Tuesday 18 September 2007

Burro has left the Blog(ger)

Right folks. Sick as I am of struggling to get Blogger to handle text and pictures in a post, I've moved over to WordPress.com. I should have done it in the first place. WordPress craps on Blogger.

You can now find me here: http://headburroantfarm.wordpress.com/

HBA
*****

I knew I should have used WordPress...

Fekking Blogger. Can't layout simple text and pictures without some sort of HTML code disaster making the page look like a pile of shite. I may well be moving over to WordPress.com

In Other News: Pinkie's Birthday Bash

A whole three weeks in the planning, the biggest secret I've managed to keep in SL to date came together this weekend when I (with the help of Janey and Hessa) managed to get Pinkie (one of my oldest mates in SL) to her surprise birthday party without her guessing :-D

Thanks to Hessa for the gratis loan of her fab Halo club, Kendra Fallon for being a top Superstar DeeJay (look her up in-world and book her!), Janey for the cake and being my wingman, all her friends for coming and, finally, to the Minimax duo for staying the hell away.

Here are some of the pictures I (and others) took on the night. As always, if anyone has anymore, send them to me for addition :). Also, I'll be passing out a photo album I'm making with my new THiNC book printing press (swanky!).

Pinkie boogieing on down (by Marisa)


Big Pinkie Is Watching You, Mr Antfarm!



Janey always has sexy shoes ;-)


Rusty and Dom strut their funky stuff!

Janey, Ali & Pinkie - The Murray Girls!


Bouncer Ree keeps an eye out for bovver!


Pinkie Flashes poor Ash!


Ali & Stef get their groove on!

Hessa - Looking as gorg as ever :)

Dick, me, 123Lorelei and Vixen all looking sharp!


Vixen looking mighty elegant (freelance security on guard behind her)


Roy andI putting on a show :-D


The party in full swing :)

Ooooh, Mr Antfarm... Looking good! (photo by Marisa)

p.s. Sorry about the poor layout - Blogger is being a right old arse with line spacing :(

Thursday 13 September 2007

The Island: First Explorations

The Journal of Professor Headonius Burroffski,
Assumed Date:- 7th July 1930 late-afternoon.
Location:- Unknown Island.

Rose - I have found water! Oh joy of joys! I am so relieved. Looking back to my entry yesterday I listed the need for water as almost my top priority and to say I have been concerned about it would be something of an understatement. But fear not I have found it my dear, I can almost laugh out loud at my silliness. I am on a tropical island and fresh springs must be abundant here! Still, as you have counselled me many times, what’s done is done and I can’t take back the irrational worries of yesterday. Instead I shall purge my soul of my foolishness by telling you the tale of how I came to find my saviour pool.

I rose early; in truth I have little choice for between the dawn light and the blessed caterwauling it heralds from the jungle behind me, sleep is somewhat difficult. Every manner of squawking and shrieking and whooping and wailing animal and bird on God’s Green Earth must share this island with me and every one of them lives within ten yards, I’ll wager. I think only the fish must sleep well in their silent watery beds, and Oh! how I envy them! Still, I welcomed my alarm call (although a newspaper and breakfast outside the door was sorely missed, my dear) as it meant I could all the sooner start my hunt for water and calm my fears. I stood at the border of the jungle behind my tent (or Casa Burroffski as I now call it) as stared into its immense green maw, feeling for all the world like a very small worm staring down the gullet of a hungry fish too large and vast to comprehend.

Its fecundity oozed over me, enveloping me, drawing me in. Its perfume was heady and filled not just my nose, but it seemed my entire head. Greens of every shade drifted past me, branches heavy with fat flowers and juice leaves moved slowly in on me and then back away as if the jungle were breathing as one mighty organism and I were merely a speck of dust in its lungs.

