Tiny Carolers and North Pole Village

 

 By Gemma Cleanslate

Over the weekend I visited a few parties and events that were so Christmasy and then went looking for Santa. I stopped over at Benny's Christmas Trees and More where the Raglan carolers were doing a gesture show of their favorite music. Here is one tune.

[12:46] Raglan Shire Carolers:
~*~ You Better Watch Out, ~*~
~*~ You Better Not Cry,~*~
~*~ You Better Not Pout, I'm Telling You Why, ~*~
~*~ Santa PAWS Is Coming,~*~
~*~ Santa PAWS is Coming To Towwwwwwwwwnnnnnnnn,
~*~ SANTA PAWS IS COMING TO TOWN! ~*~

They had many more! Of course they finished with the infamous river dance everyone loves go see.

I also went over to a skating and dancing party at Ipperwich where dj Scott was spinning tunes for everyone! The whole family was there and having a great time along with residents and friends of Mount Campion. It will be a busy few weeks coming for him!

And then I made a long stop at one of my favorite places to visit every Christmas, “Christmas at North Pole Village & Santa's Workshop – Winter”. I am glad it is always there. The walls of ice and snow carve a path down the hill, past the Crystal Ice Caves to the door of the village where Santa, Mrs santa and and his 56 elves and 8 reindeer live and work.

Once you open the door to the little town you are in a land of enchantment. The town square holds tiny buildings filled with working elves. There are always little critters and elves skating and hanging out.
I always stop in at the Newspaper to say hi to those elves. They are easy to recognized with their little human faces. The post office is always busy at this time of year, loaded with carts of letters arriving by the minute.

The younger elves are busy learning about their future jobs in the school. It is a pleasure to see them. The longest visit is to the castle where elves are busy wrapping gifts to go out on the sleigh. In the kitchen others are making cookies and gingerbread. Mrs Claus is overseeing the work.

Upstairs is the dormitory where those off duty rest and sleep. A visit to Santa’s nearby bedroom is great fun. He is rarely there so I jump on his bed.

 

I know where to find him. Outside the Castle I walk down the icy path to the reindeer barn. Here I find him working with the reindeer for the big night when he takes off to fly through the air to you. I always help him take off for a practice run. You can do that too when you visit. Before you leave drop by the bakery and have some hot coffee with the elves there. They are always happy to see visitors.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Porvoo/217/133/128

Gemma Cleanslate

North Pole And The "Christmas Express" at Caledon Downs

By Bixyl Shuftan

As the community of Caledon turns white with snow, the Caledon Downs sim is getting into the Christmas spirit. While some places are putting up lights and decorations on their trees, Cynthia Farshore's sim is taking Xmas to a whole new level, with trips to the North Pole.

I recently met with Cynthia at her new exhibit. "Hiya Bix, welcome to the North Pole," she greeted me, "as it is right now. Still in work, but can be opened now." She pointed out the buildings at the place where the reindeer were housed and the elves made the gifts. They were decorated with candy canes, holy, and lights, some still being put up by a couple of Santa's helpers. Cynthia's friend Shockwave Yareach cautioned, "All the elves are in bad temper though." I asked if that was because it was crunch time for making presents. Shocker responded, grinning, "they're 'elf'-absorbed." Cynthia chuckled, "Well, their elf-bred."

One building was the reindeer barn in which a number of the sleigh-pullers hung around at. In one shop, there was an elf working on toys at one table with red sacks of toys next to another, "Everyone there is elf-employed too." There was also a tool bench in which one could touch to get a tool, and help out a little him or herself, "supposed to be interactive." One building was the kitchen area, where one could pick up some sweet treats such as pudding, cake, or hot chocolate.

Cynthia told me while the place was basically ready and open, it wasn't truly complete as she would be adding a few more things, "Hope I can get together some gifts to grab around here, here in the shop and under the trees. ... it will be a work (in progress) a bit, as this is the first year to do this, just like Halloween was.  I had to hunt a lot to find just the right things so they work with each other. Really, I would put something in crate but later take it out as I found a better one, and so on."

But the most active part of Cynthia's build, and the one that required the most work, was the train that like the reindeer could fly, "Now to get up here there will be a Christmas Express train running from the ground to up here and back down. ... You know the movie 'Polar Express?' It's a bit of a knock off, 'Polar Express,' 'Christmas Express.' There will be a stop down on the ground in front of the airplane hangar. It will run up to where you see the Sunbeamer engine, then run back down. Here's the change: no tracks. It will fly."

Cynthia would later have the train ready, sitting at a small station in front of her airport hangar. Candy canes would display when the next several trains would be available. She took me on a run. Sitting on the seats could be slightly tricky. As Cynthia stated, the train lifted up from it's position and went into the air. It would go up to the North Pole platform. On the way back down, it would make a stop at a Nativity scene, then Cynthia's Goblin Cave, then head on to the small station on the ground.

Other things I noticed at her sim, there was a large Christmas tree next to the fishing dock. There was also a skating pond next to the water. There was a skate giver that one could touch to get a pair. Once putting them on, one could skate around on the ice.

Besides a little more at Caledon Downs as time goes on, Cynthia told me to expect some decorating by her neighbors, "There will be more on other areas around here, like over on Star's land right next to me and Andrea's on my south side." She also mentioned Caledon was taking part in the "International Christmas Tree" contest.

