Grief-stricken, I took a little corner of Lesbos a few years ago and set up a memorial for a Second Life friend and lover who died suddenly in Real Life. Eventually it grew to be a memorial for all our lost friends and loves and sisters. With each Isle remodeling, a memorial has always been included in one form or another and each time a small part is dedicated to the first honoree, Parker Koolhoven.
With the current remodeling of the Isle, the Memorial Park has a new form, as well. The last version was cobbled together and I was never really, really happy with it. Sure, it had some clever bits, but it wasn't quite right. This time, I got it right ... I let my wife, Angela Seale, make it. Well, sort of. She took an idea of mine and ran with it. In the process, I chimed in with design suggestions and requirements, lent some textures and trees, and re-imagined an older idea. She poured her passion and several clever tricks into great design taste and now we have the new Memorial Park.
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| The Memorial Park again is behind the University building and facing west, pretty much at my insistence. I've always thought of sunsets as symbols for the ending of a life. The Japanese Earthquake/Tsunami memorial Torii gate is back to lend a bit to the Asian inspiration that started this whole incarnation. The one cherry tree from the last memorial has been joined by a second. |
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| I told Angela that I wanted mostly very shallow water. Originally, I had thought to make something like a Zen garden -- a large area semi-submerged with memorial stones scattered about. Angela thought of an amphitheater. I wanted more water so I added some falls to her back wall and some fountains. The Diana statue is off-sim, as is the Torii gate in the other pictures. |
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| Candles, one for each remembrance, are still a part of the memorial, as is the large piece with a rose and flame for Parker. Fortunately, we haven't added too many candles. |
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| The westward view. The original Torii gate (also made by Angela) was mated with some simple rocks, but this time around I paired it with some new rocks and an off-sim lighthouse from TUFF. The sky here was highly manipulated but I love the effect. |
The Memorial Park is a very special place. And now I'm too choked up to write any more.
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