Travelogue: Downs, Windemere, Loch Avie

I was on the verge of continuing the tour of Caledon with a trip to Windemere when I saw something strange on the map: Caledon Downs, right where it used to be. The area disappeared last July, replaced with Ahavah. I wonder what happened?

In any event, not much was in evidence. The Caledon railway had an attractive rail bridge:

The C.A.T. station was named after Ahavah:




("Heaven's Gate"? Uh, let's hope the Duke and Duchess didn't join a cult and commit suicide.) The rest of the Downs was on the rugged side:

Moving east to Windemere, one finds a sparsely-populated residential area, divided by a tall hill (or a small mountain, depending on one's perspective).








Past Windemere is the duchy of Loch Avie, which has recently changed hands. The new duchess, Angel, must still be in the process of landscaping the area.


So many changes in such a short time!

Last Days of Caledon Downs

I could see the end coming... the Downs was often less than full, and occasionally very empty. This does not signal a long and happy life.

I was a founding resident of the Downs - I asked the Guv to be placed on the waiting list for Caledon land (oh yes, children, in the Days of Yore, demand outstripped supply) and my name on the list came up around the time that the Guv opened the Downs. But, despite what seemed to be an ideal central location, the Downs never regained the traction it lost when the Steampunk Resource Centre left.

RJ house number 2

My original house, next to Glengarry

Miss Mariya Obolensky's property

The Caledon Downs Airfield

Miss Spinweaver Radmussen's house

Miss Belisa Bing's barn and, in the distance, house

 

The Duport Camp (Mr. Weird Duport)

On the Move

The paintings were all off the walls. I carefully put away the last of the china and used a wrinkled lace handkerchief to wipe the sweat from my brow. The Victrola - a gift from the Aether Salon - was carefully stowed away. Only the furniture remained in place, and the movers were scheduled to cart everything away tomorrow.

As residents of the Steamlands well know, the entire area - and especially Caledon and its nearby environs - is subject to wide-scale tectonic changes. Most of those occur very quickly and unexpectedly, as the revelers on Mondserrat (or, more recently, the residents of Cala Mondrago) can attest. Fortunately, we residents of Caledon Downs had ample warning of the impending change and could pack and move in an orderly manner.

Still, as I locked the house door behind me, I felt a pang of nostalgia. This was my first home in the Steamlands - and, until this point, my only home. Were I selling it to a happy newcomer, or perhaps a couple expecting their first child, any regrets would be tempered with the happiness of seeing someone else take pleasure in the house. Neighbors came and went with regularity, but all were good people.

For the moment, I was homeless. However, the Guvnah takes care of his people, and kindly helped me negotiate for a property on Aether Isle, in the shadow of Steam Sky City. I engaged my trusty airship, the Hangover Two, placed the china, Victrola, and other mementos in the cargo hold, and set a course due west.

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In another possible telling of this story, the Guv has decided that the weak land market and low occupancy rate in the Downs requires him to close Caledon Downs. I will indeed be residing on Aether Isle. Mrs. Volare has kindly suggested a metal roof to better repel debris falling from Steam Sky City; given the mischief that goes on up there, I might need something even stronger.

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In all seriousness, I'd like to thank Des for how incredibly easy he made the process. I know shrinking Caledon's size can't be easy for him, the decision being made palatable only because the alternative - continuing to lose money on a sim that's not close to being full - is even worse. While he has every right to be grumpy about the situation, he was his usual incredible going-out-of-his-way self in getting me (and the others) out of the Downs and settled elsewhere.

Changes in Caledon Downs

The Jamesons stroll about the neighborhood again...

The horrible Gorean house is gone, replaced by a lovely Victorian home and garden of Mrs. (?) Treasa Fortis. It occurs to me, not for the first time, that it's a good thing Caledon doesn't have the same cost of real estate transactions as does that First Life thing, given the way people come and go. [Note from the Editrix: People's affections are often fickle. This lovely house is gone, and the property is now a prim farm for the Estro Estate. - RJ]


Miss Puddlegum continues to develop her properties, both in the bay near Kintyre, where a fishing spot has been established, and on the ridge.




The Haven Township sales office is gone, the land now owned by a Mr. Gaius Dabu. I must say that I found it strange to have a sales office for a different estate located in the heart of Caledon.

I'm told that Miss Kellen McKenna is looking to sell her property near the Southend border.

In more general news, the Guv apparently said on ISC Chat that Caledon now has very few vacant properties. If so, that seems to represent a substantial improvement over the case a few months back, and may signal an end to the real estate downturn.

It Burns! It Buuuurrrrns!

In Caledon Downs, a threesome enjoying life One of the three was dressed thusly:

My retinas may have been damaged. The photo does not do her bling justice. The necklace would shoot out random jets of sparkle. The boots were on "continuous sparkle."

At least all three were fully clothed. Or as fully clothed as the picture above suggests. Thank goodness for small mercies.

New Neighbors

Miss Audrey Fotherington sold her property up the hill from mine in Caledon Downs to a couple named Estro. Judging by the flag out front, Mr. and Mrs. Estro have typists who are Russian. They have the lovely house below - one of the largest houses I have seen.

