For Old Times sake - Auld Lang Syne

One of the things I love about the grid is the places that are inspired by real places in real life, like Auld Lang Syne.  Created by Eloise Blake and inspired by parts of Shetland, Orkney and the Hebrides, she has brought some parts of Scotland to the grid.

Aptly named Auld Lang Syne, a song which was submitted to the Scots Musical Museum by the Scottish poet, Robert Burns, who claimed the words were taken from an old man's singing.  The lyric's in the Scottish version is about good friends sitting down together and recalling adventures and memories of long ago.

I've tried several times to come up with a description of what you will find but I have to admit, like Scotland, it's hard to describe.  You will find rough terrain and soft gentle spots to rest your feet, which is Scotland.  It's a land of contrasts, with harsh and weathered cliffs that the sea beats on it, day-to-day, and then the soft gentle moors, with the heather sweetening up the air and enchanting you as you walk by it.  And yes, that is what Eloise pulled into SL, the whole atmosphere that makes Scotland such an amazing and beautiful land.  With that said, I think in ending, I will just leave you with the Scottish version of Auld Lang Syne.

Should auld acquaintance be forgot, 
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot, 
And auld lang syne?

(Chorus)
For auld lang syne, my jo,
For auld lang syne, 
We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet, 
For auld lang syne.

And surely ye'll be your pint-stowp!
And surely I'll be mine!
And we'll tak a cup o' kindness yet, 
For auld land syne.

We twa hae run about the braes
And pu'd the gowans fine; 
But we've wander'd mony a weary foot
Sin auld lang syne.

We twa hae paidl'd i' the burn, 
Frae mornin' sun till dine;
But seas between us braid hae roar'd 
Sin auld lang syne.

And there's a hand, my trusty fiere!
And gie's a hand o' thine!
And we'll tak a right guid willy waught, 
For auld lang syne.

Credit:
Lyrics and information obtained at Encyclopedia Britannica

A Love Letter to Mimmo

I admit I did mull over the title for a bit before I came to realize that I had fallen in love with this breathtakingly beautiful region.  As a photographer, I have seen many beautiful and creative places.  Each one that I have visited and posted about, took my breath away in some way, be it visually, emotionally, and/or spiritually.  Mimmo, to me, is a dedication to photographers and their photography.  Everywhere I looked, there was a photo opportunity waiting for you to click your camera and capture it.
Mimmo is owned by Eli Cord (Elise Sirnah), who is a talented photographer herself.  Her gallery shows her work off, giving examples from Mimmo itself, of beautiful works of art.  If you are wondering what Mimmo means, it's an Italian term of endearment for a child or baby, and you can see, this is her baby.  Every inch of the land is done with love and dedication for photography, from the stream that runs through the entire region to the soft rolling hills and the mountains.  You are invited to rest and relax, allowing you to let your creativity loose on the beautiful landscape.
For photographers who need to rezz, there is a group available to join, just remember to clean up after yourself when you are done.  There is also a Flickr group that you can join, to submit your work to, as well.
For once, I find that I just don't have enough words to describe this amazing place, so instead, I think I'll let my work show you.  My only hope is that I did Mimmo justice in my photos.

If you don't already know it, Jay T Muir updated and released a large pack of wl's that he had available in his blog for free.  He now has it packaged all together, so there is 26 wl's in one pack.  Most of my photos were taken with his wl's here, with the exception of the last one with the painting on the easel, which was taken with Ambient Realism.  The link is to his FB page, just scroll down a little way and you will find the post where he released them along with the download link.

Ville de Coeur

One of the things I have found to be inspiring is individuals creativity and the ability to bring real-life places, into Second Life.  People have recreated or been inspired by real-life places, building them on amazing, scenic regions and bringing them to life with their creativity.  Ville de Coeur is one of those places in Second Life.  It covers 7 regions, each one showing off the creativity and talent of its owners, Bedrick Panacek-Guisse(Bedrick Panacek) & Ayla Panacek-Guisse (Ayla Guisse).

Places like Ville de Colmar, Cote d'Azur in France, and Chateauneuf-en-Axios in Bourgogne, France, have been used as inspirations for creating this amazing network of regions. You will find beautiful villages dotting the rural landscapes, with little quaint shops and homes, tucked in between the mills, hills, and canals.

