Hopes Dashed

No soldier truly enjoys war, and whilst I may revel in the spilling of blood and the stench of cordite filling my lungs, the lamentations of the women of the enemy being music to my ears, I only revel in it if I really have to. Battles are messy, untidy affairs, and there is always bad feeling and rancour left to simmer afterward. Thus like any warrior true and bold, I was very happy to hear that a Ball was to held in the spirit of reconciling Caledon with Noyaltenburg. Along with the rest of my brother and sister officers of the RFL Militia, I donned my Full Dress and prepared to extend the hand of Amity not Enmity.

The Ball was held at Carntaigh Court, hosted jointly by their Graces the Duchesses of Carntaigh and Loch Avie. Turns out these eminent ladies of Caledon are in fact familial cousins of the Kaiserine of Noyaltenberg, Her Imperial Majesty Kendra I. Ever are the ties of blood between the noble houses reason for wars that ruin nations, but much hope was placed on their being used to bring a peaceful reconciliation to the whole sorry business.

The evening started well. Her Grace Duchess Riel had in place a system of dance cards, based on a Victorian model and created by Mr ZenMondo Wormser, whereby gentlemen would reserve dances with as many ladies as they were able. This went some way to ensuring that there were fewer ladies without a dance partner, but still the lack of gentlemen was noticeable.

Being the gallant sort that I am, I quite filled my own card, and enjoyed the company of several ladies upon the dance floor. I even reserved a dance with the Kaiserine - sour faced old trout she may be, but Mother Caledon calls and I shall not be found wanting. I was scheduled to take dance Number 7 with her, but the ever diplomatic Sir Edward Pearse stepped in to take the preceding dance, possibly knowing that my skills in international diplomacy are not quite up to taking the first turn about the floor with the ruler of a nation we have come close to fighting a war with.

The assembled throng parted to allow Sir Edward and the Kaiserine space to dance, and it was then that all hopes of peace were cruelly and most rapaciously dashed. The doors to Carntaigh Court were thrust open, and a gang of what can only be described as gangsters entered, at their head the once highly regarded Hotspur O'Toole. Dressed in uniforms of olive drab and toting shotguns - a weapon no gentleman would dream of using off of the moors or the drive - they identified themselves as the Internal Police Force, come to arrest the Kaiserine on spurious charges of defaulting on her tier payments for her property in Port Caledon.

From the language used it is clear that O'Toole is a damnable Leveller, known by some as Communists, for he railed against all titles and the holding of land by individuals. I drew my Le Mat, realising the implications of his actions for the safety of the two nations there gathered in the cause of peace, but lag prevented me from preventing a most heinous act. This whole occurrence may be viewed here, and has been very artfully recorded by Colonel Oolon Sputnik.

The brave Sir Edward disputed the arrest, blades were drawn and the low cur O'Toole cut him down with a POISONED blade! Yes dear reader the treasonous villain carried an envenomed weapon! I rushed forward with my katana in my hand, prepared to fully avenge such a disgraceful act, and then found myself in a spot of hot water.

It seems the whole incident was scripted, and I do not mean with LSL. No, this was a preplanned and rehearsed Moment of History, and was being filmed as part of the machinanima that is being created of this whole episode (see the link previously provided), as a fund raiser for Relay For Life. Had I but known this, I would have heeded the requests of the Duchesses to not get involved. Such is the level of my immersion in my Second Life though, that I merely heard this as the usual pleas of the gentler sex to their defenders, unwilling to see them put themselves in harms way.

I only twigged when, as I set about him with my sword, O'Toole IM'd me to say that it was all being filmed, and that I was ruining everything. I instantly TP'd to my home aboard the Prometheus, and bitter tears of shame did I weep. How could I have been so stupid! Quite easily, is the answer. Whilst the footage clearly demonstrates that I did not ruin anything, and that O'Toole has a tongue as poisonous as his blade, I was quite resolved to sell every holding I have in Caledon and leave the Grid for good. To think that I, in a moment of hot headed over-enthusiasm could have ruined all the hard work that others behind the scenes had already put into this machinanima, to have made all their efforts in aid of a truly worthy cause meaningless, quite cast me into a deep pit of despair. How could I ever dare show myself in SL again after committing an error of such magnitude, let alone have any part in the community of Caledon? The memory of those minutes aboard my home, my residency of all that I had come to love and live for hanging by a thread (as I saw it) brings tears to me even now. I am a fool of prize proportions and no mistake.

Ever the one to take things to heart, particularly the suggestion that I have fucked up big time, it was some while before I returned to Carntaigh Court, by the rear of the property. I was in time to see more of the Leveller scum leaving the premises, discharging their weapons with all the confidence of those who know that, for this moment at least, there will be no comeback. Rest assured there will be a reckoning though.

The Kaiserine is gone, only the villains of the piece know where. The saddest thing was to find that my friend Miss Hermione Pennyfeather, a fellow Militia officer and Secret Miranda, is a traitor also, prepared to plunge the land that has cared for her for so long, into a bitter and bloody conflict, not just with Noyaltenburg, but by their actions these dastards have raised the spectre of civil war. I shall get over my upset at Miss Pennyfeather's collusion with these nihilsts when the roleplaying is over, and I shall welcome her back to my friendship with open arms. O'Toole on the other hand, when all is said and done and this RFL season has been brought to a thundering and hopefully gore-strewn climax, will still be a total arsehole in my eyes and never welcome on my property or in my presence again. Sticks and stones mean nothing, whips and chains excite me, but harsh words will ever cut me to the quick, and like the elephant I will never forget. In never forgetting I cannot forgive. I may have been a fool, and acted irresponsibly, but I caused no one to have a sleepless night nor did I lead them to great emotional distress.

The Second Miranda Convergence

Saturday saw the occasion of the Second Miranda Convergence, again to raise funds for SLRFL. I do like a good rave, and the blue dress of the Secret Mirandas is very pleasant against the skin. Although of course I only wear it when required at these fund raisers.

My young charge Miss Despres was intrigued by the activities of the Mirandas, so the only way to really explain it to her was to take her along to experience the silliness firsthand.

The Convergence took place on Miss Paris's plot in Tanglewood, which is becoming quite the rave venue. Being a Secret society, the Mirandas business is of course widely known, and there were several new converts to the way of the Blue Dress and Jester Hat. Not forgetting the Butterfly Wings of course.

Miss Despres was a happy convert herself, and I think Tanglewood is quite growing on her. We may well be a collection of oddments from across the Grid, but a finer collection you will be hard pushed to find indeed. And don't we ever know how to have fun! Silliness is both the main past time and art form of Tanglewooders. How I do love my home!

Tall Tales From The Anvil

Caledon is a place of much culture and learning, and one of the people most responsible for that is Mr JJ Drinkwater, our Librarian. He is pictured here relaxing outside the Falling Anvil Publick House in Victoria City, yet even here our esteemed bibliophile is not merely taking his ease. He is compere to the story telling sessions at the Anvil, and I recently had the pleasure of being able to attend one of them.

I arrived in time to hear the tale recounted by the visting ambassador from the Klingon Empire, a Mr Qatanl. The Ambassitor, to give him his correct title, told of an exploit that occurred during a scouting mission he was undertaking, and involved a great deal of drinking. Naturally his tale, however tall it may have been, was well received by the patrons of the Anvil!

The Ambassitor then had to attend to other duties of his station, but I do hope he passes Caledon way again soon, I found his bluff manner and bawdy sense of humour most heartwarming. Once I can locate this Klingon Empire upon my map, I think I shall pay a visit, it sounds like a most interesting place, if a little martial for my tastes.

Next up to the stand was Mr Aldo Stern, the tattooed publican of the Anvil, and thus a citizen of high standing indeed in Caledon society! He told us of a tale he heard during his wide travels, when he was tending bar in the rookeries of Marseilles. This one involved unrequited love, alcohol, demons and embezzlement. Quite the standard French fare, then.

The storytelling continued here, but I left to attend to my young ward, Miss Despres. I did enjoy myself and will be attending many more such tale tellings. I urge you to do the same, you will find that we of Caledon know how to enjoy ourselves in ways other than just raving.

Major of Light Horse

At long last I have the correct uniform for the Caledon RFL Militia. Well, almost, I do like my breeches with the red stripe!

The uniform arrived in a lovely box, emblazoned with the crest of the RFL Militia. If this looks similar to that of the Caledon Volunteer Rifles, then it is! Created by Mr Edward Pearse, who makes all the uniforms for the various branches of the Caledon military, the RFL uniform is based on that worn by the Volunteer Rifles, with a special edition jacket for the RFL period.

Supplied with both a scarlet jacket for the infantry and the blue of the Light Horse, I plumped for the latter, the white facings being particularly attractive. I also find the dash and verve of the Light Horse to be more suited to my temperament. Rather than the white breeches of the Carntaigh Mounted Regt, I opted to adapt the red striped trousers of the Queen of the Military. Topped off with the helmet common to all the Caledon Militia regiments, I think the end result works quite well.

The shots of me on my land in Tanglewood were taken before I received my rank collar from Captain Paris. Thus the two later shots of me aboard the Prom to show the detail of this.