I pressed on, deeper and further. I did my utmost to keep my bearings, constantly watching the sun and relating its movement to my small camp, now far away and suddenly as welcoming as any old, loved home. Strange sounds were all around me. Scuttlings. Clickings. Movements. Queer animal calls. I began to fancy the denizens of this place were watching me, tracking me. In the canopy above… things moved. Large things. Leaves and twigs rained down to mark their noisy passage and frequent perching places. More than once half-eaten fruit thumped into the floor next to me but upon looking up, I saw nothing but the sunlight filtering through dense leaves and the trees endlessly swaying in the scented breeze.

I had begun to give up on finding any water – I judged I had been in the wilderness for nearly two hours – when I heard, faint at first through the ceaseless rustle of leaves and cries of assorted creatures, the unmistakable burbling of water! Oh, Rose! I could have yelled were it not for the oppressive nature of my surroundings (how many eyes watched me I wonder? How many little mouths slavered at my passing? How many little minds calculated their odds of making me their meal? It chills me to think of it even now). I slowly, with as little noise as possible, began to home in on the source. It took some time and when I did, I all but fell into my source of salvation! A deep, bubbling well that smelt and looked clean and clear. I refrained from sampling its wares as one never knows what water-borne diseases even the cleanest looking spring hides.

I carefully filled the few containers I had and decided on the best path back to the camp. If my crude attempts at following the sun were right, then I had looped back on myself quite a lot and this watering hole was not all that far from the camp. I mentally plotted a course and set off. Oh Rose! You’d be proud of me alright – a mere hour later I found myself on the very sandy beach my tent was pitched on.

So here I am, my love. Tired, hot and very sweaty I’m afraid, but I am boiling my newly found water and cooking a fish I caught last night (my old fishing pole hasn’t let me down). I think I will be needing some more containers for water – maybe a dive down to the sea bed where the wreckage of the Telesto lies? See what I can find, eh? Oh, and what I wouldn’t give for some tools! The natural resources of the jungle are mine to look at, but no more. I could cut down any number of trees and build a most homely wee cabin but for want of a machete, axe or hammer.

I must sign off for now, my love – the water is boiling hard and I should decant it to cool before I boil my hard-gained treasure to nothing but a small could. I will be home soon. I promise will all my heart.


All my love,
Your Doni x
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To Be Continued...
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Visit The Island here and follow the story as it unfolds over the next few weeks.

Monday 10 September 2007

BB Flashmob: The Greenies

Original Post: Deleted. Bugger.

Edit: 18th Sept 07.
Bugger. In my eagerness to make the post on Pinkie's Birthday Bash look good, I wiped this one in error. This never happens with my other (non-SL) wordpress blog. Blogger is shit in comparisson. The orginal post was about the first ever Backpacking Burro's Flashmob Exlporation of a sim, in the case the Greenies sim. It was a good post. Funny. To the Point. With pictures. Arsebuggery. Blogger is crap. I'll calm down and tray again.

Re-Post: To come... Maybe... Here!!

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It's not all serious exploration, the life of a Backpacking Burro you know. No, we have fun too. We flashmob places. Not in a griefer way, just in a 'get as many Backpacking Burros exploring a build at the same time as you can' way :)

This was us at the famed Greenies sim. We beamed in under the floorboards and made our way through a doll's house into the amazingly massive house that the Rezzable company have built.

That's (left to right): Douglas, TR, Ali, Sennen (I think), Kat, Rusty (I think), Mystery Man!!, Janey. I'm at the front and we were joined later by Pinkie.

We wandered around the sim splitting up and coming back together many times to share the amazing things we found. Apart from one incident when I got a right bad tempered bollocking for leaving my hot air balloon parked by the huge bread bin, we had a great time.

Ali and me zooming about on a dirt bike - I think she was telling me what a crap driver I am after the second crash!

Ali found it safer with one of the Greenies than on my bike!

So did I! (this was shortly before The Great Unwarranted Bollocking so I'm still smiling)

Meanwhile, Kat sided with the Kitty against the Greenie!

Pinkie, Janey, and I decided to try and help the spooked canary - poor thing!


I released my inner dancer...


...tried to rescue a silly Greenie...




