Close to both Tokyo and Mount Fuji the small town of Hakone holds something of a revelation. However, unless you are from Japan, you may well not have heard of it. The town plays host to a large open air museum where the works of many famous artists are held - outdoors. It balances art and nature in harmony. The artworks, combined with the beautiful views of the surrounding mountains give the visitor an unforgettable experience. Now recreated in OpenSim for all those missing travelling in Real Life.

https://www.kuriositas.com/2010/07/hakone-japans-amazing-o...

New release today. Something for the garden, at least we can have virtual spring ;)

This one is a victorian-ish garden gazebo.
It has several versions that's aren't all on display at the shop since the gazebo is pretty large. There are 2 metal choices, 2 clematis colors, and 2 vine configurations. Textures are inside a version in the box and an enclosed notecard has all the info.
The vines and the chandeliers are separate objects so they are optional for those who just want the structure.

Have a lovely day!

** PETUNIAS LOG PLANTER ** New release - Available for FREE and FULL PERM at FLORA, GARDEN SECTOR, BOX 01.
- 5 different flowers and seasons included.
- Scripted version also available - use a single script to change colors/seasons using one single script! Even if rezing a hundred of these log planters!
Enjoy :)

HG Houses with Snow Control - NEW @ Needful Things

I added to all my HG Winter Prefabs a Snow Control Panel, so you can switch between summer / winter with just one click.
Most of these houses got a Light Control Panel, too.

p.s.: More modificated HG prefabs will coming soon in "Need a new Home?" store - opposite to the Bank of Needful Things.

* * *

HG Häuser mit Schnee-Menü - NEU @ Needful Things

Ich habe meinen Winterhäusern mit Schneedach, die ich über die Jahre im HG aingesammelt habe, einen Schnee-Kontroll-Schalter hinzugefügt, so dass man mit nur einem Klick zwischen Sommer- / Winterstyle wechseln kann.
Ebenso haben die meisten der Häuser einen Lichtschalter zum Kontrollieren der Lampen bekommen.

p.s.: Mehr modifizierte HG Häuser (ohne Schnee^^) folgen nach und nach in den neuen Shop "Need a new Home?" - gegenüber der Bank von Needful Things.

New release today. I was intending to make these flowers for a while and finally did them. Day Lilies and "Tiger" Lilies. In my garden, the flowers I call Tiger Lilies are really just larger Day Lilies. The real Tiger Lilies are different, I know, but I named them as I knew them :).

I worked out a solution for initial sitting bug in the NPC Horse (script by Shin Ingen) where the avatar sinks through the horse when wearing an AO.
In the NPC horse script by Shin Ingen in under run_time_permissions(integer perm) FIND
if (perm & PERMISSION_TRIGGER_ANIMATION)
{
llStopAnimation("sit");
//llStartAnimation("man-stop");
switchAnims("idle");
}
and REPLACE with
if (perm & PERMISSION_TRIGGER_ANIMATION)
{
list anims = llGetAnimationList(llGetPermissionsKey());
integer len = llGetListLength(anims);
integer i;
for (i = 0; i < len; ++i) llStopAnimation(llList2Key(anims, i));
//llOwnerSay("Permissions Accepted");
switchAnims("idle");
}
If you don't like coding, just hop over to Neiferleaf and fetch the boxed new horse rezzer at the landingpoint.
Enjoy

LIGHT MUSEUM is now known as LIGHT and SOUND MUSEUM *** Available for FREE and FULL PERM (store number 07), SOUND BOXES (environment sounds) for ur sim/place:
Choose different environements such as:

NATURE SOUNDS: Boreal Forest, Australian Outback, Pine Forest, Desert,Rain Forest, Swamp, Beach, River, Waterfall, Rain, Thunderstorm, Wind, Tornado, Underwater, Whales & Dolphins ,Volcano Eruption, Earthquake, Wet Water Cave and African Savannah.

