WETLANDS in Second Life

RAFTWET Jewell in Second Life



WETLANDS in Second Life, originally uploaded by rafeejewell.




Originally, I posted this photo way back in January 2011. 2011 has not been a great year for me either in Second Life or Real Life. My birth land, Japan, was hit by a terrible earthquake this year and I watched in horror as my family home was washed away into the sea. The images were awful to watch and my heart sank as I watched everything unfold before my eyes.  Then my very good friend died along with my cat who was 12 years old.  So much has happened this year that I took a bit of a break from Second Life... just to mend!


Both of us have been very busy in real life. My partner and I have been together now in SL and RL for over three years, and we both enjoy our group, THE A LIST! very much. We do apologize for not letting many of you know about our personal status... but, that is our business... right?



Posted this for Raftwet Jewell! All content belongs to me and only me... photo from raftwet jewell flickr.

Raftwet Jewell in Virtual Metaverse
raftwet jewell in blogger
raftwet jewell in facebook
raftwet jewell in twitter
the a list! in second life

raftwet jewell of WETLands Group

raftwet jewell is an avatar builder and networker in second life


raftwet jewell of WETLands Group, originally uploaded by rafeejewell.




I built my first sky waterfall on Bisque in 2007. The build has 
morphed many times and I placed the current version on RiverLand.




My inspiration was the sky waterfall at SL Botanical Gardens. 
The builder there has been my most favorite builder here in Second Life. 
Her region is one of the best on the grid.




My version is a bit psy and a nod to the incredible waterfalls that 
I have seen in real life. Only Mother Nature can create what I have 
seen and my pitiful attempts are just to pay homage to her.




I own WET Builders, WETLands Group, and both regions 
WETLands and RiverLand. As a builder, my focus 
is nature and water elements. Of course, this is Second Life, so I usually add a bit
of psy to the build, too.
 



All my lands on the mainland and the regions are open to the public. 
The only place that has barriers is my personal home. You are all 
welcome to everything else. Please enjoy!

Raftwet Jewell in Virtual Metaverse
raftwet jewell in blogger
raftwet jewell in facebook
raftwet jewell in twitter
the a list! in second life

raftwet jewell in second life

rafee at  kasbah : sunglasses by [Gos]



raftwet jewell in second life, originally uploaded by rafeejewell.


I just loaded the new update for viewer 2. The rezz time seems much faster now. But, I am still missing prims off of my shoes and parts of my hair when I log into a venue that is exceptionally busy.

I tested the new viewer at Lion's Gate, Jenna Dirval's new venue for live music. There was approximately 50+ avatars there. I crashed when I turned on the stream... poof, with no warning.

When I came back, everything rezzed immediately except for one small patch of hair at the back of my head. LOL! I was even able to take photos without the usual gray blobs. So, I am a happy picture taker once again.

They did fix the annoying orbit-zoom-pan thingy at the bottom... now both horizontal/veritical and orbit are there without having to click back and forth. (I just wish I knew how to make that block image smaller).

My inventory still does that annoying bounce when I am trying to do a search or scroll. Please fix that! It is very dangerous as I work very quickly and have inadvertently deleted important stuff when I meant to delete a duplicate object. Now, before I delete my trash; I quickly scan the entire trash list just in case!

I do like this viewer (please don't send daggers and arrows my way peeps) as it keeps my desktop very neat and tidy when I am building. Notices and IM's are not as annoying (much to the chagrin of all the marketers) and I can focus when I am working.

A few things are kinda buggy... the inventory bouncy thing is super borked. And, my inventory load is very slow. I usually have to log in two to three times for everything to load. Sometimes, half my inventory is missing... luckily, I am not a newbie or that would freak me out! After a second log in, everything seems to come back.

As with anything new, people will complain. I always look forward to doing things different and new. It keeps my mind challenged and makes the time here fresh. I am used to this viewer now, and, I am comfortably building with it. So, thank you Linden Lab... keep pressing forward until you guys get it totally right. I see the light now at the end of the tunnel... and the future looks bright.