Rank really means nothing in the RFL Militia, merely being an indication of an individual's involvement with the organisation of RFL events. There has been a lot of scathing talk about the purchase of commissions, and indeed I did make the suggested donation of L2000 for my rank, but I have also done what is expected of my station as a Major, and helped with the Egg Hunt,
laid out my land with picnic tables for the Teddy Bears Picnic at no small expense to myself, created notecard givers, and items for sale to raise funds. There is a lot more to beng an officer in the RFL Militia than simply buying one's rank, a fact lost on a lot of naysayers - but I know what I have contributed beyond mere Lindens, and so do those responsible for the activities of Team Caledon.

I know this is all a bit of fun, and a very nice, silly way of raising money for a very good cause, but I have not been a Major before (save for being a major disaster several times over in my FL - sorry I just couldn't restrain myself any longer) and so I try to take my "responsibilities" seriously, my deportment etc hopefully fitting to my rank. I have been a Serjeant Instructor in the Cadet Battalion of the Somerset Light Infantry (now amalgamated along with the Glosters and the Royal Greenjackets into The Rifles) but there is a world of difference between being an NCO and actually holding the Vicereine's commission. Oh dear I think my level of immersion is a little on the deep side once more!

Aeronautica Update

After a gap of too many weeks, due to a very full SL recently, my other blog, Scaggs Aeronautica, has finally been updated. Two posts show off the extra glass that is being added to the Prom, and another post that provides a glimpse of one of the hottest topics in Caledon at the moment!

Serenity Falls

Yesterday was Update Day. As such I didn't expect to be able to show Miss Despres much of the Grid, and indeed it took me over an hour to get into SL. However I did notice that I was one of only a relative handful of residents who had made it in, so I determined that I would take advantage of this and take my young ward somewhere that would otherwise be packed.

So when my young charge logged in, I TP'd us to Serenity Falls, one of the Creative Fantasy sims. Miss Despres was dumbfounded to find that everything one sees here is for sale, and that in fact this sim, and its twin of Shadow Brook, is one big retail showroom!

I find the work of Miss Julia Hathor to be amongst some of the best in SL, and come to these sims just to look, to unwind, as well as to shop. Her plants are perfect for landscaping my part of Tanglewood, being as they are wild plants, as opposed to the more cultured varieties that are the specialisms of others. We started off at a bridge, and Miss Despres called me over to pose for a shot, the pose being one of the more proper in the sims!

We then proceeded to walk through the part of the sim themed to Ancient Greece and Rome. We found a grotto and sat for a while, where I explained more of how the sim worked. My young ward was wearing a very nice dress from Silver Rose, of Caledon (where else?), an outfit I call "Strawberries and Cream" because of the colour combination. Sadly the recent update was causing all sorts of problems, one of which was in the rezzing of her skirt! Luckily the ensemble came with glitch pants, and as you can see for the picture, they do in fact work very well as trousers in their own right. Miss Despres does have a fine figure, of course, so perhaps the look of the pants has more to do with the wearer in this instance. It is the first time I have seen glitch pants look very wearable on their own, and is a testament to the talents of the outfits designer.

We moved on, many of the pieces using the same poses, the only variation being in their placing within each installation. On into the Goth/ Vampire area, and we took a look at the Temple of the Moon. This is a very nice structure and some of the poses on the couches inside it are very good indeed, but others were a disappointment. Particularly with regard to the male poses. It seems that Sit poses have been used that are meant for chairs, if the position of the hands in mid air is anything to go by!

However that is a small niggle, amongst so much beauty and architectural wonder. We would have progressed further through the sim, but I suffered a complete lock-out, which required a full reboot, and then my young ward was struck by a series of crashes. We called it a day at this point, but as the landscape of the Grid settles following the upheavals of yesterdays update, we shall certainly be back to see what other delights these"shops" have to offer. I recommend you do the same!

The Family SPAM

That's Scaggs-Palisades-Ashton-McConnachie. The other night I noticed all three of my sisters were online at the same time, something that has been a rare occurrence in recent weeks. I love them all dearly, so IM'd them for a little family reunion. Miss Despres was also in SL, so it was a perfect opportunity for her to meet the 3 women most responsible for keeping her guardian sane.

Sorcha was first on the scene, as scantily clad as ever, but she is once again able to access the Grid so I will happily overlook a little trifle such as her dresses usually are. Chey followed soon after, and provided the furniture for the get-together, some psychedelic creations by her friend Boofhead Oh. AuroraSkye was having trouble with lag, but my other two sisters made Miss Despres feel very welcome as we waited.

Cheyenne had to go AFK for a few moments, and on her return was I think a trifle dismayed we hadn't interfered with her ava whilst she had been gone. So when she went AFK a second time, we duly obliged, adorning her with various harmless items from our inventories. A tad immature maybe, but that's families for you, and as Miss Despres pointed out, it's not like we wrote the word "PENIS" across her forehead in permanent marker, is it?

Naturally when Sorcha had to go AFK momentarily, I had to do something, but all I could manage was to put a fez on her head. AuroraSkye finally arrived, and we were a family once more. She and Sorcha hit it off straight away - well they are the two youngest - and were soon bouncing about the saloon deck on some Dancing Cow attachments Sorcha had found somewhere. The five of us were soon all riding these insane creations, topped off with fruit hats provided by Chey. Quite what sort of example we are setting for my young ward I am not sure, particularly when Chey dipped into her private stash of Sunshine Acid and handed a few halves out, but Miss Despres seemed to be enjoying herself famously, so I guess we can't be that scary!

It was at about this point that I had to ban and eject an interloper, identifying himself as Grey Nolder, Sky Pirate. He complained bitterly at such a reasonable move on my part, given the circumstances of his arrival, and claimed to be one of the designers of the original Prometheus marque, come to see what mods I had made. After a frosty exchange I allowed him to return, but the fellow is so rude and unmannerly that the ban will be reinstated straitway I log on today. I really don't care who you think you are, if you can't be bothered to show due courtesy to others, whether by reason of newbie ignorance or veteran self-importance, you are not welcome on Scaggs holdings.

That brief and eminently forgettable incident aside, a whale of a time was had by all. It was wonderful to see the 3 - nay 4, most important ladies in my life getting on so well together. I am truly blessed to know any one of them, and to have all four of them in my life is a surfeit of riches. Thank you girls, my Second Life is a much brighter place for having you in it, and so good for me are you all that the joy shines into my First Life also.

Scaggs The Steam

Any of my UK readers of a similar age to me will understand the title of this post, paraphrasing as it does one of the main characters from a children's TV show, Ivor The Engine. He was the engine driver of the above loco, and whenever I see my sister Cheyenne, I turn into a little kid and just have to drive her train!

I was on Pele showing my companion all the wonderful work Chey has done there. Miss Despres - yes I think it safe enough to name her now, and she has given her consent also - engaged me to show her the best of the Grid as I see it, and Pele is certainly one of those places in my opinion. And Cheyenne, as well as being my dearest friend and the closest of my three sisters, is also one of the most fun, interesting and unique residents that SL has to offer.

We arrived at the top of the volcano, where we were treated to a display of High Priestess Chey in action. Pele still doesn't want her, because of that thing she did that time. That is becoming such a call and return between my sister and I that I will have to get a rim shot gesture! Then we were treated to a ride on the train, and yes, I got to drive!

I even have an appropriate hat to wear as an engine driver! Just need to sort out its attachment point, as when I put it on I lose my signature lox. Miss Despres was appropriately agog as we chuffed along under the sea, menaced by the giant octopus and shadowed by fish in every hue of the rainbow.

I am so looking forward to eventually getting a sim with Chey, the work she has done all over Pele always knocks me off my feet. The trains really are such a good idea of hers, we are constantly planning layouts over our island! It will be better even than the Caledon rail system!

After a few circuits of the estate, Chey took us to the Xubi house, where we were joined by a friend from the Dragon, Miss Milky Cloche, and young Dakota made an appearance too. I swear she has gotten more sassy since she was sent away to Oxford! Though she does go all quiet when I mention the fact I lived there for 20 years, and her photos of the city don't quite look right......

I was a tad outnumbered at this point, one male amongst four ladies may well be a total fantasy to some, and I suspect that I could give a good account of myself if required to in that context, but really lads, the reality of the situation is somewhat different. Even when I tried to fade into the background and avoid trouble that way, I was teased mercilessly by them all, but in a way that can only be described as fun.

And that is what I have had these last few days, since Miss Despres employed me as her tour guide. Living through the centuries as I have, always being expected to cast people into the darkest pits of hell ( I spell it d-A-emon, there is a big difference, go look it up) and not being allowed to skip through the flowers in Springtime or cry at the sight of the cutest little kittens, has left me rather jaded and stuffy. Now that I have a young lady to entertain, I am having to come out of my shell somewhat.

Before any of you out there start making lewd remarks and drawing lascivious conclusions, I feel I should point out that Miss Despres is a very proper young lady, and has engaged my services as a guide and Grid mentor only. I am however coming to enjoy having her around, her cheek and her smarts keeping me on my toes. I am not sure how many of you will be familiar with the term "ward", but it is a very appropriate 19th century term for how our relationship seems to be developing. I feel a great responsibility at now being a guardian, though Miss Despres is more than capable of looking after herself. It can only do me good, after all that has happened these past few weeks, to get out and about, and start having fun again.