URBAN SOUNDS: Bar, Harbor, Amusement Park (Machinery, Merry go round, Haunted Mansion and Zombies), Construction,Subway, Factory, Military Base, City Traffic, Airport, Stadium, Garden Party, French Cafe, Irish Pub, Buddhist Temple, Bazaar (Oriental Market), Mosque, Chinese Market, Cooking, Office, Volleyball, Hospital, Night Club ,City Battle WW2, Swimming Pool, Traffic Jam, Gregorian Chant, Grocery, Police Department, Coffee Shop, Mantra OM and Hockey.

FARM SOUNDS: Farm Ambiance, Ducks, Cattle Yard, Turkeys, Backyard Geese, Horse Stable, Goats, Pigs, Fire (Campire and fireplace) and even an Old West Saloon Ambiance.

BIRDS SOUNDS: Amazon Parrots, Black Capped Chickadees, Budgies, Cockatiels, Crows, Eagles, Nightingales, Northern Cardinals, Owl, Pigeons, Robins and Thrushes.

MEDIEVAL and FANTASY SOUNDS: Medieval Tavern, Space Station, STARWARS (Cantina, Duel of Fates, Imperial March), Yggdrasil Viking, Cosmic Melody, Enchanted Forest, Dinosaurs Jungle and Spiders Cave.

P.S. When boxes are rezed for the 1st time it might happen the sounds break a little bit. Normal at Opensim when more than 1 wav file is played. But after loop is completed ,sounds will go smooth :)

Arkham Grid was born without an internal community project, players can't register, so I knew the difference. Not knowing and not having friends. This has not happened, I have more friendships now than in many years of Opensim, many come to greet, to talk, or to listen to me. I am very happy, there is a lot to do in this grid, my next project is to open land for residents "Arda", I am ready to host friends in my house.
I thank all the people who have always chosen Arkham, thank you for your friendship, and for creating a great community in the grid.
Merry Christmas to all and a Happy New Year!
https://youtu.be/44iGtczRJjQ

*** NEW RELEASE ** A good collection of snow, cloud, mist ,fog in mesh or sculpted for covering houses or streets to the close winter. Available at WEATHER AREA for FREE and FULL PERM.
PS. I updated also the FALLEN LEAVES and PETALs box at BOX 08 , GARDEN AREA.
Enjoy :)

*** GREEK OLIVE ANIMATED TREES PACK *** FREE and FULL PERM different models. Seasonal textures (spring with flowers, summer with green and black olives and winter) included. Animated leaves (script included when needed). Available at FOREST AREA (ground) at BOX 05. Enjoy :)

The new Stark! magazine with Miranda Djannovic from Virtual Dream Grid and Niki Stark is out now! Be careful! It is HOT!

Get your copy of the magazine and/or vendor from the new Stark landing point.

Every week it seems we gather to say goodbye to another member of our OpenSim family. We mourn, we remember, and we honor those who helped shape our community.

But every farewell is also a reminder of something we all share: none of us gets out of life alive.

For many, OpenSim is an extension of real life. For others, it is a place to step away from life's worries for a while—to imagine, create, explore impossible worlds, and become someone or something extraordinary.

One of the greatest gifts our departed friends leave behind isn't just our memories of them. It's the regions they built, the scripts they wrote, the avatars they designed, the artwork they shared, the friendships they fostered, and the countless moments they made possible. Every time we visit one of their creations or use something they contributed, a little part of them is still with us.

Imagine if they had never created anything at all. We wouldn't have those places to explore, those ideas to build upon, or those memories to cherish. Their creativity became part of the world we continue to enjoy.

Perhaps the greatest way to honor those we've lost isn't only through memorial posts, but by making the most of the time we still have.

Build that region you've been dreaming about. Finish that avatar. Learn Blender. Write the story. Host the event. Share your imagination. Visit someone's creation. Make a new friend.

Don't spend all your time debating what OpenSim should be or dwelling on what might have been. Spend it creating what it can become.

Our friends who have passed leave us with more than memories—they leave us with a reminder that time is precious. None of us knows how many tomorrows we have.

So create. Explore. Laugh. Inspire. Contribute. Leave something behind that will make someone smile years from now.

Because one day, someone may be walking through a region you built, wearing something you designed, using a script you wrote, or remembering a kindness you showed—and they'll be grateful that you chose to create while you had the chance.

