Our Homeless Furry Friends

By Debbie Bulloch



The current mortgage crisis has caused a sharp increase in the number of abandoned, and thus homeless pets. While the sight of homeless men, women and children living on the streets should be a call to action for concerned citizens, the growing trend of abandoned pets should also be of great concern.

Animal shelters are being overrun with the furry friends of people who can no longer afford their property—or their pets. The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Sacramento, Calif., for instance, accepted 178 dogs and cats in December, a jump of almost 80 percent over the previous year. Less-fortunate pets are dumped on the streets or released into nature. Traci Jennings, founder of a Humane Society branch in Modesto, Calif., has found dogs tied to porches and, in one case, abandoned in a yard. "Someone called me when they heard the puppies crying," she says.

With predicted tougher economic times ahead, the homeless pet problem is bound to grow. In California, where I live, it is not just dogs, cats and rabbits that are being abandoned. Increasingly, even "high-end" animal companions, such as horses are becoming the victims of hard times. With increasing frequency shelters are now taking horses, mares and their foal. These animals come into the shelters in nearly emaciated conditions and in dire need for medical treatment for untreated wounds and diseases.

In these increasingly difficult times, those of us who can and are able to do so need to think outside the box. By this I mean that we need to look at the suffering of all living creatures, not just fellow humans, and make a commitment to do what we can to help.

So what can we do?

1. Adopt a pet.

If you've been thinking of adding a furry friend to your family, there is no better time than the present. Wonderful animals of every size, breed, and personality need new homes, simply because their owners have become unable to care for them. You can help by adopting a pet through your local shelter.



Adopting a homeless animal is simply the right thing to do. Yes, we all like the idea of playing with a frisky, big-eyed puppy or kitten. But if you adopt a pet from the shelter, especially an adult dog or cat (or maybe a rabbit or even a horse) you will have that warm glow from knowing you've saved a life.

Adopting is also less expensive than buying from a pet store or breeder. In many shelters the cost of adoption also includes training materials, vaccinations, and spaying and neutering surgery -- in some cases even follow-up veterinary care is offered. What's more, the pets available for adoption at most shelters and rescue groups have already been screened for major health and behavior problems.

Please call your local shelter or local rescue group and get more information about their offerings.

2. If you are about to lose your home please seek help.

If you already own a pet and are dealing with financial problems, ask your local shelter if they offer any programs to help pet owners in this situation. There is no shame in asking for help, especially for our furry friends. There is information available that will help strapped families care for their pets. Some shelters partner with food banks to distribute pet food and other supplies. Some work with veterinarians to provide assistance with vaccinations and other veterinary care. If you are feeling your budget beginning to tighten, do away with superfluous purchases for your pet, such as expensive toys and other needless accessories. Also, consider taking your dog to a vaccination clinic instead of seeing your regular vet for any necessary shots. This can save you money on the inoculations themselves, as well as eliminate the cost of an office visit.



Most importantly, don't leave your pet behind. Ask friends, family members, and neighbors if they can take your pet for you temporarily. This may give you enough time to get back on your feet and resume the care of your animal. If you move to an apartment, make sure your pet will be allowed to move with you. Avoid verbal agreements -- get it in writing to avoid a problem down the road.

3. Donate to your local shelter or offer help at your local vet.

Animal shelters are expensive to run. Most of the time, shelters depend upon government funding (often shelters are the last budget item to get funded by local governments) and/or private donations. Any donation helps! For years, my daughter and I have donated pet food and used newspapers to out local shelter. A 50# bag of dog kibbles or kitty chow form the local Costco is not all that expensive and it can make the difference on the number of pets a shelter can afford to house. If you cannot afford to buy food then donate your time. Pets at the shelters are in need of a kind human touch. Many of them have been taken away from loving, caring homes where maybe they had big yards to play or cozy beds to lay; now they find themselves locked up in cages, with hundreds of other pets. This must be a terrifying experience - so a kind word, a soft hand or a warm hug will go a long way to help erase the stress these furry friends must feel while awaiting their fate at the shelter. Think how scared you would be if you were suddenly yanked from your comfy home and tossed into a cold, metal cage. Our animal companions feel fear too.



