Shropshire

 

By Gemma Cleanslate

 

I love to visit regions in SL that are based on real life locations. I have been to visit Shropshire Rolling Hills and Farm inspired by the County of Shropshire in England. The owners, Jenni Jones (Pixie8615) and Stefan Jones (Skilledavatar) have created a site that honors history from the Norse and the present. There is modern roleplay offered, as well as visiting a Viking village that demonstrates the manner in which they settled in England.

 

The main vision of the region, however, is everything horse. There is no way to express the constant offerings of daily activities except to join the group and see the notices. Classes are offered in everything and anything related to horses, even beginners Teegle. If I had time I would definitely be going to many of them. The multitude of opportunities is dazzling.

I did drop in on one that was a practice session for dressage. There were not only avatars mounted on their horses but also many horse avatars ready to learn more and work out. It inspired me to go get the dressage hud and take a few turns around a sandbox to see how it all went. One of the dressage riders passed a wonderful guide book to the region and its history. Perhaps when time permits I will be able to go back and join a basic class. JamesT Juno, the owner of the former SL Newspaper where I wrote articles before the SL Newser opened, was a dressage and jumping expert and had many trophies and medals. I went to some shows and I thought it was beautiful then and still do.

This region is a family friendly place .One can rent a home at very fair prices. Get-togethers for chatting and game playing, and parties are on the agenda. Jenni said “we welcome all Avatars from small tiny bugs to huge Giants, we’re an all welcome sim, no matter your beliefs, mental state, gender or intelligence, we have an amazing Quadrille Team that are working on a show for the upcoming Dog and Pony Show, if you don’t know what Quadrille is, its basically group dressage” 

 

I visited the village. The homes were sweet. I found a pig farm down a lane and nearby a chicken coop. One chicken I noticed is an avatar who lives there, a singing chicken who gives concerts named Nivor. Evidently Nivor challenged a witch who turned her into a chicken so while she waits to end the spell she lives here. This area is called the small Animal Shelter though I think a dragon may have a resting place here too. I believe I saw a dog training class in a notice.

Nearby on the next road I found the combo Post office and Farm Shop. I walked along the road past homes which are labeled Private so watch for those and remember not to disturb. Along another road there is a Veterinary service. On a corner I found a restaurant called the Codfather serving delicious meals and stopped in to have some. I could not resist the smell. Yum.

I went to the Viking area to visit and that is where the riding trails go through the wood and if you don’t have a horse of your own to use on the trails there is a horse rezzer and you can choose the one you would like to ride. Explore the shops while you are in the Viking area and see the offerings available for those who wish to stay and participate in activities. There are helmet, clothing, avatar accessories, and lots of cheese!

Role play offers the emergency services to practice and stage events such as saving a barn from fire, rescues and more. They meet at the new services building to plan events.There is a hospital also and Doctors , Nurses. Police, Paramedics and others are invited to join in. Contact Jenni. You will be very welcome. Go visit whether you are a horse person or not. Pick up the Guide Book on the fence where you land. On the boards there is a teleporter to some of the areas you don’t want to miss.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Innocent%20Eyes/68/111/21

Gemma Cleanslate 

 

The Hope Driftwood and Dreamscape Ranches

By Wesley Regenbogen

Hope Driftwood’s Ranch 
 

 Recently, I wrote about the closing down of the The Full Circle Club. The owners found another business in Second Life : ranches in Second Life and also breeding virtual horses in Second Life.
 

It was the first time I saw horse raising in Second Life, boy was that an experience ! Hope Driftwood and Christopher Dreamscape both own a ranch in Second Life where they own a number of breedable horses. Christopher told me he also breeds virtual dogs All those animals that have been coming to Second Life. This trend has been going on for some years, so, well, I must say that it’s a nice thing.

