And I have got 6000 files; Spring becomes autumn; I whack some noobs

No. of pictures still in my Second Life folder: 6000+ (worrying); No. of noobs whacked: 17 (unimpressive); No. of giant pink flamingos bought: 1 (v. good); Season following on from Spring on Infolit iSchool: Autumn (because I can); Parts of SL disappearing in random fashion: lots (bad)
As can see from above, SL continues as per normal. Was trying to upload some pics to Flickr but Second Life folder on my PC (where save said pics) refused to be ordered by date rather than by name. Upon investigation realised that this folder had approx 7,200 files in it, most of them pictures, and presumably am testing some kind of Windows limit for the no. of files you can have in one folder without it curling up and waving legs in air.
Did a quick transfer of the 1000+ SL pics taken in 2013 (that averages 3 a day hmmm, perhaps ought to reflect on that statistic) anyway even after that there were still 6000 pics left. However, it seems like Windows can cope with sorting that number so, hey, won't have to worry about that again for at least 6 months.
Probably need to say asap that noobs being whacked (see item 2, above) were of course not REAL noobs (i.e. not the 3D embodiments of real living human beings who have only just embarked on the adventure which is SL) but rather a twisted version of Whack a Mole, produced by designers Weather or Not.
Just searched this blog and realise with dismay that it contains little about Whack a Mole in fact only a passing reference namely here http://adventuresofyoshikawa.blogspot.co.uk/2008/10/three-weeks.html. Have had Whack a Mole game on Infolit since (evidently) 2008 and jolly fun it is, little moles and rabbits pop up and you have to whack the moles and avoid whacking the rabbits. Good healthy fun for all the family. It essentially looks much like the Whack a Noob machine you see above/right.

In the noob version, heads pop up for you to whack, and you get some noob-like random chat generated e.g.
[13:52] Whack-a-Noob: What am I supposed to do?!
[13:52] Whack-a-Noob: So, what is there to do here?
[13:52] Whack-a-Noob: Help!
[13:52] Whack-a-Noob: this game sux!!!!
[13:52] Whack-a-Noob: the graphics aren't as good as WOW
[13:52] Whack-a-Noob: $100L please?
[13:52] Whack-a-Noob: are you a boy or a girl RL?
As can be seen in first pic, I whacked only 17 noobs. One problem, which was what decided me against buying it, was that you have to go into mouselook view (interface disappears, you have to target and click), so it requires more skill/patience than I have to master the whackery. Also, would only be amusing if you were sufficiently un-noob to recognise the noob responses and go hohoho so true so true. And is trifling matter of it being a teensy weensy bit anti-noob.  So on balance will stick with mole version.

Still, is against nature to leave a shop without shopping and could not not resist this giant flamingo with multiple sit options. Particularly like the "dangling from the flamingo" pose (2nd pic). You can also see other tempting items in Weather or Not's shop e.g. giant sushi and giant hamburger, but resisted those. Giant Flamingo joins the normal sized unanimated flamingos that already grace my inventory.
The third pic shows giant flamingo in situ on Infolit iSchool, with a little flock of pose-less flamingi, including one discovered in Inventory's Library ie everyone has it for free (go look!), but like most Library items it is constructed of zillions of prims and is endearingly retro. It's the borked-looking flamingo at the back. Felt impelled to put it out of its misery (Right Click, delete!) as soon as the pic was taken. (Question: why did Linden Lab think its users would be in need, specifically, of a mishapen virtual flamingo rather than (say) a mishapen virtual cat? Discuss)

So, onwards to final items in check list above, i.e. springing into autumn and random disintegration of Infolit iSchool. Had left Infolit in spring mode because had been filming for the MOOC on Play (of which more in future posts, if can be bothered) and was concerned that might need to do some extra filming to fit in with what was already done. However, filming over now, and appear to have passed summer by, so straight to autumn it is. Must be said that, in SL terms, summer is dullest of 4 seasons and one with least special trees, ground textures etc. So, not a problem to skip it, really.

Deleted or took various cherry trees, ground cover, and the odd lurking narcissus or snowdrop, changed all the alder trees to autumn using a HUD (one click and they all turn brown) and then brought out some old favourites such as the mixed leaf cover and the Heart brand autumn oak. Finally changed ground textures so the spring carpets of flowers turned to mossy and leafy greeny-brown.

