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Pipe Chamber

Sunday, 19 February 2023

It's the last day already? How did that happen? Seize the day, friends!

Did you know that the center image on our main page every day can be the wallpaper on your computer? We haven't thought to mention it in any recent year. Beautify your desktop and download one today. :-)

So, what’s new today before it’s time to leave?

Zooms today:

Kahoot game – WFOL trivia
The Genius of PS Nim – Bring your sense of humor

Expect closing ceremonies to be live this afternoon US time. The treasure hunt walkthrough will be posted as well.

We would greatly appreciate your taking time to answer our ending survey. And understand that we love honest answers. It helps us to see what works, what needs improvement, and what your suggestions are for new possibilities. Look for it in closing ceremonies.

The last of the “of the day” sort of activities (Mosaic stories, challenges, Caption This, etc.) will be up today. You won’t be able to add to any of them after today, but you can still read what’s there. Most games will still be playable after Winterfest, and most submissions will still be there to enjoy.

However – in case of WFOL withdrawal symptoms…

There's a group that meets most every day to chat at 4pm EST. Look for them in the main chatroom, which will go back to being called Catherine's Balcony after Winterfest.

The acknowledgments in closing ceremonies will reflect the names of our wonderful individual Helpers who submitted their work or assisted us in one way or other to make this Winterfest gathering more fun for everyone here, but we want to thank them collectively here as well. We appreciate you!

We also want to thank the guests, you who have shared your enthusiasm and good will with the rest of the tunnels. That enthusiasm and community spirit undoubtedly breathes joy into our Helpers’ hearts as well as our own.

We hope you’ve enjoyed your time here and leave the tunnels tonight with smiles and memories of fun and friends. But - there's still today, so have fun.

We’ll miss all the extra smiles and enthusiasm in the passageways, and we’ll look forward to seeing you next year. Until then, be well!

Your wintercandlemakers
wintercandlemakers2@yahoo.com

Saturday, 18 February 2023

Oh my!

Two more days left to discover all the little corners and alcoves you haven’t found yet. Find something you haven’t tried and give it a chance.

If you feel you can, time is counting down for donations to our charity fundraiser for Alight. If you don't use Paypal, you could donate on Alight's web site, or if you want to be counted in our WFOL efforts, write a check to them and snail mail it to JoAnn. Email us for her postal address.

And you may want to check the ebay auctions, also benefiting Alight, and get your final bids in. They end at varying times today.

There are 4 Zoom sessions today.

2 demonstrations – cooking and creating digital art
2 games – Con Trivia and Scattergories

And the chat rooms are still busy.

Several games
San Diego 2023 convention Q&A
Guess the Author - if you'd like to write for next year's edition, come!
An opportunity to offer suggestions for next year’s WFOL
Conversations with the characters

Oh, by the way, Vincent and Catherine might not be around as much as usual today. Rumor has it that they’ll be going to the largest, farthest bathing chamber. They know there have been a few voyeurs following them in the past. If you’re determined to be one of those, expect to encounter a few obstructions that they’ve left behind so they could have more time to themselves.

Enjoy!

The Wintercandlemakers
wintercandlemakers2@yahoo.com

Friday, 17 February 2023

Good morning!

What do you mean it's already Friday? How did that happen?

There’s another new game today. Look for Vincent and Catherine’s Halloween.

And there’s more treasure hunt hints and help in the chat room tonight should you need it.

All kinds of other new stuff today, too. New topics for the questions of the day, the challenges, the drabbles, Beast Libs...

Try the games, join a chat, check out the charity auctions, do some reading, add to the mosaic stories - whatever strikes your fancy.

Another adult zine reading is in the schedule, along with several other chats you might be interested in or identify with, and there’s a Pizza Party episode chat. Prepare or order your pizza (or other food, or not, up to you) and settle in to watch the anniversary episodes.

The Wintercandlemakers
wintercandlemakers2@yahoo.com

Thursday, 16 February 2023

Hello! It’s Treasure Hunt Day!

Get out your virtual hiking boots and be prepared for a good trek through the tunnels. Remember, if you see people asking for help, only give hints, not outright answers. Some folks really enjoy finding their way on their own. If you want do more, please confine it to individual emails and then only if asked.

If you’re lost somewhere on the Treasure Hunt, you can check into the games chatroom tonight for Treasure Hunt help and hints. There will also be a walkthrough posted later in the week that will have all the answers.

There are several more episode chats again today, and a couple of topics about the series and changes you might have wanted to see made. In the Zoom tunnels there's another zine reading, family friendly this time, and a Beauty and the Beast Show and Tell. Bring your favorite BATB treasures and show them off.

If you aren’t treasure hunting, you might find other things less crowded, so go and take advantage. It’s all out there waiting.
The Wintercandlemakers

wintercandlemakers2@yahoo.com

Wednesday, 15 February 2023

Hi!

Welcome back to another Winterfest morning!

The chat schedule is busy again today with games and new episode chats.

Rosemarie has a craft presentation – making a Winterfest bookmark. Click the link on the schedule to see what materials you’ll need. She also has a poetry reading as well. Bring a favorite poem to share – yours or another writer’s.
Following the poetry, you can join Catherine, Vincent, and the other tunnel dwellers for romantic music. Joanna Mell’s harp concert is in the Zoom tunnels - Romantic Songs for Tunnel Lovers. Bring requests if you like.
Later, JoAnn will host a Q&A about this summer’s convention in San Diego. Newbies, this is an in person convention. Real people, real smiles, real hugs!

Check out the essays, and/or add your 2 cents to the Questions and Challenges of the day in the Library and the Conversation Corner.