There are many other ways that you can help. All you have to do is look around.

In SL itself there are individuals like Aztek Aeon and Vitolo Rossini who work on projects to help RL pets. Send them an IM and ask how YOU can help too.

I was once told that I always have a song's lyrics, or a movie's lines, for every occasion. So in that note, let me end with the lyrics from one of my favorite songs by The Carpenters:

Bless the beasts and the children
For in this world they have no voice
They have no choice

Bless the beasts and the children
For the world can never be
The world they see

Light their way
When the darkness surrounds them
Give them love
Let it shine all around them

Bless the beasts and the children
Give them shelter from a storm
Keep them safe
Keep them warm




Thank you for reading.

Le cyclisme : une passion dévorante

Bonjour mes amis,

Quelques mots aujourd'hui pour vous faire partager une passion, le vélo !

En fait, je suis passionné de vélo depuis ma plus tendre enfance. Le cyclisme est un sport à la fois dur mais tellement bon pour l'organisme et pour le mental. Quand je pars faire un tour en vélo, cela me permet de m'oxygéner et de me vider complètement. Je vous conseille à tous ce sport qui est très complet, qui n'est pas mauvais pour les articulations et qui permet de découvrir des endroits merveilleux. Autre aspect quand il est pratiqué en groupe, il permet vraiment de créer des amitiés sincères et durables. Je me suis fait plusieurs amis grâce au vélo.

Plusieurs personnes à BH font du vélo et je pense qu'elles partageront mon avis, n'est-ce pas Debbie qui est elle aussi une adepte du vélo à la fois le mountain bike et le vélo de route. J'aimerais un jour pouvoir faire une sortie ou une course avec toi Debbie ! C'est un de mes rêves !!!

Comme je le disais , le cyclisme est un superbe moyen de découvrir des régions et des endroits retirés. Exemple dans ma région où je découvre au fil des sorties cette région magnifique qu'est le limousin. C'est une région très verte, très vallonnée. Les sorties sont parfois difficiles mais on y arrive toujours.

J'ai également pu découvrir l'Ardèche région magnifique avec une diversité de paysages impressionnante. J'ai participé à une course sur 3 jours et nous avons fait avec 4 amis 670 kms sur les 3 jours et près de 35 cols. C'était génial ! L'ambiance était extraordinaire, les gens très accueillants et la région très belle.

Je participe également depuis 2 ans à l'étape du tour qui est une étape du tour de France ouverte aux amateurs. Cette année, nous étions près de 8000 cyclistes au départ avec pas moins de 54 nationalités représentés : il y avait des américains (tu vois Debbie tu pourrais venir : ha ha), des chinois, des japonais, des européens.... bref tous les continents représentés. Nous avions au programme 2 cols mythiques : le col du Tourmalet et Hautacam sur plus de 160 kms.

Voilà, je vous donne un petit aperçu de cette passion qui est magnifique.

Je vous invite à découvrir vos régions , vos pays respectifs sous un autre angle avec soit le mountain bike soit le vélo de route. L'avantage du cyclisme est que chacun peut aller à son rythme pour se faire plaisir !! N'hésitez pas si vous voulez des renseignements à me demander !!

So I hope you understood this article ! If you need some explanations or help to translate, don't hesitate to IM me or call me. Cycling is a very nice hobby ! Next time I promise I will make some efforts and write an article in English.

so see you soon ! bye bye

Un cycliste passionné

Arcabulle

Bonjour,

Je m'appelle Arcabulle et je suis Français ! Eh oui, cela peut surprendre compte tenu de mon nom Arcabulle qui n'a pas vraiment de consonnance Française.