And will this silly old fart end up making a fool of himself at some point? Come now, gentle reader, have you not being paying attention all these months?

Steelhead

I met up with my young lady companion again today. I am a bit thin on LMs at the moment, so for somewhere to go I took us to Steelhead. I know a bit of this sim, but have not looked all over it yet, so to do so in such pleasant company is one way of making sure I do look beyond the shops!

Having said that, we started off at the Wharf, Steelhead's shopping area! Well this is the bit of Steelhead I do know, and my companion was after some period clothing, like most people having fallen under the spell of Caledon already, and enjoying looking the part.

Many of the shops here will be familiar to readers who visit Caledon, as there is a lot of interchange between the two places. I sometimes feel that Miss Virrginia Tombola is the 19th century equivalent of Anita Roddick, there can't be many steampunk or Victorian themed sims that don't have a branch of La Bicyclette!

There are some fine gentlemen's outfitters here too, and for the women one shop of note is De Groots. Selling both hair and clothes, it thus covers quite a few bases. My companion disappeared in here for a while, whilst I took a look at the open air cinema opposite. A very nice looking set up, I think I will come here to see a film one evening.

Neither of us had much Grid time left after this, so we took in the view of the little port, and chatted about what we had found on the Grid so far. My companion is a smart cookie, and though she is relatively recently rezzed, I don't think it will be too long before she is showing me around!

If anything, these last two excursions have definitely shown me the value of sharing the experience with someone. Whether you go exploring with a lover or a friend, I urge you to take someone along, as the feedback you give each other really does add to one's own thoughts on a place.

Next New Sim

It came over the Caledon group channel that Steam City had appeared on the map! I headed straight there - to find it had been locked down for development work! At the telehub, however, was a map.

Not of Steam City, but Kittiwickshire, the proper name for the expected Tanglewood 2. Ever the joker, it is so just like the Guvnah to place a teaser of the next new sim at the hub for the sim just coming on stream!

I met one of my soon to be neighbours in SC, a Miss Ranma Tardis. In RL this lady is doing something very dangerous indeed, and is a prime example of how a Second Life can provide a much needed escape from a First one.

We are both hoping to take plots in Kittiwick, me especially as it will be butting up against my side of Tanglewood! I just hope my neighbours will be alright!

Before that though, I await with baited breath the final rezzing of SC. Having seen the work in progress, I know what a stir this will cause - there is just nothing else like it on the Grid! Once again Caledon leads the way!

Back To The Bridge

Today was a much brighter day. I received a communication from a young lady, a loyal reader, who being recent to the Grid has offered to play the role of Companion if I will act as her guide to some of the more interesting places in SL. Well how can I say no to a reader? And it will help me to go exploring, left to my own devices I will end up as all work and no play. I shall keep her identity private, I wouldn't want her friends ribbing her at going about with this old fart demon!

For our first expedition, I chose the Lost Gardens of Apollo. It has been some weeks since I last visited there, and there is no real reason for me to stay away. It is one of the more popular sims on the Grid, but luckily the time was just right, there were mainly European residents abroad, so we were not beset by the lag as I remember it.

Starting from the pool, we headed up the steps to the Bridge to Nowhere. Taking a seat at the end, we were treated to a most magnificent sunrise. I have spoken of this structure before, but no matter how many times I see it, I still find it awe-inspiring.

Sadly my time as a guide was limited, but my companion seemed pleased enough with how I did. I found her company to be most pleasant, and look forward to our next excursion together. Now that Steam City is approaching launch, I will need a reason to travel out all the more, else I will not see the outside of my planned manufactory for weeks on end!

As ever, gentle readers, if you have yet to visit the gardens of Apollo, I urge you to do so. It is very hard indeed to tire of somewhere quite so incredibly well crafted.

Ban & Eject

A word of warning to any and all who would think to abuse me on my own land - don't do it! I will happily use the above function in order to keep myself safe, as Ms Beltran found out.

After another sleepless night last night, I TP'd her in to clarify one or two things, why her actions didn't ring true to the script she was using. As above, when someone is hurting, don't start using foul language in order to bully them into line, to hide your shameful deceits, not when the recipient of your base treachery is me, and you are stood within the borders of my demesne.

Maia Beltran, now Banned & Ejected. I retrieved my battered heart from the mud where it had been tossed spitefully aside. A bit of spit and polish, change the name tag on it to someone who does actually feel something for me, and it'll be good as new. Me, old Scaggsy here, swearing off love altogether? Oh pull the other one please, it's got bells on!

It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new world........and I'm feelin' fine!

Alone Again

I apologise to you all, dear reader, if the last few posts seem a bit rushed. I have allowed myself to get behind with the updating of this site, and I had particular reason to get up to date. For today something happened which will have a profound effect on my life here.

Maia Beltran is no longer my lover. She has an opportunity to recapture a past happiness in her First Life, and so to be romantically involved with me in SL is not going to be helpful to her. I wish her every success, and though I wish we could have had more of a tilt at a future together in both our lives, I will be the first to admit that a happiness recaptured with a past love in her FL is going to be infinitely more attractive and workable than a relationship with me built upon an affair in SL.

No matter that it felt so good, so real, so right. No one will take issue with my love's decision, nor should they. I will ask any detractor to step outside for a taste of my ire if they say anything about this matter that in any way demeans the woman who takes my heart with her.

I hope it works out for you, my love, I really do. I shall be here, as always, and stand ready to support you in this as in any other enterprise you choose to undertake. You do take my heart with you, it was gladly given and I will not accept it back. Your name was writ upon it from the start of all time, the last couple of weeks have shown me that, so to think I could ever give it to anyone else is foolishness indeed.

I did have a moment today when I wondered what the fuck I was doing in Second Life, what the point of the exercise actually was. I still have no answer to that question, but if I ever want to find one, then bailing out with my emotions in tatters once more, and jumping off the Grid for good is most definitely NOT the way to get to it.

So I shall continue to muddle through, and hopefully entertain you further with my continuing misadventures in this melange of virtuality that is Second Life. One thing I do know, and that is I shall not being uttering the word "Love" again. Without a heart, how can I? Fortunately, as a steampunk demon, my innards are constructed of cogs and gears. It is not blood that flows in my veins but thick black oil, and amber hydraulic fluid is what I piss, not water. Steam drives my lungs, and the fire behind my eyes will no more be passion but the great iron furnace that fuels this system which animates me. Amazingly I find I still have both the capacity and the wish to cultivate friendships, to be as kind to people as I am able to be given who I am, and to help out others where I can. I also seem afflicted by the desire to fuck myself into a stupor of forgetful oblivion with any passing snatch that asks me nicely. But Love? Never again.

Aurora's Sky House

When I logged on this morning, my sister AuroraSkye IM'd me to come see the new house that she was building for herself. With a name such as hers, it is somewhat appropriate that it is in the sky!

I think she has done a fantastic job. Her artistic talent certainly shines through in its design and the use of textures.

The banner is actually an excerpt from one of my sister's own pictures, a fantasy skyscape, so again very fitting that it should be atop this structure.

It is almost finished, and whilst Aurora rolls her eyes when she says it took her two whole days, I think she does herself a great disservice. I certainly couldn't put something this good together so quickly. I love the openness of the design, the feeling of lightness so much glass and space gives. I am thoroughly impressed by what you have done here, sister mine, and I think many many other people will be too. Maybe you should get ready for a few commissions, eh m'dear?

Steam Sky City

It is finally here. Steam Sky City, the soon-to-be newest addition to the Caledon sims, is at last at the stage of taking reservations for plots. I have bagged two on the outer starboard edge, just forrard of the launch bays.

Eagerly awaited by all of Caledon, this will be a huge aerial construction, floating some 50 metres above the sea, with a couple of islands below it to provide residents with some very needed prim land. My plots will be used to create a manufactory for my airship business, Scaggs Aeronautica. I suspect there will be a lot of airships and other flying craft moving almost constantly about this city in the sky, so maybe business will be brisk. I hope so!

This will not be the end of expansion in Caledon. Far from it. Over the coming months, there are another 5 sims in the pipeline, all with their own theme, and all part of the incredible steampunk vision that is Caledon. And that is just what Guvnah Shang will admit to.

Expect to see many many pictures appearing in the blogosphere of this fantastical place when it finally appears in the skies next to Caledon I. I will not say any more about what this place will look like, for its final form will only take shape as the first residents move in, and play their part in shaping this incredible, wonderful dream that is the community here in the Independent State of Caledon.

Secret Miranda Society

On Sunday, I went along to the Renaissance Fair in Caledon Carntaigh, and found a group of people raving to medieval music. I naturally had to join in!

All the ladies were wearing the same dress, a garment named Miranda, and created by Miss Fuchsia Begonia for sale to raise money for SLRFL. It was quite a sight, all these blue dresses dancing in sync.

Quite spontaneously, with no real discussion beforehand, myself and the two other gentlemen of the group all turned to the vendor, and purchased a Miranda dress each, which we then proceeded to wear, much to the delight of the ladies.

From then on events moved rapidly downhill. The Secret Miranda Society was formed, a group created, and we were all wearing the tag "Miranda" above our names. Then to honour Miss Begonia it was decided we all should wear blue butterfly wings. Where the Jester hats came from I don't know, but they became a part of the official outfit too.

