Party Like it's 1899!!!

The pleasure of your company is requested at the New Year's Extravanganza being held in Caledon Penzance. Please peruse the information below and we look forward to your presence.

The Caledon Gaiety Company, Prim Perfect Magazine, Radio Riel and Riel Events cordially invite you to celebrate New Year's Eve in the Independent State of Caledon at the: Gilded Age Masqued Charity Ball The Gaiety Theatre - Caledon Penzance

Join us for an all-day extravaganza of formal balls, live auctions, silent auctions and "best dressed" contests! Let's celebrate the new year and give to a worthy cause - "Gardens of Hope"!

* 4:00AM - 6:00AM SLT - Sydney/Melbourne New Year's Eve Ball
* 2:00PM - 3:00PM SLT - Live Charity Auction
* 3:00PM - 5:00PM SLT - London New Year's Eve Ball
* 8:00PM - 10:00PM SLT - New York New Year's Eve Ball
* 10:00PM - 11:00PM SLT - Live Charity Auction
* 11:00PM - 1:00AM SLT - San Francisco New Year's Eve Ball

The Silent Auction will run for 24 hrs starting at 1:00AM SLT December 31st. You can view, and bid on, the items for the Silent Auction in the glass pavillion just south of the Theatre.

Attire: Formal gowns and suits from 1850 - 1910 with masquesOr whimsical, yet tasteful, Victorian period costumes with masques
$500 L awarded to both Best Dressed Lady and Gentleman at each event

The event hosts are donating all auction proceeds to "Gardens Of Hope", an organization that builds greenhouses, tree nurseries, and more in Lesotho, Africa. These gardens are then used as a source of food, firewood and income for several communities in this Southern African nation.

For more infromation visit Better World Island in SL at:
Or http://www.solidsaltspring.com/gardens.html on the Internet.

In case of Sim crash or unbearable lag, we will have Coughton Court in Caledon Carntaigh open for the event as well. Guests can enjoy the simulcast of the event, view pictures of the Silent Auction items, and dance free of lag!

Merry Christmas and Season's Greetings

On behalf of Lord Primbroke and myself, I would like to wish all of our friends and acquaintances a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. May you be given the gifts of good times, good health and good friends. We hope you enjoy this holiday season, regardless of what you celebrate and are able to be with the ones you love.

IT'S HERE!!!!

It's finally here! Harbourside should be emerging from the depths very soon! It is ordered and on it's way. Fuzz, you had best get ready for a whole new view beside you, the land is going to look a bit different. I do hope it's up before Christmas...how lovely for all the new people to be able to be in their new homes for the Holidays. Hooray!!!!

Happy Anniversary!

Saturday was a very busy day. We had the Caledon-Winterfell ball, of which I was only able to stay for 3 of the dances and the Steelhead Pirate dance. Most importantly though, Saturday marked the 6 month anniversary for Edward and myself. My goodness! How time does fly. Here's to many more my love.

Shiver Me Timbers!!!!!!

Move over Captain Jack! Saturday night saw a very special event take place aboard the Jolly Pidgeon which had made berth at the Steelhead docks. In hopes of getting Steelhead Harbourside up and running, we held a fundraiser and was it successful! Not only that, but what is better than a pirate dance? A pirate dance with bare chested men! *fans herself*

Indeed. It was a night to remember. Lunar decided to set the topless bar at L$15K. He should have set it higher (told ya bro). The men had stripped to their waists by 7:20pm. Ladies, bless you for having such generous natures. ;-)

So without further ado, I present to you the images I was able to capture that night. Lately, things have been very slow to rezz for me and unfortunatly, I was not able to capture pictures of all the men in their topless state as some appeared to be wearing shirts until nearly the end of the dance. I *know* that none of the men shirked their duty (bless their hearts!) and I'm certain you will see evidence of them on other journals. As well, I didn't capture any picture of the brave ladies who went topless when the pot hit L$60K. Sorry fellas!


Our very fine, obviously easy on the eyes Sheriff, Fuzzball Ortega


Yummy! And this is all mine! Ladies, eat your hearts out! ;-D


Aza, showing he has the heart for Steelhead (literally!)


Lunar (or "Abs" as he's been dubbed by Miss Burton) showing his stuff


A view of some of the revellers


Do I really need to explain this? *giggles*

Thank you to all our fine gentlemen who lost their shirts for Steelhead. As one of the ladies in the crowd, let me just say this....it was a night for drool buckets, with or without Robbie Williams playing. In fact, I think the water levels in the harbour went up about 6 inches. Thanks again fellas! It was truly a night to remember!!!

So....You think you have what it takes to be a Victorian??

While skulking about on the aethernet, I found a couple interesting sites to visit. Look them up and see if you have what it takes to be a proper Victorian!

http://www.mccord-museum.qc.ca/en/keys/games/17

http://www.lahacal.org/gentleman/

Have Fun!

Steelhead Chippendales....well Almost

This Saturday, from 7-9 pm SLT, feel free to come down to the Steelhead Docks for a very special dance. The Jolly Pidgeon is being brought out of retirement for a pirate style dance on board. This dance is also a fundraiser for the sim, in hopes that we will be able to get Steelhead Harbourside from being a map to being up and running. Miss Eugenia wants her farm folks!

There will be a tip jar out and once a certain figure has been reached, the gracious (and good looking) men of Steelhead have agreed to remove their shirts for the remainder of the evening. As well, our dear Sheriff Fuzzball Ortega announced that if all the plots were booked, he'd even wear a grass skirt. Lunar suggested he might even do less clothing than that. ;-)

Of course, once the Steelhead men have lost their shirts, the other men in the crowd are more than welcome to bare their chests as well.

