Safari goes Big

          For no reason at all, we had a surprise party for Zinnia Frenzy of 3rd Rock Grid this week. I say for no reason, but really, it was an opportunity to celebrate her and all the work she does for her grid and for the No Borders annual charity event. Her husband Kered Owl helped set up the surprise by telling her she had to come over to the Lodi Ballroom and fix a problem....
Jessie Campbell: S U R P R I S E !!

Zinnia looking elegantly surprised

Zinnia Frenzy: I am speechless lol
Rosy Ogrady, a regular performer on 3rd Rock Grid, aid a few words, and it was so nice to see her along with other musician friends of Zinnia's, Truelie Telling and CelticMaiden Warrior,  there to cheer her on.

rosy ogrady: I have known zinn for a few years now, I respect her for how she handles events and does so much for so many, I admire her for how she cares about every detail, and i love he. Her life is at times not easy, but she always makes the best of everything... I am proud to call her my friend

Rosy Ogrady

Thirza Ember: I know Jessie also would like to say something
Kered.Owl: for me its the complete opposite she is a pain in my ***
Jessie.Campbell: I only met Zinnia a year or so ago. She was a complete surprise to me. Her knowledge of our worlds, her contacts, and when she became a contributing writer to VisionZ it was a honor. She always had - and has - good ideas, and for that reason, I applaud you Zinnia Frenzy

           The dress code for this surprise party was cryptic - people were asked to wear something floral...
Larysa Firehawk: Zinnia, a flower, (the penny drops)
Zinnia.Frenzy: yes, and frenzy as I was always in a hurry... sl name
Jessie Campbell: there comes a point in life when one finally realizes there is not a moment to waste
Zinnia Frenzy: indeed
Jessie Campbell: wish I had known that all those years ago
Thirza Ember: leave no zinnia un-frenzied

Thirza Ember: and of course, there is the No Borders, (Robstock) event... ten years, thousands of dollars, dozens of musicians, and many hours of wonderful music - at the heart of all of it, Zinnia
Zinnia.Frenzy: I know not much about anything technical
Thirza.Ember: organizing people can be stressful, I've heard...but Zinnia has managed to organize that most disorganized of all creatures... musicians! Most things in opensim don't last more than a few months, at most a couple of years... to keep something going for ten years is amazing
rosy ogrady: this is so very true
Cherry Manga: right
Dabici.Straulino : Kudo Zinnia - wow 10 years !
Thirza Ember : and when it's not for self glory but for charity, even more kudos
George Equus: It's a very long time and a quality mark I'd say
Zinnia Frenzy: now I can't take credit I have done 6 events now, I was drafted in and never escaped lol...
          Zinnia is now booking for the next No Borders event on March 10 and 11, which will be a multi grid festival both in SL and in opensim. There will be storytelling, poetry and of course music, both live and DJ, with all contributions going to their favorite charity, Doctors without Borders. Contact her on 3rd Rock grid to learn how you can attend, and maybe even perform!

Then it was on to our next destination, Ciliegia on Craft Grid.

        Last year, Cherry Manga won a prize on Craft - a free region, which she used to celebrate her favorite fruit tree. Our arrival brought us into the center of a labyrinthine confection of sight and sound. Soft notes, gently lapping water, and soft green waves reflecting candyfloss clouds surrounded us. The region is a symphonic exploration of Sakura - the cherry blossom festival of Japan.

Tosha Tyran: this is like a dream
Eva Kraai (it -> en): a beautiful dream...
Cherry Manga: windlight is one of the thing I like to do at first when doing a region, after terraforming. It makes the global ambiance in few clicks

Cherry Manga: this region was offered to me by Craft grid for the art contest, last year. And all was made on the word cherry in italian. The avatar was made today to honor Thirza's request about this safari dress code...I'll give it for free later, maybe for fest'avi, talking about gifts, i think you can all take here, it's set free to copy

Cherry's flower avie

Cherry Manga: I'm in love with japanese culture, even if never been there
George Equus: Very nice art Cherry!  Thank you
Lux Tergeste: You're a real artist!
Tosha Tyran: I can only dream of such an amount of phantasie and creativity, Cherry!

Tosha floats with the petals

Nyom Chung: Yes it's very sweet, would love to wear a cherry blossom in my hair... Thank you for allowing us to take a copy
Mal Burns: very relaxing
Cherry Manga: yes, a new thing, this region wasn't a real subject to work on :)
Larysa Firehawk: i suggest everyone walk around, because it's much nicer viewed up close, and the music changes as you walk around
Cherry Manga: this way jessie to falling blossoms

Dabici Straulino

Thirza.Ember: dabici seems strangely part of the landscape
 Jessie.Campbell: taking the flying tour, as I did, it is simply elegant
Thirza.Ember: for anyone who would like to read more Haikus about cherry blossom, here's a page of them  they match perhaps the mood of this place

Uqbar on Craft

          From the Sakura-themed Ciligia, we moved on to Uqbar, by Alpha Auer, IRL renowned Turkish designer and academic Elif Ayiter. Uqbar is also on Craft Grid, and is associated with Roxelo Babenco's iconic Museo del Metaverso.
Larysa Firehawk: what is uqbar? does it mean anything?
Tosha Tyran: Tlön, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius is a tale of Borges

 Thirza Ember: Uqbar is also the name of the Welcome region of ngrid - New Genres Grid - where you can see other art by Apha Auer, and Mosmax, and Selavy Oh, among others. The welcome region has some very original freebies.
George Equus: What a contrast to Sakura!

         This region, seen in its correct windlight, is an infusion of greyscale, showing off  Alpha's mastery of texture manipulation. Touches of color are framed, seen through the glass, darkly, as it were. Curios and water flowers, a maze and a roof garden are among the points of interest while the ensemble is dwarfed by the overarching form - a flower or shell thrown open, under a lowering night sky where ghostly clouds flit by unconcerned about the detailed mysteries below.
         The build is a companion piece to the main Museo del Metaverso building, also designed by Alpha, the institution itself being the brainchild of Roxelo Babenco  and the two sims stand side by side... both well worth a visit!
       It wasn't long before we found the fridges.
        If the design elements of Uqbar have muted, restrained colors, here te fridges provide a riot of color, fun and a sense of community, as each fridge-rider triggered a different fruit. Seen against the muted tones of the build, these bright particles made an even stronger impact upon the senses. Yes. It was time to go bananas.
HG Addresses
Lodi Ballroom on 3rdRock              grid.3rdrockgrid.com:8002:Lodi 
Cherry Manga's Ciliegia                  craft-world.org:8002:ciliegia
Museo del Metaverso                      craft-world.org:8002:MdM
Alpha Auer's Uqbar                         craft-world.org:8002:uqbar
New Genres grid                              hg.ngrid.org:8002