The two don't run a single ranch, but two. Hope Driftwood owns a ranch called “Hope Driftwood Ranch." Christopher Dreamscape owns a second ranch called “Dreamscape Ranch." Both of them created their ranches themselves, with helpers helping to decorate Hope Driftwood. The communication for Hope Driftwood Ranch is done by plain old notices and word to mouth.Her ranch can be found through Second Life Search and everyone is welcome to visit it! She on occasion plays music for the horses in the ranch as well. There are a few upcoming events: "Snap," "Drop," and "Panel Auction."

Hope Driftwood told me her ranch had a number of helpers, which she considered her Second Life family: Benji Darkfury, Red Darkness , Rosie Darkness, Ayasha johnannes, and Neaven Snowfield. There was also, "My brother rancher and other helper Christopher Dreamscape. This started out as a family based ranch! I Started doing horse a couple of years ago when i was on a diffrent avi. I was Playing Rosie Darkness at the time. Dakota Snowfield and Benji Darkfury taught me a lot! I love horses both in real life and Second Life. This is my dream! I get horse's and breed them with my daughter Sunny and Sister Cherry! But I Love to make friends and Ride my horses!" 

Dreamscape Ranch

The Dreamscape Ranch is owned and was created by Emma Dreamscape (emmalee69) and Christopher Dreamscape (christopher410) on the 23^rd October,2014. The decorations at the ranch were made by Emma. 

Both ranches support the Relay For Life, and they play to hold events to raise money for the charity. They will most information about that soon.  You can look up the ranches through Second Life Search.

In my personal opinion these ranches are very well made and are just perfect for everyone who loves horses, either in real life or only in Second Life. It’s the first time that I encounter a ranch in Second Life, though. I wish Hope Driftwood and Christopher Dreamscape the best with their ranches.

Hope Driftwood told me the whole process about breeding virtual horses, and I must admit it must be a difficult process.

On a final note, I was made an offer for a virtual horse, but I haven’t decided yet, LOL !

Hope Driftwood Ranch can be found here :

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Yakamo/114/195/22

Christopher Dreamscape’s Ranch can be found here :

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Marshall/49/242/23

 Wesley Regenbogen

Motorcycle Mania on Route 66

By Becky Shamen

Motorcycles. This mode of transportation, and a life style to go with it, is very popular in Second Life. Motorcycles come in countless styles and prices. Styles include classics, antiques, steam
powered, contemporary, and even futuristic designs. You can even have them custom made to your specs. The cost is anywhere from free to thousands of Lindens. You probably already have at least one, in your inventory. When you have a motorcycle, your next concerns will be where to ride and what to wear as you do. It's no fun crashing into things or into the water. It wouldn't look right to go for a ride, wearing a ball gown either. 

When I first began riding, I could hardly keep it on the road. To practice safely, I would go to the Australian Outback, where there are no roads and few things to bump into. It was a good place to learn, but being a single sim, I soon tired of going back and forth or in circles. I began searching for areas that were made for riding motorcycles. I found and joined a club, called Regent Riders. It's one of the few clubs that I've joined that cost to become a member. The current, one time, membership fee is $299. Members are allowed to travel between 12 connected sims. Non-members can ride on these sims, but cannot cross sim borders, unless they de-rez their bike, TP to another sim, and rez another bike. The connected sims have a Southwestern USA, Route 66 theme. I had been to all the locations, years ago, but just took another road trip, so I could give a report of what you will find, should you go for an adventure.

In previous articles, I have provided the SLURL for many of the sims reported on. I have also explained how I find locations to explore, by using the destination guide and world map. Finding these places is part of the fun of exploring them. For this report, we have produced a composite illustration of all the sims in the Route 66 collective. We shall leave finding and getting to them to readers, to maximize their enjoyment.