Now I know what some of you men might be thinking... "Why would I want to go to a dance where the men remove their shirts???" Gentlemen, may I point out to you that such a dance will draw ladies...lots of ladies. Pirate ladies. Who knows what may happen?? ;-)

The Men of Steelhead are: TotalLunar Eclipse, Fuzzball Ortega, Edward Pearse, Aza Zymurgy, Darien Mason, Hawc Decosta, Remington Pinion, Hotspur O'Toole, Phineas Messmer and Dominic Roffo. If you are a gentleman who is either currently renting or has your name down for a plot in Harbourside and would like to participate, please let me know.

Thank you and see you at the docks on Saturday, December 15 from 7-9pm SLT. Bring your lindens and let's party!

Drat! I've been Tagged!!!

*Forces herself to abandon her Christmas baking and settles down at the diningroom table, wiping her flour dusted hands on her apron and smoothing back her hair*

Well. It would appear I've been tagged. Several times in fact. The only reason why I've not sent CHED (that's Christine's Hairy Eyeball of Doom for those of you not in the know)to dog your steps and torment you all to the end of your days is that I happen to like you all and so, I have decided to play along. However, do note, that I do not care if I am tagged a thousand more times after this, these are and will remain the only eight facts/random bits of triva about me that will be leaked to the public at large. If you want to know more, get to know me. ;-)

Firstly: The RULES

(1) Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
(2) People who are tagged need to write a post on their own blog (about their eight things) and post these rules.
(3) At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
(4) Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog

Alright, time to get down to business.

1. My motivating spirit has harboured a dream to someday own a bed and breakfast in a Victorian home. However, seeing as she's not really a morning person, it will probably end up more Bed and Brunch.....or Bed and Lunch? Dinner? Hmmm....new niche in the market perhaps

2. The closest my motivating spirit has ever gotten to anything "Bacon" is when she fries it up for breakfast sometimes.

3. My motivating spirit nearly got to meet the Queen of England when she was in school. Her essay went to the finals but did not win, much to her sorrow.

4. I have another brother in SL, who is not seen very often, mostly because his typist is from the UK. In fact, I'm not sure if he and Lunar have ever met. He's cool though, and tall like Lunar, which proves that I did not inherit any of the tall gene.

5. My inner prude keeps Edward entertained on a regular basis. One never knows when she will appear and what she will have a fit about.

6. My motivating spirit is currently very keen on dabbling in Black Powder shooting. Unlike me, she is actually a pretty decent shot. It's amazing what one can do when not caught in the deathly grip of lag.

7. I have an alt.

8. My shop, Rosehaven Recipes got it's name from Edward's and my home in Steelhead, Rosehaven. I named my plot that but I nearly went with the name "Thistledown Cottage".


Now for the fun part....people to torment with this tagging business. I hereby pass the torch to the following persons:

1. Mrs. Charity Dogsbody Fotherington
2. Miss Fushia Begonia
3. Miss Qlippothic Projects
4. His Grace, the Duke of Greystoke, Gnarlihotep Abel
5. Dame Lapin Paris
6. Mrs. Peterman, Nablia Nadir
7. Baroness Amber Palowakski
8. Dr. Oolon Sputnik

THERE! Done! *Heads back to the kitchen to rescue the cookies before they are mere cinders*

Keeping the Peace with the Holy Smackdown

Saturday night was Steelhead's weekly dance. While it is normally held on the Friday, it was moved to accomodate the St. Andrew's festivities which were happening in Caledon, Loch Avie. I do hope my beloved Edward will be able to provide readers with a summary of that event, as my camera was not working at it's best ability. However, do know that it was a lovely event and I do believe a good time was had by many, if not all.

So, in honour of the Steelhead SWAT team, we assembled at the Saloon and prepared to party down. For those of you who don't know, our SWAT team is not what you'd call ordinary (which stands to reason as Steelhead is anything *but* ordinary itself). Our SWAT team is made up of a group of hardworking ladies of the cloth, the Sisters of Mercy, the Defenders of Peace, Order and Ammunition, the believers of the Father, the Son and the Holy hoooo! Led by our esteemed Sheriff, the SWAT team is made up of nuns.....nuns with guns.



All in all, the dance was a lot of fun. Sister CeAire pointed out that the only way you could tell if someone had fully rezzed or not was if their clothes were black instead of grey. Without any further ado, here are some pictures from the evening.


A picture of the crowd


Cardinal Somme and her Holiness, Sister Eva with her beating stick. The Spontaneous Spanker, Sister Myfanwy and another of the Davies sisters in the background


Brother Hawc and Sister CeAire, after being told to get some daylight between them. Apparently Hawc has a very large Bandiolier


Adding a little Eastern flavour to the event, Adso Krogstad (I hope I spelled that correctly)


Some more of the revelers, including Sister Whoop-Ass, Father O'Toole, Mr. Offcourse (who was down that night.....I think)and our illustrious Sheriff. Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition!!!

Next week, it's back to Friday night and the theme is Steampunk. Tell your friends and come on down for a good time!

Gliding on Ice

Monday was her Grace, the Duchess of Middlesea's rez day. In honour of this, his Grace, the Duke of Greystoke hosted a skating party for all to enjoy. I was delighted to hear that my beloved Edward was going to be providing the musical accompaniment, so nothing would interfere with us being able to attend.

While I do not know her Grace very well, what I have seen of her has been very telling of what sort of person she is. Always pleasant and kind, finding good to speak of everyone and of a quiet yet fun loving nature, Gloire (if I may be so bold as to address her by her first name) seems to be a lovely lady and very much deserving of a splendid party.


An overhead view of the skating area

Gnarli had gone to a good deal of effort preparing an area for skaters to test their mettle. For those who wanted to observe or rest, plenty of seating was available as well. While Edward set up his musical apparatus, I strapped on my skates and hoped for the best.


