Installing a lighthouse

Today I received an IM from Grandma Bates. Was I ready to have a guest? Of course! And always.
As you know, I had plans to build a light house on the island and I had just received an IM from Otenth Paderborn giving it his approval and some advice about how to clear the island.
I intended to first pack up my things and then carefully go through the instructions. I had almost packed up my own things when Grandma teleported in.
Grandma arrived to see the almost empty cottage. As there wasn't much to show here otherwise, I quickly rezzed the proposed lighthouse on top of us (whoops) then shifted it over the top of the original cottage.
I was chatting away with Grandma and mostly watching my fingers as I typed. I must have some how moved the cursor from the dialogue box... and I deleted everything left on the island!

So what option had I but to immediately install the lighthouse and contents. And here are the pictures!

Sun sets over Aud Isle.
Xavier Felwitch had already suggested that with my island's location, sitting on a veranda watching the sunset would be a delight, but before the relocation, the trees were in the way.
The new arrangement should make it a charming possibilty.

A Flight Over Wyre

Welcome to my island home of Wyre!

I took a few photos as I flew over the other day and was just in time to catch the last of the snow.
I am in love with my new island-off-an-island. You can see my home in the middle top of the first picture and just at the bottom left of this next picture.

I have put some of my things around the house just so it doesn't look unloved, but they are only there temporarily. I am nearly finished building a lighthouse.

I will have a chat with Otenth about moving the trees around and shifting the original stone cottage off the site. I am very concerned about the heritage value of the original cottage and will wait to see whether this is acceptable with the traditional owners of the island.
What do you think? Wonderful, isn't it?

Cinderella!

A project I have been fiddling with for a while!

Cinderella!

Don't worry.. resident authorities have already told me that the mice are supposed to be horses. I know, but I have made the carriage small and can resize it for a bit of showing off. Huh. I guess when it is small, it should be a pumpkin!
I made myself a princess outfit which is a bit hard to see in the phot. I'll take another photo later.
I am working through my childhood I think. A second childhood in Second Life? What next? Princess and the pea...Rapunzel....mostly just fancy dress - I need something that needs some hardware to go with it!

News... so much news....

There is so much news! I don't have any supporting pictures yet but they are coming. I am at the wrong computer.. but given time.... I'll start chronologically and that way it will escalate with excitement too! OK! So it started with a last minute piece of information from Corcosman Voom that there was an ice sculpture contest closing in a day or so. He passed me a copy of the guidelines and in my usual thorough way, I managed to miss the part where it mentioned the theme... "Celebration".
Without this as a guide, I cast my thought around for a likely subject and the Sydney Opera House came to mind. (It's not my job to explain how this mind works) So I built the Opera House, added a Manly ferry and then added a few scripts. Bling to set the ice sparkling, smokey fog from the ferry and some movement into the ice beneath the two for Sydney Harbour's water. Nice! And not too far off the theme when it all is said and done. Actually, I would have chosen it if I had known what the theme was!
But oh my! You should have seen the other entries!
I went away for holidays and let it take its chances. Imagine- I won an honourable mention. Terrific. And the other honourable mentions were sculptures I was proud to be mentioned with too. (Imagine a picture inserted here of a glistening Opera House)

Next? Broadband and lag has been an on going drama and trial for me in Second Life. 11 second lag means that flying causes computer crashes, stairs are impossible because the jump is not timed with forward, people are not where they were when the movement surge arrives and running into people and things is a consequence.
So the news is that at no extra cost, we have changed broadband plans and I am seeing SL as if for the first time. You just have idea what a difference it makes. I can see things near Kuula that in 3 months I had no idea were there. I went to Caledon Tamranoch, and didn't even recognise it!

And then?
3 months in SL? you know what that means? I am no longer a newbie so I have had to join the big kids in the Building Blitz and show and tell at NCI. Mostly I am going to miss the events because of other commitments but I got there this week. The Building Blitz theme was "From Space". I knew the other big kids were going to be all over me with scripts and special effects so I went sideways with the theme and launched into building - The Cow Jumped Over the Moon.
I got a place and $50L for my troubles and had a lot of fun.. but I must admit it was far more nerve wracking than in the Noobs version. No time for reading or joking.
It was a pretty ugly cow... but hey.. 40 prims and 40 minutes is not a lot to work with!.

And Then???!!!
Show and Tell was the next day. I had to go to work but was supposed to be home with plenty of time to spare. You can just imagine the "just one more thing..."s that work cooked up to slow down my escape. And I had promised the family I'd bring home lunch. Sitting in the drive through at maccas, with my mobile going flat, I tried to guide one of my inexperienced agents to get me to Kuula and nominate to participate in the event. 15 mins later I arrived, burgers in hand and host Muttenchops Chaplin had no idea that I planned to be part of the event. The message didn't make it that far. Graciously he let me join.
Thanks to the new band width I was able to make a hasty change into my Genii Outfit and when it was my turn I presented my Genii Jar that you can see in an earlier blog. Cut to the chase.. I came third. Wow! With nine big people competitors??!! Sympathy votes?!

But most exciting....
I bought a home!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Lots of photos to follow.
One very special person heard me messing around with linden buying and I think realised much sooner than I, that it was going to take a lot longer than I realised to get the money turned from $OZ to $US to $L.
That special person gave me a loan. I can not believe that there are such kind, trusting people in an anonymous world like SL. Amazing. I found that as big a thing really as buying the house. The house was thus bought and I truly was so overwhelmed I hardly knew where to start. I can't wait to get it a bit more set up and invite the world in. The Linden $ are still tangled up in the weird rule ridden world of SL but it should be sorted soon. Meanwhile I have hung a few quilts and put chairs in front of the fire place...
So to my benefactor........ my many many thanks.

Christmas Building

Tis the season.. to build.

Following some remarks from Grandma Bates, I did a little work on the reindeer from Santa's sleigh and he is now reindeer soup. Complete with fire action and swirling goo. The swirling goo is made from a yuck texture I created in "Paint". I put two layer, both a bit transparent, in the top of the pot with one at an angle to the other and then put in scripted movement. At the moment I have no control over the direction of movement. I have fooled endlessly with the parameters but have no luck.

As it was her idea, I sent a copy off to Grandma Bates which she popped on her front lawn. Next thing I know, Corcosman Voom has received one in a gift bundle from "Best of Second Life". Grandma was quite concerned that it had escaped via her yard :)
I was thrilled. My reindeer soup was being passed around!
So many people have done so much to help me since I joined SL that I want to do all I can to "pass it on".

As well as making silly season soup, I entered an ice sculpture contest. Read the details in the next blog posting.
Having made the Opera House and Ferry... it seemed necessary to build the harbour bridge... not a fun thing to build at all. Boring boring boring.