There were a number of non-Caledonians visiting the fair that day, and the bemusement on their faces and in their chat was a joy to behold. One of these tourists said something about bad acid, and so a Half of Sunshine Acid, worn on the left wrist, became part of the outfit also. I did say things went downhill rapidly!

At the height of this silliness there were 30 of us, resplendent in our full Miranda regalia, raving in sync to medieval lute music, much to the amusement of onlookers. This was one of the times I have felt most part of Caledonian society, to be part of such spontaneous tomfoolery is something I shall treasure. My Aspergers means I always feel apart from other people, whether I am being deliberately excluded or not (and I do get deliberately excluded for a variety of reasons, a lot of which have more to do with the excluders than with me, this much I have come to realise, though such knowledge does little to take away the hurt of exclusion), so to be included in a fun event and have my contribution welcomed, my attempts at wit appreciated, means a lot more to me than to your average NT - neuro-typical, neurophsyiological terminology for people whose brains have the "correct" or "normal" pattern of wiring.

Aspergers is not a mental illness, nor is there a cure. It is a physiological condition, present from birth, where the neurons in the brain are wired to follow very different pathways than in the "normal" person. Thus it is something I have to live with. The last few months of knowing what is wrong with me have been a lot easier than the past 39 years, when I had no idea why I felt so apart from society, years which involved a lot of self-analysis as to what I was doing wrong, and hence my years of self-medication with stimulants and psychedalics,and a few depressive episodes.

An Autistic Spectrum Disorder, AS or Aspergers Syndrome causes the individual so touched to lack any understanding or comprehension of social rules or etiquette, and thus appear very gauche and socially inept. Which I am. There is an inability to see things from another's perspective, or to understand how one's actions can impact on other people. These things can be learned, but never to a very high level. There are a whole raft of other symptoms, some positive such as a very logical mode of thinking and an inherent ability to use mathematics or technology, but each individual with AS expresses some or all of these to a different extent.

I still feel very excluded from my peers, or my friends, or my community, or society at large, and this causes me great pain at times, but knowing that I will always feel this way, even were I to become the most socially aware person you can think of, loved by all and constantly being asked to parties and other events, whose opinion was sought and respected, whose manners and bearing were emulated and held up as the pinnacle of good behaviour, even if I were to become that person, I would still feel excluded and apart. I just have to live with that feeling on a daily basis. It is a small comfort to know that I am not being excluded because of my behaviour and way of being, at least not all the time, but I know that my manners, sense of humour and way of being are the reasons I get excluded from certain social groupings. Though which and exactly why I will never know.

So sad as it may sound to all you normals out there reading this, to be a part of the nonsense that is the Secret Miranda Society is a big deal to me. My condition has led me to have an appreciation of the odd, the eccentric, the nonsensical, and that is why I love living in Caledon, in Tanglewood, because it is a place where the offbeat is commonplace, where streams of consciousness run unhindered and join to become great rivers of Pythonesque fun. I feel at home here, as much as I am able to feel such a thing at all, and on those occasions when I do get a sense of belonging, I know I will never get it anywhere but in Caledon, and that never includes my First Life as well as my Second.

Sister's New Shop

Hot on the heels of her successful opening at the Sea Song gallery in Caledon On Sea, my sister AuroraSkye has opened her own shop! Selling her fractal prints and sculptures, and soon her range of fractal-print clothing as well, it is in the Ocean Side Mall, in the sim of Panther Cove.

Whilst I was there, a Miss Astrid Faelon, a writer for OMG Magazine, appeared. She had just read my post about Aurora's show at the Sea Song, and then found out about her shop from a Pick Aurora had only moments before put up in her profile. Good timing sis!

Miss Fealon wanted to interview my sister for OMG, so I left them to it, just making the occasional supportive comment to Aurora via IM. The lag was bad - as ever! - but we battled on and in the end Miss Fallon went away with a very full account of Aurora's life and work on the Grid. I look forward to reading it, though have to admit knowing next to nothing about OMG Magazine as yet.

I have placed a SLurl to my sister's shop in the sidebar, please pay it a visit, and buy something too! Her work really is the best of its kind, and rightly deserves a place in every home on the Grid.

SLRFL Renaissance Fair

Last weekend, Team Caledon held a Renaissance Fair as a way of raising money for Relay For Life. It was held on Caledon Carntaigh, with the kind permission of Duchess Riel of Carntaigh, and raised over L60,000! A wonderful effort indeed!

There were many activities on offer, one of the most popular being the Catapult Rides. For a small donation, you could be flung high over Carntaigh and into the Loch by a passable imitation of a giant Onager (people were calling it a Trebuchet, but ever the pedant I have to disagree). I have several goes each of the two days it was set up.

Miss Jen Wise took along her lovely Gypsy Caravan, and dressed the part as a very fetching Romany lady indeed. For a small amount of Linden crossing her palm for SLRFL, her Crystal Ball told whimsical fortunes.

There were many vendors set up, selling all manner of Medieval and Renaissance themed goods, again with all the monies going to RFL. There were dresses, suits of armour and more, all with corresponding versions for Tinies as well.

As with any event in Caledon, there was much dancing. The picture at the bottom shows me joining in the jigging around the Maypole. Later that night there was a rave, to which everyone but me was invited. Something to do with my habit of dancing naked?

The weekend was a great success, and a lot of Lindens were raised for Relay For Life. I had a lovely time, joining in when I was allowed to, and look forward to the next event the ladies of Team Caledon organise.

Benches For Sale

Having managed to make a bench, I was then confident enough to alter the design a bit, and offer the benches for sale.

I have on display two varieties of bench, the same design but one in dark oak and the other in aged wood. They have two poses each, but different poses from each other. I also have a third bench, again with two different poses but this time in cherry. It is not on display as of yet, due to the limited numbers of prims on my land, but I hope to add to my holdings soon, so it will on display in the near future.

I have also made a bench for sale in aid of SLRFL, this time finished with old, peeling white paint. Available from the vendor on my land, it costs the paltry sum of L100, which will help a very good cause, and the bench will add a bit of character to any plot.

The other benches I have for sale are also only L100 each. I think this is a reasonable price, as there is a bit of work involved in their construction. I may not sell many, if any at all, but I do hope readers will make the effort to buy the SLRFL version, and do a bit to help this marvellous charity.

Bench Work

I spotted a class in the Events listing, on how to make a Garden Bench. I love taking those sorts of classes, and could do with a bench or two on my land, so along I went.

Held at TUi, when I TP'd in I was at first unsure as to whether I was in the right place or not. TUi has had a bit of an overhaul, and very swish it looks too. Our tutor, the lovely Miss Ella McCann, was unfortunately delayed in logging on by the fickle Grid, but when she did manage to arrive we all set off to the Nitro classroom.

Miss McCann was teaching her first ever class, but you wouldn't have known it if she hadn't said so. She was a very good tutor, clear in her instructions, taking time where needed and moving on where the class was able to. I hope to take more of her classes in future, in common with all the tutors at TUi she made you feel able to complete the project.

And what a fun project it was, too. The completed bench Miss MsCann used as a demonstration piece looked complicated to make, but it turned out to be surprisingly easy to build. Clear directions were given, and I was very pleased with the result I obtained.

As well as all the textures, we were supplied with plenty of sitting poses, and we added two to our benches. I think I shall make a few of these, each with different poses, to place round and about my property, for visitors to use.

One other piece of news about TUi - the cost of their classes has been reduced! Where they were a very affordable L25 a go, they are now offered at the laughably low price of L10 each! So now you have excuse at all not to go take a class!

Chillin' At The Dragon

I do hope that you also read my sister Cheyenne's blog, if you don't then you are missing out on the best SL blog there is. If you do read it, you will know of the Dragon Skybar.

I popped over there the other evening, when I was feeling a little lost whilst waiting for my sunrise angel Maia, and had a go at playing SLTrivia. I only ever get the really obvious questions right, and then only when I am playing with people who can't type any better than me. So not often I get them right then!

As you can see, the Dragon is very well fitted out, with games, a juke box, a dance foor, a bar and even a dance table. At the moment it is a very exclusive little establishment, and I hope in some ways it remains so, though on the other hand I want to see it do well for Chey.

Shortly after I had settled in for the night, Aldo arrived, and we had a good chat about poseballs and their use, which became a lecture by me on how my SL is an extension of my FL, and how therefore I can get emotionally involved with people on the Grid. I see this as perfectly natural, after all every ava I communicate with has a real person behind it, though this rather vital point seems to escape a lot of people I meet in both my lives.

A little later Cheyenne joined us, and she showed us just how to play SLTriv! She had been working on a new layout for her train, so I joined her for a quick tour. These trains are just so much fun, and I look forward to getting a sim with her if only to have a full network of these little marvels, with points, stations and all.

We returned to the Dragon to find Aldo slow dancing with a friend of Cheyenne's, a young lady by the name of Milky Cloche. Aldo seemed quite taken with her - then again he is quite taken with any lady who says hello to him! Both Chey and I have told him to visit an escort and get it out of his system - indeed if he takes any longer about it I will probably drag him to the bordello in Steelhead myself and pay for him to get laid, just so he stops going on about poseballs! Well, what are friends for?