For more help on Second Life viewer 2.0

Raftwet Jewell in Virtual Metaverse
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raftwet jewell in facebook
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the a list! in second life

second life mixing with real life

So hard to believe that I have been on the Second Life grid this long. I still remember 2007 when I arrived on the color sims near the a popular sandbox. Building and creating my waterfalls... trying to mimic the world I really live in with the rivers, streams and natural places near my home. I have learned a lot here in Second Life. I learned how to build and though I am still a rudimentary scripter, it's amazing that I can even do that now!

My two regions have been so fun create. Like others, the passion we put into our land is the vision inside our heads. Some builders create fantastic fantasy worlds while others like me try to copy Mother Nature. It has brought a profound appreciation to the real world that I experience.



I am lucky. I travel, I see beautiful places on this earth and I try to bring that experience into the virtual world here. Without any fanfare, my regions are now in Second Life's showcase. I am so proud to have been chosen to be on that list. Look for WETLands in the Parks and Nature category; we are at #4 now. Wow! And, as a co-owner of THE A LIST! my actual land is actually on LL's list!

I have taken thousands of pictures and they are uploaded to my avatar,  rafee's flickr and koinup. I created several RAFTWET Jewell youtube by myself and with my friend,  Aoshi. And, the blogs... gawd, do I ever stop blogging? LOL! But, I needed something more.

A very good friend was on the Discovery Channel's Deadliest Catch videography team that finally won the Emmy. After a few years of being nominated, this death-defying team won this year. So, I talked to my friend and asked him if he would film a whitewater sequence in real life and incorporate my avatar rafting on WETLands. He was intrigued by the idea and enjoyed visiting both my land and SL.

Enjoy the video and then come on over to WETLands and try the rafts... or just bring a date and hang out in a natural park-like setting and just chill. There's an outdoor ballroom next to the bay area, both romantic and casual at the same time. Have fun!

wetlands second life virtual land

WETLands in Second Life


wetlands second life virtual land, originally uploaded by rafeejewell.

wetlands

in second life

is a reflection of the beauty of oceans,

rivers, streams

and magnificent natural landscapes

in california.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Old friends in Second Life are precious gifts.

I will remember them forever.

Their souls are etched in my heart.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Old Friends"

old friends,
old friends
sat on their park bench like bookends.
a newspaper blown through the grass
falls on the round toes
of the high shoes
of the old friends.

old friends,
winter companions,
the old men
lost in their overcoats,
waiting for the sun.
the sounds of the city,
sifting through trees,
settle like dust
on the shoulders
of the old friends.



can you imagine us
years from today,
sharing a park bench quietly?
how terribly strange
to be seventy.
old friends,
memory brushes the same years
silently sharing the same fears

a time it was
it was a time
a time of innocence
a time of confidences.

long ago it must be
i have a photograph
preserve your memories
they're all that's left of you


Words & Music by Paul Simon
Sung by Simon and Garfunkel
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Raftwet Jewell in Virtual Metaverse
raftwet jewell in blogger
raftwet jewell in facebook
raftwet jewell in twitter
the a list! in second life

raftwet and xavier in second life

raftwet jewell and xavier thiebaud


raftwet, xavier on valentine's day, originally uploaded by rafeejewell.

raftwet and xavier at japan tempura ballroom

the a list! at fogbound blues club

raftwet and xavier at wetlands ballroom

raftwet and xavier at substance club

playing in a homemade psy ball at riverlands sushi pavilion

xavier and raftwet on easter bunny on wetlands outdoor ballroom

2010 and half the year is almost over. The pace of the grid just marches on...

After all these years, we both have a lot of fun on the grid. Despite the group dynamics, despite the drama on the grid, despite everything... we still enjoy this place called Second Life.

Enjoy this wonderment... this place of imagination and beauty. It is a fine place to find yourself, to discover who you are inside and to share your dreams with the rest of the grid.

