Ava Heart

I try to keep the Relay for Life posts to a minimum, especially out of season, but I found Ava Heart to be quite charming (and I enjoyed the punning name!). Miss Burke Nenoir has created a series of hearts for RFL. Donate to the heart(s) of your choosing, or simply donate at the RFL kiosk near the doorway.

"It's what's inside that counts…" So true.

Heartbeats are very important. I know my own is particularly important to me.

One can sit and enjoy a complimentary Cosmopolitan - it seems to be a refreshing beverage made with cranberry and lime juices, and I'm certain there is no alcohol at all in one - at a table made from what appears to be a giant Cosmopolitan. Oh yes, and that RFL thing again.

I heard about Ava Heart through the incomparable Crap Mariner. If he's not careful, people will start thinking he's an old softie.

The Vicereine Visits Hope Beach

One picture that didn't make it into the previous posts on RFL (and then I promise not to mention those three initials for many months): Kami paid a visit to the Team Caledon camp site.

I presume the gossamer wings helped on the track (though it's unclear if anything truly helps slice through the lag)... the lady surely just borrowed the halo, however. :)

RFL in Second Life for 2011

This was my fourth RFL, and I enjoyed chatting with friends as we cheered on the runners. I had various obligations both Saturday and Sunday, so I wasn't on much and didn't try to run a lap through the lag, but I did take several pictures of the activities at Caledon's Hope Beach:

Miss Renee Caxton, Col. CronoCloud Creeggan, and Miss Yenta Bernheim

Miss Solace Fairlady, RFL Team Caledon Co-Captain Miss Patty Poppy, and Mr. Lucien Brentano on the boardwalk as I lurk in the background.

On the boardwalk, Miss Dream Wexan and Miss Random Wezzog.

A motley crew of Caledonians dances while supporting the runners.

Caledon was again well-represented among the top runners: Mr. Viderian Vollmar was in second place, with 40.69 laps;* Miss Darlingmonster Ember was fourth with 38.23; in seventh place was Miss Solace Fairlady, with 34.29 laps; Miss Kiralette Kelley came in 13th with 27.63; Miss Random Wezzog was 15th, at 26.57; and Frau Annechen Lowey was 19th, at 25.37 laps. Well done! (Data from http://slrfl.maintree.com)

* I'm told Mr. Vollmar was officially third, and that the additional laps came later. Either way, very impressive.

RFL Builds of the Steamlands

The night before the Relay, I snuck onto the track to look for the Steamlands' builds, and found a number of good ones.

I started in the Team Caledon camp, Hope Beach, a Victorian seashore resort, complete with bath houses, a carnival stage, and airships galore.

Down the road a bit was the properly piratical Armada build:

After that I found the marvelous New Babbage build:

There was even a hope factory! Who knew that's how hope is made?

A little further down the road, I saw a build that looked ever so much like New Babbage in the winter:

And indeed it was! A miniature New Babbage, just because.

Nearby was the Steelhead camp:

The two ghostly dancers waltzed on and on...

Another marvelous set of builds!

Airship Rally Across Caledon

Saturday saw the great Time Essential Airship Wreck Rally, organized by Miss Darlingmonster Ember and Miss Solace Fairlady, and originating and ending in Port Caledon.

Three plucky fliers took part: Mr. Nathaniel Lorefield...

...Miss Jed Dagger...

...and Mr. Lucien Brentano.

The goal was to hit nine marks across Caledon, and to drop a piece of the airship on a target at each location. Points were given for speed and accuracy.

A large, enthusiastic crowd gathered at the starting platform. Lady Gabrielle Riel, the Duchess of Carntaigh, provided excellent commentary throughout the rally, with more than a half-dozen judges providing updates to her as the racers arrived at the checkpoints.

L to R: Captain Wildstar Beaumont, Miss Ember, Miss Callipygian Christensen, Mr. PJ Trenton

Of course, the event was also a fundraiser for RFL. Both the pilot entry fees and spectator contributions went toward Team Caledon's RFL donation.

L to R: Captain Beaumont, Miss Christensen, Mr. Trenton, Mr. Geoffrey Xenobuilder

Mr. Xenobuilder, Miss Solace Fairlady

Lady Gabrielle, Miss Bookworm Hienrichs

Miss Dagger's ship hits the starting target

Miss Fairlady, Miss Christensen, Miss Rowen Derryth

Mrs. Breezy Carver Fabre, channeling her inner Mary Poppins, Steampunk-style

Mr. Lorefield's airship returns to the starting point, a little worse for wear

The race was an exciting one. Mr. Brentano started by dropping himself on the initial target, scoring a direct hit that was perhaps outside the intent of the rules. He later suffered an all-too-familiar mishap at a sim crossing and vanished from the world. He was last seen hurtling off the grid at a high speed. We had a moment of silence for the fallen participant.

Miss Dagger went off with a quick start and at one point caught up to Mr. Lorefield. (The racers had staggered start times.) She had a little bad luck with the targets, dropping parts of her airship with great accuracy, only to have them bounce off the target and land clear.

Mr. Lorefield, the eventual winner, made it through the first seven checkpoints with little difficulty, only to run into a full parcel around checkpoint eight, losing his entire airship back to inventory. (Ah, problems that first life rallies lack!) He eventually made it back to the course and to the finish line.

A great day for flying, as well as for RFL. Well done!

New Babbage Land Auction for RFL

On Saturday, in New Babbage, Clockwinder Tenk auctioned off a number of parcels of "prime industrial land" in Wheatstone Waterways for the benefit of Relay for Life. Each parcel came with a month of tier on the meter.

Mr. Rip Wirefly was the auctioneer for the afternoon, keeping the bids rising.

The auction attracted quite a crowd, including a number of spirited bidders, Mr. Jonathon Spires (right) and Master Jimmy Branagh (center) among them.

Also bidding (and winning) were Miss Cutea Benelli and Mr. Steadman Kondor.

The Clockwinder (left) sits by Master Tepic Harlequin.

Although the bids on the parcels started out modestly, some parcels attracted bidding wars - in one case, starting from a mere L$500, bidders drove the price above L$5000. In all, L$27,000 was raised for RFL, and an entire section of Wheatstone Waterways received new owners. Well done!

RFL 2010 - Lunar & Tensai's Alice Build

One of the designer builds at this year's RFL race was that of Steelhead's Mr. TotalLunar Eclipse and Miss Tensai Hilra, titled "Alice." A lovely, haunted site, filled with Steampunk and Gothic elements as well as nods to Alice in Wonderland.

I loved the mechanical caterpillar:

Below is the "Hydro-Teslatron," a recreation of an exhibit in Niagara Falls, celebrating both the harnessing of the waterfall for electrical power and the contributions of Nikola Tesla to electricity.

The Steamlands have some of the most talented people anywhere on the grid!

RFL 2010 - Steamlands Builds

Some scenes from the RFL builds:

First, the New Babbage camp site.

I checked the oil well, and the seals seemed secure.

One could stop for refreshment.

And, of course, it wouldn't be New Babbage if there weren't a functioning engine powering the whole thing.

At the Steelhead camp, the theme was "automated Pinocchio," and the various rooms told the story:

The automatons sit in the classroom:

Armada Breakaway's camp focuses on their flotilla, adapted for land. Yes, those are pigs pulling the vehicle.

Caledon's "auxiliary" location was the Volares' Our Lady of Hope designer build, transplanted from Caer Firnas.