Winter

Penguins installed on ice rink: 2 (good); Hot chocolate cabins installed on ice rink: 1 (piping hot); Snowmen installed on icerink: 3 (a nuclear family); Skating poseballs installed on icerink: 7 (v. good); No. of skating poseballs for which you do not have to turn off your AO : zero (bad); Enjoyment gained from skating round and round a virtual ice rink: considerable (sad, or what)

Motivation for blogging only seems to occur when not concerned with Professional Life. So not surprising that suddenly felt urge to blog about new Winter Wonderland have created in bay area of Infolit iSchool. In fact good part of Infolit is now Winter Wonderland, since changed seasons approx. a week ago when felt need to cheer self up after hard work. Autumn colour is gone to be replaced by snow emitters, trees with frost on, snowball givers, ice portals etc. etc. To begin with just changed terrain in mountains but today basically covered whole island with snow. This mirrors RL which has been covered in snow for some days.
Created Screenr/Animoto vid showing self cavorting on and around ice. Used one of the Animoto Seasonal Themes, which has upside that scenery in it looks a bit like the SL scenery I am filming, but that is also a sort of a downside too. Anyway, here it is.

Meeting, meeting, winter warmer

No of meetings attended: 2 (good); No. of trees felled: 8 (good); No of trees planted: 7 (good); No. of times have tagged a blog entry with the word "chocolate": 0 until today (surprising: in RL would probably have to tag every day "chocolate")
Invigorated by RL train journey through Peak District (from Manchester to Sheffield; trees and snow look amazing) attended UK SL educators "Second Tuesday" meeting. There were what might be called Usual Suspects in attendance and chat was pleasing mix of banter (new year resolutions; cats; feather costumes; that kind of thing) and useful convo re education. UK educator meetings seems to have higher banter-to-Serious-Stuff ratio which is OK by me. Had not visited Bangor sim (the venue) before so that also interesting.

Couple of hours later was the SL educators roundtable, now renamed in 21st century fashion "Virtual Worlds Educators Roundtable", since meetings also take place in other virtual worlds. Was load of people there and lots of discussion (loosely) around points that one of the Linden's had made in a sort of "state of the grid" blog post. Did not make much contribution and at one point inadvertantly turned Voice Chat on (when checking to see whether someone else had an open microphone, ironic really) and AJ IMed me about it, which is shaming. However, did not have any microphone device plugged in so do not think will have been making much noise, unless laptop was providing own conversational contributions without my knowledge.

Following this checked up on some of my homes; renewing rent on Babylon 5 room, returning a suspicious looking item to its owner from my main home, and also having a look at the African sim where Graham is renting some land. All the African heat reminded me that was intending to make Infolit even more wintery, so tp-ed back, adjusted the ground textures a bit to get full snow in NE corner of Infolit iSchool, and changed trees around greenhouse to wintery ones. Also added an extra winter deer and suddenly remembered had Hot Chocolate Hut in inventory, and put that in too. If you click the cups or dispensor you get mug of warming chocolate with usual drinking animation that throws beverage in rough direction of face. Can then go and bother the deer. No dogs though, please.

Lest auld acquaintance

No. of months without blogging: 1 (bad); No. of friends selling homes in SL: 1 (bad) (but good for friend, hopefully)

Have been v. lax on blogging front due to various things including Xmas and RL visit to snowy Moscow. Was also hampered by curious fact that whilst using mobile broadband dongle with Internet Explorer was able to view blogs, order books online, Google, play vids on Youtube, do SL etc. etc., but not LOG IN to blogger.

Whenever attempted it, got minutes of "contacting blogger.com" followed by that enigmatic error page that appears "user friendly" but in fact gives you no more clue than ye olde error 404 (which internet veterans will remember fondly). Was probably punishment for using IE browser, since when tried Firefox today, was no prob at all. Curious.

Anyway, first couple of pics show of winter wonderland that is Infolit iSchool. As usual, conference platform has been turned into skating rink (first pic), with snow emitter, Xmas trees, free skates, skating poseballs, tankards of warm punch, festive cake and so forth.
Woodland area near Farradane centre is also fully snowed in (see 2nd pic). By now can find lots of stuff in own inventory by searching for "frosty" "snow" or "christmas", indeed have whole seasonal folder bursting with cheer. However, but did indulge in a few extra items, mostly trees.

Had a couple of presentation sessions to finish off year on Infolit iSchool which may blog seprately. Ishbel came along and was able to have a chat with her. 3rd pic shows us on the Info Literate sky platform.

She is giving up her home, Windygates - when last looked her lot was cleared up and offered for sale. Felt quite nostalgic - remembering first days with her and Citril, when we all lived within flying distance of each other (see early months of this blog). She isn't giving up on SL altogether, but isn't spending recreational time here so is sensible really, but still felt a bit melancholy.

