The Pines at Jacob Pond

The pastel trees and quiet paths that caress the shores of Jacob Pond impart a beautiful solitude to the sim The Pines at Jacob Pond, designed and owned by Holly (Dacotah Longfall), a playful seven-year-old who delights in giving tours and chatting it up with visitors. The wilderness, meadows and farmland are exquisitely landscaped—havens for horses, blackface sheep, geese, cows, chickens, raccoon and especially deer. "I still lookin for some mesh birds to put out," adds Holly.

From the arrival point you can strike out on the east or west shore of the pond, either way eventually arriving at the southern edge where a lakeside cottage awaits, smoke lazily drifting out of its chimney and a barn at its side (cookies in the kitchen, too). Taking the eastern route will lead to an area that Holly describes as her favorite—a small clearing where four large pines have recently been felled, their trunks and branches now lying in the meadow grasses. Other trails wrap around the perimeter of the sim, providing a gorgeous view of the shoreline. A second smaller pond lies on the northwest corner of the sim, sustained by gentle waterfalls.

On both sides of Jacob Pond are hidden places: look carefully and you'll spy the entrances to two mines, which snake underground a little ways before emerging into the open once again. At first I assumed these were coal mines, their walls dark with soot, but then I noticed that the minecarts had something quite different in them. ("Shhh it be a secret or dem all be over taking mine white chocolate from me," I was admonished.)

The sim is clothing optional, so don't be too surprised if you arrive and see people innocently frolicking about—it's all in good fun, as this obviously isn't an adult or sexually themed region. And if you enjoy The Pines at Jacob Pond, please consider leaving a contribution for its support, which you can do at the landing point. Click on any of these images to zoom in; I'll be adding some to my flickr stream.