Caledon Harvest Festival

The autumn season has officially been kicked off with a wonderful start in Caledon with this weekend's Harvest Festival. The event was such a success, it's been extended through October 31st (for the walking tours and such).

Though Wrath and I got caught up on a simline and missed the fireworks, we did get to see the scarecrow and steampumpkin building competition.



The builds will be left up for the duration of the extended Festival, or so I'm told.

Winners were as follows...
Steam Punk-in
First Place: Bodhisatva Paperclip - winner of 1000 L + award ribbon
Second Place: ambiant Kukulca - winner of 500 L + award ribbon
Steampunk Scarecrow:
Grand Prize - deyanira Yalin - winner of 1000L & Jayleden Miles fabulous carousel + award ribbon
First Prize - Martini Discovolante - winner of 1000L + award ribbon
Second Place - Cutea Benelli - winner of 500 L + award ribbon

Distinguished Awards include:

Jacquelin Seisenbacher - Most Unusual
Jayleden Miles - Most Playful
Sauce Sorrowman - Most Whimsical
Balpien Hammerer - Most Steampunkish
Garth Goode - Most Amusing
Cutea Benelli - Most Frightening
Martini Discovolante - Most Beautiful

Swing by and see all of the entries at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Oxbridge%20Village/54/180/1001.


We discovered that the walking tour was pretty extensive this year.  It took us two nights to cover everything, but it was very enjoyable.  With Caledon being as big as it is, it's often difficult to know which neighbors are putting together truly impressive builds.  Events such as this highlight worthy spots throughout the nation and are a rather fun way to pass the time (even if they do tend to fill your head with decorating ideas). :)




Hanging out in front of Xeriko Melnik's Twilight build in Mayfair



We found the giant in Perenelle! Well, don't look at me, I didn't kill him!





Dancing the rest of the evening away into the morn in the midst of the cobwebs and spiders in the Wellsian Morloch Valley




Below is the list of locations, directly from the Painted by Nature/Drawn by Spirits notecard....


Welcome to Caledon's Walking Tours for the Harvest Festival. Enjoy both tours Painted by Nature and Drawn by Spirits. Of course, some landmarks homes & shops share both sides of the autumn season. Find your best walking boots or even fire up the steampunk flier - enjoy the city streets and countryside of Caledon.


Drawn by Spirts
Jameson Despres & Jayleden Miles
Caledon Paranormal Society, St. Blaine Church, and Catacombs
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Brigadoon/205/54/23

Painted by Nature
LadyDawn Starbrook
Foxbury House
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Kittiwickshire/144/200/2

Drawn by Spirits
Xeriko Melnik
Thirteen Mists - Caledon Mayfair
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Mayfair/57/116/22
Painted by Nature
Xeriko Melnik
Caledon Mayfair, parcel #7-8: "Twilight"
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Mayfair/60/89/23

Walking Tours:Both
Autopilotpatty Poppy
Poppy Estate
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Tamrannoch/198/213/23

Painted by Nature
Jacquelin Seisenbacher
Kleineschwein by Seisenbacher
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Eyre/28/127/24

Painted by Nature
Tanarian Davies
De Cymru Mwyaf-Newydd
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Brigadoon/192/69/23

Painted by Nature & Drawn by Spirits
Soliel Snook
Snook's Garden Centre - Caledon Morgaine
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Morgaine/188/218/23
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Giverny/200/154/27

Painted by Nature & Drawn by Spirits
Eleanor Anderton
Rosehill Cottage - Caledon Rothesay
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Rothesay/174/127/22

Debbie Ziplon
Ziplon Estate
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Oxbridge%20Village/129/187/22

Drawn by Spirts
Garth Goode
Goode Inventions and Sprockets
Caledon SouthEnd
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon%20SouthEnd/168/165/23

Drawn by Spirits
Martini Discovolante
Alice in Caledon Shop - Caledon Kittiwicshire
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Kittiwickshire/60/182/23

Waterside Cliff
Caledon Kittiwickshire
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Kittiwickshire/209/199/24

Drawn by Spirits
Piensl Illios
Caledon Mayfair, parcel #5: "PIENSL Information Competencies"
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Mayfair/229/214/23

Drawn by Spirits
Anna Darwinian
Caledon Perenelle
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Perenelle/36/198/22
Painted by Nature
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Perenelle/217/59/22

Painted by Nature & Drawn by Spirits
Sarah7000 Popstar
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Port%20Caledon/238/74/2

Painted by Nature & Drawn by Spirits
Peter2 Veliz
Queen Victoria Harbour
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Perenelle/63/124/23
Private Residence - Caledon Glengarry
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Glengarry/174/60/2
Cape Wrath - Affordable Skins & Elegant Shape
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Cape%20Wrath/105/40/39
Queen Victoria Square - Port Caledon
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Port%20Caledon/92/27/23

Drawn by Spirits
ambiant Kukulcan
Time Machine Shop - Port Caledon
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Port%20Caledon/153/71/23
Marconi Wireless and Steam
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Perenelle/153/141/27
Caledon Perenelle Pirate Haven
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Port%20Caledon/194/128/23