Guests preparing to skate or testing their balance

There was a good mix of people at the party, including some that I've never met before. One lady was dressed as a snow fairy, which I thought was rather enchanting and suitable. She was with another lady who was dressed in darker clothes, but they did skate together quite gracefully.


The Snow Fairy and friend, with Mrs. Peterman in the background


Gnarli and Glorie, ice dancing. They are rumoured to be courting and I wish them both every happiness

I believe his Grace must have had the ice enchanted, as I was able to skate far better than I had even dreamed possible. All sorts of fancy skating was seen, tricky steps that normally would fill my heart with dread. Edward and I coasted around the ice surface, as free as the wind and skating in perfect harmony. What a splendid time!




A tricky spin

Even my dear brother Lunar decided to drop in for some of the fun. He managed to get himself into a snowball fight with Miss Poppy (whom I think was winning and plastering his elven butt with snowballs as quick as you please). Sleigh rides for two were also free for the taking if one was not inclined to prepare for snowball battle (although, no promises you'd not get hit anyhow!)



Sadly, the night came to the end and my beloved and I had to depart. We had a splendid time though, and hope the Duchess of Middlesea has many more rezz days to come!

December Fun

Since I've been told that my journal is hopelessly out of date, I thought I'd do a quick post to bring it up to recent events. For those of you who didn't know, my motivating spirit was rather occupied with a guest from overseas. Everyone involved had a lovely time and my motivating spirit is now planning a return trip to see the enchanting British Isles.

But I digress. To bring everyone up to date, here is a list of the upcoming Steelhead functions for the month of December:


December 1: Steelhead Dance, SWAT theme. 7-9 pm SLT in the Saloon

December 7: Steelhead Dance, Steampunk theme. 7-9 pm SLT at the Steelhead Grande Hotel and Ballroom

December 14: Steelhead Dance, Around the World in 80 Days theme, 7-9 pm SLT Kokopelli Stage

December 21: Steelhead Formal. 7-9 pm SLT, Steelhead Grande Hotel and Ballroom

December 28: Steelhead Dance, Time Machine theme 7-9 pm SLT, Kokopelli Stage

As well, please do drop by the city and explore. You never know what gifts you may find. *winks knowingly*

Ok Fuzz.....are you happy now????? I did a new entry!

Steelhead Salutes the Troops!

On November 17, Steelhead is hosting a very special event, Salute the Troops. This event is to honour and recognize the military personnel who have fought in past wars. You will find notecard dispensers at most of the telehubs in Caledon as well as scattered about Steelhead itself. However, I will post the event schedule here as well for your convenience.

The event organizers are looking for military personnel. Registration forms can be found in the notecard dispensers. Below is the letter from the event's two main organizers.

Salute to the Troops Day, Saturday, Nov 17
To All Military Personnel in Second Life:
The town of Steelhead will be hosting a Salute to the Troops Day on Saturday, November 17.
This event will include parades, military reviews, military history presentations, remembrance ceremonies, and a military ball.
The schedule of events is enclosed as a separate notecard.
We are looking for infantry units and personnel and any other military personnel to participate in the traditional marching parade and review early in the afternoon.
We are also looking for cavalry, dragoons, hussars, and other mounted personnel to participate in a parade of equestrian units and review, later that afternoon.
In addition, we plan to host small military displays or campsites from all eras at various sites in the sim. Single soldiers or small groups of unit representatives will be welcome to showcase their affiliations all or part of the day.
To become part of this event, complete the separate Salute to the Troops Registration Form Notecard and drop it in Hawc Decosta’s inventory by Saturday, November 10, 2007.
Participation reservations and parade marching order will be handled on a first come, first served basis.
For questions, IM Hawc Decosta or Dominic Ruffo.
Hawc Decosta, Steelhead CitizenU.S. Cavalry Trooper, Dodge City
Dominic Ruffo, Steelhead CitizenOld Glory Sutlery

Now for the fun stuff, the event schedule:

Salute to the Troops DaySaturday, Nov 17
Veterans Appreciation Event*Honoring Gettysburg, WWI Armistice Day, and All Soldiers From All Eras!*
10:30AM - 6:30PM - Representative small military displays/campsites (various sites in the sim)
11AM - Armistice Day/Veterans Day Ceremony - Presentation.
1PM - Gettysburg Address Remembrance Day Ceremony - Presentation.
3PM - Infantry Parade and Review.
4:30PM - Cavalry Parade and Review.
6PM - Horse race around Steelhead Sim.
7PM - Military Ball.

New Goods at Rosehaven Recipes

Just to let everyone know, I've added a few items to the bakery. I've put together a complete tea table with sandwiches, scones and pot of tea, all boxed and ready to go. As well, the sandwiches can be bought seperatley if one so desires. Also added to the shelves are plates of springerle and pfeffernuesse, a poppy seed loaf and the marble cake (texture taken from a real cake my motivating sprit made....yummy!!!)

I will have to get busy with Christmas items soon. If anyone has anything they'd particularily like to see, please drop me a note and I'll see what I can do. I do want to try my hand at a Christmas pudding and I'm also considering making some of the things that my motivating spirit holds near and dear to her heart and include the recipes for them as well. The toffee is very good....I assure you! ;-)

Lest We Forget

November 11th is approaching, a time to reflect on past wars and remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.

My motivating spirit had 3 great-uncles who fought in WWII, all of whom were fortunate enough to return home to their friends and family. Last year, the last of the great-uncles passed away, one of whom had the most interesting story to tell about his experience in WWII.

Uncle Pat never did talk about what happened. My motiviating spirit knew he had been injured, receiving schrapnel in his leg, but other than that, he didn't talk about it and no one really pushed him into talking. So, it was not until his funeral, that all was revealed.

