The State of the Mainland and New Old Skills

I've been pretty busy the past few days. I got all of my land holdings auctioned off, so I'm officially done with that little business experiment. I could have made it work, but I don't want to spend all of my time on the grid trying to make a buck. Or a Linden buck. A Luck? Anyway, moving on.

I bought a horse. I had an old AKK model, but I decided it was time for an upgrade. This makes a total of seven, I think, two of which were gifties from SLB16. 

There is no room for horses on my tiny island.

I took my new friend out on an adventure, since I can't seem to make any of the human kind. I picked a roadway on the Mainland and set out to explore. 

Back in the day, before there was mesh and you couldn't spit without hitting a newb, I spent most of my time sitting on a brick wall with my friends, a cockney English bulldog, a Scottish biker, nekos and an alien or two. We'd have deep discussions covering the future of mankind and Second Life. Speculation was that one day, Mainland would be abandoned, with most of the remaining residents having moved to private islands and estates. There'd be squatters and griefers, every av for himself. The thought of it was both sad and exciting. A vast, unregulated free for all. 

Since returning to the grid (was I really gone for SIX years?) and seeing all the abandoned land parcels, I wondered if it was beginning to come true. As I set out exploring, I expected to find more of the same along with tacky, primmy builds, giant privacy screens and a prostitute on every corner. 

I'm happy to say, I was mistaken. My adventure was full of pleasant surprises. 

Don't get me wrong, I saw some weird shit:

In the coming days I'll tell ya'll all about my adventure. In the meantime, I'm learning to build with mesh. I hadn't forgotten as much as I'd feared. I guess my memory just needed a nudge. I'm getting there. When I successfully complete a house that isn't lopsided or with a door that spins lengthwise on it's axis, I'll let you know.

Second Life Blogs: Where Are The Storytellers?

As the sun was setting on Faravari, I thought about my return to Second Life and the changes I've seen thus far. One that was evident early on was the drastic change to blogging culture.

Prior to my return, I set out to search for current sites that could offer me some idea of what to expect. What I found were pages upon pages of beautifully crafted images gracing the latest incarnation of SL blogging, fashion blogs. Not unlike first life magazines, they listed clothing items and the shops where you too could could find the looks being worn by models. I thought it was amazing that shop owners had figured out a way to use social media as a means to market their goods.

What I didn't find were stories of amazing adventures, hidden builds and the day to day life of the average resident. I used to love those tales, they were full of inspiration and shared experiences.

Where did they go?

Deep down, I know they must still be out there, hidden beneath the glistening cleavage and shiny butt cheeks. They're buried in search engines, behind countless pouty poses and mesh personas.

Where are the wordsmiths? The story weavers? The sim hopping travelers? The broken hearts, the cheating husbands (or wives, or husbands playing as wives?)

And so I'm asking you, dear readers, to send me your blogs, full of words, adventures and stories. Tell your friends, your partners or anyone else that might be interested. Links can be sent to me via the contact form on the left, on Facebook, Twitter or you can IM me in world. I'll post the links here so that we can support each other.

We need to breathe a little life in to our Second Life.

Easily Entertained

Please excuse the shadowy "glass" prim on the right. My neighbor left it behind when she packed up her house and fled, after the crime scene tape incident.

I get so excited when I see moving dots over the ocean on the mini-map. There's barely anyone ever around Faravari, so I run to my deck to check it out, like I've been shipwrecked on a deserted island for six months. With draw distance settings at the max, I still don't see them until they make the turn onto the narrow, protected waterway leading south.

Unless, of course, they run aground on the tiny, neighboring island.

And they do it a lot.

It's the little things that keep me entertained on boring afternoons.

They Only Come Out at Night

Late at night, after the kiddies are tucked in and the sun has slid beyond the horizon, they gather under the stars and dance in a hidden forest. The fae, the witches, the two-spirit and the free-spirit. 

Their bodies move and the worries of the day fade into the darkness. New friends are found, old friends are greeted with excited cries.  Their wings shine under the moonlight, their fur moist with the evening myst.

They dance alone, they dance with their loves and some, dance with the moon. After a full day of proprieties, their business facade and polite society, they are free to be themselves, hidden in the trees, deep in the forest.

So when you sit on your porch, late at night or beside the open kitchen window, listen closely and you may hear the beat of distant music, the flapping of wings, big cat roars or the joyful chanting of witches, deep in the forest.

We only come out at night.

~*~

Do you enjoy the sunset over the water, the sunrise over the horizon and water views, but not really the "beachy" type? Then the beautiful Auville Heights parcel is for you! Surrounded to the west, east and south by large abandoned parcels and rising high, overlooking the surrounding area, this parcel is perfect for your woodland cottage, fantasy build or quiet retreat. Parcel can by lowered to become level with surrounding land. The photos below were taken with maximum draw distance settings. This 1024m land is available now for L$2200.  See it inworld here:

https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Auville/245/170/61/