Getting Your Kicks on Route 66

As I said, you can go to these sims individually, but to take the full tour, start at the bottom and work your way to the top, South to North. The 12 main sims run in a straight line, with 2 additional, residential sims, on the East and West. We shall travel them in this order; Motor World, Death Valley, Route 66, Sunset Crater, Cadillac Ranch, Twin Arrows, Flagstaff, Two Guns, Mojave Desert, MLCC, Diablo Canyon, and Santa Monica. They are all strict about motorcycles only, but, being a western theme, riding a horse is tolerated and appreciated. Every time residents saw me on my horse, they wanted to show me theirs and compare notes. Route 66 does not run in a straight line and there are many side roads and there are no rules about staying on the road. You'll get a lot of good practice, using the world map and mini-map, in finding your way around. Let us begin now, with the first sim.

Motor World

Before starting my road trip, I began here on foot. As I waited for the textures to rez, I opened my radar (mini-map), to locate where avatars were gathered, so I could introduce myself and ask questions about local rules and customs. If you don't know any "bikers," approaching and having a conversation with them might seem a bit too scary to attempt. Let me reassure you, having met many of them, in real-life and SL, those hard outer appearances are just a mask, hiding a lovable soul within.

In the parking lot of the local hang-out, I saw a member of the Hell's Angels Nomads named Blacky Braham, sitting on his chopper, with his AFK girlfriend/property standing within arms reach. I greeted him and said I was a reporter from SL Newser, doing a story about the area. In my short time as a reporter, I have already discovered that telling folks you are a reporter makes them friendly and helpful. Blacky said he would be happy to answer any questions he could. My plan was, since horses are slower and easier to control, to tour on horseback, enabling me to see more without the hassle of trying to keep my ride on course. When I asked him if horses were allowed, he jumped off his bike and rezzed his beautiful black stallion, which was from AKK Ranch, as is my white one, named Blue. We agreed that AKK horses were the best, so felt like instant old friends.

 I rode off to the top of a nearby hill, to get a panoramic view of the sim. From my vantage point, I watched as the handful of bikes circulated and attempted to break the record on the "Scary Jump of Fire and Death", located across the road from the hang-out. There was a scoreboard, on the side of the jump, with the top score being the smallest number. I can only speculate that the scores must represent how long they had to stay in the hospital.

I also spotted a shop that sells MLCC motorcycles. Most of the sims I visited had bars, but they were always empty, probably due to the fact that I don't explore between 6-10 PM SLT. Those hours are reserved for hanging out with my friends, at my favorite clubs. From my hilltop perch, I spotted the bridge and headed for the next sim.

Death Valley

The main road here runs straight to the next sim, along the West side of the sim. I found myself at the crossing to the third sim and had to turn around to tour it. If one takes the first right after entering from Motor World, it becomes a maze of mountain roads, with sharp turns and great views. One road is a dead end, where you can dismount and chill in privacy. I pictured Moses, riding his chopper here to jot down the ten commandments. I saw little else here to report on, so retraced my steps and headed for the next sim after passing through a long West to East tunnel on the North side of Death Valley.

Route 66

There are two large clubs that I saw. "The Sons of Anarchy" was empty, but "Tobacco Road" seems to have folks in it all day long, with as many coming as going. I stayed for a while, chatting with the locals, dancing and playing trivia, before continuing my exploration. There is a motorcycle shop, called CC Custom Choppers. Their bikes cost in the $2800 range and are beautiful. Out front, they have a rezzer which gives a drivable demo of the bike you want to test drive. Nearby, I spotted a warehouse shop called "Nemesis Firearms." I looked inside and could easily see how well the shop name fit the hardware inside. There were other motorcycle clubs and shops. When I saw a small shop, at the north end of the sim, with a sign saying Beer-Ammo-Bait, I thought I had died and gone to redneck heaven. I came back to my senses and rode off to the next sim.

Sunset Crater

I only spotted two buildings on this sim. It's easy to see why. A huge, active volcano takes up most of the sim. There is a spiral road to the top, but drive slow to avoid spots where cooled lava partially blocks the way. Arriving at the caldera, I found myself wondering if I could walk on the bubbling lava. After all, had I not been to the moon, in shorts and Tshirt and the bottom of the ocean, without scuba tanks and jumped off the Eiffel tower, without a parachute? I decided, the best way to answer this question would be.....to let you try it first and report back to me. I had forgotten to pack my asbestos flip-flops, so quickly made my way to the next sim.