Sea Song

As well as being AuroraSkye's brother, I am probably her Number One Fan, and try to be a good patron to her as well. This usually means buying her pictures, which I love, but it will do her no favours if I buy all her work - she may start adapting her style to suit my preferences, and neither would it expose her to the public scrutiny all artists need.

I had hoped to give her a show at my venue in Huchu, but events overtook me as they often have a habit of doing, so to make amends I spoke to my friend Miss Autopilotpatty Poppy, owner of the Tamrannoch Gallery in Caledon Tamrannoch.

Miss Poppy has just opened a new gallery in the adjoining sim of Caledon on Sea, aptly named the Sea Song Gallery. When I explained about my sister's talent and the sort of work she produces, Miss Poppy was most eager to meet her and view some of her pieces. This was arranged, and she at once saw the quality of AuroraSkye's work. This has hopefully proven to my dear, modest, sister that her work is good, and it is not just her soppy older brother who thinks so.

We had a bit of a panic last week when LL's update led to problems for AuroraSkye logging on, but these were eventually overcome and my sisters work is now proudly on display out the front of the Sea Song. If you like fractals, she produces the best on the Grid, both as one-offs and limited edition prints.





The Sea Song is a remarkably modern looking building for Caledon, but I think this helps it stand out as a place of innovative expression. There is a fantastic sculpture out the front as well, of a conductor, commanding the elements of land, sea and sky into harmony, no doubt.

As well as my sisters work, this inaugural show has 3 other artists on display (one of whom also produces fractals, nice enough but not, in my opinion, a patch on AuroraSkye's work) as well as a collection of Miss Poppy's photographs. She has some wonderful pieces of close ups of flowers there at the moment, and when I have a room where they will fit the decor, I shall certainly be getting at least one. Perhaps the conservatory I am planning to put in place of my workshop, once I have transferred that to Steam City.

Do visit the Sea Song in Caledon on Sea, the work there is all of a very high standard indeed, and you are sure to fall in love with at least one piece in every exhibition.

Maia Is My Bliss

After the difficulties of navigating our way across the Garden of Perfect Bliss and being tossed about by 3 orbs along the way, Maia and I landed on a ledge just into the Garden of Endless Bliss. Luckily she had avoided the worst of our journey, as I gamely flew point and shouted back where the orbs were.

We had a stunning view to the previous sim, as it rose out of the primordial sea that covers all of SL and from which the Grid is grown. Someone had been thoughtful enough to leave a blanket and a picnic basket, but neither of us availed ourselves of it, being hungry instead for each other.

We sat for some time, lost in the presence of the other. We spoke of how comfortable we felt with each other, as if we had somehow done all this before. It is a most amazing feeling, and one I have not had with a lover before, but to be with Maia feels so very right, like coming home. I am meant to be with her, and she with me. After my recent experiences in love on the Grid, I am very wary of exposing my feelings here, lest I tempt fate and jinx this wonderful love we have found, but I cannot help but say just how much this lady means to me, and how she is enabling me to leave my debris-strewn past behind and move forward into a future of endless wonder, hand in hand with the lady I have searched for all my life, and found here in a virtual world unlike any other.

Maia makes me feel complete, a whole man, and she is very able to make me feel a man in every way! Without wishing to reveal too much, we have a fully intimate relationship, which fulfils us totally, and is something I have doubted I would enjoy again in any life. I wear her collar, more as a bit of fun than anything at the moment, we are not rushing our exploration of that side of things, but it is also something that I do to display my commitment to her - I am hers totally, be that as pet or lover.

We moved on to look at a gazebo-like structure, that had a few meditation poses in it. There was also a pink box hanging in the air nearby, which turned out to be a rezzer. Touching this, a handful of extra plants appeared. Quite what the point is, I don't know.

The Bliss sims are very beautiful places, and if you are prepared to weather all the irritations mentioned in the previous post, you will be treated to some spectacular views and gorgeous landscapes. They are very blissful places indeed, but I am most blessed in that my bliss is to be found wherever my love is. Maia is my peace, my tranquility, my homecoming. Maia is my Bliss.

Gardens Of Bliss

Maia thought it would be nice to have a look around the garden sims of Bliss, and I had to agree. We have both been to Bliss Basin for concerts in the past, but neither of us had looked around the rest of the area - there are in fact 7 sims in this group, the main point of entry being Future Perfect. There is a garden centre here, but we chose to take the drop to the gardens below.

The bottom of the drop is in Bliss Basin, the aforementioned venue. There are two sets of wooden steps climbing up the side of the basin, we took one, and what a climb it is! Looking back one gets a fabulous view of the basin spread out below you, but this is as nothing to the view from the top.

The whole area is made up of sharp ridges towering above lakes, waterfalls cascading down the sheer sides, the ridges joined by walkways that stretch as far as the eye can see. Sadly the lag was bad the day of our visit, so walking along these routes was a chore indeed. Flying was no better, as the lag caused many an overshoot.

For all their beauty, these sims are difficult to navigate. The ridges are so sheer that an inch or so out on landing can see you plummeting down a gorge. In the end this became tiresome, so we just headed for the nearest large open flat spaces.

This led to more frustration, as every likely landing spot was next to a tree house, each defended by a security orb. Now I fully understand the need for such things in some cases, but surely if you have all your items set to a group, the casual trespasser - or indeed the professional house breaker - can do very little harm indeed, not even being able to leave muddy footprints! I think in some cases there is a mindset that has to use security orbs in order to feel safe, or powerful, or whatever - I tried them once in Huchu but they are more trouble than they are worth. Setting your land to deny those with no payment info on file is most effective, and a lot less anti-social.

From Bliss Basin we travelled into the Gardens of Perfect Bliss, then the Gardens of Endless Bliss, and on to Callahan's Isle. There are 3 more sims in the group, but harsh as this might sound, if you have seen one you have seen them all. They all have the same layout, of ridges, water and walkways, all are equally beautiful and all equally frustrating to travel across. Look them up on the map, close your eyes and choose one to visit by pointing randomly at the screen. They are works of art, all of them, but one can't help wondering why they are on display when they are so difficult to move around. Ah well, they say it takes hard work and commitment to attain Bliss!

Plot Dressing

After having dressed my land in Tanglewood for the recent picnic, I thought it might be nice to leave a few things out for any visitors I might get. And I do get them, my airship being a bit of a land mark. Due to the behaviour of some of them, I have now set my land to deny access to residents with no payment info on file. This has cut down on the number of rude and ignorant trespassers. I can never understand why people are like that as a noob, I never was, knowing that my best resource on the Grid was the existing residents. I shudder to think what such people are like in their First lives, to be so ignorant in their Second.

So I have left out the campfire set and the love boat that I acquired to dress the plot for the picnic. I sometimes miss my Rose Garden, and whilst I have limited scope nowadays to provide facilities for the passing public, it is nice to do what I can.

The campfire is also useful for entertaining passing friends. Here we see a fellow Tanglewooder, Miss Mitsou Fraisse, who just stopped for a quick chat. Much easier to sit by the fire than go through the rigamarole of TPing up to the ship. We had a short discussion on trespassers, and she asked how the picnic had gone, and then continued with her morning constitutional.

The love boat is just a little thing for couples, as is the "Passion" poseball set on the shore nearby. I always appreciate the chance to have a kiss and a cuddle with Maia when we are out and about, and this is my way of returning the favour. It really is a dear little thing, and the "Admire" couple's pose within is charming.

The last hard addition to my piece of the forest is the beehive. I picked this up on a recent visit to Steelhead, and I think it works quite well. I can remember coming across a few hives in a wood as a child, so there is at least one FL precedent! The bees are temp rez objects, and therefore don't add to the prim count, which is always a blessing.

I don't intend to make my land a tourist park, after all I am trying to conserve the ambience of this ancient oak forest, but visitors are always welcome, particularly of the polite kind. So if you are in Tanglewood for the day, drop by Scaggs Grove and take the weight off your feet for a while. You never know, I might be there myself, in which case I will be happy to chat. There, that should keep the visitor numbers down!

Sparkleball

I was chatting with my dear sister AuroaSkye the other day, in her room aboard my ship, when she suddenly exclaimed that a guy she had IM'd about one of his products was able to see her. She asked if she could TP him in, so naturally I said yes. I am very glad I did, as it lead to a meeting with one of the truly god-like residents of the Grid.

Mr Johannason Scarborough appeared in his Mysterious Entity form, a glowing ball of many colours that shifted in and out of this virtual reality with mind-numbing ease. This was the Sparkleball avatar that Aurora had seen earlier that day, and Mr Scarborough gave us both a demonstration of its capabilities. If you have read Cheyenne's post about how we are leaving our natural human state of one fleshy form behind, you will see how this is a perfect example of her exposition.

My photos do not do this magical creation justice at all. You really do have to see this to believe it. Mr Scarborough then appeared in his most usual form, as a Master of Script-Foo, wearing ancient armour from the days when the Grid was young. He is such an amazing scripter, that he is the epitome of the Technomage from Babylon 5. It is even possible that he isn't human any morel, but a bundle of sentient programs,existing now only in SL. If that is the case, I want to be uploaded NOW!

