When minikat said "I'm very Happy"!!!

Here's a recording of minikat and me playing on the first day she said "I'm very happy" rather than "I'm in a good mood"! (also my very first video captured from SL so please forgive any lack of subtlety...)


minikat-very-happy from Beatriz Lupiano on Vimeo.

Bentham forest

This weekend, just like other "wandering photographers", I visited Bentham forest in SL. It's a dark scary beautiful place and a roleplay sim. I didn't RP but entered as a visitor so I was supposed to be safe. And yet...knowing that didn't help when my curiosity made me open (at my own risk!) a coffin near the Manor. A soul catcher came out; he'd collected 5 souls so far and his energy was at 100% -avatar or not, visitor... I got scared and fled the site.

That taught me to stick to the forest and leave the manor alone...red eyes peered at me from the dark depths, but that was all...and my fear was appeased. Then I was able to take these photographs amid the swamps, mushrooms and trees...

Minikat plays!!!

Minikat has played with me!! Both catch and hide (she claimed I didn't find her but I did -she shouted she was climbing up a tree...). One thing  I like when I visit her, apart from being with minikat, is discovering the Africa sim.

Running after minikat or even having her follow me helps me discover places I wouldn't probably see otherwise. And so I've hung laundry to dry outside in the village, I've rested in a tent and round a campfire, come across elephants, zebras, deer, crocodiles, toads, giraffes, rested at the eagle outlook, taken a balloon ride...
Here's just a snippet of Africa virtual sim:

Lazy...

Minikat continues to amaze me...he's letting himself be tamed very slowly...now he follows me when I ask him too but he still won't play. And just now he said he was full up, awake he likes me...and he feels lazy!! Perfectly natural, but the first time I hear it from a meerkat! Kat was always playful, never lazy.

I didn't know what to do; just in case I fed him (actually it may be a she -will have to check) and because I know she needs the exercise I asked her to follow me. She did for a while (slowly as..well you know!) but then started to draw away so I decided to send her to the den. I'm looking forward to her being strong enough to climb the tree she covets so much.

Taming

I'm visiting minikat more than once a day in the hope that he will interact with me (have I mentioned ,by the way, that I'm a guest blogger from SL? Well, I am...).
I've just left minikat in his den for the third and last time today. things were better this time. He admitted to being tired and hungry and accepted to go to sleep rather than crawl aimlessly about...He also let me feed him. I think those are the first steps. he's a cub and cubs need food and sleep, and are curious. He keeps wanting to climb a tree, always in vain...Here's a photo of him (finally!) sleeping.

He does look exhausted!!! And I can see the difference with Kat. Mini is smaller but his legs and body are thicker than Kat's were at his age. Still, I must remember he's a cub.

Did they find the cheeseburgers? I don't know...most probably. I just followed them into the hole and wandered off to Virtual Africa to visit Kat, my meerkat. Only to find out that......he was gone!!! I called him and he said "Yip" as usual but then instead of coming to me he said "Bye" and went to the den. I tried calling him a few (ehem a lot) more times..but nothing.

I wonder where he is and how he's doing...I miss him, but perhaps it's only natural...meerkats are wild animals. We were friends but after two months he's all grown up and perhaps needs to explore on his own. Has he found a female meerkat and started a family? There are babies around...

I've cried and felt lonely with out him but need to accept it's part of life. I've adopted a second meerkat (minikat -I know I'm sooo original with names!!) and he's very different from Kat. Kat followed me almost from day 1; minikat is much more playful in that: he will say Yip and start sneaking away...I hope we get to be friends.

Kat (sleeping) and I in happier times