Cadillac Ranch

This sim gets it's name from the real Ranch in Texas. Years ago, when I came here, I saw a collection of Cadillacs, nose in the dirt, tails in the air. But on this visit I cris-crossed the whole sim without finding them. Perhaps, in compliance with the no cars rule, they had been replaced with a row of old motorcycles, painted gold and half buried in the dirt. There were some bars and lots of small homes. The roads were gravel, instead of black top. They did a good job of creating the feel of life in rural West Texas. It made me thirsty for a cold beer. That's pretty good, considering, I don't drink beer.

Twin Arrows

It's not hard finding the crossing to this sim. Two giant arrows, sticking out of the ground, are visible, even with your draw distance set at minimum. Par for the course, the first building you see is a bar, followed by a gas station and a cafe. Better fill your tank, because this is one place you don't want to run out of gas. This would be a great location to film a cowboys and Indians movie. Howling winds fill your ears and the only movement, other than you trying to get elsewhere, is the tumblin' tumble weeds.

On the Northeast corner, there is a biker hang-out, called the "Voodoo Lounge." In real life, I've driven from Texas to California, twice and, both times, promised myself I'd fly next time. This is like the old question of what is the sound of one hand clapping. In this case, what does a whole lot of nothing look like. Almost to Flagstaff, I saw a pair of mountain lions. If they could speak, they were probably saying, "We knew you wouldn't stay for dinner."

Flagstaff

Sandwiched between Twin Arrows and Two Guns, Flagstaff is like a virtual oasis. The grass is greener, there are lots of interesting shops and you can rent a house, as opposed to buying land. Downtown, check out BUR Classic Motorcycles, for affordable bikes with test drive demos. Next door is V-Twins, with great clothing and even prefab houses. On the East side of town is Highway 420. Along this road, you'll find Neximus Racing and Drag Strip and Jumbo's Rockin' Biker Bar.

Going North on 420, you'll pass an outdoor stage, called C.H.M.C. Rock Yard, with a motel across the street. On the next block, to our left, a building announces a soon to open Burlesque show hall and across the street, on Hwy. 420, it comes as no surprise to find the "Moms4MJ" head shop. The door to Moms was locked and a large sign in the window provided a long lists of days and times that they may or may not be open, depending on if they felt like working. Dang hippies!

Make sure your canteen is full, because we are headed back into desert in our next sim.

Two Guns

The name itself suggests that the only difference between it and Twin Arrows is that this is it's polar opposite. Always looking for the silver lining, I can tell you one good thing about this place. You'll be glad that you didn't bring your kids with you, because, by now, they'd be driving you nuts with, "Are we there yet, are we there yet....." Oi, on to the next sim.

Mojave Desert

At long last, we have reached Southern California. Is there a ray of hope, or was it just a small cloud, momentarily blocking the relentless sun, that brings a smile to our parched lips? On the North end, we see two large shops, suggesting we are headed back into civilization, relatively speaking. The next sim looks more promising, in the way of entertainment.

MLCC

I can't decide if MLCC is the name of a corporation or the roman numeral for 1150, but the southern half of this sim is it's world headquarters. It's the place to go, if you want to buy land in the Route 66 sims and the ground floor is a museum of motor vehicles, including even four wheeled ones. North of it, you can be sitting on the dock of the bay, looking at all the pretty sailboats. Looking out in the bay, you discover why these sailboats are all securely moored. The bay is home to the biggest wave I've seen in SL, headed for Loon Beach. Pack your swim suit, if surfing and sailing is your idea of the perfect vacation. At the South end of the beach, you'll find the entrance to Loon Tunnel, which runs under ground for the length of the beach and exits on the next sim.

