Lady Eva Travels to Edinburgh - Real Life Meet and Greet July 18th or 19th

That wonderful time of year has come again: Summer holiday.

My family and I will be traveling in Europe from July 10th through July 20th. Our travel plans have us touring in Helsinki, St. Petersburg, and Edinburgh.

After chatting with Soliel Snook and Elrick Merlin - both of whom I had the distinct privilege of meeting at CaleCon last year - we felt that a meet-up in Edinburgh would be awfully fun while I was there. Timing being what it is, we will be in the city on the days that Second Life runs the Relay for Life walk (July 18 & 19). However, having said this, I would love to have dinner, drinks and time to chat with any and all of you who would care to join us.

I am happy to meet on Saturday or Sunday evening. Soliel will be making all the arrangements, so please be in contact with her if you'd like more information and/or to RSVP. But do comment here &/or contact me and let me know if you will be there. I just love anticipating fun events!

Can't wait to meet you!

***

Celtic Fling - Real Life Festival

Adso and I had a grand time along with a few of our friends!

Scottish Hammer Toss

No haggis eating this time, but the Scotch Eggs were divine!

Pipes and Drums compete!

Finding Claidheamh Flath
The Warrior Duchess appears

Slainte!

A Curious Delivery

One would think by now that very little would surprise me, but a telegram that was delivered to me directly at Castle Teanacadh certainly caught my attention.

As far as I know, I am an only child, but


nothing is ever precisely what it seems.............

The Guns of Port Merrimac Take A Beating - or "The Most Fun the ol' Port Has Seen Yet"

Mars and Bacchus would have both felt at home in Port Merrimac last night as the Thursday Night Iron Melee hosted an event of a different sort. I shall let the Commodores (Dagger and O'Toole) give you the detail of the strategy and/or the After Action Reviews, but I shall greatly enjoy sharing my thoughts, photos, and some anecdotal evidence of a merry time had in scenario battling.

The general premise was that we would once again pit Red against Blue. Teams were chosen (self-identified) as the crowd gathered and learned what each would be doing. Red would defend the guns and port; Blue were to attack from Sea and Land.

"What's that?" you say.

Yes indeed - a landing party scenario. Or at least the first runs with the MMCS system used by our friends in New Brunswick.

We had an excellent crowd! By my count at the height of our participation we had 18 folks. Everyone was anxious to give the infantry battle a try along with the now normal use of the ironclads and guns on the dock.

We ran the scenario (variations on the theme) three times. Despite the casualties on both sides, at the end of each attack (Blue won all three!) we were friendly and ready for the next thing. No drama! Just so much fun that Bacchus would barely have been able to keep up with us. :) Why is that, I wondered briefly. But I think the reason is that the rules of the road are always clearly spelled out, and everyone knows the mission here is to have a good time, and to run generally authentic scenarios (i.e. one's gun does not work underwater in RL, therefore, we do not shoot guns underwater) for the time period. When the battle is over (or each round) then we are back to our "normal" SL selves.

Let me show you the evidence - and after you've read and viewed I'm sure you will want to join us next week. I'm in favor of running the same kind of scenarios next time since we are just scratching the surface of possibilities on this.

Blue Team prepares for the first round.
(l-r) Remington Pinion, Exrex Somme, Hotspur O'Toole,
that's me with my back to you (sorry), and Krystine Qinan

Oh - here I am. :)

For the first two rounds, I had the honor of gunning for Mr. Easterman of the Caledon Navy. We totally killed the mortar on the dock at least twice! Hee hee hee!

Red Team members: (l-r) Commodore Nabila Nadir, TotalLunar Eclipse, Tensai Hilra

We gather between battles.
(l-r) Alex Chadbourn, Eva, Nabila Nadir, Justinian Huszar

Oh the huge manatees! The Penzance and one of the cannon are aflame!

Lunar is down (round two)

MrBunwah, Dale, and Maxim

Group shots after round three.

And then things really got silly...

Climbing aboard Alex's "Happy Missile"
O-0

This was at least as fun as Cow Jumping at IBM.

Now don't you want to come play next week??
Thursday nights at 7pm SLT, Port Merrimac, Roatan.

BATTLE ON!

*

Recalling the Fun from Last Week

OOO - I wanna go!!

For BardHaven's report from the Star Trek Museum of Science, please CLICK HERE. I think I just found my plan for exploration tonight. :)

The Dance of Flight

"Mew dahlink. Try this on for size." came the voice across the æther.

"Mew, Kami. Sure, I'll give it a whirl. (pulls up inventory) Super Flight AO?"

"Just try it."

"Hold your horses, I'm going outside the castle now." I said walking out the door and promptly heading up in the air.

Suddenly I felt so...so...heroic. Really the ao Kamilah created with superheros in mind hit the mark. The animations were very defined and strong. Quite fun actually. For a closer look at these please do head on over to Musings to see a short video clip of SuperKami in action.

"I like it quite a bit. It's very fun!"

At this point we discussed some of the reasons that she decided to create these flight animations, and I mentioned that it would be very fun to have a more feminine animation overrider noting that with few exceptions most of the flight/land animations are very male. She agreed noting that she was also contemplating making a Peter Pan inspired flight package.

"So you want something more - girlie. (pause) You're gonna have to show me some pics. Something for inspiration."

Let the googling begin! Pictures and links went back and forth for a bit. After this I really didn't hear anything about it for a few days. Then, suddenly, a package on the doorstep.