The day after Pat's birthday, he joined countless other young men in the Normandy invasion. He stormed the beaches with many of his friends and peers. He was injured when he was trying to get a friend of his to safety, unsuccessfully. After he was injured, he was shipped to a hospital in England in an unconcious state, but somehow he was not listed with the injured and was put on the MIA list instead. For months no one back home, nor his two brothers overseas with him knew where he was or what became of him. His eldest brother, Rex, risked life and limb himself, looking for him, avoiding capture by the German troops, missing landmines and he finally located him and sent word home.

Remembrance Day has always been an important day to my motivating spirit. It is not a day that should be taken lightly or brushed off. Real sacrifices were made, real lives lost. It is a day to reflect, remember and learn how perhaps we today can do things differently to avoid such costs. Having said that though, sometimes war is the only answer, after all other measures have failed.

For those of us in SL, I have taken the liberty of making a wearable poppy and a wreath (which is a tad primmy, I apologize). You can find them at Rosehaven Recipes. The poppy box is on the table inside the bakery and the wreath is in the window and they are both free. I believe my beloved will also be offering a lower prim wreath, for those who have tight prim budgets.


In Flanders Fields ~ by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, Canadian Army (1872-1918)

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow,
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place; and in the sky,
A lark still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow
Loved and were loved
And now we lie in Flanders Fields

Take up our quarrel with the foe,
To you with failing hands we throw
The Torch, be yours to hold it high
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders Fields

Random Musings

I sit with a cup of piping hot tea within reach, the pot keeping at a suitable temperature under it's cozy and put pen to paper to jot down a few things about the past weeks.

It has been a busy time...I have been kept very busy with special orders, the food for Baron Wulfenbach's Consulate grand opening, the special tea sandwiches for Mrs. Warburton's tea party this upcoming Sunday as well as a couple of special cakes. Of course, one mustn't forget the whirl of gaiety that swirls around us in both Caledon and Steelhead. It has been a busy time indeed.

Now that I've completed my custom orders, all except one, I had a moment to look around Davaar and notice that it was in dire need of a thorough going over before winter set in. All the white linens were boiled with lemons and hung out to dry in the late autumn sun, so they'd be white as the snow that will soon be upon us. Carpets were taken out to the garden and beaten, releasing the dust of summer trapped within the fibres. All the windows were washed and polished with old newspaper to make them sparkle. I had the chimneys cleaned (what a shortage of good chimney sweeps we have in Caledon!) and everything was scrubbed and polished to it's best. Tiresome job, but necessary to keep the estate up to it's best form. I'm sure Rosehaven will require a similar treatment, but as it is smaller, the work will be less.

I look forward to the coming of winter this year. Last year, I did not have a place to call my own until two days before Christmas, when I was fortunate to be able to lease Madame BlueRock Dimsum's house in Steelhead. What a difference a year makes! Now not only do I have a loving husband who is more than I could have possibly dreamed of, I have two homes to decorate for the season! I am also looking forward to going skating. I had purchased skates last year and then it seemed the very next day winter was over. I know my Beloved and I have discussed hosting a skating party at Davaar sometime in the new year.

I suppose I ought to get back to work. Edward will be arriving home soon from working on his latest project and I should be sure dinner will be ready. What man wouldn't like coming home to a house that has a merry fire crackling in the hearth, a hearty meal on the table and everything at it's sparkling best? We will have to decide what delightful things we will leave for the ghouls and goblins that will come calling on All Hallow's Eve and then I imagine we will have a quiet evening in, Edward reading the paper or going over the blueprints for his newest build and I with my knitting or needlework.

Happy Rez Day Edward!!

Saturday marked my beloved's first year in SL. In honour of the occassion, we threw a little party on the south lawn of Davaar. My brother, TotalLunar Eclipse built the dance pavillion which was perfect and suited Edward exactly. Unfortunately, the Lindens imported extra special, super sticky lag, which made taking pictures very challenging for me, so I apologize for the lack of pictoral documentation. Many of his friends, old and new dropped by for dancing and fun. Her Grace, the Duchess of Carntaigh provided us with excellent music. All in all, I believe everyone had a good time, lag notwithstanding.



The above is a picture of my beloved when he was still quite new and fresh to the whole SL experience. Unlike many of us, he did not happen upon Caledon during his travels, it was the reason he came to SL. Miss Qlippothic Projects enticed him to join us here, and for that I am forever grateful.

I had actually met Edward when he was perhaps a week or two old. I had teleported into Caledon, wearing some rather risque clothing and a cape and happened upon a rather dashing looking man, dressed impeccably. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately seeing the lack of my attire), he could not see me (ahh, the good old days of slow rezz....which is still a problem). However, we had a lovely conversation for quite some time as he waited patiently for me to appear before his eyes. In that time span I put on something more modest and finally I rezzed before Mr. Edward Pearse, wearing my emerald green Aurora dress from Silver Rose. We continued our conversation for awhile longer and deciding that we found each other agreeable, we became friends.

However, we never really contacted each other after that point. I would notice Mr. Pearse was on but as I was occupied with my activities, I never bothered him. Until the incident of the long underwear.

At the time (early January or so), Mr. Gnarlihotep Abel (now the Duke of Greystoke) and I were quite close and tiring of the cold winds of January, he thought a lovely pair of long underwear were in order. He mentioned his favorite tailor was Mr. Edward Pearse, who owned Pearse'd and Cut in Victoria City. I recall exclaiming that I was friends with Mr. Pearse and decided to ask if I could commission some long underwear to keep Mr. Able warm during a blizzard. Mr. Pearse was quite agreeable and over the course of him making the garments (because I just couldn't let the poor man work, I did have to bother him every day or so to see how they were coming along)we became good friends. I enjoyed his conversations and we discovered that we had a lot in common.