Diablo Canyon

The western third of this sim is sandy beach. The eastern portion is a lush green area, with a beautiful private estate or two. A large house is built on stilts, above a marshy, protective moat. I couldn't help but feel, this might be the retirement home of a notorious Bonnie and Clyde couple. On the north end of the marsh, two alligators stand guard and will snap at you, if you get too close. The gators were facing a two story, three bay garage. Two of the bays were empty, suggesting the couple had gone down to the Route 66 sim for some dancing and gambling. My 6th sense told me to turn my radio down and tip-toe to the next and final sim on the tour.

Santa Monica 66

As I crossed the bridge, from Diablo, I remembered that, while making a map for this tour, this sim looked as if it was some kind of race track. It turns out, I was right, but what kind of race track is anybody's guess. The entire track is on towers, above the ground. Before attempting it, I had a look about the sim. The track is boxed in by mountains. On one peak, to the northeast, I zoomed in on a cool sculpture of an angel, seated with it's head on it's knees. I couldn't tell if it was meant to be sleeping or feeling shame, but the pose did not suggest it to be strong or protective. On a northeast peak, I spotted a large gargoyle statue, posed for an attack.

Walking about the grounds, I found five run down buildings. A sign on the largest building proclaimed it to be "Maggie May's Salloon." A quick look, over the top of the swinging doors, revealed that the establishment might still be used for gatherings of roving biker gangs or the souls of the departed, that had neglected the announcement of "Last Call." Either way, I was not brave enough to set foot inside. On the West side of the grounds, I spotted a couple of houses. Peeking in the first one, it was unfurnished, but there was a dirty old mattress, dragged close to the fireplace with a roaring fire going in it. Somebody was here and must have left when they heard hoof beats coming. Seeing a dog, leached to a stake near by, added to the mystery.

I rode over to the other house and looked in the front window. There was somebody sitting, motionless, in a rocking chair, wearing a long dress. I didn't see a tag overhead, so panned my camera around to get a front view. Imagine my shock, when I discovered it was a skeleton! What started out as an innocent road trip, was turning into a Nancy Drew mystery.

I decided to ride over to the ramp to the race track, to give my horse a little exercise run. The first ramp that I approached had One Way-DO NOT ENTER signs on it. Being the only one on the sim (according to my radar), it shouldn't have mattered, but the girl scout within insisted I take the other ramp. At the start, I hit Ctrl+1 to run and M to switch to mouselook, I took off and ran the whole course, without a single pause. I even got around the remains of a wrecked car and motorcycle, without any problems. At ground level, I detached my horse and stood in the center of the sim for a good 10 minutes, enjoying my double victory. I had completed the race course and my tour of route 66.

I have to compliment the creators of these sims. Having been through the South West, in real life, I know this simulation of it is well done. I've always lived in big cities and the locations and life styles, depicted in Route 66 are not my cup of tea.

However, I am a seeker of new things and knowledge, so loved the adventure and writing about it. There are many other SL locations for going riding on motorcycles and horses. I hope I have stimulated your imagination to go out and have a new adventure. In time, you will discover why Willy Nelson was so happy to get "On the Road Again."

Becky "Sha" Shamen

Play Knight - Medieval RP in SL

By Becky Shamen

I had mentioned finding a shop at Mont Saint Michel, in my previous article, that sells great medieval armor and how I just had to buy some. When I finished my explorations there, I went home, unpacked my souvenir and put on my shiny new armor. It's nearly perfect, but for one small problem. I was now faced with the age old dilemma of being "all dressed up with no place to go.. In my many adventures, I had been in a few medieval sims, but never crossed paths with any Chevaliers [French for Knights]. Perhaps, I thought, there would be RP sims where knights gain fame and honor, by kickin' canned cans. By now you know, my next move was a visit to the second life destination guide.

A word of warning, before we take one more step here. In the last month, secondlife.com has become more scary than any sim inworld. They now are filled with pop-up adds, that will infect your computer with a host of malware. DO NOT GO THERE without protection. OK, public service announcement done, let's move on.