Je voudrais souhaiter la bienvenue et un grand bonjour à tous les membres de BH ! BH est un lieu magique pour moi, relaxant, paisible où il fait bon vivre. C'est un lieu où l'on peut partager beaucoup de choses et j'apprécie cela considérablement.
Je souhaite remercier tout particulèrement les créateurs de BH car ce qu'ils ont fait et ce qu'ils font chaque jour est merveilleux : merci Debbie , tu es une incroyable californienne, un peu têtue (= stubborn) mais tellement serviable et agréable ! Tu es notre rayon de soleil à tous et je sais combien tu prends à coeur l'aventure et la réussite de Between Homes. Je suis extrêmement fier de toi et je te rends hommage pour ton courage, ta force de caractère et ta gentillesse permanente.
Yucca, comme l'a mentionné Debbie, tu es extraordinaire également et si BH est en là aujourd'hui, tu y es pour beaucoup ! En France, nous appelons des gens comme toi les travailleurs de l'ombre car même si on ne te voit pas beaucoup, tu t'investis énormément pour la réussite de BH ! C'est génial ! You are a very great builder yucca ! Thank you so much my dear !
Bird, toi aussi tu participes à la réussite avec teressa à la vie de BH ! Merci merci et encore merci !
Je dois aussi remercier Rachel qui accueille toujours avec le sourire les nouveaux arrivants ! tu es notre guide de référence lorsque de nouvelles personnes arrivent ! C'est très agréable !
Merci aussi à Dénéby ! je ne t'ai pas vu depuis longtemps mais je sais que tu as contribué à la réussite de BH et pour cela, nous te devons beaucoup !
J'allais oublier Xanadu ! xan, quel plaisir également de t'avoir à nos côtés ! Tu as toujours le sourire et tu es toujours attentive aux autres ! c'est super !
Merci aussi à Andreisha, Elvira, Mychelle qui viennent de nous rejoindre à BH et qui sont très sympas ! Merci à toutes les 3 ! J'espère que vous vous plaisez à BH !
Le concept de BH est super, je pense que nous sommes en train de construire quelque chose de grand avec des gens précieux, d'origines tellement diverses ! Cette diversité en fait notre richesse !!

Je vous dis à toutes et à tous un grand MERCI qui vient du fond du coeur !
Je suis fier de vous !
I am very proud of you and of BH !
I hope to see you soon
bye bye
ARCABULLE

We love planes, cars and motorcycles

By Debbie Bulloch



OK, this has nothing with Between Homes, with the homeless, or even with SL. I just thought you would enjoy looking at these images.

Enjoy!













ANYONE FOR A LONG RIDE OUT ON THE ROAD ON ONE OF THESE BEAUTIES?


FLY ME ACROSS THE SKY IN THIS GORGEOUS VINTAGE PROP PLANE



EVER WONDER WHO THE GIRL WAS WHO POSED FOR THE NOSE ART ON THIS B-25?





MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE BRAVELY FOUGHT IN WWII - CANADIAN FORCES ARE CREDITED WITH THE LIBERATION OF HOLLAND - THANK YOU GUYS!




I WANT THIS CAR!



MAYBE THIS ONE TOO!


Thank you for looking.

Editor's Note: For the reader who wanted to see pictures of trains and boats, here is a picture of a steam loco. The first person to guess where the picture was taken gets $100.00L (that's Lindens).






















And to complete the collection, here is a picture of a pirate ship. (Image by Paul Tingle (c) 2005, all rights reserved)



Is everybody happy now? :-)

Featured Between Homes Resident - Matilda "Tilda" Little

By Debbie Bulloch



Today’s Featured Between Homes Resident is my long-time friend Matilda “Tilda” Little. I first met Tilda (as all her friends call her) almost a year ago. At that time, Tilda and I were relatively new to SL. Right about the time that Tilda and I met, we both also met another BH resident, ARCABULLE Odriscoll. All three of us were introduced by a common friend. The rest is, as they say, history. (Editor’s Note: You will read more about ARC in a future blog article).

Tilda is a talented and generous builder. She has donated many beautiful objects to BH’s residents. Tilda loves to help newbies and she spends many hours at BH welcoming newcomers to the shelter. Tilda is Bird Thor’s sister and Baby Tess’s auntie. Tilda and Bird are both from Sweden, the land of Saabs, Volvos and IKEA! Tilda is a fan of American Western movies and she can recite many lines, with a Swedish accent of course, from American Westerns. When Tilda is not busy building new objects, or greeting visitors to BH, she can be found playing with her Australian Shepherd, Liz. Liz comes from the same litter as my own baby Aussie, Sheila. Both Liz and Sheila love to play together.



