Furillen

Furillen is a sim I’ve visited before, but it is constantly being reinvented.  One constant, however, is that it’s always an amazing place to take photographs, and this iteration is no exception.

It is a wintery, bleak landscape, but it is easy to lose yourself in the grandeur of the scenery.  These trees seem to touch the sky as you stand underneath.

There are a lot of places to sit and reflect in Furillen, including this eclectic collection of chairs near the edge of the water.  I can almost smell the salt on the air and feel the spray on my face.

This seemingly abandoned caravan looks so lonely underneath the bare branches of the tree, yet somehow also welcoming.

I’m always fascinated by which pieces of ‘real life’ make it into sim design.  These utility poles are a great example of things that add realism to the sim – things we see every day, but don’t even think about anymore.

Judging by the multitude of pics I’ve seen on Flickr, many other SL’ers find Furillen as fascinating as I did.

When taking photos, I often spend quite a bit of time playing around with windlights.  Not so here.  The region windlight seemed perfect for the sim, and I couldn’t find anything I thought looked better.

So if you’re ready to spend a bit of time wandering in the cold and snow, make sure to add Furillen to your travel list.

 

The Last Dove

After seeing lots of pictures of this sim on Flickr, I added the Last Dove to my list of sims to visit.  As a resident of a very rural town, and a very rural state, in many ways, this sim feels like home.

You can almost smell the wood smoke and feel the dust coating your face as you travel across the bridge into the town proper.  I love how the building on the left has a large board propping up the signage/facade of the building – like you’re walking onto the set of an old spaghetti western.

I think this house/shack is one I pass on my way to work every day – including the chickens in the road I have to dodge.  -.-

We don’t have longhorns where I live, but we do have plenty of cows and bulls.  A long ago piece of advice I received:  If you find yourself in a field with a cow or a bull, and you don’t know the difference – run.  I don’t know if it’s true or not, but thankfully I’ve never had to worry about it.

There’s a lot to see at the Last Dove, so hit that tp button and go see for yourself.

Exploring Unconditional

Time is the one thing I always wish I had more of.  There never seems to be enough time in my day to accomplish all the things I want to get done.

I suppose I should be grateful that I have things I want to do on my list, rather than it being full of things I have to do.

There – that’s me, practicing gratitude.  😛

I did manage to carve out some time to head in to SL for some exploring.  I visited several places, but I always have more on my list.

One of the places I visited was Unconditional.

The sim is gorgeous and full of little hidden areas. I’ve seen pictures from it all over Flickr, so clearly lots of people find it as pretty as I did.

In some places, it reminded of home – I’d see this sort of thing traveling around the roads where I live. 

I think this is one of my favorite pictures of all those I’ve taken.

Of course, there are no beaches where I live, so I always find those areas fun to explore, since I can’t do that in real life.

Whatever you’re looking for, you’re sure to find it in SL.  But be sure to stop by and give Unconditional a visit.  You won’t regret it.

Erebos Harbor

With limited time in SL this week, I turned to the Photogenic, Rezzable Sims list from Blogger & Vlogger Network (BVN).  I found Erebos Harbor on the list and it looked intriguing, so I headed on over.

The sim has a lot of paths with twists and turns, so you can find lots of hidden places, like this stunning waterfall.

The harbor where you arrive is gorgeous, with boats bobbing the water behind you as you land.

Make sure you spend some time exploring – the scenery is well worth it!

Whimberly

As I’ve had free time, I’ve been back in SL exploring sims.  I’ve missed taking photos and playing around in Photoshop.  I’ve posted a couple of things on Flickr and I figure I have a while until I’ve uploaded my 300+ photos still available to me as a free Flickr user.

I didn’t have a ton of time to explore Whimberly, but what I did see was gorgeous.  I’ll have to make sure I return for another visit when I have more time.

I’m still a sucker for lighthouses. 😀

Field of Dreams

Nope, not that one. 😀

This Field of Dreams is a gorgeous sim I found while ambling around SL.

The rustic landscaping is simply stunning and there are little details everywhere you look. (I almost missed the cute red bird sitting on the fence.)