I did a search of places, using the keyword "knight". That produced a list of about four dozen locations. Of those, the majority seemed to be places to shop. I trimmed the list down to eight places to explore. Two of them actually said they were for role play, with the remaining ones being of questionable value. One was called, AKK Horse Ranch. When playing chess in Texas, the knight is often called a horse, so if I'm looking for knights I better check out horses while I'm at it. Having opened that can of dogfood, I might as well start with discussing horses first.

About  AKK Horse Ranch horses, unlike "breedables" these horses do not require feeding. Knowing that I would not be engaging in any actual RP, just reporting on it, I was only here to see how they looked and how much they cost. Most of the horses come with either a western or English saddle and cost L$2000. They also had a group, called EZ Start Horse, for $500. Their most expensive horse was a skeleton (literally), for $4000.

Next, you'll need the armor, sold separately, ranging in price from $600 to $3600 for beautiful, ornate unicorn armor. They had a floor model that you could sit on, which I did for the included photograph. The sign says it can be resized to even fit tiny avis and the cost of this ready made war horse was a mere $3500 (ouch) and it only came in the one color combination shown. I confess, although I promised myself, after having bought armor, not to spend another penny on this theme, I did return, several more times to drool over it. I saw a free demo, one to customer, good for five uses, which I got and tested. Still in sticker shock, I went back to the marketplace and got demos for four other brands of horse, the working models of which ranged in price from $475 to $1,999. Ultimately, kicking myself in the butt all the way, I returned to AKK Ranch and bought, separately, the AKK '09, in white, for $2000 and Silver chainmail tack for $750. I saved $750 and got the colors I wanted. I figure I got three horses for the price of one, given that I can make copies and have one with armor, one with western saddle and one bareback, which will be handy when I go riding on my property in the Everglades, heehee. Enough about my spending habits. Let's get back on the topic of RP sims.

First of all, when you find a RP sim that sounds good, in most cases, the LM won't take you directly there. Your first stop will be a "Gateway" or welcome area. Clicking signs there, you will get notecards, explaining their history, the rules of play, the type of battle meter required, if any, ie, , , etc. and most will require you to wear a visitor or observer tag, provided free, to be worn until you are a member of their group. Finding only a few good sims to explore, I returned to the destination guide, this time searching "Medieval RP". That search provided many more locations to round out my perspective of this genre.

Our first stop is "The White Armory." This is a large shop with clothing and weapons, which is the gateway to the RP areas. Don't be tempted to use the TP on the right of the entry, labeled "Knight Life Portal". That will only take you to a lame skybox with a horse ride, on a horse that won't follow directions and a carriage ride to a beautiful ballroom that has no dance balls. Instead, walk about the shop, check out the merchandise and look for TP discs on the floor. These discs allow you to select from a list of areas, including; Tipping (jousting), Battlefield, Arena, Cathedral, 99L and Armory. Some of the areas can only be selected by members. They don't sell horses here, so you will need to bring your own. The combat arenas are typical of most other RP sims, with seating for spectators and a scoreboard, showing standings of the contestants as they progress up the levels, as in many sporting events.

Our next stop is called "Usk Medieval Market / Role Play" at Realm of USK (5, 166, 501). These guys are strict about your playing by their rules, so be sure to get and read the notecard. Pay attention to it's governors, the Earl, Elders and Knights. Events and training include Jousting, Archery and Sword. To enter the RP area, you must dress and chat in character and click that you agree to follow the rules. By the way, this realm is humans only, with no Gor, Slavery or flying. I guess that's why I didn't see any of my friends there (grin).

Moving on, we come to "Avilion Nexus: Medieval Fantasy Role Play Community" found at Avilion Nexus (128, 128, 251). To combat here, you will need a combat meter, either Spell Fire, or ACS Avilion Combat system. Both meters are available, for free. You can compete without if it is with a friend and you agree, before hand to do so. Combat areas include a sword fight arena, archery range, mage arena and jousting arena. They also sell weapons, including some mesh ones.

