Getting My Lazy Bahookie in Gear

No, I haven't blogged much of late. Only 13 posts in May after 15 posts in April, both well below my average, if you look at the Archive. I've just been totally lazy. Lots of things have not gone well in Second Life for me of late and it's just disheartening, taking away the fun and my desire to be in Our World. The other night I was actually thinking of just tossing in the towel.

Once, long ago (probably six years now), I saw something wondrous. It made me cry. I had been wandering around a shopping center documenting Lucky Chairs for a group I was in at the time when I saw some stylized obsidian dragon statues, all bedecked in Eygyptian-inspired finery. I wandered over to look at them more closely and suddenly one turned it's head to speake to me.

Mind you, I don't usually have my Preferences so that I always seen name tags over people's heads so I didn't realize that these were avatars ... Daryth Kennedy's Isle of Wyrms Anubis dragons, to be exact. The surprise and the beauty and the novelty overwhelmed me until I cried. For the longest time I couldn't respond to these marvelous creatures as I was too stunned to even move. It was pure, wondrous Second Life magic.

Eventually, I acquired my own complete set of the Anubis dragons (as seen in this older picture of me giving Angela a ride around on my back). I was part of the magic and I eagerly shared it with others, often parking myself in Ahern, Waterhead, and other places that attracted new Residents so they could experience the wonder, too. Since then I've added many other dragons to my collection including some truly massive ones that are stunning from not just size, but also from detail though none have the unique beauty of the Anubis.

In the last month too many disappointments piled up and took the enchantment out of Our World for me and led to those thoughts of finding other things to do ... then I saw something else truly marvelous.
I was flying around the Second Life 10th Birthday regions, just getting the lay of the land, when I crossed some lovely landscaping lush and green and filled with exotic ruins. Everything was well above average for even the higher quality of landscaping that has been appearing in SL of late but it was nothing to lift my mood. Then I turned a corner ...

PICTURE REMOVED FOR VARIOUS REASONS

... and I cried. My hands trembled so badly I had to just sit in my seat, staring at my monitor. It was wondrous. Mind you, my first look was in the standard Noon light of a Default day but the entirety of the experience was still so breathtaking. Some time passed before I could do anything but look. Since then I return often just to savor the view and relive my first visit.

On one such trip the other day I set to work to create an image for my desktop that would let me enjoy the moment even offline. This enhanced* picture only hints at the full majesty of this build from Flea Bussy and Toady Nakamura and it doesn't even give a clue as to the scale. Before hiding my avatar for this shot, I was a mere twig on the [redacted]'s [redacted body part], that's how big this is "in person." Far bigger than is needed for a mere event stage, this build is a joy to explore as well as look at from afar. When you visit, be sure to explore the hidden magic. I drop in every day now for a few minutes or more and still haven't seen everything.

Flea and Toady have rekindled at least some of the wonder that SL held for me at one time and it strengthens each time I see their work. It is helping me get off my bahookie and "get back in the game," as it were. There is magic out there. We just have to find it.

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* Combined elements from many different shots with different Windlight settings in an attempt to capture all the magical nuances.