Happy 16th Anniversary

Happy 16th Anniversary to my beloved Christine.

Thank you for putting up with me and your patience for all these years.

Snow comes to New Babbage!

The annual scramble for extra prims has begun in earnest in New Babbage as winter arrives in full force.



I love this time of year, quite possibly because my typist has never had to shovel his car out from under the snow before leaving for work, or has been unable to travel because of the roads being iced over.

Still, the festive spirit has begun and I'm looking forward to seeing how things look.

A New Home

After many weeks and a large number of carts, crates and tea chests, not to mention some amazing feats of engineering, Primbroke Manor has been relocated to New Babbage.

My announcement that we were now officially based in Babbage came a surprise to a few. Some already thought I had a home base here. I supposed I've grown into the community.

The grounds will take some time to get into order but I'm happy to have a Mooring Tower again installed in the house. It's nice to have a home base.

Household Portrait

This was something that Christine and I had intended to have ready some time ago, but in between house moves, gardening, winter, and various other sundry things we never seemed to be able to get everyone together for the portrait.

However earlier this month we finally got everyone together for the household portrait. Mrs. Clowes, Giles, Gears and Nell all had their best uniforms on. And Nell is such a slight lass. The staff have been given holidays, with most visiting family. Gears is off exploring but I get regular messages.

Christine has made the rooms in the Rokery comfortable for the moment, until such time as the new house is ready. It's rather more pokey than I'm used to dealing with though I'm sure I'll survive.

Farewell Edison.

*sighs*

The tea chests and moving crates are littered through the house. Mr. Giles and Mr. Gears and tackling the heavier stuff while Christine and Nell are wrapping ornaments and packing them into straw and boxes.



We moved to Edison in May when the realities of finance were faced and giving up the quarter sim in Rothesay was the only practical option. True we didn't move into a bedsit in Edison but it was still sad. This time however the choice has not been ours.

Edison will cease to exist and the sim itself will be reborn as another part of New Toulouse. While we have some friends there, including its owner, NT was never a sim that had any pull for me. Gators and swamps, zombies, and worst of all, NO WINTER! We were offered a spot in the forthcoming Jardin sim based on the Garden district of New Orleans. Historically this area tried very hard to break away from the French architecture and styles and move towards a more Anglicised look. It might have worked, but I felt I would be like some of the people in Caledon or Steelhead who had a house there because it was cheap, not because they had any particular affinity for the sim.

So we're currently passing notes and looking at options but New Babbage may become not just a work and social destination, but home as well. I wonder if the sootites are ready for Christine's spit, polish and elbow grease? :-)

Either gentlemen with no necks and large knuckles may start visiting people in Wheatstone to make them *offers* or there may be one or two *disappearances* in the Palisades.

Either way they will have nothing to do with me.

Economics

Every time I check the Caledon Forums it seems there's a new land ad. Unfortunately one of the more recent ones was my own. Between RL economics, the slow down of sales in SL and my own shorter time to create new product lines I finally reached the conclusion that I could not really afford the large mansion in Rothesay.


From Gordon Square


Looking up from the stream between Rothesay and the Cay


The front door. It was the legend above the door that was the final "YES!" for us in deciding to purchase this house. We had had the same inscribed over the rotunda at Davaar.


My dear Christine and I had spend time and effort decorating


Even to the point of getting custom decorators in to redo the dining room.

We've packed our cases and chests again and have shipped off to Edison. I haven't left Caledon completely. Pearse'd & Cut is still in Victoria City, but it will feel odd not living in Caledon for the first time in nearly 2.5 years.

Secrets Under Caledon

Caledon has many secrets. Some of which you can explore and discover for yourself. As with any changing and fluid thing there are places that can no longer be found: The lair under the ruins of Fort Caledon, the underwater tunnels of Argylle, or the mysterious body in the tunnels under the Port Caledon Theatre.

Some are still around if you go looking.


Sometimes you just have to find the right entrance.


Though not all are obvious.


Some are rather new.


Leading to hidden rooms.


Or choices in direction


And can require a balanced approach.


Deep insights can been uncovered.


Some require to immerse yourself to fully experience them.