Painted by Nature & Drawn by Spirits
Gwynna Cleanslate
Lionshadow Literary Emporium at Hereinstead
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Cay/32/88/2

Painted by Nature
Monicahot Jewell
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Port%20Caledon/82/114/23

Painted by Nature & Drawn by Spirits
Thadicus Caligari
Silly Walks Estate
Caledon Rothesay
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Rothesay/176/184/2

Painted by Nature Tour
Miss Random Wezzog
Athenor House at Regency Park
Caledon Regency
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Regency/220/218/2

Painted by Nature
RockAndRoll Michigan and KateLynn Inglewood Michigan
RK's Heaven
Caledon Wellsian
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Wellsian/140/188/23

Drawn by Spirits
Belle Shepherd
Grandma's Graphics / Shepherd Estate
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Downs/172/184/2

*Tryst Doune
Doune Manor
Caledon Downs
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Downs/186/52/44


*Drawn by the Spirits
RockAndRoll Michigan and KateLynn Inglewood
Invictus Park
Caledon Moors
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Moors/143/68/23

Painted by Nature
Moonstone Eiren
Art of Eiren
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Moors/39/158/23

Both
Vanessa Hamer
Hamer House
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Stormhold/115/49/22

*Drawn by Spirits*
Aevalle Galicia
Inkwell Manor
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Wellsian/56/214/22

Painted by Nature
Bertr Nuubert
Brigadoon Chapel and garden(estate)
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Brigadoon/73/215/39

Drawn by Spirits
Wrath Constantine
Iron Cloud Air Base
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Middlesea/128/128/27

Painted by Nature, Drawn by Spirits
Aevalle Galicia
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Wellsian/175/19/44

Drawn by Spirits
Miss Darlingmonster Ember
Ember House @ Port Caledon
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Port%20Caledon/32/32/2

Painted by Nature
Alana Steamweaver
Miss Alana's Cottage
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Morgaine/116/28/2

Drawn by Spirits Tour
Carl Metropoplitan
Caledon Mayfair
Mayfair Maze (Two levels of maze: hedge and underground, punctuated by Second Life sculpture.)
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Mayfair/162/80/23

Painted by Nature Tour
Carl Metropolitan
Museum of Resident Art (Permanent home to Carl Metropolitan's collection of SL resident art in Caledon Highlands)
Caledon Highlands
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Highlands/208/31/36

Drawn by the Spirits
Iason Hassanov
Hold tight to your dreams - freebie Halloween goodies
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Tamrannoch/113/187/23

Intro to Second Life presentation

From the USA Online Learning Lab's WOW workshops for the week of April 12-18, 2009

Is spring mating season for parcel invaders???

Pardon the question, but I have to ask...

...does spring make parcel jumpers go into heat? Or does it just seem that way?

Twice now in as many days, I've found evidence in my parcels or my friends' of invaders with only one thing on their minds (and it isn't rocket science!).

Yesterday, at Inkwell Manor, Wrath and I stumbled upon a 45ms Zhong, who while she was dressed as a circus ringmaster from the waist up, she was missing quite a bit down below...namely pants and undies. When Wrath asked her to put something on, that we were not an X-rated sim, she proceeded to begin to hump the floor. Now, I absolutely adore Inkwell...Grey Kurka (see his xstreet shop here) is a new favorite designer of mine...but I've never felt the urge to molest the woodgrain. So she quickly was booted, from Inkwell and my other Wellsian holdings. Good riddance to bad rubbish.

Then today, I get a phone call from my friend Bama Xue who, though she is away from a computer, recieved an IM message to her cell (via email) that she had a squatter on her property in Morgaine. As Bama is my friend and I used to own that little island, I still feel a kinship to the place and I went to investigate. Sure enough, at somewhere around 3000 meters, a Carla Platthy had put up a modern love nest. Carla (I'll use her first name, since she apparently isn't a lady or a miss, acting this way) has been around since 2007 and knew enough to place the root prims over Bama's property so it wouldn't be autoreturned by the commonwealth land system. She's apparently done this before and will do it again so she can look forward to being banned pre-emptively on several parcels around Caledon as well. Since Bama can't get back online for a bit, I went ahead and filed an AR and made the lovenest pretty much useless until Bama can return the items or an EM can clean up the mess.





Both incidences make James Wagner Au's blog post on breaking and fornicating rather timely. The only thing a landowner in SL can do is stay vigilant, I guess...be ready to drop the banhammer...and break out the virtual Lysol and bleach. Ewww, cooties!

The Asparas for RFL

Okay, so I didn't build it, but I'm so damned proud of this plane all the same. Wrath worked many many hours on it and it's a lovely design, if I do say so myself.

Right now, the plane is available through xstreet for the bargain price of $L100...all proceeds go to the Relay for Life fundraiser.

It's super easy to fly too! (Let's face it, if I can fly it, just about *anybody* can fly it!)

