Annie's Texas Rose

More than ten years ago, when Sweetie and I visited the pub of our friend Hunny Spiritweaver, the DJ on duty was Annie Mesmeriser. We made brief acquaintance that night and other nights when she was spinning, but went our separate ways. 

Then, a few years ago, and this time I don't remember where, Annie and I met again. This time we became fast friends. I showed her our regions and for some months Annie hosted dances at the platform 1850 meters above Whimsy. That platform had no name until Annie suggested one: Chey's Lounge. That's a pun, I say, that's a pun, son. 

Chey's Lounge

Chaise Lounge, Indeed. We Victorians Lay Claim to the Name

Annie owns a great machine that creates neon lights, and she made the sign two images above and gave it to me. I liked the machine so much I bought one for myself. 

Two years ago, Annie moved her Texas Rose listening room to the northeast corner of Whimsy. There, late on Wednesday nights, she hosts what I can only describe as a salon for music. She spins tunes of her choosing and caps the night with an album while she and a small group of loyal listeners enjoy her selections and chat among ourselves--often about music and musicians, but really about everything and anything--and then sometimes we just listen in silence. I can only describe these weekly delights as a musical salon. Her visitors are music lovers with extensive knowledge and personal histories, and the banter is witty and informative. 

Check out the delicious decor! The Texas Rose is small, but there are hundreds and hundreds of things to look at! I'm always discovering something new. It all means something to Annie, and it resonates with all who come to listen.

 Annie's knowledge of popular music is extensive and covers any number of genres. She is especially fond of the blues and of contemporary female singers, but one never knows what one will hear. I can't tell you how many tunes I have purchased after having first heard them at the Texas Rose. She has introduced me to some extraordinary music. Annie haunts the website Bandcamp, where she routinely discovers new artists.

Annie plays every Wednesday at 8 pm LST on Whimsy. If you find yourself in the mood for good music and good conversation in a civilized setting, feel free to drop by.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Whimsy/204/158/30

Love Train Redux

 

All Aboard The Love Train on Whimsy!

Here's a video of Eyeclectic's Love Train in Second Life. And yep, that's the one and only Whimsy!

 

Love Train

I'm Perpetually Concerned the Piglets Will Find Their Way Into the Garden

 Several years ago, I ran into an visitor to Whimsy. His name was Eyeclectic. He was wearing a steampunk top hat and was fascinated with the little area behind the sea deck on Whimsy Kaboom. There I have a little wooden pen with two cute little animated piglets I picked up at Jian and a splendid vegetable garden from Golden Years Stormfront in the Tableau region.

Warning! Aside Coming!

Let me just say I adore Tableau! My first visit, many years ago was immediately after the big volcano erupted and ate the sim and Tableau had been redecorated as a desert. I wish I had seen that! I've always been obsessed with virtual volcanoes, as you will know if you have ever visited Whimsy. If you've NOT visited, Whimsy, please do. Pele is a peaceful goddess of destruction and rebirth and will not harm you. I promise.

Hollywood Isn't The Only Place With a Sign in the Hills

So, continuing my aside about Tableau, it's wonderfully put together, and I love the stores there. It's the place to shop if you're looking for an aged avatar or a luxury septum ring or kitschy sunglasses or a tiara. I really miss the Paper Couture store. As its name implies, the clothing there feels like actual couture. Fortunately, although the store is gown, the products remain. Just search Ava Lui's store on SL Marketplace.

End of Aside

Whew! Now that aside's out of the way, I'll tell you about Eye. He sends a good deal of time on Whimsy and Kaboom because he takes the time to experience it. Sometimes visitors breeze through and miss the humor and the beauty and the lights and the sounds and the interactivity. I suspect they're much the same way in real life. The go through life without ever actually experiencing it.

Eye is pleasant and eccentric, which is just the way I like 'em. He is particularly enamored by two things on the land: Callie (more popularly known as Nessie), our traveling sea monster. Callie is a bit irritable when avatars approach her, but I think she likes Eye. He's still with us, so she must! You can try your own luck with Callie; just visit Whimsy Kaboom at ground level and eventually you'll see her swim by. Don't miss the many humpback whales and other wildlife while you're there.

The other thing Eye loves is the Whimsy train. In real life he operates a nonprofit called Hearts Coming Together which features Love Train journeys. He often recreates those rides on Whimsy, and it does my heart proud.

In my next posts, I'll link to two videos Eye created that feature the Whimsy train.

You Just Know These Guys Will Play Havoc With the Garden If They Manage to Escape!

Night Rains on Whimsy Kaboom

Click to View

Kungler's

Here I am on Whimsy, Wearing Kunglers' (not Kungler's) Halime Necklace

I have quite a few outfits from a store called Kungler's. I did a search and jumped there-- I thought.

Wait a minute! Kungler's is-- or at least was-- a clothing store. Now it seemed to sell only jewelry. And nice jewelry, at that. I bought a couple of pieces.

Back at home, I realized the names of the stores were subtly different: Kungler's (clothing) vs Kunglers (jewelry) I inspected an old Kungler's outfit and then a necklace. Onyx Leshelle sold the Kungler's clothing. If that name is familiar, it's because Onyx is the main force behind Maitreya.

The Kunglers (no apostrophe) line of jewelry is made by AvaGardner Kungler. Different person. Mystery solved.

My new jewelry makes use of materials and looks great.

The store looks great, too.You can find it here.

The House at the Old Firestorm Gateway

I'm glad I went back to the old build of Firestorm Social Island. Why? Because I not only took lots of great photos to share, I snagged the creator and name of the big blue house.

It's the Martinica, from Bahia Tiki. The FS folks made some modifications, taking out the front and rear doors and partitions between the rooms, adding a rear entry, and removing the fireplace and chimney, but otherwise it's the same house. It sells for $2450L.

Sweetie likes it, and so do I, and there's a chance we'll buy it for our own use. I'm unsure whether it will go on the ground or in the sky; if the latter, we'll need to find a nice  tropical landscape upon which to place it.

Here (below the fold) are a few photos of the house as it will look when purchased. Click on the images to view them in all their glory.

Working as a Volunteer for Firestorm: V. Last of the Photos of the Old FS Gateway

There are the last of my photos of the old Firestorm Social Island. Feel free to download and share them. Click on them for the best view.

Working as a Volunteer for Firestorm: IV. Still More Photos of the Old FS Gateway