As time went on, my feelings for Mr. Pearse deepened from friendship into something more. In that time, he was knighted by Guv'nah Shang (informally, I do believe) and became Sir Edward. His shop had prospered and grown and he had outlets in New Babbage and Steelhead as well. After some agonizing times, I learned that he felt the same feelings for me that I felt for him, and as they say, the rest is history.



I would like to wish my beloved Edward a Happy First Rezz Day. I hope that his next year in SL brings him even more success, happiness and friends. All the best to you my love and here's to another year that exceeds your wildest expectations, hopes and dreams!

The Room of Unspeakable Horrors!

I think this sign sums it up the best. If you have a chance, during your evening constitutional, you may want to stop in at the garden of Pearse'd and Cut, located on the SW corner of Victoria City. There you will find a room that contains unspeakable horror. Those of weak constitution should not venture forth, for their own well being. We do not have medical staff on the grounds to revive you, should you succumb to the terrors that lie within.

You have been warned!!!!

Steelhead Contests and Happenings

In celebration of Halloween, Steelhead is hosting two contests....one open to the public and the other open to the residents of the City.

The first contest is the pumpkin carving or Jack'o'lantern contest. This is open to everyone who cares to enter. The rules are simple and are below.

1. Must be 20 prim or less
2. Must be your own work....in other words, not a cool pumpkin you bought
3. NO mega prims
4. Must be suitable to a pg rating
Please drop your no mod/no copy jack-o-lantern on Christine McAllister by Thursday, October 18th, 6 pm SLT. Voting will open at 7:30 pm SLT on that date and will continue until 5pm SLT on October 26th.
All Jack-o-lanterns will be displayed on the lawn at the west end of the main town square.
Winners will be announced at the Costume Ball, Friday October 26th, Steelhead Grande Hotel and Ballroom, 7-9pm SLT.

The second contest is the house decorating contest. This is open only to the residents of Steelhead. However, please feel free to check out the handiwork of our townsfolk by wandering around the town to see what ghouls and goblins are about (I think we may even have a burning tree or two about).

The Spookiest House in Town

In celebration of one of the more "fun" holidays in the year, my beloved husband, Lord Primbroke is sponsoring a decorating contest for the residents of Caledon. Posterboards containing notecards detailing the rules of the contest can be found at almost every Caledon Telehub. However, the rules can be found below, if you are interested in saving time tracking the information down and would rather get busy decorating your house.

The rules are simple.

1. Decorate your home in your favourite Halloween decorations.

2. Send me (Edward Pearse) a notecard with your name, a LM of the property and a little description no later than the 21st of October.

3. A notecard of all houses in the competition will be made available to Caledonians.

4. Caledonians lodge their votes for their favourite house by 27th of October.

5. In the event of a tied vote, I have the deciding vote.

Winners will be announced on this blog and contacted directly to receive a prize of L$2000 and a prize plaque.

Good luck everyone and I look forward to seeing what the creative minds of Caledon can conjure!

Giving Thanks

Dear reader, you may have guessed that I'm not the most dedicated journaller. I jot things down as the mood or inclination strikes, and as of late, I will confess to being exceedinly lethargic. So, please accept my deepest apologies for my sporadic entries and I will try to write more in the future.

This past weekend was Canadian Thanksgiving. I know some people are rather perplexed why we have our thanksgiving so early, but if you think about it, it does make sense. At this time of year, our harvesting is fairly well complete, with the exception of sugar beets and catnip (yes, I do know of people who grow catnip as a crop....be still your neko hearts!). As the harvest is over, it is only natural to partake of some of the bounty and give thanks for the blessings of the previous year. That and the thought of cooking two large turkey dinners within a month of each other fills even my stout heart with fear.

In celebration of this Canadian holiday, I hosted two "el fresco" dinners, on the lawns of Davaar and Rosehaven. Passers by were welcome to help themselves to a full turkey dinner plus an assortment of desserts, including pumpkin pie. I think in the future I am going to include recipes with my bakery items and the pumpkin pie recipe is *so* good that you can taste every blessed calorie. Yum!

So, on behalf of Lord Primbroke and myself, I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving and were able to stop in for turkey dinner, as even though you may not celebrate it where your motivating spirit lives, it's always nice to have dinner and not worry about the dishes! Happy Thanksgiving!

A Word (or several) of Thanks

Now that the Harvest Festival is over and has been put to bed, I would like to say a few words of thanks for all those who helped to make this event possible.

The lovely Duchesses of Carntaigh and Loch Avie, Gabrielle and Eva who saw merit in my idea and brought it forth to the people of Caledon, oversaw the details and organized all the Caledonian aspects of the Festival. Thanks to your hard work and dedication, ladies, we were able to have a joint event. Thank you!

To the people of Caledon, thank you for taking the idea and running the distance with it. I know there are so many of you and I think that Caledon as a whole can be proud of it's citizens. I was impressed with the creativity and enthusiasm that went into the individual events. I'd also like to send out a special thank you to Mr. Szondi for the wonderful treasure hunt he put together in the Cay. It was a challenge and I think a lot of fun for anyone who dared to go head to head with the clues!

I'd also like to thank the people of Steelhead. While we are not many in number, we are mighty in spirit and take pride in our small community. I would like to emphasize that word Community. We have had our knocks lately, but for the most part, we as individuals use our strengths to make Steelhead work as a whole. The citizens of Steelhead rose to the occasion, in spite of incessant redmapping, horrific lag and other issues. The tea was lovely, the corn maze fun, the scarecrow building competition well supported, enjoyed by all those who joined in the fun.

