Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Flying

Flying seems to be a big thing in SL. I always thought of it as fun, and then immediately ditched the idea because... oh well... sailing has trouble with simcrossing. Imagine what trouble a jet will experience. It will be at the next sim-edge before it is done crossing this one... so to speak. One long sim crossing?
Flying with Rene
Still, I always kept an attack helicopter. It's fun flying, and it will shoot annoying males when they are just that - too annoying. It's a 10 year old freebie, and it looks like a lego toy compared to todays flying machines.
Ready for takeoff

It turns out many of my good old sailing friends appear to have a somewhat secret side to themselves: Flying. Liv has been bitten by a mad helicopter, and also Rene is flying... however she's into gliding, and perhaps that makes a bit of sense, as it's slow enough to not be at a sim-edge every other second.
Close hatches
So, Rene took me flying in this glider here. It was actually quite nice. Nothing compared to the real thing; No dizzyness, no stomach trouble, but still... there is a certain majestic silence when you are just gliding around ...
Two sticks
This one has two sticks, so I could actually try and control the thing; Rene seemed quite calm about it. She went on talking about upwinds and stuff. Dunno how they simulate that in SL, as we are having loads of trouble just making the sailboat see a sort of realistic wind.
Fly low or see nothing
Never mind the upwinds. We need to fly low anyway. SL only renders stuff within a few hundred meters - or whichever amount you choose in the settings - so if you're up in the sky, there's no land to see. No fun. Stay "under the radar" and you can see stuff while you crash, teehee.
Lower
That's more like it. I am pretty sure noone would do that in RL, but hey... it's not like anything happens if we crash. The plane won't get a single scratch; Neither will the pilots. Worst case scenario would be - maybe - a relog but only if we're very unlucky.
Approaching
No worries. Rene took us down safe and sound. Lot's of obstacles as you can see. The sim was actually very nice. Hangars, radio towers and other plane related stuff all around. It's worth a TP just to walk around and explore.
Touching down
Here we are almost touching down after a nice trip up in the air. Maybe it's not a full simulator, but the instruments worked and well... it kinda felt like flying. Perhaps I should get me a secret hobby too. Thanx for taking me flying, Rene.



Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Summer

It's cold, wet and windy outside. The darkness is taking over. Anyone else missing summer?
Missing summer
I know I am. Sailing, swimming, tanning. Drinking cold rosewine while listening to the endlessly repeating sound of cicadas. (Cigales)
A view over the ocean
In that respect Sl is selling dreams; So many dreamy places to go. So many amazing builds. I guess the builders of this place has the same summery urge.
Chillin...
 It's just too far away right now. Sigh. Big sigh.



Sunday, November 10, 2019

Kayaking

Kayaking isn't what I've done the most. However, there is a certain kind of zen about it. Kinda like singlehanded sailboat sailing. It's just you and the element.
Splish, splash, splish, splash,...
That sensation, - the calmness of singlehanded sailing, - can be recreated in SL. The same goes for kayaking (and canoeing), and if the scenery is right, it's truly a breathtaking experience.
Ocean right here, mountains in the back.
However, it takes a rather good computer, as the viewing distance must be set high in order to see those distant mountains.
What kinda canoe is it?
I did a bit of kayak-polo in RL. This kayak here does not resemble those kayaks. It doesn't look much like the ocean kayaks they use in the local kayak club either. It's a little too big for my preference, but that doesn't change the kayaking sensation much.
Into the unknown
Perhaps it's the right size for sailing an ocean with waves and such. I dunno. In any case, it feels quite safe to sail, and I'd recommend it after af hefty day at work. Unless ofcourse you have access to a real kayak.
Seagulls are forever in motion
After a kayaking trip it's always nice to sit and think. Maybe rest a bit before sailing back. Luckily it's SL, so teleporting is also an option.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Exploring new things

It's been a while. New things on the horizon in RL as well as in SL. Stumbled upon this place. So quiet, so pretty...
Just amazing
I rode around for a while; Loads of beautiful places. Lots of things to explore.
Yay
Even met a friend there.
Such a vue
This will take hours to explore. Days even. So many great places with ambiance and all. Love it. I wonder if there's a boat somewhere - all this water screams for boats.