Exploring the new area of Wish Isle

It can never be said that there's nothing to do in SL. Even when I'm bored (which happens at often and odd times when the ADHD butterfly rears its head), it doesn't take long to figure out somewhere to explore.

Early in the week, I went through one of my "boredom spells" and decided to peruse through a stack of old LMs that I've been keeping "just in case." Near the top of the folder was one for Wish Isle.

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a pushover for the Egyptian theme, especially if Basts and Sekhmets are concerned (it's a catgirl thing). I'd been to Wish Isle on occasion, had quite a bit of fun on their train (a must-ride if you haven't already experienced it) and "shopped 'til I dropped" at the merchants.

I went back, though, curious to see about the new rentals at the top of the main Wish Isle pyramid. What I didn't expect was to find a whole new section, loosely based on the Egyptian afterlife.

While some of the builds were a bit confusing (like what's the purpose of a pyramid building that, well, isn't really a building?), I bounced around rather giddily amongst the structures. As it's new, most seem to be still available as rentals. There's another shop at the rear of the complex with a gorgeous Bast in the center of the room. If you're into Egyptian decor/mythology at all, it's definitely worth a look-see.




"Airdancing" on Middlesea's Platform 3 under a full SL moon






Overhead view of Wish Isle's new complex





Up close and personal with one of the Isis statues





Long shot of Isis altar






Sometimes it's good to be da catgirl

Ooch, I have to catch up!

There has been so much going on this past week, both in my real life and in SL that I've been lax in my postings and recordings of events. Several are soon to follow.

Short Tour of Some of the SL Spotlights

I found myself in a bit of a mood tonight, so I decided to do a bit of exploring outside of Caledon. The choices weren't hard, really. I just opened the SL search feature and started digging through the Spotlight section.

I first chose the Katrina exhibit at RMB Labs. I don't know what I was expecting...maybe a museum style setup, maybe art. The whole sinking of the sim with me on it wasn't fun, nor funny. Even with the unreal nature of the sim, it was a bit too much of a throwback to the experience of going through Katrina first-hand. Needless to say, I didn't take any photos. I just kind of hovered there, in a semi-stupor until the building next to me blew apart and hit me. I tp'd out of there fairly quickly after that.

Next stop was the Bantam Dell Book Store. I figured I needed a nice calm atmosphere for a bit and I had been working on my novel off and on all evening (which I really shouldn't attempt with SL open on my computer!). B-D won't be my publisher, but I figured hanging around a virtual bookstore might give me some good mojo. I listened to a bit of a podcast and a video of a Lee Child interview, both of which were cool. It gave me just enough of a surge that I sat my av down in the shop for a while while I crunched out three more pages of rough draft (yay!).



Waiting for the start of the Lee Child interview...




Browsing the shelves a bit, in search of some inspiration...


When I hit another creativity snag, I popped back into SL, opened the Spotlight section and found, voila, the Dresden Gallery. Very cool setup...they have audio equipment that your av can "wear" while going on the tour of the gallery. Fair warning, however, it's a bit of a maze. And, the exit doors generally aren't exits (even when I go to real art galleries and museums, I want to find all the little nooks and crannies--not exactly possible here). The second half of my visit was, I'll admit, rushed (I more scanned than browsed the upper level red section). I felt the urge to write coming on again, so I cut the trip a bit short.




Probably not the most appropriate gallery-visiting attire, but I had the whole place to myself :)

This section reminded me a bit too much of nightmares...which is probably why I ended up getting inspired shortly after this photo was taken.




I'm not sure why, but I absolutely adore this part of the Gallery...the black and white floors and high domed ceilings were very much a treat.

Playmates--yet another journal poem

The sun brightens again,
tearing the night from her sleepless
cold rage.
Another bleary morn breaks.
Playmates have all gone to bed,
after one more strand
of squeaking false victimhoods--
prancing, swishing, swaying, neighing
to her captive audience--
as I lay poetry,
lines vibrating as fingers reach
for keys in vain.
Out, out damned spot,
let the bloody voice find air
so that I can scream
and get it over with.

The blissful hiss of the Muse
whispers, echoing the lessons
dredged from deep wells,
a dim dreamy radiance
now remembered.
Tomorrow's eve will find
one more priestess returned
to rejoice in her Mother Moon--
only a few more clicks,
keystrokes pushing the Cancerian emotions
back within their natural element,
padlocking the casing
as they have yet to be earned.

Happy New Year, Caledon!

The New Year was greeted properly in Caledon with not only one bash, but two...and both in the same sim, Oxbridge Village. Both events were well attended, the sim population shooting to 83 at the hight of both parties.

I chose to attend the one hosted at "Kintyre Lite." Sir Ras started the DJ duties, spinning music from the 60s, 70s and 80s. Then, Miss Mags (otherwise known as "the sexist voice in Second Life") took over with a mix of mashups and electronica for the duration of the night (through the Alaskan New Year's drop). A fun and rather wacky time was had by all.