🎁 Free? Say No More

One of the many perks of being a Premium or Premium Plus member in Second Life is getting those seasonal gift packs that arrive and immediately trigger the same thought process every single time: “Do I need this?” followed almost instantly by “Well, it’s free, so obviously yes.”

The new Summer Premium Gifts became available today and, naturally, I went to pick them up. Not because I had a decorating plan. Not because my Linden Ranch desperately needed an upgrade. Mostly because the words “free” and “summer” appeared in the same sentence, and apparently that is all the motivation I need.

I had originally intended to just unpack everything, take a quick look, and move on with my day. Several hours later, my porch had been completely redecorated, my yard had been rearranged, and I was standing in the middle of what looked like a summer garden party waiting for guests who had absolutely not been invited.

🌞 Apparently I Own an Outdoor Resort Now

The gift pack contains an impressive amount of stuff. What I expected to be a handful of seasonal decorations turned out to be an entire outdoor living setup. There is a beautiful pergola with different options, lounge chairs, a coffee table, a dining table, chairs, a bench, a small hibachi grill, and a massive outdoor kitchen-style grill that looks capable of catering a wedding reception. And then there is the food.

So much food.

There are hamburgers, corn, vegetable platters, cheese platters, pitchers of iced tea, and enough assorted barbecue goodness to create the impression that I had spent all day preparing a feast for my whole friends list and followers, and possibly anyone who happened to wander by within a five-region radius.

📏 Adventures in Avatar Scale

The only slight issue I encountered was scale.

Whoever put this set together clearly has a different understanding of avatar proportions than I do, because when I first rezzed everything straight out of the box, I suddenly felt like I had shrunk to the size of Thumbelina. The furniture looked enormous. The tables seemed designed for giants. The food platters were so large that I briefly wondered if the hamburgers were intended to feed horses.

I spent a good amount of time resizing everything (it’s mod, thank you!!) to fit my avatar and my ranch a little better. This is one of those classic Second Life experiences where you tell yourself it will only take a few minutes, and then somehow an hour disappears while you are nudging chairs a little to the left and making a table 17 %  smaller.

🌺 Summer Has Moved In

Once everything was adjusted, though, it came together beautifully.

My Ranch already has all of its summer landscaping in place, with flowers blooming everywhere and greenery taking over every available corner since two summers ago, so the new setup fits right in. The pergola makes the backyard feel cosy and inviting, while the dining area and grill on the porch make the whole place look like it is permanently prepared for a barbecue that could start at any moment.

🍔 The Barbecue Nobody Actually Cooked

Summer in Second Life has always been about creating the atmosphere of summer. It’s about porches, gardens, outdoor gatherings, long evenings, and pretending your virtual life is every bit as organised and productive as the carefully arranged scene in front of you.

My ranch now looks like the kind of place where people spend the afternoon chatting, eating, and enjoying the sunshine. It looks like I’ve been planning the perfect garden party for weeks.

The fact that I achieved all of this by opening a free gift box and enthusiastically rezzing everything in sight is information that nobody needs to know.

For now, I’m keeping the entire setup exactly where it is. The ranch feels cheerful, summery, and welcoming, and honestly, I think it might stay this way until autumn arrives. Or next summer, who knows?! After all, if Linden Lab is willing to provide enough furniture and food to host the entire neighbourhood, it would be rude not to use it!

And besides, these gifts are completely free, which means the only appropriate response is to enjoy them, decorate with them, and absolutely not complain about them. For those who need a refresher on this important life skill, I highly recommend a previous article: Free Gifts and the Fine Art of Not Complaining. 

Check the list of locations where Premium and Premium Plus accounts can pick up the set here.