Debbie Bulloch: Hi Tilda, good to see you. Surprise, surprise you are the Featured Between Homes Resident!
Matilda Little: Great!

DB: Shall we start then? When did you join SL?
ML: My Rezz Date is August 12, 2007.

DB: Hey, we have almost the same Rezz Date, what a coincidence.
ML: Small world!

DB: So tell me Tilda, why did you come to SL?
ML: Easy, SL looked better than ordinary text chat.

DB: That’s true, at least here we have avis that can talk, walk and even fly!
ML: Yep!

DB: And how did you find out about SL?
ML: Watching a program in the Discovery Channel about the Internet. See, you can learn something watching TV.

DB: I guess you can. Now that you are in SL, what are some of your favorite things to do?
ML: Build and meet friends.

During the interview I asked Tilda how she found out about Between Homes. She paused for a second, as if she could not believe my question, and with a mischievous smile she said:

“Oh Deb, I learned about BH from you. That is all you ever talked about for a while!”


DB: OK, OK, that was a silly question. I know the answer to this next question (smiles) but please tell our readers where was your home base before you joined Between Homes?
ML: Before joining Between Homes I lived at Bliss Gardens.

DB: Is that the place with the tree house and the underwater gardens?
ML: Yes. Remember we went scuba diving once?

DB: Yes, now I remember, that was an awesome place.
ML: Yep!

DB: Tilda, what do you like best about Between Homes?
ML: It is a nice place to meet good people; the quiet areas are nice. I don’t like people running around making a big racket.

DB: What special skills do you have in SL?
ML: well, besides building, which you already mentioned, I am friendly and social.
(Editor’s Note: If you lose an object at BH, big or small, ask Tilda to help you find it. Tilda has the uncanny ability to find lost or hidden items. She helped me find a boat I had left buried under my house!)

DB: Yes you are Tilda! Tell me, what do you like best about SL?
ML: The cartoon avatars

DB: Well, we are almost at the end of our time, do you have a special message for people thinking about joining Between Homes?
ML: Yes, I do.

DB: Well, what is it?
ML: (Smiling) Peace, sisters and brothers .... :-)

DB: Ha! Ha! Ha! That is so 1960’s, but it is always good advice. Do you have any suggestions on how we can make Between Homes a better place for all residents?
ML: I don’t get enough space in the article!

Tilda is one of BH’s goodwill ambassadors. You will find her at BH welcoming newcomers or helping residents get settled in.

Tilda, we are all glad that you are part of Between Homes.

Featured Between Homes Resident - Rachel Brimm

By Debbie Bulloch



We are beginning a new series of articles featuring different Between Homes residents. Today’s featured Between Homes’ resident is Rachel Brimm. Rachel is a talented decorator, a great conversationalist, and a talented poetry writer (check out her SL profile for a sample of her poetry). Rache is also one of BH’s goodwill ambassadors; she spends a great deal of her time greeting newcomers and taking them in tours of Between Homes.

We caught up with Rachel while she was decorating her apartment (something that Rachel loves to do and apparently does very well).



Debbie Bulloch: Hi Rachel, how are you doing today?
Rachel Brimm: I am doing great.

DB: Would you mind answering a few questions for the Between Homes blog?
RB: No, not at all, it would be a pleasure!

DB: Great, well let’s dive right in, shall we. When did you join SL?
RB: I joined April 19, 2008. :)

DB: Rachel, why did you join SL?
RB: Well, one night I was really bored and there was nothing new to see on the net, so I looked up Second Life, because I had recently heard about it :) And the rest is, as they say, history!

DB: So, where did you hear about SL (SL Marketing Dept., please pay attention)?
RB: I heard about Second Life from a few different places. First I heard of it was through one of the TV policy dramas, CSI or Law and Order SVU. I think both actually, and the concept really intrigued me. Then my Speech/ Communications teacher told our class about it.

