Today...

They say every journey starts with a step...

Today I was able to walk once round the block. Maybe tomorrow, with some help, I'll be able to walk twice :-)

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

And so off they went, with Mouse leading the way...

Kittehs want to go to cheeseburgerland but are suspicious...Well...one of them is; the other one's purring
(whispers say: Purrrrrr!!!! - Yes, but can we trust him?)

Quick Decisions...

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

On the other hand, Kitty....

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

And so...

She took the plunge -getting across was more important than those *** shoes...

Water

Water
Originally uploaded by Msbea3

Then she remembered that tuxedos have bows and are black...but what she really had to think about was how to get across that river...

It all started with a pair of shoes...

And she wondered why they were "Tuxedo shoes"....

And what that meant...

With curiosity leading the way...

Here we go again.....

Journeys that can help

Love, Ethiopia - Teaser from Keith Bolling on Vimeo.

Synopsis: In March 2010, Keith Bolling and Sam Nuttmann traveled half way around the world to uncover the stories of people who need all our help the most.



The documentary "Love, Ethiopia" will premiere Summer 2010 and will explore the effects of wealth and education on the societies of different countries. Produced by RefocusMedia.org, a collaborative production company of KeithBolling.com Photography and Session7Media.com.



Photos, videos and more at ReFocusMedia.org



CREDITS

Producer / Director / Cinematographer: Keith Bolling and Sam Nuttmann

Editor: Keith Bolling

Music / Motion Graphics: Sam Nuttmann

A bit of fun before we move on to a different story....

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

(you may want to turn down the volume a bit before you play it)

Epilogue -After coming to terms with the toothbrush and his overall frustration, Kitty tells his adventure to BFF

 

http://cheezburger.com/View/2866635776

Back home

After realising he'd never really find Ghost Mouse again, Mystic cat went home...where he shared his adventure with his housemates -they laughed so hard at him (really insensitive of them! Try being chased by a mouse ghost...and now possibly a ghost baby snake...) Anyway, he may be mean-intended, but Mystic kitty needs anger management help -if you don't believe me, watch him deal with frustration:

Hunted

Hunted
Originally uploaded by kaibara87

Now Kitty was angry -his encounter with the car lady hadn't gone well and all the delicious birds had flown away. So he took it out on the first living thing he found.

In order to explain the lack of claws here, it's up to you to decide whether he was tired and not used to hunting, not angry anymore but playful, or just such a gifted hunter he didn't need to use claws at all!! (we know he hadn't been de-clawed, which is just plain cruel and shouldn't happen to any cat or living clawed organism)