Another thank you should go out to those who participated, from Caledon, Steelhead and other sims. We had people who had never visited (I believe one lady was photographed on Mr. O'Toole's blog....words fail me) who made a favourable opinion of our Communities and will no doubt be back. I've heard that people had a lot of fun and really enjoyed the week.

Last, but not least, I'd like to thank my beloved husband Edward. He had to put up with me when I was being at less than my best, stressing and having fits about things that now seem really rather minor. He was a calm influence and made sure I did get out to see a few things and enjoy the week, rather than being mired down in the minutae of details that need to be taken care of, but not stressed about. He is truly a blessing to me.

So, THANK YOU to everyone who helped out, participated or otherwise contributed to the merriment of the week. Without everyone, this idea would have remained exactly that. Now....on to the next event...the Caledon Social Season!

Harvest Festival Events

My goodness! What a busy week and it's not over yet! If you've not been able to attend any of the events in either Caledon or Steelhead, I strongly suggest you manage to find a few minutes to go, you won't be disappointed.

Sunday saw the kick off to the week with the horse race in Steelhead. Unfortunately, my human had a terrible headache and decided to lay down for a few minutes to clear it and promptly fell asleep. By the time she awoke, the race was over. However, I hear that it was a lot of fun, even with the Daring Drop of Doom on the corner of the dock. *grins*

We also had Edward Lowell scheduled to play live music, but for a variety of reasons he was unable to attend and perform. So, our noble Sheriff Fuzzball Ortega fired up his music making machine and cranked out the tunes so we could dance the night away. Of course, it was crashilious but a few brave souls hung in until the very end.

Monday afternoon we had a tea in the garden. Miss Lumina was our hostess and it was quite well attended. Luckily I had the sense to bring my camera to the tea and was able to capture a few images of the event.


Entrance to the Garden


Taking tea and having polite conversation


Mr. Aza Zymurgy entertains us with his unique skin, juggling and riding his unicycle. Only in Steelhead.

Also, if you have a chance, please stop by Steelhead and vote for your favorite scarecrow. Scarecrows are located down off the town square on the very west end. Also, the corn maze and pumpkin hunt are there for your enjoyment as well.

Tuesday we had a treasure hunt in the Cay. I'd like to thank Mr. Mavromichelli Szondi for all his hard work writing the clues, putting out the clues and otherwise doing all the work. I think it was a challenge for all of those who participated.

Tuesday night there was a race in the new Firth of Caledon as well. My beloved hauled out his new Steamray boat (that does a lot of other things as well) and completed the course in a super speedy time. Mr O'Toole was also in the race and bravely finished. We were all very impressed that he was able to manage the course without interruption, seeing how he's had such troubles as of late with fainting and such when in world.

All in all, it's been a wonderful Festival. As I said earlier, please try to attend some of the events. If you aren't sure when they are, keep your eyes out for one of the signs at the Caledon telehubs, all over Steelhead and I think Antiquity may have a sign as well. Come out and have a very good time!

Things to Look Forward To

As many of you know, Caledon and Steelhead are having a Harvest Festival, from September 9th though to the 15th. Many events and activities are in the works, but I would like to share a few that require some prior work if you care to participate.

Steelhead will be having an art show the entire week. Any interested artists (and we would like to include sculptures in this) please contact me (Christine McAllister) for particulars.

As well, we are also having a scarecrow building contest. The rules are as follows: Must be 30 prim or less, NO mega prim, and it must be your own build. Please drop a no mod/no copy version on me by Monday, September 10th at the latest and I will place it out in Steelhead. The scarecrows will be judged by visitors and the winner will be announced at our dance on Friday (7-9pm, Kokopelli stage, Wizard of Oz theme). There are prizes awarded. If you win and are unable to attend the dance due to prior engagments or time zone differences, you will still get your prize.

Other things that we will be having are a horse race, a tea on September 10 from 2-4 pm STL, pumpkin treasure hunt (pumpkins filled with goodies from various merchants) and of course there will be things to see and try around Steelhead for the entire week. As we lack the population of Caledon most of our events and activities will be out for the duration for people to try and experience, regardless of time zones.

This combined event should be fun for everyone and I hope that you will be able to attend. Please keep checking back for further details.!

Battle of Fredricksburg Ball

Sunday evening saw a ball being held in honour of the Battle of Fredricksburg exhibit which was and is currently on display in the Caledon Library (please go and see it). For those of you who don't know (and I was one of the masses), the Battle of Fredricksburg was one of the many battles fought in the American Civil War (or War between the States if that pleases you). The South had a decisive victory in this battle, with about half the fatalities the North suffered and less injuries as well.

Several weeks ago, Mr. JJ Drinkwater approached me about this ball, as it was scheduled to be on my rez day and he didn't want it to conflict with any plans I may have had. I am not one for big parties for myself, so I didn't mind that it was being held on this day at all (of course, if you've read the Surprise post, you know that I had a party anyhow, regardless of what I think about it *smiles broadly*). So while I knew this ball was going to happen and occur in Steelhead I was blissfully unaware of any other details.

However, due to some circumstances and miscommunication, the ball nearly did not happen. Knowing the amount of work that Mr. Drinkwater and his hard working staff had put into the exhibit and seeing a golden opportunity for Steelhead to shine being lost, I offered up my services to assist in bringing the Ball to life.

While it was a fair amount of work, I must say that I rather enjoyed finding furnishings and accessories for the hotel as well as decorating and getting everything together. My dear brother Lunar helped me out to no end and working with the Duchess of Carntaigh is always a pleasure. I decided that it would be beneficial to used the dance card system, as it brings an element of order to what has the potential to be chaotic. Most of the ball attendants (if they'd ever attended a Caledon ball) would be familiar with the system and as there was a clear explaination of how it all worked at the top of the card, I believed that most people would be intelligent enough to either use the cards or at least understand if a potential dance partner was booked if they chose to "dance on the fly" as it were.