Last picture shows Ishbel's plot: actually can quite understand need to move as has Acid House night club at end of garden, never exactly no. 1 on the favourite neighbour category.

And the beat goes on

J-pop playlists added to profile: 1 (good); Winter wonderlands created: 1 (good); Tours of island given: 2 and a quarter (good); Friends seen in shower: 1 (unsettling)

Was browsing through other SL blogs in way one does when came across REALLY CUTE picture of winter houses in the Milcaholic site. Spent some time trying to work out whether there was a location amongst all the Japanese writing. In the end realised could simply click on the link to Flickr and lo! the SLURL was there. 1st pic shows Dimitrova, overcome by the cuteness, slumped over a giant rabbit.

So now am proud possessor of the Winter House in Green, which is copy and has two sizes (for only 298 Linden). In a mere ... two hours ... the Halloween platform was transformed into a winter paradise complete with snow angel animations, Christmas tree with snowflake emitter and crunchy snow (see 2nd pic, Xmas tree is just out of shot). Had everything except new house already in inventory, so shows am developing formidable seasonal repetoire.

Also on Milcaholic site was playlist with artists called Coltemonikha which had liked before, but album seems unavailable outside Japan. Realised now that could sign up to Imeem.com service and get own playlist. Excitement. Also have added number of works played by Fictionjunction Yuuka. So this blog now has j-pop playlist widget, probably to itrritate majority of readers, but there you go.

Am intending to offer winter village as home to any students who fancy them. May also become location on future island tours. On Monday was hosting formal exploration of island for UK Educators group. Was volunteered at the end of the previous UK Educator's visit (which was to the Open University islands).

Had spent considerable time writing notecard with landmarks (text is here). But evidently Infolit does not have the cachet of the OU, since a few minutes before due to start had only one taker who (understandably) disappeared when was not joined by any others. So easy to do in SL (disappear, I mean). Feared that was going to be a "Just Me and Mitsy the cat" situation.

However, in a few minutes had assembled reasonable number - Adra, Robin, Jackie and a few others including Kattan from Teeside University launch. Had good ramble round the island, and Jackie able to explain plans for Education. Ended up in the new common room, watching Robin taking a shower. Not sure of the ethics of this. But then, was my choice to buy a house with a shower and no shower curtain.

Other tours were for New Literacies students introduced by Jackie and also an impromtu semi-tour when, on Tuesday, the person from the Open University who was due to be giving the School of Education a personal tour of the OU did not emerge inworld.
In absence of this entertainment, was able to point out delights of new witch-broom tour of the island, the sushi bar that dispenses giant sushi and (obviously best of all) the powerpoints produced by students in the Inf104 class.

Snow falling on island

Entries written in reflective learning diary: 3 (good); No. of snow covered trees planted: 3 (good); Amount of snow covering island hills: just right (good)

As part of action research element of the CILASS island project am now creating Personal Learning Portfolio as Evidence for final whatever of action research cycle. Only started it a few days ago, but already find that small amount of time that wasn't already spending in SL or blogging is now spent writing about it all in learning diary.

Anyway, realised that was writing about something that could go on this blog and repurposing is name of game. Topic was snow cover on island. As already mentioned on blog, intended to change Texture of top of mountains from scrubby green/brown to sparkling white and the L$10 snow textures purchased yesterday seemed right for job. However found on investigation that hadn't got actual texture (graphic) of scrubby brown/green in inventory. Various other scrubby brown or green textures but not that one. Most puzzling. Must have got it from somewhere. Problem was that if switched texture without having original in inventory, could never get back to that SPECIFIC scrubby brown/green and would have go hunting through texture shops to find replacement. Personally think texture shops v. dull not to mention hell to find way round with zillions of little texture squares rezzing v.v. slowly.

Should be said that all powerful owners like self determine 4 different textures to cover 4 different levels of terrain: in the island's case - 1) Rippling sand; 2) Slightly scrubby green; 3) Lush green; 4) Scrubby green/brown. Then owner sets lowest point for texture 2 to start and highest for texture 3 - or is it 4?? At any rate realised that solution was to set top level higher than actual land, so that texture 3 (which knew could get back to as snug in inventory, plus I even remember where I got it from) was on top of mountain, then turn THAT to snow.

Result! Pleasing wintery landscape with top of mountains enfolded in snow and slopes just dusted. Patted self on back and planted a few wintery trees. Heart Garden Centre had snow-covered but sadly lacking in bare-branched tree department, but hopefully will come up with something since otherwise will be winter on top of mountain and perpetual autumn below.