"Ballerina Flight AO!"

It's wonderful. There are many animations in this package depending on your motion (up, up and forward, descending, turning, etc.,.). Very easy to use - just wear and fly.

And lovely to look at. Thanks, Kami!

Cloud Dancers

Cloud dancers!
Dancing through the sky;
Like little butterflies!
With the clouds in her hair;
And the sky at her feet.
Cloud dancer!
Among beautiful dancers!
Dancing through the sky.

Jade Buehler

Ever Thine

(You will forgive a romantic indulgence upon my typist's return from a beautiful family wedding, and a 60th Wedding Anniversary party for her parents. Oh let's face it by now, dear readers, you've come to expect romantic indulgences from me.)

She dresses for the evening thinking of her beloved.

"He is mine." she muses brushing her hair recalling the letter the post delivered just today. "As I am his."
His

Good morning~
Even when I am in bed my thoughts rush to you, my eternally beloved, now and then joyfully, then again sadly, waiting to know whether Fate will hear our prayer--To face life I must live altogether with you or never see you. Yes, I am resolved to be a wanderer abroad until I can fly to your arms and say that I have found my true home with you and enfolded in your arms can let my soul be wafted to the realm on blessed spirits--alas, unfortunately it must be so--You will become composed, the more so as you know that I am faithful to you; no other woman can ever possess my heart--never--never--Oh God, why must one be separated from her who is so dear. Yet my life in V[ienna] at present is a miserable life--Your love has made me both the happiest and the unhappiest of mortals--At my age I now need stability and regularity in my life--can this coexist with our relationship?--Angel, I have just heard that the post goes every day--and therefore I must close, so that you may receive the letter immediately--Be calm; for only by calmly considering our lives can we achieve our purpose to live together--Be calm--love me--Today--yesterday--what tearful longing for you--for you--you--my life--my all--all good wishes to you--Oh, do continue to love me--never misjudge your lover's most faithful heart.

ever yours
ever mine
ever ours

And finally ready for the evening......."Soon, my beloved, dearest friend.......ever yours."

The words of Ludwig van Beethoven

MANY YEARS!

MANY YEARS!

Kate has taught me that "many years" is a traditional blessing that is given at the end of each Sunday service to those in her local Orthodox congregation who are celebrating birthdays. As I began thinking about writing this piece on our 3rd Rez Day celebration, I thought this was just the perfect thing to say avatars in SL. There are at least two reasons.

1)the desire to wish the person behind the avatar well, expressing the hope that their avatar will remain and flourish for years to come.
and 2) the recognition that every year in real life equals 6 years in SL. (Many years indeed.)

It felt good and right that Kate and I would celebrate our Rez Days together this year since we met on my very first day in world and have been fast friends ever since that time. Her real life has kept her out of SL a lot over the last year or so, but we do try our best to spend time together in world when the chance arises, plotting and planning good things for the Royal Society, or exploring, or simply just catching up.

There have certainly been times in the last 3 years that I have seriously considered giving Second Life up all together. I need not recount the reasons or dramas here, but I will say that there have been many lessons-learned.

What has kept me here?
Good friends are the first and foremost reason.

The outlet for creativity - expressed both in world and in this blog as well as others. The sheer joy of discovery that happens when one goes, for instance to visit AM Radio and his latest work of art.

The humor and silliness that can also happen are truly draws as well. It's good to be able to let one's hair down at times and just laugh and play.

I should also say that as someone who's human works full time in her professional field and is raising two fabulous children that one should not diminish the feeling of stress relief that can be gained by a friendly (or not so friendly) match on the tournament sands, the fencing piste, or behind the cannon of an ironclad. :) Sometimes you just can't top battles or blowing things up!

The STEAMY party itself was great fun! Thanks to all of you who attended. We went an hour over the scheduled time because we were all just having too much fun for it to end. And during that time as people came and went, we maintained about 35 or so guests. The dancing and conversation were fabulous, and the music provided by Gabrielle Riel was perfect! Once again, my dear cousin created a play list for us that was spot on.

Thanks also for all the good thoughts and well wishes; for presents and private notes. I will cherish these things - and do.

Much love & many years, my friends!

Getting Steamy for the party

The Rez Day Girls party on with friends.
(seen in this shot, Otenth Paderborn, Klaus Wulfenbach, Gabrielle Riela & Azul Draken)

JJ Drinkwater and TotalLunar Eclipse

Kate and Eva

Steam dancing

Roy Smashcan

Nabila Nadir

Crowd early in the evening.
We were blessed to have friends from Winterfell, Caledon, Steelhead, New Babbage, and other varied sims.

Icarus Ghost dances with Frequency Picnic as Jed Dagger looks on.

My favorite feline: Kamilah Hauptmann

Martini Discovolante
(also seen in this shot: Miss Lumina & Mr. Squirrel Zuhal)

Eva and Kami

Squirrel Zuhal

Serra Anansi, Otenth Paderborn, Klaus Wulfenbach, Kate Nicholas, Eva Bellambi

Icarus Ghost, Hotspur O'Toole, and a lovely couple of ladies from Winterfell.
(one looked very familiar :p)

Klaus and Kate

Frequency Picnic and MissLily Nightfire

Duchess dancing. :)

Lunar and Roberto with many others in the background.

Present to us both from Lord Bardhaven in his absence.

A most excellent bird! Thanks, Vee!

New Steampunk Boots, new ring, and new flight ao. :)