DB: I too saw the CSI-NY episode on SL and I thought it was really well done. I missed the follow-up episode, DOA-For One day I think is the title of the episode. Those two shows are my faves too!

RB: Yes, they are pretty good shows.

DB: What are some of your favorite things to do in SL?
RB: I love dancing in SL. It’s so much fun. I also love decorating, and shopping... and building... and talking... LOL…I think I just love SL, but those are my favorite things to do :)

DB: I love shopping too, and talking LOL Rachel, tell our readers how you found out about Between Homes?
RB: I found out about Between Homes from Deneby Strauss, an Officer here, and a very dear friend of mine :) (Editor’s Note: Deneby is not only an officer. BH was born during long talks, between Deneby and me, about the need for just such a place in SL.)



DB: Rachel, before coming to Between Homes, did you have a “home base” in SL?
RB: Yep, I had a few home bases before coming to Between Homes.

DB: What did you use as a home base before joining Between Homes?
RB: Before joining Between Homes, I lived with my Master, and we had a home together, a loft that I could decorate just as I wanted :) I even had a garden on the roof! LOL It was really pretty.

DB: I have seen your decorating Rachel, I am sure that your former home was beautiful. What do you like best about Between Homes?
RB: I love the community at Between Homes, everybody is friendly, and willing to help one another... it’s very uplifting.

DB: Besides decorating, do you have any other special skills in SL?
RB: In SL I can dance! LOL I am also a new builder, so I am getting better at low prim building :) It’s a lot of fun... I'm also really good at shopping, and decorating...

DB: What do you like best about SL?
RB: Everything :) I'm addicted... Seriously, LOL :)

DB: I think we are all a little (or a lot) addicted. Do you have a favorite place to visit at SL? A favorite sim? A favorite store?
RB: I have many favorite stores, nyte'n'day, pixeldolls, moonshine, made in SL, sine wave island, animazoo.... I could just go on. LOL My two favorite sims are Bluenose and Hennepin, my two favorite places are Haven and Between Homes :)

DB: I like your list of faves, sounds a lot like mine. Now for the biggie: Do you have a special message for people thinking about joining Between Homes?
RB: Join us! Have fun with us!



I second that motion Rachel! Well, thank you for your time Rachel. I am glad that you are having such a blast at BH. This is exactly the reason why BH was created, a place to visit, stay and have a good time.

Well, that is for now. Please come and visit us at BH. Enjoy the dance floor, take a dive into the pond. Play with the dogs or the fishes.

If you run into a pretty, friendly girl named Rachel Brimm, stop for a moment and say hello to her.

Homeless face attacks

By Debbie Bulloch



From the L.A. Times

In Los Angeles, Requiem for a Homeless Man

By Bob Pool, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
Sunday, October 19, 2008

Some pulled up in SUVs, others came pushing shopping carts containing all their worldly possessions.

But all of the more than 300 people who filled a Los Angeles church chapel Saturday to memorialize John Robert McGraham were puzzling over the same question: Why would anyone douse a homeless man with gasoline and burn him to death?

For the rest of the story, click this link:

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-funeral19-2008oct19,0,4498961.story

Just Another Day In Paradise

By Debbie Bulloch



She calls out to the man on the street
"Sir, can you help me?
It's cold and I've nowhere to sleep,
Is there somewhere you can tell me?"

He walks on, doesn't look back
He pretends he can't hear her
Starts to whistle as he crosses the street
Seems embarrassed to be there

Oh think twice, it's another day for
You and me in paradise
Oh think twice, it's just another day for you,
You and me in paradise

She calls out to the man on the street
He can see she's been crying
She's got blisters on the soles of her feet
Can't walk but she's trying

Oh think twice...

Oh lord, is there nothing more anybody can do
Oh lord, there must be something you can say

You can tell from the lines on her face
You can see that she's been there
Probably been moved on from every place
'Cos she didn't fit in there

Oh think twice, it's another day for
You and me in paradise
Oh think twice, it's just another day for you,
You and me in paradise

Oh think twice….