... before deciding these Greenies had a deathwish!

In the end, we all had a great night out... in... out... well, you know what I mean. There are lots more pics but if anyone wants me to put there's up, send them to me in-world with a permission card so I know I can :) One last one of Me, Pinkie & Janey - what can I say... Pinkie really loves cheese!!

If you haven't been, go - there is loads to do and see (just don't park a balloon for more than 30 seconds if you don't want to get banned from every Rezzable sim! You have been warned!)Watch the Backpacking Burro group notices for more flashmob visits soon!

HBA
*****

Backpacking Burro: Cowell, Part 2

Once over the bridge, I headed for a strangely incongruous green newsstand and chairs set out by a small shop…

I relaxed with a (admittedly early and equally out of place) free beer whilst I read an free newspaper that informed me of the fate of Rodeo forest. It seemed that Salazar Jack, the owner of this area, had planted this forest on the very site his great grandfather had tended another, even larger forest, years before something called The Great Erase. There was a reproduction of an old map and the news story said that the original was currently undergoing tests in the nearby city of Nova Albion as there was some text in need of further analysis. Apparently, from what Salazar had already discovered he had decided to change the name of Rodeo Forest back to the much older name of The Forest of Kahruvel. One thing was for sure, I had to find out more about this map and whatever The Great Erase was. Once I had finished exploring the forest, I had to go to Nova Albion.


Mulling over that news, I moved on following the path parallel to the canal rather than heading up behind the buildings towards step that led into the forest. I headed towards an attractive fountain only to be stopped by the sight of yet more octagonal designs, both in what turned out to be the community hall and the art gallery across from it. I stood for a while, admiring the beauty of the community hall…

…before entering and finding myself presented with a wonderful short film explaining a little more about the history of the creators of this wonderful place. It didn’t all make sense to me, but it seemed to indicate that they hailed from this world and the other world at the same time. I resolved to find out more and not for the first time that day, I made a mental note to contact the owner.

From the community centre, I crossed over to the gallery and took another beautiful brass lift up the (again, octagonal) tower where I stood and drank in the serene beauty of the village beneath me.

Over in the distance, past the lighthouse, I could see what looked like a steam-powered crane so I headed off for a better look. A short walk through stone streets and I stood beneath the arm of the crane and what turned out to be an amazing shop selling all manner of impressive flying machines!

I took a trip up and examined the mechanics of the crane’s engine and was amazed to find a gorgeous little garden there too.

Walking back, I used the higher paths and found what looked like signs of a recent collapse next to a small amphitheatre – luckily the fountain had been spared. I pressed on…

…until I found myself at the base of the final set of steps leading upward to the forest of Kahruvel…

… the entrance to which was adorned with the most gorgeous tapestry I have ever seen.

My tours of Cowell over, I gazed down the path and into Kahruvel’s cool, dark interior. The last time I have been in these woods I was running in a blind panic. Now I entered them again, I felt a small knot of trepidation deep in my stomach. That and a growing need for a cup of tea.

To Be Continued...

Wednesday 5 September 2007

The Island: Priorities For Survival

The Journal of Professor Headonius Burroffski,
Assumed Date:- 6th July 1930. Mid-afternoon.
Location:- Unknown Island.

1) Shelter:- For now, I have shelter. If I am to be here longer than a few days and if the weather turns nasty again then I’m afraid my tent won’t be enough, but for now it shall have to suffice. I will have to search for a more secure location soon.

2) Water:- This is urgent. I have a few days of clean water left at the most and my new home is already proving to be somewhat hot under the noon sun.

3) Fire:- It will be cold at night; I need to cook; I need a signal at the ready and, of course, I will need to boil any water I find. I have a book of water-proof matches, but they will not last long. I need to find some stones with which I can make a ready spark. Tinder I shall keep both with me and in the makeshift store with the wood.