All this time, Cynthia's Farshore Radio was playing a number of Christmas tunes from classics old and new to parodies, and others. Speaking of music, Cynthia let me know about a few Christmas parties at Caledon. Two would be at Oxbridge Village on Saturday the 15th, "I was told by Andrea she wants 1PM and 7PM, I will DJ both." The third event would be at Cynthia's Goblin Cave itself on Thursday December 13 from 6 to 8 PM.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Downs/194/137/50

Bixyl Shuftan

Pammie Venkman – RFL Designer Builder

By DrFran Babcock

I have known Pammie Venkman for many years, although we have not crossed paths in many years. I was a member of the Elf Circle for several of my years here in Second Life™, running a building school with Rodney and Vanilla Jessop, and loving my time with these peaceful, fun-loving, dedicated and passionate people. I participated in Relay for Life with the Circle of Life team for three or four years.  Pammie was, and is, and elf famous for her purple hair, a feature with which she was associated, and for which I envied her. Purple is my favorite color. I caught up with her this year during the Relay for Life building period when I noticed she had a designer build.

SL Newser: Pammie, how did you find out about Second Life™, and what is that has kept you here for all these years? 

Pammie Venkman: My husband told me about Second Life™.  I have some health problems and cannot get out much.  He was reading an article in Discover magazine about the cornfield time-outs that were once used as a punishment—boy does that date me! I logged in and got hooked. I stay because of my friends, and, of course, because I can live purple:).  The volunteer things I do here give me a sense of purpose that I found missing before I joined.  

SL Newser: You are famous in the Elf Circle for your purple hair.  How did you come to be an elf? What do you love about the Elf Circle? 

Pammie Venkman: Heehee.  I don't always wear purple hair, (well I do most of the time), but I am always purple.  When I first came into SL it was a wild time—kinda like the old west.  A lot of people were quite rude in many different ways.  Then somehow I found out about groups.  I have always been a Science Fiction & Fantasy fan.  Looking through the groups I thought: Elves! YES!  I visited a few elf groups, but knew Elf Circle was home right away. I love Elf Circle because of the people here.  At my first rez at the Elf Circle Drum Circle there were many folk who said hello and welcomed me. I am happy to help keep that tradition alive now seven years later.  I also love the fantasy builds here -- and the fact that I can do my own.  I like to help keep Elf Circle a good place to be by volunteering.   I am a council member, a guardian and a greeter.  I spend most of my SL in Elf Circle sims.   

SL Newser: On to Relay for Life. Please let us into your creative process a bit. How did you go from idea to build this year? What are your favorite tools for content creation? 

The design group held a meeting and we bounced around ideas. We all quickly coalesced around the botanical theme—we are Elves, after all.  One of the ideas was a rainforest; not sure who came up with it. We all liked it. Going on the rainforest theme, I first researched what, if anything, the rainforest had to do with cancer.  When I found out that 25% of the active ingredients in cancer-fighting drugs came from the rainforest I was off.  I visited rainforest sims in SL for ideas, and checked out the marketplace (I am not a great builder, I am more a decorator).  When I saw Luna Bliss’s waterfalls, I knew that was the basis for my rainforest. The members of my design team helped by terraforming, creating and placing many of the items used.  With my own prims I just moved things until I was pleased with the look.  Thankfully the team all gave me rights to their prim so it could be done.  I used Photoshop to create some signs (learning as I went) and did more Google research for information to be used in the hunt items.  I asked everyone I could to help look over the sim to make sure things were not awkward or hanging in the air! My favorite design tool is my camera, or you could also say my eye. I am one who creates organically, not by the numbers so much. My second favorite tool is the delete key.

SL Newser: Why do you Relay? 

Pammie Venkman: The same reason we all do.  Cancer is an insidious disease that takes too many people.  Research has given so many hope and much longer lives. Money is needed for more research—so I relay. My personal story is of my grandfather, aunt and two brother-in-laws that I never even met (one died at age 12), and losing a friend or two.

SL Newser: What would you like the rest of the world to know about Second Life™? 

Pammie Venkman: Second Life™ is what you make it.  There is the fast and sexy hangout we hear about in media, with the headlines about it breaking up marriages. Then there is where I go.  It’s where people stay for years.  All kinds of people of any age meet around some idea to socialize with others and enjoy the company.  You can listen to music (even live music) and dance better than you ever thought you could.  One can be as creative here as one can wish. You can even get involved in things that make a difference in “real” life.

SL Newser: What's next for you? Do you have any plans for new projects?  In the off season (until the 2014 Relay) I plan to learn a whole lot more about Photoshop.  Perhaps even make some cool PURPLE trees! Maybe I’ll become a creator.

Well, in my humble opinion, you don’t have to make “things” to be a creator. Pammie has spent years creating harmony and peace in the Elf Circle, and sharing her open heart with the people of like mind. The Elf Circle is a generous and loving group. At this writing, The Circle of Life’s relay team has reached Sapphire level, and contributed over a million and a half Lindens to the American Cancer Society.

You can visit Pammie’s wonderful rainforest, and, learn about the cancer-curing treasures hidden within. You will have to hurry though, the sims won’t be around much longer. Walk through the dark and lush jungle today.

Pammie Venkman Designer Build:  http://slurl.com/secondlife/RFL%20ACCEPTANCE/125/136/21

DrFran Babcock