“Another Day in Paradise” is the title of a 1989 song written by singer / songwriter Phil Collins to bring attention to the problem of homelessness. Almost twenty years later the problem of homelessness continues unabated.

Worldwide, homelessness is the Number One human rights issue facing us. No other issue is as important or as far reaching as the problem of homelessness. Global warming and the depletion of the ozone layer do not matter a damn to a child living out on the streets, with no roof over his head, no pillow under is head and no food in his belly. In the United States, the richest and most powerful country in the world, as many as 3.5 million people experience homelessness in a given year (that is 1% of the entire U.S. population or 10% of its poor).

Worldwide, North – South from Canada to Argentina and East – West from Australia to Russia millions of people, including women, the elderly and children do not have a place to call home, have no shelter from the cold and rain, and have no food to eat. It is the single, biggest shame of our era that at a time when we can communicate at the speed of light thanks to the miracle of our Internet-wired world we still have not figured out a way to shelter and feed all of our brothers and sisters.

One of the reasons why homelessness is such a pervasive, hard-to-fix problem is because many of us, just like the man in the song, wish to pretend that the problem does not exist.

He walks on, doesn't look back
He pretends he can't hear her
Starts to whistle as he crosses the street
Seems embarrassed to be there.

We would like to pretend that the homeless are different from the rest of us and that somehow they brought the situation unto themselves. The reality of the situation, however, is that the homeless represent a cross-section of the population at large. In fact, the homeless are very much just like you and me.

According to recent statistics:

Familial composition:
• 40% are families with children—the fastest growing segment.
• 41% are single males.
• 14% are single females.
• 5% are minors unaccompanied by adults.
1.37 million (or 39%) of the total homeless population are children under the age of 18.

Ethnicity:
• 49% are African American.
• 35% are Caucasian.
• 13% are Hispanic.
• 2% are Native-American.
• 1% is Asian-American.

Health-concerns:
• 22% are considered to have serious mental illnesses or are disabled.
• 30% have substance abuse problems.
• 26% report acute health problems such as tuberculosis, pneumonia, or sexually transmitted infections.
• 46% report chronic health conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes or cancer.
• 55% report having no health insurance (compared to 16% of general population).
• 58% report having trouble getting enough food to eat.

Backgrounds:
• 23% are veterans (compared to 13% of general population).
• 25% were physically or sexually abused as children.
• 27% were in foster care or similar institutions as children.
• 21% were homeless at some point during their childhood.

Location:
• 71% reside in central cities.
• 21% are in suburbs.
• 9% are in rural areas.

In the United States, the Los Angeles region is thought to have the largest concentration of homeless persons in the country. In its biannual census of 2005, Los Angeles counted nearly 90,000 homeless persons living in the County at any given night. A quarter of a million are expected to be homeless at any time of the year. A 50-block area in downtown Los Angeles called Skid Row has a homeless population as large as the homeless population of all of San Francisco.

The numbers above are not unique to the USA. In other industrialized countries, the percentages above are very similar to the US percentages.

In other words, we are the homeless and the homeless are us. The next person that you meet may be a homeless person or may have been a homeless person at some point in his or her life. Think about that the next time that you are tempted to complain about the presence of homeless people in your community, or want to blame them for their situation, or feel that their requests for money or support are unjustified
With the worldwide economic downturn, the problem will get bigger not smaller. The rank of homeless men, women and children will grow.

So what should we do? Should we look the other way, like the man in the song, and pretend that the problem does not exist? Or should we use the power that we have, the power of a million ideas, and resolve to one day reach the goal of eliminating homelessness from the face of our planet.

We created Between Homes © to provide homeless SL avis, with a place to call their own; a place to hang out, relax and have a good time. But SL is a “just a game,” after all technically there is really no such thing as a homeless avis. So what is the real reason for creating BH?

We, of course, want our residents to have fun and enjoy a good time while in-world. But we also want you to think about the homeless in your town, in your country in the world. We want you to think about possible solutions to the problem and then we want you to act upon those solutions. What it means to take action will depend on each one of you.