The view from the back yard:

I wish the couple a long and happy stay in the Downs!

Home Defense

I decided to install Dr. Garth Goode's new Fantastic Force Field for home protection - keeping out the scamps, Mainlanders, and such.*

It installs quickly and creates an impenetrable barrier to those seeking to enter.**

Unfortunately, the field is active on either side, creating a similarly impenetrable barrier against those wishing to leave the premises.

Fortunately, I have an ample stock of absinthe and crackers in the larder. I'm sure someone will wander by one of these days and turn off the field.

*Not really. I don't care who wanders in when I'm not there. Bring a friend and a six-pack! Just clean up after yourselves.

**Well, impenetrable, except for the opening on either side, allowing one to simply walk around it.

Two Incidents of Semi-Amusement

As I awoke from a lengthy nap the other day, in the house nestled at the bottom of the ridge in Caledon Downs, I heard a sound nearby, as though someone were engaged in heavy construction. After throwing off my dressing gown and getting decently dressed, I ventured outside, prepared to meet a new neighbor.

What I saw instead was a monstrous house, with much glass constructed as though a number of cubes were stacked on top of and next to one another (a style that, I am told by those who can foretell the future, will be popular in the 1960s). This house was resting precariously on an outcropping next to Miss Audrey Fotherington's property and poised directly over Rhianon's house, the one I was currently occupying.

I climbed the hill, intending to give the builder - clearly a squatter on Commonwealth land - a piece of my mind when he disappeared, leaving behind his ugly house and possessions. [OOC note: the owner of the prims - or the perp, as I think of him - was over 500 days old, plenty old enough to know better. He had logged out when he saw me coming.] In no time at all, I had been joined by a number of Caledonians interested in seeing just how awful styles in the future would be. Miss Garnet Psaltery, Miss Gwynna Cleanslate, Mr. Alastair Whybrow, Mr. Roy Smashcan, and Mr. Jorge Serapis all gathered on that hill, kindly providing companionship and support as I stared at the building. Mr. Whybrow noted that the house and furnishings were occupying more than 500 prims, nearly a good-sized piece of jewelry for him!

Mr. Serapis, though not an Estate Manager, nonetheless had some powers that were beyond those of a mere citizen, and was able to send the house and its contents back to whatever hell they came from while the rest of us cheered him on. His assistance was gratefully appreciated. [As it turned out, some of the house rested on Miss Fotherington's property, leaving it beyond the reach of Mr. Serapis and his talents. I left Miss Fotherington a note, and she gleefully returned the rest of the build when she was next in-world.]

Mr. Serapis' day was not yet done, however, as he had heard of or seen a property in the Downs with ban lines around it. Ban lines, of course, are prohibited by the Covenant and are a severe navigational hazard to airships. He found the property adjacent to Miss Falcon's chess board. We followed him to observe the amazing sight:

Mr. Bander Mynx owns the property and the structure below, a two-story-plus-garret house apparently built for giants, and complete with Gorean slave cage.

Mr. Mynx returned home about that time [No doubt hearing some of the discussion on ISC chat. :) ] He was unaware that he had restricted access to the property, and the situation was quickly resolved. Still, one has to wonder what would prompt someone (of under 3 months age) to purchase a dwelling such as this one, including the slave cage. One would think that, at the very least, the Catgirl Brigade might be amused to use the house as target practice.

Did the Guvnah put up new signs that advertised Caledon as the perfect spot for a bit of light Victorian slave roleplay? Or is the sign smudged so that "Victorian" now looks like "Gorean"?

This too shall pass...

Winter has Arrived in Caledon

The snows have come early and hard in Caledon Downs. Not all of the leaves have gone from the trees, and yet we have piles of the white stuff already. One might think we were in Europe!

In my view, this is when the Steamlands are at their most beautiful.

Caledon Downs in October: Quilts and More

When I returned from my time away, I was not surprised to see a number of new neighbors, as well as some vacant lots. Yes, that means it's once again time for my roundup of what's new in Caledon Downs.

First, however, Miss Audrey Fotherington has organized a quilt exhibition.

The quilts display a wide array of designs...

...including some well-known colors...

...displayed both outside and in.

Miss Fotherington also owns the property next door to mine on the Tamrannoch lake, previously owned by Mr. Thrice Skyward.

Miss Reghan Straaf's Hatpins store (which became the Hatpins outlet store) is now owned by Miss CeCe Bruissardt.

Miss Bruissardt is across the street from Miss SpinWeaver Radmussen, whose property has taken an Autumnal turn.

Around the corner is a property formerly occupied by Grandma's Graphics and now the residence of Mr. Titiro Arriager.


Near the South End border is Miss Kellen McKenna's store, the Saucy Snapdragon Breedables Shop. This seemed quite intriguing to me - dragons for sale in Caledon! - so I took the liberty of entering the shop.

For better or worse, the only animals for sale were small rabbits.