I hurried down to the hotel fifteen minutes prior to the dance, hoping the ice sculpture was still in shape. Guests were already arriving and the Duchess of Carntaigh was welcoming them warmly, directing them to where the dance cards where and otherwise being the charming lady she is. The actual dancing was to commence at 7:15, which gave people time to find a dance partner and choose a dance set.

Colonel Exrex Somme was my first partner of the evening....and this is when the fun began. For some reason, the Lindens decided to start maintanence on the grid, and this combined with over 50 people, caused lag of epic proportions (I also heard that the dance ball scripts went haywire too). However, as the crowd was accustomed to such trivial nuisances, we all made light of it and laughed it off.


Some of the dancers


Miss Kattryn Severine, the First Lady and owner of Steelhead, looking stunning as usual

Overall, it was a successful evening. In my opinion, I think it showed that Steelhead, both the sim and most if its' residents, have outgrown it's rustic past and has matured, perhaps even come into it's own as a place where people can come to have an enjoyable evening....casual or formal. It is no longer a place that is known merely for one service provided, but as a place where you can come and enjoy a friendly, cheerful atmosphere and have a splendid time. For any of those who are interested, the Hotel is available for rent for parties and functions. Please contact Miss Kattryn Severine for details.

It was also an excellent learning experience for myself as well. I can see where things need to be changed for any future events (restarting the sim for example) and what else that can be done to make our events even more enjoyable for the attendees. I was able to make contacts with people in New Babbage, Antiquity and Deadwood so we can share information about social events, which is very important in my opinion.

I would like to thank everyone who was able to attend, and extend my sincerest apologies for the lag and any other annoyances/discomforts you may have had to endure. Please be sure to visit us again and drop in for one of our Friday dances at the Kokopelli stage.

SURPIRSE!!!!!!

What a weekend! While I was unable to attend Friday night's festivities due to my human having to contend with some rather dire RL things, I was back in world on Saturday, although my human was feeling rather "out at the elbows" as she had only 3 hrs of sleep the night prior, in a cot that attempted to fold itself back up while she was in it.

So, needless to say, Saturday evening we were moving at a somewhat slower pace than normal. I was busy attending to any and all last minute details that popped up for the American Civil War Ball, to be held on the Sunday. My brother, Lunar and I were running here and there getting last minute items, and his charming wife was with us, showing me some lovely sculptie prims that I had asked her to make for me, for a commissioned cake. My beloved was noticably absent, doing something "super sekret", and since he began asking me for my cake recipes my suspicion began to raise it's weary head and I thought perhaps something was afoot.

Sure enough, my love asked if I would please dress, as he wanted to take me some place special in honour of my Rezz Day. I inwardly groaned as the thought of having to decide what to wear was really almost too much for me at that point, but I settled on a gown I had not yet worn in public, one that was capable of being worn in Caledon or abroad without looking out of place. Ladies, if you are interested, I bought it at Ivalde....wonderful shop, bring your lindens, prepare to leave them at the shop.

So, I was aware that something was going to happen, but unaware of the particulars when the carriage arrived to whisk me away to my special evening.....and what an evening it was!!!

I found myself in the hall of Coughton Court, with a crowd of friends who assembled together to help me celebrate one year of lots of insanity and very little sleep! What a wonderful surprise! Her Grace, the Duchess of Carntaigh, Gabrielle Riel provided the music...including 25....that's right folks....TWENTY FIVE minutes of solid Robbie Williams......am I a happy girl or what?!?!?! *swoons*

Some of the crowd assembled

My brother TotalLunar Eclipse and Miss Emilly Orr

Some more of the partygoers getting down and having fun!

Caledon Synchronised dancing!

I rezzed out a picture of me at day 2 of my life in SL (which I must confess now, that while I did sign up for SL on August 26th, I was unable to actually get in world until the 30th of September, due to an old crock of a computer that lacked the jam to do it) and then a more recent picture as well. My dearest Edward added to the collection, as did the Duchess (a picture from our Ladies Night Out experiment *Grins*) and my brother added a few as well. Rather overpowering!!

The Wall of Pictures being built

The full wall

The partying and dancing continued for quite some time. My dearest Edward took over the music from the Duchess after a couple of hours and the fun carried on. I honestly cannot recall the last time I had such an enjoyable, carefree evening. But then.....Dr. Who was played and low and behold if we weren't invaded by Daleks! I don't know if they were on the guest list, but I supposed that wouldn't stop them anyhow. Luckily, the crowd was very used to dealing with them and other than Miss Em getting singed a bit, they were dispatched in good order (but I think they had fun while they were there).

The Daleks getting down and bustin' a move

Sadly, all good things must come to an end and as much as I would have loved to have stayed for several more hours, my human was starting to feel like she would drop at the keyboard, so the party had to be wound down.

I would like to thank my dearest Edward, her Grace Gabrielle, my brother and his lovely partner, Miss Gustafson and everyone else who had a hand in my surprise party. It is very heartwarming to be thought of so well and to have had you all there with me to celebrate a full year of precious little sleep and a whole lot of fun in Second Life. Thank you so very much! :-D

The Pleasure of Your Company is Requested...

Please join us at the Steelhead Hotel and Ballroom this Sunday, August 26th from 7-9 pm for an evening of dancing. Her Grace, the Duchess of Carntaigh will delight our ears with her splendid taste in music. Dr. Darien Mason will be our host. Refreshments will be served, to replenish your strength and fortitude as we dance the night away. Formal dress is requested and strongly suggested. Both the Blue and the Grey are welcome, as are our friends from other genteel sims.