Action could mean something like donating time as a volunteer at your local homeless shelter. Action could mean something like donating money to your shelter or pushing your local politicians to do something about the problem. Or, action could mean something as simple, and powerful, as stopping treating the homeless as if they are invisible people who do not exist; smile at a homeless person give her a few words of encouragement and reassure her that the world does care.

I can tell you that those few words of hope and encouragement could make all the difference in the life of a homeless person.

Thank you for reading this; I hope that you will take this call to action seriously. We are each individual agents for change.

As Mother Teresa once said:

In this life we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love.

Go do small things with lots of love!

Life at Between Homes is good!

By:

Debbie Bulloch



Life at Between Homes is good and getting better! In the few months since the genesis of BH we have grown by leaps and bounds. What began as a tiny, 1024 sqm space with six small apartments and a small recreation area has now expanded to over 10,350 sqm. of land, spread over one main area and four annexes. That is a 10x growth factor in just a few, short months. The dedicated and hard working members of the Board of Directors have made this incredible growth possible. Gracias a todos!

The original apartment building has been replaced by a beautiful apartment complex with 15 roomy, airy apartments. Each apartment has a roomy living room, a terrace and a bedroom. There are large windows all around for a great view of the entire grounds. The apartments are available either furnished or unfurnished. Best of all, they are Gratis!



The grounds themselves have been beautifully landscaped by Yucca Gemini. There are lush trees, plants and flowers. There are two main picnic areas for residents to choose from. One area has logs arranged in a circle around a cozy, warm fire. Residents can sit on the logs and enjoy a nice, warm chat. The other picnic area has cozy blankets to just lay down on and perhaps read a good book.

To the North there is a large pond fed by a waterfall. Residents can sun themselves on the pond's shores or they can go out on the water and float on the inner tube and air mattress. Either way, it is a relaxing experience. We may eventually stock the pond with pretty, colored fish. And if it gets cold enough and the pond freezes, we can even go ice skating!



On the West end of the main grounds, there is a dance floor, complete with dance pose balls. For those who prefer to sit down and chat (or simply rest after a long tango dance) there are couches to sit down, chat and cuddle with your SL honey! If you are thirsty, we have a fully stocked bar offering all kinds of refreshing beverages. We will soon install a Replicator dispenser, to dispense snacks, drinks and assorted other free goodies.



Walk over to the East end of the main grounds and you will receive a big surprise (or a big shock, depending on your frame of mind). At the East end there is a Halloween Carousel complete with spooky floating pumpkins. Sit inside one of the large pumpkins and carve yourself one spooky ride!!!



Three of the BH'S four Annexes are landscaped with orange trees (I am from California and I love orange trees) and have blankets for laying down and relaxing. The fourth Annex has a Japanese house designed and built by Yucca Gemini. BH Director Deneby Strauss lives in that house.

Between Homes is your place to come, relax and have a good time. This is your home, you can all make it as nice as you want it to be. BH’s Officers Gloeing Ember, Yucca Gemini, Deneby Strauss and ARCABULLE Odriscoll have worked long and hard to make BH what it is today. All of you can help to make it an even better place.

Enjoy it, be safe and have a wonderful time.

Officer Profile: Yucca Gemini

By Debbie Bulloch:



Between Homes is a collaborative, team effort. It takes the work, dedication and generosity of many individuals to make a project like BH succeed. Today I will introduce you to one of those hardworking, dedicated persons; BH Officer Yucca Gemini.



Yucca is BH’s Master Builder and Architect. Every building, every design feature, every tree and even every blade of grass at BH were put there by Yucca. Many of you have probably already met Yucca. Odds are that when you first meet Yucca she is probably busy putting up buildings, terraforming or creating a new water feature. When Yucca is busy working she may not even notice that you are there; that is how much she concentrates on getting her creations just right. In past occasions I have stood right next to Yucca talking to her and receiving no reply, only to realize that she was not ignoring me, she was just building!