I explored many other sims, but I think I have already given a good picture of this genre, so will close with one last location, for the benefit of my furry friends: Drekiheim - Medieval Fantasy Roleplay (furry friendly) at Turquoise Island (86, 130, 1255). Most of my research is done between midnight and 5am, so it isn't often I meet the locals. At Drekiheim, somebody I never got to see face to face sent me an IM welcoming me as a new face at the sim. I took advantage to ask questions, clarifying things I read in the notecard. This sim has a Nordic, Viking flavor to it. They are "free form" combat, anything goes, provided it fits the historic period (no guns or light sabers please). Battles can take place anywhere but in the Gypsy camp. There are two opposing camps you can join, but that isn't required. However, to get in on the head bashing, you do need to fill out a "Character Sheet" and put it in the dropbox at the welcome center and get approved. A sample sheet can be obtained, to help in creating yours.

If the medieval thing gets you hooked, you might find yourself wanting to live in your very own castle. There are quite a few places that sell them, but I'll just mention two, briefly here. One is Skye Castle Showroom Prefab Castles. These castles are very ornate, have many prims and are expensive. You probably won't want to buy one, but they are worth looking at. The smallest ones start at $2950 and are made from 200 to 300 prims. The other end of the scale cost more than I can count to, are big enough to take up most of a sim and use most of it's prims. My favorite castle showroom is
CASTLE Q Castles: HALF PRICE Birthday Sale Medieval and Gothic. In the past, I bought and lived in both the Q1 and Q2 models. I really liked the two I lived in.

You are not likely to see me engaged in combat, at any of these sims, as I'm a peace loving hippy at heart. But, if you see a cute girl, in silver armor, riding a white stallion, by all means, come chat.

Becky "Sha" Shamen

Raisin Ranch

A few weeks ago I discovered the world of Ameretto horses. I don’t want to buy one of them (at least not yet), but it did get me interested in riding horses again. I wondered if there were any places in SL where residents could ride without investing their Lindens in livestock. Luckily I have found a few, and Raisin Ranch, owned by residents Denis Lagan and Equinox Pinion, is one of the most beautiful.

If you want a great trail ride or simply a beautiful spot to explore on foot, start at Raisin Ranch at Fruit Islands, Raisin (113, 48, 25). There’s a kiosk where you can pick up a free horse if you don’t have one of your own. The land is surrounded by tall waterfalls on one side and a sandy beach on the other. Palm trees provide shade, and there are lots of places on the beach where you can have a quiet talk or a picnic. Lush vegetation complements the area, and you can enjoy the sound of ocean waves or country music, whichever you prefer.

A series of wooden bridges connect the islands and make for an interesting ride or stroll. Pelicans, sea turtles, toucans and other wildlife can be found here. Continue up a steep mountain trail that is next to the ocean. What a view! Look around and you might find an eagle nest, too. But watch out for the cougars!

If you survive, continue on up the mountain. You’ll soon cross a stone bridge that leads around a volcanic lava flow. Beyond the volcano you’ll find ancient ruins and a beautiful waterfall hidden in a lovely tropical forest. If you’re with your special someone, you might want to tie up your horses and climb the steps on foot. You’ll be rewarded with a special treat at the top of the ruin.

The colors and sounds are amazing at this part of the sim, and the trail ride was fun. But if you want more excitement, you can find that here, too. Ranch residents, Valky Bigbear and Harald Zimer, have organized Italian Country Ranch, which features barrel racing and more. It is located at Fruit Islands, Raisin (202, 164, 451). Here, too, you can get a free horse and try your skill at racing around the barrels. Competitions are held regularly, and the rules are posted. If you’re fast enough, you might even win a cash prize.

If all that racing makes you thirsty, walk next door to the saloon for a free cold one. Or avoid getting dusty and sweaty in the first place and come here to watch the others race. You can pick up a schedule of events, then sit and relax in front of a roaring fire. You can even do a little line dancing, too.