Mr Scarborough gave us an amazing amount of his time, and treated us to an impromptu masterclass in one-prim object creation. For a being from the dawn of the Grid he is an amazingly self-effacing man. If I ever get to his Grid age, I hope I can be half as tolerant and patient as he.

He then took us off to Tycho, where he demostrated his version of the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch, a device for blowing up structures. I stress that they are the grenade's owners own structures, you can only blow up stuff you own or have permission to modify, else I would have purchased a dozen there and then for use in the forthcoming battle with Neualtenberg.

AuroraSkye had purchased one of Mr Scarborough's Sparkleball avatars, and I was treated to the sight of two beings of light zipping about the place, leaving comet-like trails and flashing through the visible spectrum with dizzying speed. It was here that I left them to it, as pillow was calling, but it was an experience I shall not forget in a long time to come.

Jeepers Creepers Part 2

A couple of days ago I received a TP from my sister Cheyenne's friend Xubi, which summoned me to them at RaC City. They needed a male opinion on some new skins they were thinking of buying, and I was honoured they thought mine worth having.

Cheyenne had also bought some new eyes, and very nice they were too, having a very realistic sparkle to them. My veteran readers will recall that I am a sucker for a nice pair of eyes (see this post), and so I dug into my pocket and promptly purchased some new ones for myself.

All made by RaC, they are from top to bottom;

1 - Violet Sparkle

2 - Sky Sparkle

3 - Lagoon Sparkle

4 - Grape Sparkle

5 - Icy Blue Sparkle

None of these will be my main pair, they are all rather nice against my skin, so I shall alternate between them as the fancy takes me. Unless of course my darling Maia decides one pair is more to her taste than the others, in which case that pair will become my main set at once! As the lady to whom my daemon's soul is bound, her word is law, and whichever look of mine is most pleasing to her will be the one that stays. It is so nice to be able to make oneself look the very best one can for a lover - another way in which SL wins out over FL every time!

Teddy Bears Rave

Any party in Tanglewood tends to turn into a rave. Whether this says something about the average age of the people behind the avatars, as having passed through their hedonistic teen years in the late 80s and early 90s ( if you are British, anyway, those were the glory days of the free party and the illegal sound system), or that we are all just up for it at the drop of a hat, I know, nor frankly care, not.

The picnic on Sunday was no exception. Very quickly, Miss Lapin's plot was covered with Tinies makin' shapes, the thumpin' sounds of Radio 7 filling the air. Never have I seen such a collection of avatars in one place, from the giant teddy who towered over the trees, to the Queen Dragon with her hands in the air. The Vicereine herself was there, ravin' like a good 'un.

At some point the Pope (a Tiny white rabbit wearing a mitre - could've been a Cardinal I suppose) handed out the fluoro hula hoops. It was fitting therefore, that one lady had actually turned up dressed as Alice, though Wonderland was Dullsville compared to Tanglewood any day, let alone at that particular moment. If Mr Carroll had had access to some good E's as well as his Amanitas, the Mad Hatter's Tea Party may well have looked something like Sunday's picnic instead.

The sim held up well, as although it got very laggy at one point and indivdual residents were experiencing problems, Tanglewood itself didn't crash. The Vicereine pointed out that Miss Lapins plot was ideal for the party, being a corner plot next to a voidsim meaning the servers had less to keep track of.

After a while, the music took hold of me as it always does, and despite the presence of our beloved Majesty, I sloughed off my Tiny Gargoyle ava and danced as nature made me, a naked red daemon. I have been lucky so far in that no one has minded my particular way of expressing the choons, although Mr Smashcan did mutter something about not making it a habit. "Too late sir," I replied, "this became a habit many years ago." At least I have yet to get asked to leave a bar or party in SL for disrobing in order to move more freely upon the dance floor!

The whole of the picnic was a very good natured, hugely enjoyable event, and I believe raised somewhere around 17000L, although the total could have been higher, there were several figures being bandied around, but I couldn't catch whether they were aggregate totals or not. in any event, all agreed that Miss Lapin and her team of Tanglewood Ladies had managed to pull off a resounding success once again!

Viderian Vollmar

One of our newer residents in Caledon is Mr Viderian Vollmar. He is only a few weeks rezzed, but what a fantastic avatar he already has. A black, winged unicorn with steampunk tendencies! Not too many of those around!

Mr Vollmar is a regular site in Tanglewood, as he feels most at home amongst the Tinies, Nekos and other hybrids who live here. And of course one daemon! Viderian is a very gentle man, as well as a gentleman, and I do enjoy his company. Slow of speech, this is because he is a very considered fellow, weighing every word and wasting none.

He has a particular worry about how mainlanders treat other species, often cautioning me about travelling outside of Caledon wearing my natural red skin. I think he has been badly treated by malicious humans, as the word "monster" crops up far too frequently in his speech when describing himself. For such a noble spirit to be so melancholic is a great sadness, but with any luck we in Caledon can help him mend his battered psyche, and enable him to see himself as the remarkable creation he truly is.

He is a very kind fellow, and pon remarking the other day that he thought I must be a Djinn, promptly gave me a fez. It is only a prototype, but I rather think it suits me! I was very touched by this simple gift, so in return gave him the Caledon Pound that I had received from Her Majesty Kamillah I, our beloved Vicereine. Mr Vollmar is a traveller, and now he can have something of Caledon ever about his person.

If you come to Tanglewood, you may see Viderian walking around, mending his soul with both the tranquillity and the verdant energy of our ancient forest. Do stop and spend a while in his company, but treat him gently, so noble a creature and so rare as he deserves nothing less than our love and respect.

Dining Al Fresco

Sunday was the day of the Teddy Bears Picnic in Tanglewood, held to raise money for SLRFL. A picnic is nothing without food, so off I went about the Grid to find some appropriate comestibles.

I found a very nice picnic table, seating four, at Phoenix Ellsberg Designs. Miss Ellsburgs blog is also in the Links section to your left. Priced very reasonably, the animated Sits are well done indeed. She also has a range of indoor furniture which is worth a look.

Once I had the tables, I needed the food. I searched high and low, eventually picking up a plate of finger food here, and bottle of fizz there. I think I spent quite into four figures with all little extras I picked up, but it was all in a good cause, and I can use them again for any picnics I might wish to host.

The spread attracted a fair bit of attention, certainly at the start of the do, but then the dancing on the other side of the sim understandably drew peoples attention, mine own included, so there was plenty of food left over at the end of the event - but then the dancers all descended, having danced themselves up a good appetite! For a first attempt at putting out a picnic, I think it went okay. At the very least it wasn't such a disaster as to put me off ever doing it again!

Tiny For A Day

My regular readers will know that whilst I find Tinies to be rather cute, and a vital, vibrant part of the Tanglewood community, I am not a Tiny wearing resident myself. That changed for the briefest of periods on Sunday, when I shrank in size to get into the spirit of the Teddy Bears Picnic.

However I was still faced with something of a dilemma. How to be tiny yet still not be cute, a state that it just isn't in me to be? Step forward Omega Steam & Magic, based in Yongsam, and their founder Mr Barney Boomslang.

OS&M are the makers of one of my favourite airships, the Boomslang, but they also produce the Gargoyle range of tiny avatars. There are five in the range, but Rusty was the perfect choice for me, being as he is a Steampunk Gargoyle!

With a metal skin, and breathing puffs of steam every so often, Rusty is a fine Tiny to wear. He comes with a very loud roar, and cyberwings to zip to any height unaided. In common with all gargoyles, he can produce a patch of mist to hide in, too. The packaging for these avas is in keeping as well, coming as they do in the form of eggs!

I was a Tiny for about 3 hours, and that will do for me. It was fun, but for me no more fun than being my usual 7'2" self. I find myself being an appreciator of other people's Tinies, not a Tiny myself. Perhaps I am a dullard (I also have a Steambot avatar which rarely sees the light of day) for preferring to stay in my own, gloriously buff red skin, but it has taken me long enough to get to this point where I am happy with my appearance that I don't want to throw yet more variables into the mix. And Maia seems content for me to stay as I usually am as well, so what incentive do I really have to change?

North Beach

Maia took me to one of her favourite places the other day, North Beach in Rustic sim. This is a very pretty place, a beachfront modelled on what I believe most American beachfronts look like, at least from all the TV shows I have seen. There is the beach, with its palms, and its hotels, and behind this is a street with shops in clapboard huts. Very pretty. And with the sound of the surf sussurating in the background, very peaceful as well.

I was very honoured that Maia should bring me here. It is one of her special places, where she comes to be alone and meditate on life, the universe and everything. When someone shows you something that close to them, it is a precious gift indeed, and demonstrates a deep level of trust and feeling. I accepted this gift with tenderness and reverence, placing it carefully in my heart.

We found a pose on the beach, and talked of many things. I felt able to share all sorts of things about myself with her, indeed I wanted to give her something in return for her trust in me. Maia was very understanding about my taking a collar, for example, not shying away from me like some people might. And then I took a big step for me, certainly in the light of recent developments in my intimate relationships on the Grid, and laid out my my heart before her. I was trembling inside, for I have a knack of making things sound less attractive than they might be if coming from someone else, and lets face it, my emotional life to date has been something of a car crash, in either life.