I first met Yucca when I was a relative newbie at SL. I wanted some custom work done on a house—stairs removed, floor and doors added. I previously had a bad experience with a builder who had charged me an arm and a leg to remove a wall and add a door. So when I asked Yucca how much the work would cost I was prepared to be price-shocked. I was price-shocked, but in a very, very nice way. The price that Yucca quoted me was way below what I had expected to pay based upon my previous experience. Anyone can give a low price-quote, the real question is: how well can they do the job and how quickly can they do it.

In these two areas Yucca’s performance exceeded even my wildest expectations. The work was done fast, the work was done to the highest standards and the price was right. On top of all of that, Yucca turned out to be a delightful person to work with. I couldn’t be happier with Yucca and with her work. After all the work was done I turned Yucca and, to paraphrase the lines spoken by Rick Blaine to Capt. Louis Renault at the end of Casablanca I said to her: Yucca, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. And in every possible aspect it has been a beautiful friendship.

A few weeks later, when I began selling houses at ABC Homes, Yucca’s houses, including the Japan House, the Celtic Manor and the Swiss Chalet, were among the best selling models. Week in and week out, customers kept snapping up the houses that Yucca built. Yucca’s houses are not only beautifully detailed (the Japan house especially is a gorgeous example of Japanese architecture) but are also very low prims.



But Yucca is more than just a talented designer and builder; she is also deeply dedicated to helping people. I still remember one particular time when I was having problems closing a particular sale to a very particular customer. Yucca went out of her way to modify the bungalow that the customer wanted to buy. Yucca wanted me to make the sale, but most importantly she wanted the customer to be happy with her new house. Today that customer, Eve Compton, is a very good friend. (Eve is also the owner of an SL mall. Stop by and take a look at Eve’s mall, Endeavour Cove )

Yucca continues to devote her efforts to helping others enjoy their SL experience. Yucca has not charged even a single Linden for all the work she has done at BH and for all the materials she has used in construction. You can see the same attention to detail in the apartments that Yucca has built at BH as in the houses that she made for sale at ABC Homes. Few builders in SL can match Yucca’s buildings for their detail and low prim construction.

In addition to building houses for sale, Yucca has built several Sims, ranging from simple and peaceful island settings, to very detailed Gorean cities. Her work is well known and highly sought out.

I am fortunate to have Yucca as my dear friend. BH is fortunate to have Yucca as its Master Builder. SL is fortunate to have people like Yucca as one of its in-world residents.

Please take the time to say “hi!” to Yucca and thank her for her work. When you are finally ready to move out of BH and buy your first house, go see Yucca and ask her to show you her houses.

Welcome to the official Between Homes Blog

By Debbie Bulloch



Hello, my name is Debbie Bulloch. Some of you may know me from my posts at the ABC Homes sales blog. ( http://abchomesales.blogspot.com/ ). I am also one of the founders of Between Homes. I wish to welcome all of you to the first installment of the Between Homes blog. Between Homes (BH) was originally conceived as a "shelter" for avis without a home of their own. Eventually, BH grew to become a place for avis to stay, meet other avis and learn more about SL.

SL is a wonderful place to meet people, exchange ideas, explore new worlds or, simply, hang-out and unwind. At BH, we want to provide new avis with a place to meet experienced in-world residents and learn more about what SL has to offer. To that end, we provide a place for avis to meet, hang out and just "chill.". At BH we also provide apartments for avis without a permanent SL home. The apartments are already furnished and decorated (though we encourage residents to add their own personal touch to their apartment). Best of all, the apartments are free. At BH we do not have hard and fast lenght-of-stay rules. But because our resources ar elimited and we wish to help as many avis as possible, we ask residents to eventually make their own living arrangements to make room for new residents.

The other rules are simple: 1. be respectful of other residents (this includes no public nudity or open "intimate" moments - this will result in immediate and permanent ban); 2. be helpful to others you meet at BH and elsewhere in SL; 3. do not over-prim (prims are the biggest limiting factor in SL); 4. no Master - slave, or Dom - sub RP on the premises; and 5. have FUN!!!

Please stay tuned for more information.

Thank you.