I still love it here no matter what comes my way. And, our avatars, raftwet jewell and xavier thiebaud will live forever in our hearts.


wetlands moon

wetlands outdoor ballroom

riverland ocean party zone

raftwet at japan resort event area

raftwet jewell at wetlands ballroom

raftwet jewell at muzik haus

dance island party w/ djvoyager

energy club party

chip takacs at japan resort

kitty cat dance at fresh asses

raftwet jewell meditating on riverland surf zone

raftwet jewell in blogger
raftwet jewell in facebook
raftwet jewell in twitter

Avatars United

I just joined a cool network that is a conglomeration of all virtual worlds including Second Life. Cool because we can be in there and connect both socially and in business. Avatars United. LOL! yah another spam site, another place to get messages out.

You get the drift. Create a profile, add bio, add photos, add videos (not yet), make friends and create groups. The difference is that it is in my community... where I reside and work. The avatars in Second Life are in there duplicating many of the same interests and groups that they already have in world.

Both my partner and I are there enjoying the friends and groups. We brought THE A LIST! into the network and it's been fun adding new friends to the group. I also started a group on a whim that has had a nice beginning. FOOD! is a group without any pretensions except that we all love food, recipes and tips on making our kitchen prep easier. We also recommend slurls for our favorite food creators on the grid.

There are several applications that make photos and communication easier, too. I am hoping that this beta goes smoothly as I already see problems happening with the group dynamics and photo uploads. With all of us sending suggestions and the creators monitoring our behavior, I am hoping this new network will be THE site for the virtual worlds.

And, besides, I have brought in many of the Lindens onto my friends list there... even former CEO, Phil Linden. OMG! Seriously... and I hope it is actually him behind that profile representation. Hee hee!

THE A LIST! Events on RiverLand

Jan 10, 2010 : THE A LIST! Event on RiverLand


THE A LIST! Events on RiverLand, originally uploaded by rafeejewell.

Yah! We are having a party on RiverLand today on Jan 10, 2010. Happy New Year!



THE A LIST! group is celebrating one year with our members. We want to thank all 350+ group members for all their support.

Xavier chose some of his favorite dj's to do the honors for the music today. They range in genre and include Electro, Mash, Industrial, Psy and more.

Our dream of unifying the grid in a peaceful, harmonious way is happening. Sharing resources and laying down the swords, the fun comes when we all join to bring the best of the best of Second Life to the grid.






Thanks to the groups that also have supported our concept. We couldn't have done this without you!

Special thanks to Yman Juran of ChangHigh Trinity Sisters for launching today's events at the Caldbeck sim with their awesome Fire Dance Performance!

Special thanks to Dance4Life, Skanda Productions, ScoutLounge, Club Industry, Boom Festival & Muzik Haus for DJ's and support!

Raftwet Jewell, the first whitewater rafting avatar in the virtual world!
raftwet jewell in myspace
raftwet jewell in blogger
raftwet jewell in koinup
raftwet jewell's the a list! in blogger
raftwet jewell's the a list! in myspace

semotion w/ the a list

semotion w/ the a list, originally uploaded by rafeejewell.

One of the basic tenets of life with human beings (and possibly all creatures) is the need to touch. We hold hands, we hug, we love.



And, if you ever see a couple of cats or dogs and watch them sweetly grooming each other... well, you know what I mean.



In the virtual world of Second Life, we see the same thing. We go through extraordinary measures to just hug each other.



At SEmotion, Xavier and I (rafee) found a sweet pack of pose balls. You can buy a small pack of 10 or the beefier pack of 20.



Ahhhh, so sweet. Giggles... we stayed for quite a while testing each one out!

NEW VIDEO FROM RAFTWET JEWELL!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKvMPx1GEFU

raftwet jewell in myspace
raftwet jewell in blogger
raftwet jewell in koinup
raftwet jewell's the a list! in blogger
raftwet jewell's the a list! in myspace