Maia took the pieces of my battered heart and, holding them to her own, melded them back into one living, beating organ again. She is no stranger to heartache either, but apparently I have done just the same act of healing for her, without even realising it. How could I not treat her with respect, care, tenderness and love? She is a very warm, beautiful, giving person, moving into my life with a gentle self assurance, her calm presence stilling my turbulent soul. There is a solidity, a reality to her that I have not touched in another ava before, though I may have thought so at the time.

So we are become lovers, to walk through this Second Life together, both of us hoping that this time, we have found the right person to travel beside. None of us can know the future, but for my part I know that for me, Maia is the person I have been searching for, whether I realised it or not, for a very, very long time indeed.

Conference Call

Yesterday night I got a call from my sister Cheyenne, inviting me over to the Xubi House to meet some of her friends and get in to a conference call on Skype. I love using Skype with my friends on the Grid, so I jumped at the chance.

The Xubi House is a fantastic build, and I can see why Chey loves it so. She was there, along with Sweetie, and two of their friends, Boofhead Oh and Devindra. Boofhead is a wonderful bluff Australian, and Devindra is from my country, but from a town a distance away. It was really very bizarre, 5 people sitting and talking in the same lounge, but in reality sat scattered across the globe. The wonders of technology! Skype is such an easy technology to use, free to download, and of course doesn't run on the same servers as the Grid, that I wonder why LL is bothering at all. If you want to use Voice, get Skyped up, or Yahood, or Gtalked. A firm advocate of using voice whilst playing in SL, I really cannot now see what all the fuss is about when there are these options available already, and would much rather LL devoted all their times and energies to sorting out the existing problems we all face, and not adding yet another set of them.

A bit later on, Maia logged in and so I TP'd her to the house to meet Chey and the others. Maia has yet to get acquainted with Skype, but hopefully will soon, so I dropped out and we spent time together in IM, just the two of us. As the night wore on we became closer still, and I think it safe to say that we are more than just friends now. More on this subject will follow very soon.

Collared

This has been a revealing few days for me, dear readers, very revealing indeed. And a complicated few days as well. I am not at liberty to post much of what has happened, and truly I do not have the inclination to post on them either, but one aspect I am happy to share with you is my decision to become a Submissive.

I say become a Submissive - that is possibly the wrong word, as I fully believe you either are one, or you aren't. Throughout a good proportion of my life, certainly that part devoted to my intimate relationships, I have been very passive. It will come as no surprise to you that I worship women, placing them on pedestals and saddling them with expectations no mere mortal could live up to. There have been two occasions, two long term relationships, which whilst not actually being abusive, were not healthy emotionally. I have been taken for granted, my gift of devotion twisted back against me and turned into something far less enjoyable.

Because of such unhappy experiences with imbalanced power structures within relationships, I had a discoloured view of Dom/ Sub set ups, believing them to be legitimised exploitation. That was to a greater extent a wrong view to have. I have also always thought I would look very silly in all that leather gear! The few occasions that I have been able to experiment with some mild restraint, my partners at the time have not been able to find the requite level of immersion to make the experience a comfortable one for themselves - just as one is either a Sub or not, the same holds true for being a Domme.

I then came across someone on the Grid who enabled me to fully access that side of me that craves to submit to another's wishes and desires. During the brief time I spent under their instruction, I learnt a great deal about myself, and how it is okay to be the way I am. I am happy to be someone's Pet, indeed to attend to their every need has made me feel more complete than I have before. The D/S pairing is not about exploitation, but about making a choice, for the Sub to give themselves completely to their Master (or in my case, Mistress), trusting them completely to be respectful of them, caring for them and keeping them safe, whilst for the Domme it is about taking on the awesome role of assuming full responsibility for another's well being, nurturing and caring for their Slave/ Pet.

There is an awful lot more bound up in it than this, but there is plenty of literature out there that covers this subject with better language than I can use. The formalisation of the relationship into the roles of Domme and Sub actually prevents exploitation, as both parties know the part they are to play in the pairing, and all limits are discussed and agreed upon. Everything that takes place in a D/S partnership is consensual. It is a mutually supportive pairing, as neither party can fully express themselves without the other, each caring for the other totally. Every D/S coupling is unique, although there are many common points of reference for them all. One thing I do know is that Gorean slavery is nothing to do with real D/S. It is a parody of true D/S, and no real Master or Pet will have any truck with such nonsense.

A few pictures of me wearing my new collar. It comes loaded with many poses, one of which is Nadu, which I am seen demonstrating here. The collars are a vital part of D/S in Second Life, as they allow the Mistress to exert control over the actions of the Pet via scripts. It is also a badge of office and a symbol of ownership, one which I am proud to wear. This one is an Xcite! model, and there are many more such toys to get, such as leashes, cuffs, etc, all of which I hope to experience in the future. I have yet to move my Submission into my First life - it has taken long enough for me to feel able to do this in SL! - and I don't know that I ever will, but at least here I can experiment with such things as racks and cages and hitching posts in safety. The ability to log out of SL is more powerful than any safeword!

Picnic Time

This Sunday, 8th April, there will be a Teddy Bears Picnic in Tanglewood. If you come down to the forest between 11am and 2pm SLT, there will be picnics galore everywhere, and tiny avatars as far as the eye can see. This will be another fund raiser for SLRFL, so there will be plenty of opportunities to make a donation or three.

All the residents of Tanglewood will be in costume, which means that I have to find a tiny I am happy with. If you have a tiny ava too, why not come in costume? Whether you come as a teddy, a tiny or just yourself, come on down and join the fun!

Caledon Independence Anniversary Grand Ball

So, that night I attended the Grand Ball, held on board the Viceriene's airship above Caledon Lionsgate, and what a night it was!

All the great and the good were there, and me. The Viceriene bid us all welcome, and the Duchess of Carntaigh was once again in charge of the musical entertainments. The ballroom, or rather dance floor, as it is open to the elements, is at a height of 279m, making it a very impressive venue indeed. There is a design of two intertwining snakes, forming an ouroboros, each swallowing the others tail, a very ancient symbol of the eternal round, the cycle of life and death and rebirth into life once more.

There were a number of speechs, the first being the Viceriene on the growth of Caledon, from a single village on a lonely sim to a mighty and proud nation, now 16 sims strong and still growing, in a little over a year. And not just growth as physical sims, either. Caledon is a living breathing community, of amazing individuals, all contributing their part however small (like mine) to make a place that is most definitely greater than the sum of its parts.

There were also the winners of two competitions to announce. The winner of the Fashion Design contest was Miss Cornelia Rothschild, with a wonderful dress ( I don't have a picture), and the competition for a National Anthem for Caledon was won by Miss Junie Ginsberg, for her entry bearing the stirring title of "Mighty Caledon". Then the annual hunt for the Rose of Caledon was announced. Apparently this remarkable flower blooms for only 24 hours a year, and each year is coloured most appropriately for the sim that captures the spirit of Caledon most that year. I didn't manage to find one this year, but as I intend to be around for a while yet, there is always next year's hunt!

And so to the dancing. Once again there were far more ladies than gents available (why is there such a shortage of eligible bachelors in Caledon? We have yet to fight Neualtenberg, so they haven't fallen in battle. And the ladies of Caledon are the finest flowers on the Grid, very demure, but possessed of fire and independence too. I cannot see why we are not inundated with males, seeking the best of the female form) so I was pressed into service again, though very happy I am to oblige!

My first partner for the dancing was a Miss Daphne Daehlie, new to Caledon and quite over-awed by all that was going on. I can't say I blame her for being so, there is much of Caledon that comes straight from a fairy tale, or the more surreal offerings of Mr Carroll. She seemed a very pleasant young lady though, and the matrons were quite falling over themselves to fuss over her and tell her their view on everything! So I have no doubt she will be fine amongst us. Did I just say us? My how quickly time passes, and how quickly Caledon welcomes you to it, enfolding you in its embrace that you never want to be anywhere else.

And then something very magical happened, the start of something that was to have, is having a profound effect on my life. More on that to come. I took as my second dancing partner Miss Kiralette Kelley, sister to Lady Bardhaven, Miss Kirawill Collingwood. The shot is not the best of us dancing as the Sun went down and the night became very special for me, but rest assured you will be seeing more of Miss Kelley.

I have spoken of furries before, and I have friends that are furries, but I have also said that wearing fur is not for me. You either are furry or you aren't. Miss Kiralette is a Neko, a half feline anthro, and by far the most beautiful creature of any description I have ever seen. I will say now that for many years, even before I had heard of furries or come across pictures of them, I have had a thing for what I now know are Nekos. I cannot say why, maybe it has something to do with the fact that my first kitten was chosen for me whilst I was in the womb, and have had cats in my life all my life, they were my brothers and sisters as a child, and are my children now I am grown. Maybe it has something to do with that, maybe it doesn't. There is something about the female neko that attracts me like nothing else, though I will not take fur myself.

So I was entranced by Miss Kelley, and I think she knew it. There was certainly a tension that can only be described as sexual between us, our conversation full of the thrusts and parries of a court flirtation. As sister to a lady, perhaps she finds my untitled status gives me a touch of being "a bit of rough". I know not, but there was certainly a great coquettishness to the way she bad me goodnight, adding that she hoped we would be seeing a lot more of each other in the days to come. I am not sure what will happen, dear readers, but I guarantee you will read about it here first!