Subterranean places can shed light on the history of Caledon, but may make for disturbing realisations.


Others tell tails of Caledon's more recent past and its dealings with smugglers


Some hidden places can be sources of entertainment


Some are home to nefarious individuals


And Things Man Was Not Meant To Know.


There are places that are a delight to travel


Others are not so cheery


And some require you to get into the inner workings of their power to find them.

Dancing in the streets

I've been to a few dances of late that I've been lax in reporting, mainly because of lack of photographs, however some have been quite an interesting evening.


I covered the second dance with the US Inauguration Ball in SL. The main ball lagged like cold molasses but then the sim had close to 70 AVs for most of the night.


The Victorian Ladies' Society held their Baroque Ball which was received well. Here I dance with the Duchess of Fatima.


Steelhead's Luau dance was fun with Hawaiian shirts and grass skirts aplenty.


More recently I hosted an Australia Day party in the Square in Rothesay, and called everyone Bruce.


Even managed to drag the Guv into bit of jig.

Moving a dream

The last of the items were being taken down from the walls, the paintings slotted into their packing cases, the stuffed animals into teachests, the furniture covered in dust cloths.

"Your Grace?"

I looked up at the metallic voice of Gears, his servant's livery obscured most of his burnished copper body but his tick was almost as distinctive as my own.

"Yes Gears?"

Gears stepped forward and handed me a small packet. "These are the photographs you took after the move was announced sir."

Looking down at the envelope I sighed heavily. "Thank you Gears." He nodded a left to continue with the packing. I opened the envelope and proceeded to clip through the photos. "We certainly have improved photography with the Prokudin-Gorskii camera," I said to myself. "A vast improvement over Daguerre's work."


The main bridge from Penzance


Looking across the Harbour


Guardian unicorn


The underwater tunnels with the ballroom just behind Neptune.


Chester


Inside the tunnels


Inside the Mooring Tower


The front steps of Primbroke Manor

I smiled sadly and closed the packet again placing it in the box with the contents of my desk. Hearing soft steps coming towards me I turned to see my dear Christine. Her apron showed signs she had been organising things in the attic, as did the tell-tale wisps of escaping red hair. Kissing her gently, I said before she had a chance to say anything "No, there has been no news on the new home." Christine narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips.

"I didn't even ask this time," Christine replied.

Holding her close I simply said "soon."

Anniversary Party

Last night was the 1 Year and 1 month anniversary of Christine's and my official handfasting. RL got in the way of our actual anniversary and did it's best to intervene this time as well.

She contacted me about half an hour before the party was due to start letting me know her typist's home had had a close brush with a Tornado and the town was without power and that she would be there in spirit if not actual presence.





The party itself went well with quite a gathering over the night. There have even been suggestions of a repeat performance but with the lady of honour in attendance.

We shall see.

As the evening wore on we were down to the Baron, Miss Emilly, and Miss Homewood who I took on an impromptu tour of the tunnels, after which I asked Emilly for a suggestion of a recent sim worth visiting. She took me to Loco Pocos island. Very interesting build and there's even a treasure hunt to help you explore the sim.





It was a good night. If only My Duchess had been there as well.

Anniversary Party

RL got in the way of our official first anniversary, so this will officially be one year and one month.

So in celebration of the Inauguration of the Duchy of Argylle and the Duke and Duchess of Argylle's first anniversary, you are invited to attend a reception at Primbroke Manor, Caledon Argylle, Tuesday, 15th July at 7 pm SLT.

Dress in your finest for an evening of dance and merriment.

We had hardly finished moving the boxes into the Highlands when I was advised that a substantial tract of land had become available, not in our beloved Caledon as we had hoped but in our good neighbour of Winterfell. As circumstances would happen my dear Christine had just headed abroad. Communications were limited but through telegrams and letters I managed to communicate the basics of the situation. It was an opportunity too good to pass by.

On the land was a very large manor house, which is quite a bit larger than Davaar. Christine is contemplating the gardening opportunities, while we both try to remember the layout of the new place. Once we get things sorted we'll be organising a housewarming. But do feel free to drop by in the meantime. The sailing is quite good!