So what happens when you dress up as an ice cream vendor, get an ice cream cart, and push it around SL giving away free ice cream?

Well, I got a much better response and accept rate with the ice cream than I did with the hot dog & pretzel cart. I did all of my cart vending in Caledon, and with the hot dog cart, people would mostly avoid me. I’d offer them a free snack, and they’d say things like, “Sorry, I just ate.”

Did they think I was a griefer, trying to fool them into clicking on my cart? Was it the smell of the warm mustard that made people turn away? Is there something subconscious going on? Does the phase of the moon matter?

We may never know. What I do know is that when I ran across Kamilah Hauptmann, and she saw how herky-jerky my cart animation was (and the fact that my hands didn’t even touch the cart, really, when pushing it), she made me an animation for it in a jiffy. And it was quite nicely spot-on the first try! She’s a whiz, a generous person, and Caledon is the better for her being there.

Not only do I now walk smoothly, the cart looking great, but my hands are now resting on the bar to push the cart. Wow. And to top it off, Guvnah Shang happened by and selected an ice cream – a scoop of black cherry – to add a touch of sweet to his day. I’m honored.

Funny how the term “camping” has a whole different meaning in SL. Makes it damn near impossible to find any actual gear or equipment for a nice outdoorsy campsite, since the search term “camping” is completely trashed for the cause.

So, after searching for several hours for cool tents, sleeping bags, campfires and cook kits and having little luck, I decided I could just build it faster. So I did.

This is the setup I’ll be using for “Kal’s Caledon Hike & Camp” excursion on Sunday, July 6th, from 6pm-8pm SLT. Limited to five campers, I’ll guide the group through the mid-regions and northern Caledon on a hike through wilderness as well as 19th century towns (outskirts, anyway), and we may hike into the Cavorite Mines as well. Then, we’ll find a suitable camp site, set up tent and campfire, and tell a campfire story or two under the stars.

It’s a great way to see the countryside (no flying, we hike through around 10-15 sims) and have a nice social time with folks around the campfire. Food and camping gear provided, wear clothes you like for hiking about.

This is in invitation-only event, and there is no charge. As a fellow Myrl-er that has read down this far, I hereby cordially invite you on this event. RSVP to me as soon as soon as you can, and I’ll update this blog post when all seats have been filled.

PS – For anyone not familiar with Caledon, it is a large (currently over 34 sims, I believe) place in SL that is all 19th Century (Victorian) Steampunk. Thus, it is a land of good manners, amazing builds and people, and working steam technology from the likes of Jules Verne and HG Wells, top-notch SL Libraries, and much more. I’m a tour guide there sometimes, though most of what I know about Caledon is from back in the days when it was just 12 sims big. Hence, the exploration trips.

Cheers! —Kal