Dio’s 12th year in Second Life Feb 11th, 2019 – Part II

12 Feb 2020 Leave a comment

by diomitamaurer in anniversary blog entries, Art in Second Life, Exploring sims in Second Life Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Yesterday, I had my 12th anniversary of joining Second Life.
It has become a tradition for me to write a longer blog post on the occasion of my rezzdays, to have a look back on the last year and to realize the changes in my Second Life as well as the things that didn’t change. Yesterday, I published Part I of my anniversary entry and talked about my closer family and the changes in my family. Today’s part II is about the simploring tours I made in my 12th year.

12 years in Second Life – part II: My simploring tours

Let me start with my simploring tours about art in Second Life. I admire the creativity of artists in this virtual world, I visited galleries like Lyric Art Gallery, La Masion D’Aneli, 20][21 gallery, Rey’s Gallery, Shui Mo Gallery, Milly Sharple’s Fractal galleries, Daphne.Arts and Deva Westland’s Galerie Des Beaux-Arts. I visited and wrote about 7 installations of Cica Ghost, who continues to conjure a smile in my face with every of her funny whimsical creations. I saw fewer art installations since the Linden Endowment for the Arts (LEA) is on hold. But some private initiatives luckily provide space or the artists themselves dedicate their own space. Just recently I saw an exhibition of Mistero Hifeng’s art at Valium Creek Art Park. I saw “The Mind Melter” by Thoth Jantzen at VeGeTaL PLaNeT, I saw “Lalawood” by Theda Tammas, Yoon (onyxxe), Iono Allen and JadeYu Fhang at La Maison d’Aneli as well as “Binary Radiation” by Nino Vichan. I saw Twilights Doors by Bo Zano (Bozanonl Resident), “The Outer Garden” by bisou Dexler, “Inferno” by Noke Yuitza, “Avaloir” by Eupalinos Ugajin, Undertones by Oluja (artistik Oluja) and “Delicatessen – Tell Me a Story” by Meilo Minotaur.

Shui Mo Gallery (upper left) / Aneli Abeyante’s art at La Maison d’Aneli (upper right) / Delicatessen – Tell Me a Story (lower left) / INFERNO by Noke Yuitza (lower right)

Since January 2020 the blog has a new category for blogposts about art in Second Life, I won’t categorize old entries though.

I found many cosy and lovely sims where people built their own dreamworld, peaceful and picturesque. You don’t need many prims or a large place for it, Nevgilde Gaard or Black Mire – around hi-cafe are examples for that. Most of these dreamworlds were homesteads: Florence Bay, Authors Point, Secondlife National Park, Maderia Springs, Blaylock Island, Scarlett Isle, Carolina, Broken, Alternate Reality, Fleur Nederland [Dutch], La Digue, Northern Shore – Skärgården, Soul of Dreams … just to name a few. In these sims I spent relaxing hours and enjoyed the views and the peace.

Northern Shore – Skärgården (upper left) / Scarlett Isle (upper right) / Secondlife National Park (lower left) / Black Mire – around hi-cafe (lower right)

Some were really particular. I want to mention Last Dove, a sim like a movie. It’s setting is based on Lonesome Dove, a 1985 Western novel by American writer Larry McMurtry. Last Dove is still open if you haven’t seen it yet. I also liked Kun-Tei-Ner, a sim that provided a scary view into mankind’s future, a place with no land, a city that grew up on a huge mountain of containers filled with broken technological stuff. And just recently I visited the SS Galaxy, the largest cruiseship in Second Life – impressive, in particular when you consider it’s history.

Last Dove (upper and lower left) / Kun-Tei-Ner (upper right) / SS Galaxy (lower right)

Then there were the sims that have a real background, where a place in the physical world was build in Second Life. This way I got a picture, an idea of the real places and my visits gave reason to do a little bit of research. Venice in Italy was one of these impressing places and I spent some time exploring it.
I had never heard about Ukivok before and now I have the feeling that I’ve been there already. I had heard of Huntington Beach before but wasn’t aware of it’s oil industry history. I also had heard and read of North Brother Island, yet I haven’t been there in real life (yet). Now I somehow feel like I’ve been there. I learned a lot about Chesapeake Bay, a place I’ve been to twice in reality already being not aware of it’s history.

Ukivok (upper left) / North Brother Island (upper right) / Chesapeake Bay (lower left) / Huntington Beach (lower right)

I also discovered many places related to my kinky side, to BDSM. That’s another dream you can live in Second Life and I do. Unfortunately some of these places don’t stay long like the Elevate Femdom Lounge, Windhaven or Meadow Rose. Also some adult places, that we liked to visit every once in a while, are gone now like The Apostasy or Angel of Pain’s BDSM island (Remark: Angel of Pain has a successor sim)

Gone: The Apostasy (upper left) / Angel of Pain’s BDSM Island (upper right) / Dungeon at Windhaven (lower left) / Meadow Rose (lower right)

Just recently I discovered Caged Elegance, a club with many member, lots of events and all sort of kinks. I enjoyed my visit to Catena et Cavea, an adult sim that is also really picturesque. Amrum is another place I not only went to for simploring but also for a session with Mistress Jenny when I had a green light. I like in particular the BDSM vacation home there.
We visited The Obliviation Hole RLV Prison of Starbright Wingtips who gave us a full tour. The prison and what is going on there is a regular subject when we chat during our Friday night parties.