Grey Lupindo

Horsenet Horse Rescue

If you like horses, you will love Horsenet Rescue, a RL and SL charitable organization that is dedicated to helping abused, neglected and disabled horses. In SL it is located at ECO Commons (245,78,27) and in RL at two farms in Maryland.

I met up with Laura24 Kiranov, who is the Director of Public Relations for the RL Horsenet Rescue and is setting up the SL location. She told me that the organization is currently working with about 100 horses. “We are a registered 501c3 charity,” Kiranov said, “and are entirely run by volunteers and on donations.”

In SL, Kiranov’s first priority will be promoting the rescue and the adoption and sponsorship programs. Although adoptions are limited to people living close to the farms in Maryland, people anywhere can sponsor a horse for as little as $12.00 US per month. Sponsors are especially needed for approximately 15 blind or visually impaired horses that will remain at Horsenet as a permanent herd. Two of the horses, Rita and Bandit, are featured at the SL location. Bandit is a 30 year old, blind Appaloosa gelding. “We are one of the few rescues that help blind horses,” Kiranov explained.

Kiranov has been in and out of SL for a few years, but the ability to promote the Horsenet Rescue at the Nonprofit Commons has brought her back as a more active participant. “This is a good community and a new and fun way for us to promote our work. I thought it would be good to have something in SL,“ Kiranov said. The space at NPC is donated in return for her volunteer help, which makes it possible for Horsenet Rescue to be here. “Not too many people in my organization know much about SL,” she added, “so it’s going to be me, any help I can get from the NPC and anyone else I can find in SL to help.”

Currently the SL location is a work-in-progress. She has added a waterfall where you can relax. In the future Kiranov hopes to have more images and information available about the real horses at Horsenet.

Kiranov would welcome help from anyone with building or land skills. Item donations are welcome, too. Her future plans include getting displays of the horses up as well as adoption and sponsor information. She has also been in contact with other SL organizations that have similar rescue missions. Eventually she may have some events here.

Her main focus, however, is on helping the current rescued horses like Rita and Bandit. Along with Blaze, Fury, Lady, Pecos Pete, Rocket and others, these horses have been rescued from a variety of abusive and neglectful owners. “Right now we are closed to more surrenders by owners,” Kiranov said, “but we have been helping with some larger abuse cases, with the ASPCA and Humane Society, and with other rescue cases. Obviously the more horses that get adopted and/or sponsored, the more we can help.”

To see more of their horses, or to get additional information, check out their website at www.hnhr.org. They are also on Facebook and Youtube.

Grey Lupindo

Summer Treats - Aero Pines Park

With the myriad of fun that has always been at Aero Pines Park and Recreation Center already, you would think Cindy Bolero would be sitting back relaxing, but no! There are some new activities for your summer enjoyment.

She has created a wonderful lagoon for mermaids and mermen! You can go there and just hang out or dance. If you have not tried being a merperson don’t worry, there are tails there for you to try. There is now a leisurely balloon ride you can take to float slowly over all the sims to see the mountains and valleys there. The bike trail is complete now! You will ride through 8 regions of lovely country and hill side with delightful stops along the way.

I stopped in at an Indian Village to try the activites . I switched to a motorcycle at Zoe’s Roadhouse but switched to a helicopter when I reached the Seaplane marina . All the vehicles are there for you to use along the way. Just watch out for the Horses traveling on some of the bike paths. If you want to try the horse riding you will be able to get a demo at the Equestrian Center. That way you can go off trail too.

I love this area!! Options are so many! I have to keep going back and so will you. There are residents and you will know by the closed doors. Any buildings with open doors are there for you to enter. You will find a note card with all the places along the bike trail, but will find much more yourself. Oh, by the way, I saw a horse race track under construction!! What next?!

The entrance to Aero Pines Park and Recreation Center is in the Equus sim at (11,199,22)

Gemma Cleanslate