This field of flowers stopped me in my tracks – this is something I see regularly here at home (it’s our state flower) and giant fields of sunflowers are awe-inspiring.  And the seeds are pretty tasty, too! 😛

I couldn’t resist snapping a pic of this scene – the cat trying to stealthily sneak up on the birds, the birds flying up out of danger, and waiting to see whether the cat will actually snare something or fall ignominiously into the water fountain.

I’m a big fan of the Tuscan look (as are many others, judging from the number of times I see Tuscan decor/landscaping), and this winery/picnic area looks so inviting.

There is lots more to see and explore at Field of Dreams, so grab your camera and head on over to check it out for yourself!

Exploring The Dirty Grind

The Dirty Grind is known for its music venue, but it is also a lovely place to wander around.  I’d never been before, so after seeing it blogged, I decided to head over and check it out.

It was still winter when I visited, which was a bit unexpected, since most sims are now decorated for spring.  But snow is always gorgeous in SL, so off I went!

It was a bit chilly, since I wasn’t really dressed for the weather, so I was happy to come across this adorable hot cocoa stand – just what I needed to fuel my further explorations. 😀

My fascination with lighthouses is well-known, but my love of windmills is a close second (they remind me of home).  I’ve never seen this particular windmill in SL before – I love the look of it.

Speaking of things I’ve never seen – I don’t think I’ve ever seen a birdcage house before.  It’s a little too open and airy for me, but it is certainly gorgeous.  I love the spiral staircase.

Grab the LM and a friend and hop over to The Dirty Grind to explore – and then when you’re done, settle in for some music to help you relax.

Orcadi Island Home

Home is something I’ve been pondering a lot lately.

My visit to Orcadi Island brought back childhood memories of playing outside, watching the combines harvest wheat, and laughing at the birds’ frenzied feeding when the grain truck dropped kernels as it rounded the corner.

Now, I don’t remember anyone having a home that looked like this, but if I had, I would have been knocking on the door, wondering if there were any kids inside to come out and play. 🙂

I love the placement of the tree here – as if it’s standing behind the windmill, peeking around to see what’s so interesting. Or stretching away, seeking something unknown on the other side.

This angle captures a view nearly every kid I grew up with has had at some point – laying in the tall wheat, playing hide and seek, or just taking a break to enjoy the wonder of the outdoors.

Another angle of the house – it looks so cozy and comfortable, I could move right in! After, of course, I installed some indoor plumbing. 😛

I was wandering around, trying to find interesting angles, and stumbled onto this ruin with a window intact, and the house captured just perfectly through it.

Hop on over and have a look (and perhaps a wander down memory lane) for yourself.

Tranquil Rain at Sommergewitter

Sommergewitter is a beach sim, but with a bit of a twist – it’s always raining.

Though it sounds rather depressing, the sim is actually very tranquil and welcoming.

You can find all kinds of places to shelter from the rain, including this adorable dinghy.

Wandering around, I found the Lake House, complete with the tree growing up in the middle. (If you’ve never seen The Lake House, look it up when you’re in the mood for a tearjerker.)

Picking my way carefully through the rain, I discovered this beautiful horse hanging out near this comfortable-looking canopied bed.  I’m not sure the flimsy gauze would do much to keep out the rain, but it looks gorgeous. 🙂

It stopped raining for a brief moment, and I stopped to take a short rest under this huge tree. The rocker and windmill both remind me of familiar sights where I grew up.  Such nostalgia!

Exotic Beauty at PeTOu

I saw photos of PeTOu on several other photographer’s blogs, and it was so gorgeous I just had to go check it out for myself.

I am so glad I did. The sim is absolutely stunning.

The trees and mist give the sim an ethereal quality.  There are a lot of little areas tucked in everywhere, so make sure when you visit that you take the time to wander around.

Everything is so calm and serene and peaceful.  I discovered these gorgeous bridges, hidden from sight around a bend in the path.

Next to a small hut, I found this beautiful bamboo water well.

There are a couple of dragons to be found around the sim, including this fabulous specimen. The serpentine scales are so rich and detailed, as is the face of the statue.

This pagoda on top of the hill was my favorite area of the sim. The building itself is amazingly well-done, and the sim windlight perfectly complements it. I love all how the purples and pinks blend together.