Wandering Through Caledon

After paying one last visit to Fuschia's Frocks in Wellsian (as Miss Begonia announced the store would be closing shortly), I decided to wander about, as it was a nice evening and I had been such a homebody lately.

I ambled through Wellsian, the little corner of Stormhold that connects Wellsian to Regency, through Regency, through Eyre, and into Tanglewood.

I'm a shy person by nature, but it disturbed even me that I encountered only one other person, a lonely shopkeeper.

It seemed a good night to spend under the stars, contemplating the enormity of the universe and how few people are in it some days.

The Eight Wonders of Caledon are Announced

Sunday afternoon, in lovely Tanglewood forest, saw the penultimate event of Caledon's RFL season: the naming of the Eight Wonders of Caledon, followed by an Auction.

A large crowd gathered in the forest to await the results. [Editrix's note: I was feeling under the weather, or I would have been there as well. - RJ] Caledon RFL Co-Captain, Mrs. Fogwoman Volare, was the mistress of ceremonies.


Miss Darlingmonster Ember and Miss Garnet Psaltery, both looking quite spectacular:

Captain Starling Alecto, Mr. Claymore Macbain (dressed in his wee tartan), Miss Stereo Nacht, and Mr. Jorge Serapis:

Mr. Geoggrey Xenobuilder, Miss Riven Homewood, and Mr. Red Quixote:

Mr. Carl Metropolitan and Mr. Excalibur Longstaff:

Your humble Journalist, with Mr. Nicolas Verne (looking very...familiar, as though he might be Herr Baron Klaus Wulfenbach's twin):

Captain Wrath Constantine and our newly-crowned Miss Caledon, Aevalle Galicia:

Mr. Rudolfo Woodget:

Miss Gerr Huntress and Captain Rachire Andel:


Mrs. Volare read the results as follows:

1. The Fort at Cape Wrath


2. The Clocktower at Cape Wrath


3. Iron Cloud Fortress


4. (tie) Caledon Oxbridge and Steam Sky City


5. (tie) The Observatory at Caledon Highlands and the Cavorite Mines


6. Air Kraken


7. the Village of Brigadoon


8. the Caledon Library System

These were met with a great deal of applause and enthusiasm. The careful reader will note that the Eight Wonders just became the Ten Wonders; such is the magic of Caledon.


The above pictures, along with a few others, may be seen at this Aetheric site.

As evening fell, the business at hand turned to an Auction of various items to benefit RFL. I could stay for only the first two items, which were a set of men's hats by Miss Regan Straaf, and an exquisite Steampunk guitar - complete with rotating gears and vacuum tubes! - by Mr. Red Quixote. Miss Psaltery (I believe) won the hats, while a fierce bidding war that brought the total to 1500 Lindens was won by Miss Autopilotpatty Poppy. Later, Miss Psaltery and Mr. Denny Kozlov were to have auctioned themselves - or, more properly put, dates with themselves, as the Guvnah frowns upon involuntary servitude.

Gorey Ball for RFL (take 2)

(Note of explanation: I should learn not to try new things late at night. I had taken so many pictures that I thought it best to set up a Flickr account and upload the pictures there. So far, so good. Then I saw that Flickr allowed me to link to my Blogger account and actually post a Journal entry via Flickr. How wonderful! I thought, only to have my hopes dashed by discovering that I could link to one and only one picture that way. By then it was a little on the late side, so I thought I'd write a little text and fix it the next evening, only to find that the picture was the only thing displaying on the Difference Engine's screen. It was the lovely picture of the lovely Mrs. Fogwoman Gray-Volare below, but still, there was text accompanying it, and a link to Flickr. Ah well. Consequently, Take 2, the Old-Fashioned Way.)

On Sunday evening, Mrs. Volare held a ball to benefit RFL, choosing as a theme the American writer and illustrator Edward Gorey, whose black-and-white, vaguely Victorian illustrations made him famous. (Perhaps his most visible contribution was the drawings for the opening sequence of the PBS Mystery! series.)

The dance area was creatively decked out in Gorey fashion (courtesy, I am told, by the esteemed Mr. Vivito Volare who, alas, could not be in attendance Sunday night).




Mrs. Volare, our hostess:

Miss Garnet Psaltery, dressing the part to a T:

Caledon RFL co-captain Mr. Lucien Brentano, in a black-and-white striped suit:

Also daring white as well as black, your humble scribe:

Miss Martini Discovolante:

Miss Serra Weatherwax, scaring innocent partygoers enough to require the emergency bloomers (to steal a line from the Clockwork Cabaret):


These and still other daguerrotypes are available here.

Miss Magdalena Kamenev provided the music, offering a selection of jazz tunes from the 1930s or thereabouts.

Gorey Ball for RFL

Mrs. Fogwoman Gray-Volare

Sunday evening found me in a monochromatic state, attending Mrs. Fogwoman Gray-Volare's Edward Gorey-themed ball for RFL.

The setting, high above Tanglewood Forest, was created by Mr. Volare, and perfectly evoked Gorey's eerie drawings.

Miss Magdalena Kamenev provided the soundtrack for the evening, playing 1930s jazz standards, and many Linden dollars went to RFL.

For the entire set of daguerrotypes created that evening, see this Flickr stream.

The Purple Prom for RFL

On Saturday afternoon, Mrs. Volare (Fogwoman Gray), co-chair of Caledon's RFL team, hosted a dance in lush Tanglewood Forest to kick off Caledon's RFL events. Miss Soliel Snook played upbeat music from a variety of eras.

Miss Snook dances with Mr. Gabriel Psaltery.


Miss Garnet Psaltery, Prim Perfect publisher Miss Saffia Widdershins, and Caledon newcomer Miss Kirey Somersley. Mr. Psaltery is the nephew of long-time Caledonian Miss Psaltery.


Miss Elize Foxclaw dances with Mr. Monty Streusel.


Miss Ranma Tardis.


I dance. My neighbor, Miss SpinWeaver Radmussen, is in the background.


Miss Widdershins.


Mr. and Mrs. Vivito Volare.


Miss Darlingmonster Ember, in a most magical gown.


The dapper Mr. Bodhisatva Paperclip.


Miss Elizabeth Burleigh, with Miss Random Wezzog in the background.

Though the event started out a little short of gentlemen (though, with the exception of Mr. Paperclip, not short gentlemen, I hasten to add), others, including Professor Paracelsus Schonberg and Mr. Jorge Serapis, arrived. No doubt this is but the first event for Caledon's RFL team.

One can only wonder what the fund-raising capabilities of a combined Steamlands team might be...