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

Achill Island: A Touch of Irish Charm

Yesterday I did a bit of a walkabout on the grid.  Translation: I was profile perving and finding places that I have never heard of or thought they sounded interesting.  

Achill Island was in the 8th profile I had perved..I mean, checked out. and it just sounded so charming, quaint, and adorable that I had to take a peek.  I'm really glad I did that.  It has this sweet, charming feel of it, that was reminiscent of Ireland.    Designed and landscaped by the talented Minnie Atlass, she captures the feel, colors, and atmosphere of the Irish countryside in vivid detail.  

As you will see in the photos, it is set up with rolling hills, a peaceful and relaxing pond, and the cliffs are rugged and dramatic looking, similar to what you would find in Ireland.

Photographers are welcome but this is also a private home for Ziggy Duster and Grace Sixpence, who are gracious enough to open their land and share, so respect for their private areas, please.

It All Starts with a Smile

Back when Kaelyn Alecto first opened her sim, It All Starts with a Smile; I found myself duly impressed by the creativity, the amount of detail and the beauty of her work.  That was back in 2013 when I first discovered her sim, and I even marked it down in a note card that I kept, with the most photogenic sims that I had seen.   While updating that note card back in the beginning of this year, I was saddened when I tried to go to the sim, to discover that it was no longer there.  Approx. a week ago, I seen a name that made ME smile..It All Starts with a Smile is up and running, refurbished, revamped and now tropical in it's setting. 

Once more, the beauty and creativity that is Kaelyn's is back and I believe even more beautiful than her previous place.  Did she outdo herself?  I believe so, yes and once more, I'm beyond impressed with her work. 

As I was photographing different spots and areas, I could not help but think to myself that I could spend at least a couple of more hours there enjoying the sim, the atmosphere and taking photos, very easily.  There is just simply so much there, so many quaint and relaxing spots to sit and enjoy, so many areas that I found to be amazingly photogenic, that you would end up with a huge pile of photos to appreciate from her sim.

The theme of the sim is tropical, with lush vegetation and warm sandy beaches to walk across, while enjoying the sparkle of the water reflecting on the surrounding waters.  The Sim has been broken up to one larger area (it's where you land) and 4 smaller surrounding islands, with a variety of different items to be found on each.  Dotted through the sim, are several points where you can grab a canoe; so that you are able to canoe on the different streams and lagoons that run through and around the sim.

Now that I'm getting a bit long winded, I think I'll quieten down and just let you see for yourself, some of the shots I took while I fangurled Kaelyn's work.

In case you missed the link up above, here it is again!  It All Starts with a Smile

Note:  The sim is General rating, so please keep that in mind in the type of photos you wish to do here.  Also, around the sim you will see tip/donation vendors, which is a wonderful way of helping keep a sim going and really does assist in the sim maintaining itself.  If you require rezzing abilities, there is a group that can be joined, with a small 250L join fee, which grants you rezz abilities.