This ball is being held in honour of the American Civil War Exhibit that is currently on display at the Caledon Library. Please pay the library a visit during the afternoon of the 26th to speak with the curator, Mr. Turing Weyland but the Battle of Fredricksburg and the exhibit. The exhibit will run until October, if you would like to learn more about this historic battle.

An Enjoyable Evening

On Monday evening, my beloved suggested we go and do something, to get away from our work and just do a little exploring together. After some discussion, we decided it would be a good idea to take our horses out for some exercise as they were becoming quite fat and sassy, being in the stables most of the time and not getting nearly enough excercise.

We went to AKK Ranch, where you can also obtain a horse of your preference. They also sell horses now with armour as well as Pegusus (or would that be Pegusi?) with the usual assortment of dun's, roans and unicorns. They also have riding trails, which is what we set out to explore.

The trails were very well done and enjoyable to follow. We were curious about a trail that appeared to go straight up a mountainside and prompted our steeds to attempt the climb. They managed to get up the incline quite easily and we found ourselves in the middle of a Dragon's Lair!



The dragons seemed to be quite friendly (obviously, or I'd not be able to tell you of our adventure, you'd be reading my obituary instead, assuming my bones were recovered) and quite content in their mountaintop home. After looking over their abode, we continued with our explorations.


We meandered through lush meadows, where deer were grazing in the grass that was swaying gently in the breeze. We encountered a valley of wild horses, who inspite of being untamed, were very calm when we drew near. We enjoyed looking at the beautiful scenery and surprises tucked here and there along the trail. Finally, after fording a rather deep stream we came across what appeared to be a very large slide that emptied into the lake. Of course, my dearest (being male and we know how boys are) had to go down this slide with his trusty horse not once, but three times (mostly because I couldn't get a picture until the 3rd try!). I am told it was fun....it certainly appeared to be so!


The trails held many delights, including an area that was rather snowy and wintry, most likely due to a higher elevation. There was a cheery fire lit, so we paused for awhile to give our mounts a rest as we warmed ourselves by the blaze. I'm am thinking Mr. and Mrs. Snowman must be made of rather firm stuff to be able to sit by the fire and not melt away.


All told, I would recommend the AKK horse trails for anyone wanting to test their mettle, see some beautiful scenery or just have some quite moments. There are many little niches, nooks and crannies around the trails where a person can spend some time alone, with a special someone or with a group even, having a good time. I know Edward and I rather enjoyed ourselves and will no doubt be back again, looking to explore the sims in greater depth. As it was though, it was an excellent place to go to spend some time together, and we returned to our duties refreshed by the time spent in the wonderful surroundings and in quiet conversation.

The Order of the Nightingale

Last evening saw a remarkable event being held in the Duchy of Carntaigh. Her Grace, the Duchess of Carntaigh threw a grand ball in honour of her new court that she has named. The festivities were held on a platform across from Coughton Court, so the views were magnificent.


The evening started at 7 pm SLT. I had dressed early at Davaar (because that gave me more time to sit about and get very, VERY nervous) and awaited Sir Edward's return home. I waited and waited and finally he arrived, late due to the trolleys and trains running behind schedule, thanks to lag. He hurriedly dressed and off we went.

Before I get into the events of the evening, I must speak about my gown. I decided to go with a french Maison de Couture for this event. Miss Diamanda Gustafson (affectionately known as Lady Whoop-Ass among her friends) had told me of this place and upon seeing their garments, I was won over. My gown came from Tres Beau, in the Lace sim (do IM me for a Landmark, you won't regret it). The gowns there are lovely and quite sensibly priced for what you get. I chose to go with a heavy satin gown with gold embroidery on the skirt, train and bodice. The shirred and laced bodice was also accented by gold lace and satin roses on the decollete, back and sleeves (which were rather primmy, the front bit of "fluff" alone was 192 prims!!! Ack!!!). White gloves, stockings, shoes and my ruby earrings and diadem completed my ensemble.



Edward looked even more handsome than usual (if that is possible!) in his attire acquired from Miss Fuschia Begonia's shop. In fact, all the men wore the same garments, which I thought looked rather nice indeed.

The dance progressed as most Caledon dances do, with partners being rotated every 15 minutes. Sadly, the two never ending Caledon dance issues were there.....far too much lag and far too few men. However, in between dances with my beloved, I had a lovely chat with Mrs. Edwina Heron, who threw a surprise birthday party for her husband earlier in the week. She had on a lovely pink gown from Adam and Eve...I really must go and see it.

Some of the many dancers at the ball

At 8 pm, the dancing was halted and the Duchess of Carntaigh announced and presented her court to the crowd. While I knew I was being named Countess of Primbroke, I was in for a surprise. She had decided to elevate the Ladies of her courts by Knighting them as well! I received the Order of the Nightingale for my assistance to Her Grace with various functions and activities and otherwise being available to help her when she's been pressed for time (and let's be honest, she's a very busy woman who's talents are very much in demand....she needs any extra hands who are willing to help). I am very honoured that Her Grace has bestowed this upon me and will continue to do be of service to her in the future. I hope the Duchess will be able to post in her journal what she said that evening, as her words were kind and touching.

Afterwards, the dancing continued. I was favoured with a dance from the ever dashing Colonel Somme, who's witty conversation and compliments turn any party into one to be remembered and then by the charming Major Zuhal. Stars twinkled down upon us as we whirled around the dancefloor, the conversations swirling around, mimicking the movement of the ladies' skirts.

The Earl and Countess of Primbroke in their finery.




At the end of the evening, there were fireworks, set to music, which was the perfect end to such a splendid and wonderful event. Vivat Caledon!


My beloved Edward and I back home at Davaar with our medals.