4) Food:- Whilst not as desperate as the water, nevertheless I will need to turn my attention to eating. Without food my attention will slip and simple jobs will become nigh on impossible. I have to stay healthy and alert if I want to get back to you Rose, and a proper diet will be important. I have my rod so I shall try my hand at catching some fish for tonight’s meal, but I will need to investigate the local flora and fauna and look at making traps.

5) Location:- Where am I? Is there anyone on this island bar me? Am I near shipping lanes? I have to explore this island. I will need to set up signal fires that can be lit at a moments notice. If I can find enough material, I will set up a large SOS sign on the beach.

6) Health:- My medical supplies are woefully limited. I shall have to be very careful in the coming days and weeks (God Forbid! Months? Years?)

So there it is Rose, that’s my plan. I shall set up a fishing line now and see what I can catch for supper. Then tomorrow I shall begin my first explorations of my new home and see if I can’t locate some good, clean water.

Sleep well my love. I shall think of you and nothing but you from now until the day I make my way back to you.


All my love,
Your Doni x
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To Be Continued...
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Visit The Island here and follow the story as it unfolds over the next few weeks.

Tuesday 4 September 2007

HBA Island: Rebuilding The Jungle

Ahhhh, the work of a terraforming jungle lover is both huge and small at the same time – huge in scale, but the small details matter. I’m now, after many hours of replanting the jungle last night, ready to start on the details… the sounds, the paths, the clearings, the strange finds waiting to be, well, found. But for now, here is the progression of the island so far.

1) The bare-naked island now doubled in size – that’s a great heaving 8160 sq m and 1866 prims I can use. Oh momma.

2) Here comes the sea! The large yellow and green square is a wee land-flattening tool. It’s a great gizmo and dirt cheap.

3) By night time, I’d added the new welcome area (the little island at the bottom), rebuilt the camp and the wreck and even tested the (brilliant) weather system.

4) The next day I added basic ground cover (grass and leaves) and basic trees. I’d previously added a large prim wall to hide the shop next door that always seemed to make taking photos hard.

5) Then I started on deeper ground cover (shrubs, bushes and mini-trees)

6) Before adding the highly detailed plants I’d bought from Rezolution (great store, you must go!)

7) Night time again. Another day’s work done. :)

This week I’ll be getting on with the details. There should be a new” Island” post out next week… RL willing :)

HBA – Building the Jungles of Tomorrow!
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UPDATE (7th Sept 07): Here's a shot of the camp in a storm :)

Monday 3 September 2007

Hunting Involvium: Stalled!

UPDATE: Yay! JS is back and the adventure continues - check out the comments below.

I was close! I could almost smell the raw, throbbing vein (ooo!) of purest Involvium. I had found what I believed to be the island but the strange and beautiful flowers JS had thought-created still escaped me. Never mind, I thought, I shall just wait for the next installment from the camp. I shall use the clues it would contain to narrow my search down, to home in further until I too could get my hands on the raw, pulsing meat (yikes!) of pure creation.

And then... nothing! JS has gone quiet. No more reports. No more clues. No more chances for schoolboy homoerotic humour. Boo! Boo I say and thrice Wail!

Is this the fizzle I feared or merely the prelude to a good, hard bang. Ooo! Another innuendo! I knew I could squeeze another out. And another! Sometimes they just come easy... see :)

Where was I? Oh yes, JS Tomorrow - come back and finish the story! My suspenders are killing me!

HBA - in suspeders.
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HBA Island: Expansion Pack

Hello all :)

As those of you who have dropped by and said "HI" over the past couple of days have seen, the old island is undergoing a bit of a facelift. On Saturday, to set things up for the next part of the story, I removed the jungle and increased the amount of land to sea on the wee plot I have. My idea was to plant a larger jungle behind the Professor's camp and it was as I was bent over with my trowel in hand, that I was approached by the fella who owns (owned) the plot behind me. The long and tall of it is that HBA Island is now twice as big and very, very bald. Bear with me. The jungle will return - as will all the critters (and maybe some new ones, as well :) )

HBA - Lord of The Jungle!
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