Tuesday, September 29, 2026

WolfFest26

Over on Wolf Territories Grid it's almost time for WolfFest 2026, a showcase of the creativity of the residents and a chance to party. The festival is a weekend affair, on October 4 and 5 and the event begins at 8 am Grid time.
Luna Stormfeather's Ferris wheel
The fairground is organized on a grid system with parks, a lake, and various sized parcels stretching as far as the eye can see, and with lots of places to party and relax
Chelly Stewart's Rocking Sands music Venue
I really like this building, a music venue, and was swept away inside the aquarium experience. 

Saturday, September 26, 2026

Herding Cats on 2nd Sanctuary

Arriving on Second Sanctuary grid is a bit like arriving at a beautiful Carribbean resort. A pirate ship, gorgeous beaches, and a relaxed atmosphere are the hallmarks of this small but beautifully landscaped grid. On hand to greet us when we arrived on the region called Vanaheim were Pete Taylor and Naomi Volturi, you may remember them from a recent blog post called... what else,  Second Sanctuary.  Pete and Naomi had invited us to go cat hunting - for some very sophisticate cats! as a way to explore this island where anyone looking for a beachy pied-a-terre in the metaverse. HG Address as always at the end of the post.
Naomi Volturi: Hello all, nice to have you here
Pete Taylor: It might be a good idea to reduce the draw distance. Otherwise, you’ll have a lot to load.
Alex Salamander: Hallo und guten Abend :-)
Koshari Mahana: I see everyone naked lol
Thirza Ember: our clothes travel second class,  it's economy rates
Angelic Kisses: hahaha
Jojo Apple: lol
Koshari Mahana: Hi Naomi, Hi Pete
Bink Draconia: hello
Naomi Volturi: hello Bink long time no see 
Pete Taylor: welcome all
Pete Taylor and Naomi Volturi, owners of Second Sanctuary
Forest Azure: ah James, sitting again? you have been sitting on a horse all the time!
James Atlloud: I know, but I have a walk AO that just won't stop, so I think this is better.
Pete Taylor: thirza, are all guests here?
Thirza Ember: Yes, I think we are all here... maybe not all our textures, but in spirit we are all here... we may smell of horse, sorry about that

Friday, September 25, 2026

Burn Story

Dee Zee, Doc Indy, and the great Herbie Haven were kind enough to meet up with us this week on our first stop when we went to visit Burning Man in Groovyverse. The trip included a mix of very RL places, and a few little virtual flourishes, but so neatly inserted into the reality of the build that they feel perfectly integrated. 
Herbie Haven
The group was pretty big this week, about 28 people at our first venue Black Rock Desert, and though almost all of us experienced a leetle touch of lag and disorientation... again, that was completely in harmony with the feelings that Burning Man can cause to real world burners... so it was very much a voyage of exploration, and inspiration.
Vastness is a key ingredient here. Take a look at the map and you'll realize just how large the canvas on which this masterpiece is drawn. Based on the topography and ecology of California and Nevada, the preferred term is Left Coast, and there are plenty of maps and teleports to help a visitor find their way around.
Dee Zee by the Left Coast map
Jade Serenity: Burning Man? I watched the livestream of the RL one... there were a few sand storms
Spax Orion: both destinations are a complete surprise to me... I could look them up but...
Forest Azure: oh, burning man time?
Thirza Ember: i think it's a little different from the last time Forest, there are more horses
Forest Azure: no train or bus? :)
Spax Orion: Who is getting burned?

Thursday, September 17, 2026

Lovely Mexico Lindo

Our second stop this week was on OSGrid, to visit a Spanish speaking community that is as vibrant as it is various.
 Lina Kahlo [es→en]: Everyone is welcome to Mexico Lindo, your visit coincided with a very important date in the history of Mexico, we celebrated 216 years of independence
Lina and Niko
Niko Stone [es→en]: With a lot of effort and dedication she achieved this cultural meeting for everyone. We are just in the main square. The plaza you are visiting here in Mexico Lindo Virtual represents this historical place and allows us to experience, in a virtual environment, one of the most important national traditions of Mexico. The plaza you are visiting here in Mexico Lindo Virtual represents this historical place and allows us to experience, in a virtual environment, one of the most important national traditions of Mexico. 
Ayla Alvarez: ♥.;:+THUNDEROUS  APPLAUSE+:;.♥
Ayla Alvarez: so that would be independence from the Spanish
Niko Stone [es→en]: If you want, you can join us where independence was proclaimed. In the early morning of September 16, 1810, Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla called on the people of Mexico to rise up against Spanish rule. The call began with the ringing of the bell of the church of Dolores, Guanajuato, gathering people in the town square. Hidalgo then gave a passionate speech in favor of freedom, encouraging the people to fight for independence.

