marvellously detailed waterfront market which, in a mirroring of so many such markets in the physical world, also runs down one of the town’s little streets.

The market has a real sense of life about it – aided by the presence of the static NPCs found in and around it, some shopping, others sitting and watching, some taking photos and some serving the shoppers. More NPC figures are scattered around the town to add a sense of life to it, whilst down along the side street occupied in part by the produce market, can be found the Vintage Market, a place of little boutique shops (and a little gallery) very much of the kind one might find tucked away within a little town like this.

The road continues beyond the vintage market, becoming more a footpath as it accesses the more rural centre of the region, a place where horse graze in a field and one tethered to a hitching rail ready to offer those who wish a ride around the setting’s paths and roads – oh, and if horseback riding is not your thing, then there is also a bicycle rezzer back at the town, if you prefer. This area acts a buffer between the public areas of the region and the more private rentals.

The latter take the form of three large houses, each with a stretch of private beach and private moorings for boats. The road leading to them also provides access to the local farm – but please also note that while the farm’s outbuildings are mostly on public land, the farmhouse itself and the outhouses closest to are form a private residence. For those seeking a place to live closer to the town, at least one little place is available on the town’s north side, close to where a footpath swing around the coast to reach the local shop and boat yard, a little picnic spot also close to hand.

Also reached via the road leading to these houses is the local farm, the fields and barn of which appear open to the public. However, the farmhouse itself is a private residence. There’s another townhouse just downslope from it, but I’ve no idea if that is intended for rent or not. This part of the region also has a little coastal part leading around to the local bait

I admit I did have some choppiness with FPS rates while wandering, possibly because of the amount of work my viewer was trying to do while loading everything, but a quick adjustment to draw distance largely corrected this, and it certainly didn’t stop me from exploring and enjoying my time wandering. I think next time, tho, I might just try boating over form my home island!

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• New Deer Isle (Minka, rated Moderate)

It’s been almost four years since the last time I visited Walsh County, the Homestead region designed by Randonee Noel (see: Walsh County’s changing seasons in Second Life), so when Moon Cloud contacted me to tell me there had been an “incident” there which needed investigating, I decided to don my Dana Mulder disguise (see what I did there? 🙂 ) and head off to take a look.

Walsh County takes its name and inspiration from the North Dakota county of the same name, a place describing itself as “a land of prairies, croplands, river valleys, and rolling hills.” As one might expect from this, the actual Walsh County derives most of its income from farming – crops, together with beef, dairy cattle and swine.

Walsh County (SL) very much reflects the first of these farming influences, presenting a simple but effective setting of rolling croplands around a pair of fields (the region itself) where the crops are either being grown or harvested (at least during my previous visits!). Not much has changed in this respect when arriving in the region – except it’s now night, rather than day. The fields are there, crops growing,  the land apparently peacefully, the familiar tree and water hole sitting within the larger of the two fields as it lay bounded on two sides by unpaved roads (or tracks). But A simple look up with reveal something unusual; whilst the familiar forms of clouds are draped are draped here and there under a canopy of stars, the sense of a serene summer’s night is tilted sideways by the fact the entire sky is – cue that theme music) – casts in an eerie green tint, complete with a faint glow!

Arrive at the right time and whilst looking out across the sky, you might spot an aerial vehicle retreating into the sky (if not, never fear, it will be back soon enough to let you spot it!), having just buzzed one or other of the two fields as if if crop dusting or engaged in aerial topdressing – but who does either at night? More particularly, who does that at night whilst flying a saucer-like vehicle with a domed canopy and sans wings? No, this craft has an altogether different intent than the innocent pursuit of crop=caring. Indeed, one might say that it is patrolling the sky.

As to why it might be patrolling over the fields, well that answer might be the fact that a somewhat larger craft of a similar style is busily helping itself to a sample of the local diary produce – by which I mean it is hauling aloft by way of a tractor beam a poor cow. Nor does this appear to be a singular event; there is much evidence to suggest these craft have been around before. Tables have been set-out with food and drink on the road close by, with bunting strung between tall posts, balloons, and much sign of merry-making. The revellers (whomever they might be) also seem to have come prepared for a potentially length shindig-come-vigil: a pair of  portaloos (as we often call them in the UK) also being present.

Quite where everyone has gone is unclear. Maybe the party ended and they staggered home; or maybe something started them. Whatever the reason, the table and its detritus did fleetingly put me in mind of the scene from Close Encounters of the Third Kind, with the folk up on the Indiana hillside awaiting the return of their strange aerial guests – although in that case, what did turn up wasn’t quite so mysterious or other-worldly as found here.

Nor is that all for the setting. Along the road from the landing point sits a Winnebago-style camper (with room to sit within) and apparently parked for the night. Whether attracted to the spot by the strange goings-on over the field, or as a result of the Cadillac Ranch-like installation of vehicles on the other side of the track, I’ll leave to you to decide.  Those who fancy more than walking around might want to ignore the Road Closed sign next to the landing point and head west to where a go-kart rezzer awaits those wishing to add their own noises (and mayhem?! 🙂 ) to the setting.

With these hints of CE3, The X Files (and doubtless other films / series you could mention), this iteration of Walsh County presents a fun setting in the same easy-to-explore vein of previous iterations of the location, with opportunities for photography and fun.

SLurl Details

• Walsh County (Campton, rated General)