🌟 Tribute to Joe Dokes — A Life That Left Light Behind

There are people who pass through our lives quietly, and then there are people like Joe Dokes — people whose presence becomes part of the foundation of our world. Joe was one of those rare souls who didn’t just exist in DigiWorldz… he gave to it. He built community, he offered shelter, he created belonging. And for those of us blessed enough to know him personally, he offered something even deeper: respect, kindness, and a sense of being seen.

Joe and PreciousRuby were more than friends to me — they were family in the way only virtual worlds can create. They made special exceptions for me, welcomed me into their circle, and trusted me with moments that mattered. One of the greatest honors of my life was standing with them as they rededicated their marriage. They asked me to lead the service… and I did, with all the love and reverence I had. To be their officiant was a privilege I will never forget.

Joe carried a quiet strength — the kind that didn’t need attention or applause. He simply lived with generosity. He gave people homes. He gave people safety. He gave people dignity. And he gave PreciousRuby a love that was gentle, loyal, and deeply rooted.

My heart breaks for her now. Losing a partner is losing a piece of your world, and she is walking through a grief that touches both her real life and her inworld life. I pray she feels surrounded by comfort, by support, and by the love Joe poured into her for so many years. She is not alone. She is held — by God, by community, and by every person Joe touched.

Joe’s passing leaves a silence… but not emptiness. His legacy is kindness. His memory is warmth. His impact is lasting. And the love he shared — with PreciousRuby, with his family, with his friends — continues forward.

Rest in peace, Joe.
Thank you for the home you created, the love you gave, and the lives you lifted. You will never be forgotten.

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

💛 Prayer for Joe Dokes & PreciousRuby

Father God,
Tonight we lift up the life of Joe Dokes, a man whose kindness built homes, whose generosity built community, and whose quiet strength touched more hearts than he ever realized. Thank You for the gift of his life — for every moment he offered comfort, every time he made room for someone who needed a place to belong, and every act of love he shared with PreciousRuby and those around him.

Lord, we ask You to wrap PreciousRuby in Your arms right now. Her heart is aching, her world feels shaken, and the silence he leaves behind is heavy. Surround her with Your peace — the kind that steadies trembling hands and breathes calm into the deepest places of grief. Let her feel Joe’s love still present, still warm, still carrying her forward.

Bring comfort to every friend who knew Joe, especially those of us who were blessed to stand with him and PreciousRuby in sacred moments. Heal the places in us that feel the loss. Remind us that love does not end — it transforms, it continues, it becomes legacy.

Lord, let Joe’s memory be a light that never dims. Let his kindness echo. Let his generosity inspire. Let his love remain a shelter for PreciousRuby and all who cherished him.

And tonight, Father, hold us close.
Hold her close.
Hold Joe close in Your eternal rest.

Amen.

Looking for something fun to play?
Visit Triptongo at iEchoes
your one-stop spot for card games and strategy.
Play Skip-Bo, Hand & Foot Canasta, and Berserker all in one place. Bring a partner, bring friends, or come meet new people and join a game.
Triptongo @ iEchoes — three games, one destination.

A New Chapter Ahead

After taking some time away, we have been giving a lot of thought to the future. Due to the many requests, messages, and words of encouragement from so many people, we are seriously considering making a return—with a fresh outlook and a stronger vision.

To be clear, this is not a reboot, nor is it anything like what one negative individual suggested in a previous comment.

What happened did hurt us, but it did not break us. If anything, it made us stronger, wiser, and more determined than ever.

This may be the beginning of an exciting new chapter, and we look forward to sharing more when the time is right.

Keep an eye on future notices... there may be some exciting news ahead!

Ted & Sofee

Just well letting you all know this project is going exceptionally well. I just added 2 more categories...weopons and Heads & Hats and wel another 100 items of all things. SSSSomething to inspire you to come by and collect things

They're ready, some of them anyway, rustic outdoor terracotta chimney fireplaces and they add a beautiful touch to any outdoor setting. They are full perm to the "next owner" and they're free and waiting for you. The display fireplaces are not for sale, you touch them and you'll be given a copy. They are decorated with mid western and south western tribal patterns. Please enjoy them...Blessings and much love, Lavia.