Near the Glengarry border, Miss True Irelund sold her property next to mine and purchased the former Steampunk Resource Centre location down the hill, along the lake. In addition, she purchased what was once Professor Swindlehurt's airship dock, extending her property into a lovely yard, with a small, well-cared-for house nestled against the hill.

Alas, the lot next door to mine is now vacant, as is Mr. Monty Streusel's former property. The Guvnah has spruced up both properties with trees and tall grasses, so the neighborhood still looks quite sharp.

My trip around the Downs complete, I sit at my desk, composing these notes.

The Very Expansive Definition of 'Victorian'

Perhaps I'm just crabby today.

First up, seen in Glengarry: Miss Nikki Kimono and Miss Violet Jolles. (I realize I risk sending the wrong message about Caledon to Dr. Beck, who will leave his home in Steelhead Shanghai in search of scantily-clad Caledonian beauties. So be it. )


Now, I'm not really complaining about their attire. The more people who see Caledon, the better. There's no dress code. Still, are you comfortable roaming about Miss Jillian Vayandar's estate dressed like that? Aren't you a tad chilly?

But what really made me cranky was to see the site of the old Steampunk Resource Centre transformed into...I don't know what. But take a look:

Note that the yellow house in the background is Rhianon's. The waterfall suggests the foundation is likely to be in serious trouble, what with the underground stream obviously eminating from beneath her house. The structure in the foreground is...Moorish? In any event, not remotely Victorian. Or Steampunk. Even by a generous definition.

One advantage of more tightly-controlled areas, such as Steelhead or New Babbage, is that the leader/mayor/dictator can ensure that builds adhere to the theme. The Babbage "brand" - grimy, sooty, industrial Victorian - is not diluted by random builds. Caledon is different...more relaxed in its adherence to theme. Fair enough, I suppose. But why would one want to plant stakes in Caledon, with its Victorian Steampunk theme, only to build something else? It's a big grid.

If this were an isolated incident, I'd say that things happen, and not worry about it. But these kinds of...unusual sights are fairly common. Hey, I can't build a lick, but there are plenty of talented people who sell nice Victorian homes!

New Neighbors - August

The shifting sands of local real estate moved once again. At the bottom of the hill, on the Glengarry border, Miss Soliel Snook has a small cottage.


Next door to me in the Downs, close to the Tamrannoch border, is my one-time neighbor, Mr. Jer Mannonen. Mr. Mannonen continues to have an interest in autism education.


On top of the hill, next to my other Downs property, on the Glengarry border, and, coincidentally what used to be Mr. Mannonen's property, now is the Downs residence of Miss True Irelund.


A warm welcome to all three new neighbors!

A New Neighbor (Again)

Miss Radmussen, having desired and obtained a larger property in the Downs, sold her piece of land next to mine to a Mr. Thrice Skyward, a furry gentleman. (Not that there's anything wrong with that.)

Mr. Skyward is the proprietor of the Steamboat Energy Co., and the building below is listed as the Caledon Downs Annex.


A small change in the landscape occurred as well: the small waterfall behind my house apparently eroded some land, creating a stream to the lake on the Downs/Glengarry/Tamrannoch border.


Soon I shall be entirely at the mercy of boats and airships to get in and out of the house!

On the bright side, that will help keep down the population of drifters who are able to find the place.

Gor Visits Caledon

I was sitting in Chez Jameson, in Caledon Downs, enervated by the day's heat and attempting to restore a semblance of humanity by sipping a cool gin and tonic when motion in my peripheral vision caught my attention. I looked, then looked again, as I was not prepared to believe my eyesight the first time.

But, indeed, I had not been deceived: a young Gorean lady was walking through the Downs. I almost asked if she was lost, but the heat, the comfortable chair, and the beverage all conspired to restrain my manners.

She seemed harmless enough, if a bit underdressed. For a moment I wondered if this was the long-awaited Gorean retaliation for the Jameson girls' adventure in Gor-land. It seemed unlikely. She passed, and I returned to silent contemplation.

A Question of Ethics

In wandering through the Downs, I noticed this small store front. It reads "Haven Rental Office."


On the side of the building is a sign advertising Haven Township. The sign reads: "Explore this unique community! Shop & Land rentals... Steampunk vehicles, Gadgets & more"


On the one hand, promoting Steampunk-themed areas is good business for everyone involved. Indeed, the late Steampunk Resource Centre, just up the road in Caledon Downs, did just that.

On the other hand, promoting rentals in another sim...it's using the Guvnah's own properties to advertise for the competition. Somehow that doesn't seem quite right. I have nothing against Lady Kenyon - I have met her once, during a hunt, and she is a lovely and talented person. And perhaps the Guv is fine with the whole concept. It just seems odd.

Should anyone be curious, Haven Township does have some Steampunk elements, as the Aetheric Power Co. depicted below shows:


I tend to think of it as somewhat later than the traditional Steampunk era (should such a thing exist), which I tend to think of as encompassing the mid-to-late Victorian age, with some Edwardian era thrown in for good measure. The cars and buildings in Haven Township seem a little later than that, though I'll admit to being no expert on the subject.