The Review and You

Another Wednesday, another Safari. Each time, the group is different. Sometimes there are loads of us, sometimes there are people trying the tour for the first time, sometimes it's a more intimate group of regulars - and what you might define as the 'regulars' has also morphed and evolved over the years, with familiar faces disappearing and new ones taking their place, a bit like the constant ebb and flow of opensim itself. It's not an exclusive group, anyone's welcome, for as often as you choose to join us.
Our plans changed at the very very last minute this week, because, you know, stuff happens, which is why it's so handy to meet ahead of time at the Clubhouse so you don't miss anything or get lost. Here's what we got up to...
Ayla Alvarez: hi gang
Thirza Ember: hello lovelies
Taarna Welles: Heya
Alex Salamander: Hello Thirza :-)
Thirza Ember: it looks like the first destination may have some big last minute problems
Taarna Welles: O dear,  Can we switch to the second?
Ayla Alvarez: the second hour is having problems too?
Thirza Ember: no, the second will be fine, but I'd like to do something different with this first hour
Jupiter Rowland: Hi everyone!
Ayla Alvarez: here comes the bunny again...

Friday, September 11, 2026

Livin' the Dream

 If you read the previous article about the 5th anniversary of Belze and Chubby, there's another notable anniversary this weekend in the German speaking community of opensim. Over on Vela Dreams grid,  Cleopata and Myrena Rajal are marking their 4 years together. 

Myrena and Cleopata
Vela Dreams grid is on a home server with 128 RAM and it hosts 42 Vars, the equivalent of 142 standard sized regions. Each Tuesday they have a regular dance meetup on a sim appropriately called Vela Disco that houses a number of prim-built venues with bright colors and vivid textures. Not to mention the fish!

Gothic Bliss

This weekend is a milestone in the life of Chubby and Belze Cherub. They are celebrating five years of marriage.
That matrimonial bliss has given life to a very special creation, their own grid called Chubelz. 
The grid is compact and varied, with a wedding venue, numerous freebie regions including furniture, textures, avatars and clothes and it's well worth a visit any time,
Arriving on Chubelz
 not just for the big Goth event on Saturday 12 September - that's tomorrow, at time of writing. The party will begin at 8pm Euro time, that's 10 am Grid time, and with several DJ's performing, it's going to be quite a night!
Around Chubelz Welcome you'll find many gothic shops full of great freebies
Belze Cherub: Back then, I was in Nextlife and Chubby was with Cleo Rajal. After we got together, we initially teamed up with friends on the Ankabi grid before creating our own grid.
Fairy Dreamland
The grid has numerous sims. The colorful Fairy Dreamland is always open and well worth a visit any time, and then there are numerous others that are open on a seasonal basis, including of course a winter wonderland, an Easter build, and that Opensim classic, a Halloween sim. About a year ago, they held a fantastic fashion show, demonstrating some of their outfits for men and women. 
Belze Cherub: The purpose of the grid is this - to meet up with friends, have fun, and escape everyday life.
Thirza Ember: There are dozens of small, lively German speaking grids in Opensim. It's a very different model to the big grid approach, with many residents and one owner, and it seems to work very well. What do you think is the secret of your success?
Belze Cherub: It’s important to be friendly, especially in small groups. We’re here to have fun and escape the daily grind—we don’t need any drama here.
Congratulations on your five years together Chubby and Belze, and wishing you many more to come!
HG Address: 
chubelz.de:8002:ChubelzWelcome
Saturday's party is at   chubelz.de:8002:ChubelzBallsaal