As you walk or drive through each region, you can see that everything has been built with an amazing eye for detail, with each region seamlessly connecting to the other region.  Whether you do the walking tour, ride in a carriage, or take the trolley tour, the experience is smooth and beautiful to behold.  If you don't want to use those methods of travel, there are bicycles and horses that you can borrow, where you can ride the many horse trails or ride your bike down the many roads and pathways that you will find in each region.  No matter which method of transportation you decide to go with, you will be offered a cornucopia of scenic views to enjoy along the way.

Ville de Coeur is also very active.  They hold events, dances, get-togethers; along with having rentals for both residents and shop owners.  The list is long, on the many things you can do and interact with.  The people who live here are warm and friendly, as are the owners of this amazing place.

I visited the different regions and took a sampling of photos, to give an idea of what awaits you at Ville de Coeur.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed taking them.

Edit:  I noted this after writing the article that Ville de Coeur also has a Flickr group for their regions.  If you take photos, please consider adding them to their group and sharing with them your experience there.

The Peace of Glenrosa

Autumn is a season filled with a myriad of different hues of colors and we are reminded by the cooling weather that winter is not far now.  Seeing all the different blogs dedicated to landscapes and destinations, I figured today I would actually do one that is not showing the autumn colors but instead is just a peaceful forest, filled with the colors of summer.  

Glenrosa is both peaceful and serene, though, with the right wind lighting, you can deepen those colors and create even an ominous backdrop for your photo work, depending on your mood.  As you will see in my photos that I grabbed, while at the sim, I used several different windlight settings to give different atmospheres to my photography.

The sim is well thought out, well designed with a solid eye towards each section blending in with the other, creating a seamlessness in your visual experience.  It is a sim well worth the tp over to check it out.

Mesmeric Cove

As you step down from the train, the steam escaping from under the train is blown away by the cool brisk breeze, which tussles your hair and blows it across your face.  Both hands weighed down with a suitcase, you whip your head to the side, attempting to clear your vision.  As the strands are once more blown, this time out of your face, you get your first clear view of where you have stopped.  The train platform looks like it is from a time long gone, and there is a crisp, earthy scent of decaying leaves tickling your nose.  Glancing a little more to your left, you see in the distant, the faint shadows of buildings and the soft glow of light from some of their windows, dotting the landscape.  Tipping your head slightly to the side, you stand there studying scene in front of you, your inner voice whispering in your mind, "Now what have you gotten yourself into, this time?"  The better question though should be, can you unlock the history and mysteries of Mesmeric Cove.

Netherwood: Rustic Beauty!

I seem to be on a rustic, country kick right now but I can't help it, the creators make them just too gorgeous to pass up, which brings me to Netherwood.  Netherwood is owned and created by Lauren Bentham, who is also the owner and creator of Bentham Manor, Everwinter sim,Baja Norte, Baja Cove, Baja Bay, Baja Sands & Storybrooke Gardens.  Wow, busy lady! 
Nertherwood is a blending of beautiful landscape, well thought houses with livestock grazing gently in small pastures, a rivers framing the landscape, creating a gentle flow throughout the sim.  It is a little graphically demanding in some areas, so this is not for the faint of video cards but even on the lower settings, you cannot miss the beauty that has been created here by a designer with an amazing eye for detail.  If you are looking to rezz things, like bloggers and photographers enjoy doing, there is a group that you can join that will give you the rights to temporarily rezz which costs 150L.  As the owner states though, that helps keep the sim running, so well worth helping her out.
I admit, I enjoyed photographing this sim quite a lot, since there is just so much to enjoy and the set up to be honest is perfect for photos, in my opinion; so please enjoy!

Now off to find another adventure and wander the great wide grid!

If you were looking for the link, here it is!  Netherwood
*The land is moderate btw, so please remember and respect that, thank you!*

Oh yeah, if you wish to do a little tour of all the amazing sims that Lauren has, there is the list with the links:
Everwinter
Baja Cove
Baja Norte
Baja Bay
Baja Sands
StoryBrooke Gardens