I was searching for zoos and came across a link to the Imagination Breeding and Zoo sim. A visit here was quite a treat during a quiet summer afternoon in Real Life. Upon arrival, I was greeted by a couple of banjo playing characters. Just around the corner, there was a huge pink elephant juggling balls. I was told to try to sit on one of the balls while they were being set up, and after a couple of tries, I was successful. Afterwards, I wasn’t sure that I was happy about that since I ended up being juggled along with the other balls. It made me very dizzy!

I rode a llama around the center of the zoo while exploring the site. There was also an elephant ride near the outside of the zoo, but I had a lot of trouble keeping him on course!

One of my favorite exhibits was the penguins’ igloo. (Imagine that!) There was a carton seat inside of the igloo, and the penguins moved in and out visiting with me there. They probably thought I was a long lost relative.

There were lots of other fun exhibits there including an ant band that marched around the zoo playing their cute little instruments. It’s well worth a visit for all animal lovers!

If you’ve been fortunate enough to visit Venice in real life, you know what a beautiful island the main island is. The creators of Venice Island in Second Life have done a nice job of replicating many of Venice’s lovely features, including the unique bridges that span the canals.

You can rez your own gondola and float through the canals, although I found it easier to just stroll along the canals and enjoy the sights.

Or just find a sidewalk cafe and sit and people watch.

Enjoy your visit to virtual Venice!

We owe a great deal of thanks to Tigerlilly for coming up with the name for our site. We are happy to announce the ITRT Retreat for all Instructional Technology Resource Teachers in Virginia and anyone else who would like to join us. We hope to have a grand opening sometime in September after the beginning of the year is over and everyone has time to come up for air.

Our Welcome Center cabin will have information about us and offer a free ITRT shirt. The Educators Resource cabin will offer lots of landmarks that educators will find useful. The Recreation Center cabin will be a fun place to hang out or grab some landmarks to entertaining locations in Second Life.

In keeping with our Virginia theme (you did notice the state flag, didn’t you?) Tyna added some wildlife to our property, complete with sound effects. We have our own pet squirrel and a whole family of ducks.