Caged Elegance (upper left) / Catena et Cavea (upper right) / Amrum BDSM vacation home (lower left) / The Obliviation Hole RLV Prison (lower right)

Thank you all for building, for creating and for sharing your dreams (kinky or not kinky) with the rest of the community. And please apologize if I did not mention all of my tours, it were simply too many. I did really enjoy all of my simploring tours!

End of part II, tomorrow’s part III will be about the other highlights of my 12th year.

Simploring 2019 (43) Secondlife National Park and Wildlife Refuge – an update

26 Apr 2019 2 Comments

by diomitamaurer in Exploring sims in Second Life Tags: , , , , ,

After publishing my simploring report about Secondlife National Park and Wildlife Refuge (read here), I got a nice comment from Bryn Toshi (bryn bulloch), who owns the SL National Park together with her partner Syx Toshi:
“Our private home will be open to the public in the next day or two, so every meter of both sims will be accessible to anyone who would like to visit during our Open House and photo contest running from April 12 through May 12th! Thank you so much for sharing your visit with folks. We invite everyone to come and enjoy both sims as well as our surfing and beach sim, Monkey Cove!“

SL National Park: The rangers station and the orientation map

I used some spare time Saturday, April 13th, to visit the parts of SL National Park, that were close during my visit and that are private usually. I started with the rangers station, right next to the landing point. I found an interesting orientation map, some more info iside of the station and I made a silly picture with the ranger, who stood outside (actually a mesh statue) and against whom I’m ridiculous small with my 5’11” (or he’s too tall!!)

Impressions of the Toshi Farm house at SL National Park (1)

Then I walked to the private home of Syx and Bryn. No surprise that the house is another master piece. It was decorated for Easter putside and is furnished with style and love for the detail.

Impressions of the Toshi Farm house at SL National Park (2)

The Kitchen did catch my eye in particular, There’s even the recipe book open for meal. Of course there’s also a dining room, a living room and bedrooms and a bath. And behind the house is a nice flower and herb garden.

Impressions of the Toshi Farm house at SL National Park (3)

That’s it for this short update about SL National Park. Thank you, Bryn Toshi (bryn bulloch) and Syx Toshi for opening your home to all for a limited time and once again for providing your sim to the public!

Landmark to Secondlife National Park and Wildlife Refuge
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Norton/146/128/24

Simploring 2019 (43) Secondlife National Park and Wildlife Refuge

10 Apr 2019 2 Comments

by diomitamaurer in Exploring sims in Second Life Tags: , , , , , , ,

Sunday, March 24th, I visited “Secondlife National Park and Wildlife Refuge” (lateron shorter referred to as SL National Park) after reading Inara Pey’s blogpost “Touring Toshi Farms in Second Life“. SL National Park is created and ownd by Syx Toshi and her partner Bryn Toshi (bryn bulloch). It expands over 2 (moderate) homesteads and it is changing according to the season or to it’s owner’s desire.

The landmark description is inviting:
“Come visit our Farm and Wildlife preserve. Its now spring at the farm and the forest is full of life. We have swiming, boating and nature trails. The area is also pet friendly“.

SL National Park – overview

The landing point of SL National Park is in the center of the Southern sim which is connected to the Northern sim by a bridge. Close to the landing point is a covered Bridge, an event barn and a private area that looks like being the park administration. It’s no surprise that you find yourself in a beautiful nature refuge. You can walk along the trails that will lead through the park. Along the trails are benches to take a rest and to admire the environment.

SL National Park – Park Administration, Event barn, covered bridge

But there’s more to do and to discover at SL National Park. For example you can rezz a canoe and see the park from the water getting a different view on it. The park is not restricted to the sim you land. It continues when you you walk over the bridge to the Northern sim, just the sim name changes to “Peace”. And walking further north you get to a Toshi farms. The main building of the farm looked quite private to me, hence I didn’t walk it.

Impressions of SL National Park – canoeing

Not far from the farm, on the Eastern shore of “Peace” is a public hut, that offers space to sit at a fireplace or to sit on a balcony overlooking the sea and enjoying the peace of SL National Park.

SL National Park – around the farm house

SL National Park is a great place to take pictures, to experience the almost unlimited possibilities of Second Life. It looks really natural and like a National Park in the US. It conjured a smile on my face when I discovered the toilets along the trails – just like you’d expect it when visiting a National Park.

SL National Park – at the farm, a toilet house and more impressions

Along the way is a lot to discover, there’re are over 50 different animals living at SL National Park. Anything else I did beside taking pictures and enjoying the wonderful nature? Yes, I jumped and dived from the swimming platform close to the coanoeing.

SL National Park – the public hut, jumping and diving, hiking

Let me close this simploring report with an excerpt from Bryn Toshi’s profile:
“Syx and I have tried to create a realistic, natural country setting. A Farm and wildlife refuge where you just might catch a glimpse of any of over 50 different animals! Part of this sim is devoted to our family home and farm, then flows seamlessly into the Second Life Nature Preserve where you can experience the absolute BEST National Park experience in SL. It changes as the seasons change. There’s always something just a little different each time you visit! Wildlife abounds, creeks flow, water falls, trails beckon you to explore… Hiking, bike riding, kayaking, swimming and MORE! All just here waiting for you to enjoy.”

Thank you, Syx Toshi and Bryn Toshi (bryn bulloch) for sharing SL National Park with the public. I really enjoyed my visit.

Landmark to Secondlife National Park and Wildlife Refuge
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Norton/146/128/24
Inara Pey’s blogpost “Touring Toshi Farms in Second Life”
https://modemworld.me/2019/03/22/touring-toshi-farms-in-second-life/