UPDATE; Miss Kelley is a wonderful person, and we get on like a house on fire, but she is already happily involved in a committed relationship, so we won't be taking the sexual tension bit any further. We shall be firm friends though, as she does have a very puckish sense of fun!

Revisiting The Rainforest

Once I had placed my airship over the Viceriene's island, I met up with Maia for another trip out. She really is being very good to me, taking me on these explorations and making sure I don't brood. She suggested we go to the Rainforest, and as it was November last when I was last there, I readily agreed.

The sim is as lovely as ever, the Mayan structures rising gloriously, enigmatically above the canopy. We made first for the large ziggurat, and just drank in the view. Of course this time I knew about setting the Draw Distance high, and the view is just stunning when one allows the Grid to render itself fully. If you only visit the place to stand atop this Stone Age cathedral and take in the view with your Draw set at max, then do it. You will not be disappointed.

Maia then spotted a pergola-type building across the valley from the ziggurat (which is - guess what? a night club!), next to a stunning waterfall. So we flew over, and were rewarded with a magnificent view of the zigggurat itself. We then approached a nice little stone house, but it was locked. I have since found out that the Aztec Cliff House is a rental property. To live in such a location would be quite something, but all this natural wonder comes at a price. Maia was quite taken with the place, and I have to admit she has a touch of the exotic about her, so would look perfectly at home here. I am not keen on all that humidity though, so you'll not see me giving up Caledon anytime soon. I would be more than happy to visit Miss Beltran though, if she moved here, assuming she would want to invite me, of course!

The last building we visited that day was a temple, and we had a good chat sitting on Aztec-design carpets and listening to some nice ambient music. I don't want to speak too soon, but Maia is a very warm, and hot! person, and we do seem to be getting on quite well. Neither of us has had much luck in love yet, so being good friends seems good enough for now.

Whether you go with a friend or a lover, or by yourself, the Rainforest really is a wonderful place to go, with plenty to do. I said all this when I blogged the Rainforest months ago, and it holds true still.

Air Display

The other night, as I was hiding the eggs I made for the Tanglewood Egg Hunt, I was approached by a very graceful, very charismatic, white-lion-headed female furry. The Viceriene herself, Kamilla Hauptmann I!

Her Majesty had found one of my airships on her land - I had run into a full parcel on a test flight, and whilst I got bumped and ended up having to re-log, the craft was dumped on Caledon Lionsgate, Her Majesty's island. I apologised profusely, but the Viceriene quietly told me she didn't mind, and would I like to put one of my ships above the dance floor of her home, as part of a fly past display to mark the first anniversary of Caledon's independence. Did I!

So next day I flew one of my prototype single seat racing airships over, and put it at the back of the procession. I was honoured indeed to have my ship alongside designs from Miss Malaprop, Mr Frederikson, and Omega Steam & Magic. The craft will be displayed for a day, and will also form the backdrop to the Grand Anniversary Ball. So all the great and the good of Caledon will be there, and will see my little craft up there with the best. Quite makes my head spin! O yes, mine is the long grey one toward the top of the pictures.

Steelhead Ball

After giving myself a needed boost in terms of self-confidence with the hover board class, I went to the Saturday Ball at the Grand Hotel in Steelhead.

Steelhead is another steampunk sim, and shares very good relations with Caledon. Many members of one community are also members of the other. The steampunk flavour of Steelhead is less evident, perhaps, but there is a De Lorean tucked away in a barn, straight out of Back To The Future III, and the wonderful loco from that film is also on display there too.

Steelhead has a Wild West air about it, indeed a Wild Wild West feel, according to a friend who lives there. So it is a steampunk sim, even though few might realise it at first.

The ball itself was great fun. I had a lovely dance with Miss Lumina Elvehjem, who won the Best Female category of the Dress contest that was going on, based on an International theme. My friend Mr Pearse won the Best Male. I didn't enter the contest, as I don't have much in my wardrobe that could be called International, although with the red skin I was wearing I might have gotten away with being a Djinn!

My next dance partner was the lovely Miss Kattrynn Severine, the actual owner and creatrix of Steelhead! I was most honoured that she accepted my invitation to take a turn around the floor, and we ended up spending the rest of the ball in each others company. Miss Severine is a remarkable woman, singlehandedly turning Steelhead around - it had gone into something of a slump before she took sole control - and making it a very sought after place to live. There is always something going on there, the Saturday Ball being just one of a range of activities that run throughout the week. Steelhead is a community mainly of builders, and the pieces created there are known across the Grid.

I had a wonderful time at the ball, and enjoyed Miss Severine's company immensely. I don't think there is any danger of us becoming romantically involved, although she is a very fine looking lady and will someone a great partner, but I hope she and I can become friends. Indeed if Cheyenne and I ever get our sim, I shall be in need of her experience and expert advice. One thing at a time though, I think an invitation to take tea aboard the Melissant is as good a way to start a friendship as any.

Hover Board

I went to another fantastic class run by TUi the other night. This one was on the construction of a hover board, and we were coached in this by Mr Hempz Rebel, a definite dude!

The class was rated as being a Level 3 for difficulty, and as this was the first time I had attempted a class at this level, I was not a little nervous. I needn't have worried though, Mr Rebel is a fantastic instructor, talking us through the stages without ever be patronising.

Rather like the Easter Basket class, there were only a few supplies for this class, all of them being scripts to control the flight of our boards, and a few sound effects as well. All the texturing was left up to us, and the greater part of the design was in our hands also.

Mr Rebel took us through the making of the three vital components of a board - the two part jet turbine, and the board. All the scripts go in one or other of these parts. Then he gave us a few hints and tips on the frame, that joins all the parts together, but we were free - indeed expected - to use our imaginations. I followed what our tutor was doing, but even I branched off with my own ideas and ended up with a board that is most assuredly mine.

We were given one script that changes the colour of the board at a chat command, but I didn't feel this would fit with the steampunk look I was after, so I left it out. Instead I opted for an arrowhead shape, using metals such as bronze and copper to elicit the feel of steampunkiness.

The board is great fun to fly, and expect to see me crashing into trees a lot as I flit about Tanglewood. I think I may offer this board, and some refined designs of it as well, for sale when I open the retail side of Scaggs Aeronautica. You never know, someone else may want to have a piece of steampunkerana in their Inventory. I gave a copy to Aldo, and he seemed impressed with my efforts, but he thought it needed a prop. Yes, I thought, my friend has a point there, so one of my many next projects will be a steam-prop driven hover board. Much more steampunk! I shall also have a look at making a hover bike using similar techniques to the ones I learnt from Mr Rebel - again it shall just have to be prop driven!

Waggoneer

I have posted before about Miss Jen Wise and her amazing coach creations, here. Miss Wise has again proven herself to be a first rate coachwright with this beautiful coach.

The texture for this coach is, if I remember correctly, the work of Mr Chaplin, but if I am wrong I shall update this post asap. The rest of the delightful transport is all Miss Wise's own work. I particularly like the button-down leather texture obn the bench seats.

I look forward to seeing what Miss Wise will create next. She is a fine lady and becoming a good friend. It is therefore with much sadness that I have to report, at her request following my earlier post about her, that she is no longer the intended of Mr Tathum, this lovely young couple having parted ways. Another example of the hothouse environment SL relationships have to endure. I do wish them both well, and fully expect neither will be without company very long. I certainly hope Miss Wise regains her smile, but at the moment she is burying herself in her work, and none can deny the splendid results of it.

UPDATE: The textures used actually came from Mr 1wuz Gray, all bar the leather seats, and I am not sure if Miss Wise didn't do that one herself. My humble apologies for any offence caused by my lack of understanding.

Fashionable Fund Raiser

One way a lady - or indeed a gentleman looking for that special gift for a lady - can make a donation to the SLRFL fund is by buying this wonderful dress, in the very fetching purple that is this years campaign theme colour.

Created by Miss Lapin Paris, this dress is available from the vendor on her plot in Tanglewood. At only L100, this is not only a bargain, but a fantastic way to do a lot of good for very little cost. Please take the TP to Tanglewood today, and head for Paris Grove where you will find this vendor.

Friendly Neighbourhood Pookah

One of my nearer neighbours in Tanglewood is the local Pookah, EllisDee Welinder. Some residents seem a bit scared of Mr Welinder, but he has always been very pleasant to me. I am not exactly sure what a Pookah is, but I suspect a Wiki will turn something up.

Mr Welinder has a fine collection of avatars. I here present a few of them. First we have his magnificent Mantid avatar. Then we see his Roach, complete with a can of human spray!

The third insect ava in Mr Welinders collection is an Elephant Louse, which is normally attached to Nellie, I am told. last up is Mike The Headless Chicken. Mr Welinder claims this avatar is based on the story of a real chicken, which survived a beheading in the 1940s, and again is to be found with a Wiki. I have not yet deteremined the veracity of this story, but I have a nagging feeling that perhaps Mr Welinder is having a little gentle sport with me. No matter, residents such as our Pookah help to make Tanglewood the wonderful place it is!