Only blight on proceedings was that noticed later on that some buildings/trees/etc. were disappearing until you got v.v. close. Can see this in final pic; is blank space where you ought to see Sakura House (which, being called sakura (=cherry blossom) house retains its sakura even when everything else is autumnal/ covered in snow). Not sure whether disappearing was due to my graphics card or SL playing up, but think probably the former, as seemed a lot better after restarted computer.

Anyway, there I am contemplating the unusually bare horizon, waiting to hitch a ride in an automobile that will never, ever come, unless, that is, a passing noob finds one of the free vehicles in  the welcome pack and gets his kicks on route 66 by crashing into me.

Gift, Exhibit, Orange

No of items found in inventory when search "pumpkin": lost count after 50 (bad); No of gifts: 1 (v. good); No. of free prims on Infolit iSchool: 526 (bad); No. of times neighbour's security orb attempted to eject me from own land: 18 in 3 minutes (bad)

Tis the season of mellow fruitfulness and halloween overdrive, so am stuffing inventory with floating candles, spooky houses, spooky greenhouses, tombstones, poisoned cauldrons, and some v. questionable items, namely a noose pose set and a burn-the-witch bonfire. Latter is great fun as you stand at the stake with flames licking round you, making unrealistic shrieking noises.

As usual have set up Halloween house on Infolit, this year in a shack on the hill. New items include aforementioned cauldron (dispenses apples which cause you to fall dead) and v. good ghost in form of flying pumpkin, from New Trails. Pancha has contributed an animated skeleton and some freebie candles that she created for a Day of The Dead project. Also had tombstone that dispensed ghost that followed you round saying she wanted her mummy. Spooky.
However, when visited tomb just now, the GHOST HAD DISAPPEARED, and was no longer to be seen in the Contents tab of the tombstone. That is even spookier, frankly, and also means product no longer works. Could ask for replacement, but on the whole that is just too much effort.
Meanwhile have a pumpkin for all purposes: pumpkin heads, pumpkin lights, pumpkin chairs, pumpkin to look like cats' heads; pumpkin soup; pumpkin pie; pumpkin gun; pumpkin earrings; pumpkins that come and hit you if you click them; static pumpkins of every size and hue; not to mention pumpkin-coloured boots, necklaces, shrugs etc. etc.
Am trying to show restraint, as it tempting to just pull everything out and Paint The Island Orange. Is easier since am fighting continual prim war. Students have been populating their mini islands, and I have been encouraging them to fill islands with stuff, but has now reached stage when really want to say DO YOU REALLY NEED YET ANOTHER PALM TREE but is easier to just keep zooming round trimming prims here and there.

Latest things to go were an old barbie (40 prims, see pic) and the cardboard house that was lurking under the Farradane Centre. Have fond memories of getting drunk with Pancha and Ishbel over that barbie, but is four years old, so postively vintage.
Autumnal colour added to by a) my final "52 weeks of colour" frock, which have selected from Caverna Obscura and b) v. pretty set of marigolds in vase on cute rustic stool which was unexpected gift from Hanaya's owner. Have got v. few blogger gifts to date, in fact think has only been 4 of which 1 (set of shoes) was v. useful, 1 (jewellery from Magpie) was pretty, and 2 were useless as were short dresses of kind do not wear.
At once opened box and tried to take pic to show gift-giver. Was thwarted for some time
1) Went to Fantasy Woods corner of Noyo. Was immediately bombarded with messages saying that was about to be ejected: neighbour must have set his security orb thoughtlessly wide. Loathe security orbs. IMed neighbour and await response.
2) Crashed
3) Logged in and went to autumn house and started to rez marigolds,
4) Crashed
5) Rezzed marigiolds
6) Crashed
7) Crashed again. Perhaps was Curse of the security Orb.
8) Tried logging into Infolit iSchool instead. Success!
9) Noticed Quilt was missing. retrieved her from under building. How DO they get down there.
10) Posed with Naomi. (see pic)
11) By this time had forgotten why had gone into SL in first place and started playing with Quilt.

Will use marigolds in final 52 weeks of colour post, as harmonises so well with dress. Am sad 52 weeks challenge is almost over. However, at approx 2 hrs per post x 52 weeks = 104 hrs, means have spent 3 working weeks on blogging virtual clothes for not many people to look at. Hmmm. Still, it was fun.