Wander through The Fine Arts Gallery and have a seat long enough to look and listen to some of the submissions. And the Painted Tunnels give you a chance to create your own art and leave it to be displayed. Be brave! Show us what you can do. Nobody expects perfect.

And don’t forget the Game Nook. There’s a Logic Puzzle that's new today. And while you’re there, add your sense of humor to Caption This. New pictures are added each day.

So choose your favorites and head off to your next adventure. See you later on.

The Wintercandlemakers
wintercandlemakers2@yahoo.com

Tuesday, 14 February 2023

Good morning and Happy Valentine’s Day!

Are you enjoying your WFOL visit? If visiting new or old friends is appealing, there are 3 back to back episode chats today. You could put on the kettle for tea, gather snacks or a meal, grab a warm, cozy blanket, and settle in to watch and chat.

Not in the mood for talking right now? Try some games or do some reading or listening. (The tea and snacks would still be nice.)

We know everyone isn’t in a position to contribute to this year’s charity; but if you are, you can familiarize yourself with Alight in the Helper’s Nook. If not, maybe you can help another time.

In the spirit of helping, one of our fanfic writers has offered her service for a new type of charity auction – a story written exclusively for the auction winner. The winner will receive a questionnaire so the story can be tailored specifically to their preferences.

Later on there are games on Zoom – Beast Bingo and Scattergories.

Also find a past Valentine’s activity in the kitchen. (What? We have space there!)

See you in the tunnels!

The Wintercandlemakers
wintercandlemakers2@yahoo.com

Monday, 13 February 2023

Good morning!

If you're new here and keep hearing terms you don't know, there's a link in the Helper's Nook to Fandom 101. You'll find lots of answers there.

New today in the Gallery is a group of interviews we’ve done over the years with BATB fan artists and writers, managers of BATB related projects, as well as a few actors and crew members. A little of WFOL’s 20-year history repeating itself.

CABB is presenting the 5 new stories received for their WFOL 20th Anniversary Challenge today, too. You can find those in the library.

Enjoy the games, the art, the new stories, the listening chamber, etc, consider adding something to the “of the day” challenges, and check here to see what’s new tomorrow.

Have fun.

The Wintercandlemakers
wintercandlemakers2@yahoo.com

Sunday, 12 February 2023

Are you having fun yet? We hope so.

If you got into the submissions section yesterday and thought you had read all the stories or seen all the art, etc, don’t be too sure about that. New things are posted every day.

New today is “It isn’t Winterfest unless____”. You fill in the blank. We’re looking forward to your answers.

And speaking of every day, there are some interactive verbal adventures each day of Winterfest.

Questions of the Day in the Conversation Corner
Kitchen poll
Poetry Challenge, Mad Libs, and Drabbles in the Library

Today’s chats are varied and sound like fun. If you’re new to Zoom, it might be a good idea to arrive early to address any potential technical difficulties. You can choose from:

Games in the chat room and one, BATB Scattergories, on Zoom
A zine reading of adult stories on Zoom
A chat for newbies to meet one another
A discussion of controversial lines from the series
Three episode chats – Cue up your copy of the episode and all watch together

In the library, you’ll find more opportunities to both read and write. Aside from the challenges mentioned before, you’ll find:

Round Robins, Classic and 3S
Mosaic stories where you can add to the stories

Do you crave BATB memorabilia? There’s an eBay auction list at the top right of the Great Hall page, and all proceeds go to our charity.

And don’t miss:

The Game nook
The Fine Arts Chamber – A chance to both look, and listen to some of the talent in our tunnels
Mouse’s chamber - Pack rat that he is, Mouse has stored games and other things from past Winterfests
Vincent’s chamber – If you peek in, you might catch Vincent looking more relaxed that we usually find him.

Regardless of what you decide on, get out there and enjoy it. Wave as you pass by.

The Wintercandlemakers
wintercandlemakers2@yahoo.com

Saturday, 11 February 2023

You're here! You're here! And now the festivities can begin!

Now that you’re here... Welcome to Winterfest. This is our 20th year, and whether you’re a 20-year veteran, a well-seasoned visitor, or on your first trip through the threshold and down the windy stairs, we’re happy to see you and hope this year’s activities will brighten your week.

Winterfest is about enjoying friends who have come to feel like family. If you want to catch up with old friends and acquaintances or meet new ones, there’s a welcome chat today on Zoom, and a guided tour through WFOL later on. Check the chat schedule for times.

If Zoom sounds like a mind-boggling mystery to you, go to the Conversation Corner in the Great Hall, look for Chat Schedule, and you’ll find a Zoom 101 link to help. Keep scrolling down to find the chat schedule, followed by descriptions of the various chats.

The Great Hall offers something for everybody – Stories and Daily Challenges in the Library, peeks into Vincent’s Chamber, the art gallery, the listening chamber, games, the Conversation Corner.... More will appear each day, so don’t stop checking in. Pascal will be here in the Pipe Chamber each day to keep you up to date about what’s new.

There are a couple of Zoom activities that require materials beforehand.

If you’d like to play Beast Bingo on Tuesday, you need to contact Lisa Howard at beastfan@aol.com today so she has time to create the Bingo cards and get them out to people.

If you’d like to learn how to draw Vincent, Karen Crow has a class on Sunday. There's a list of materials you’ll need for best results on the chat schedule, but if there isn’t time to get them, don’t hesitate to use a No. 2 pencil and computer paper or just watch the process.

The tunnels are vast and dark, and sometimes your flashlight or torch might go dim. If you get lost in your wanderings, remember that clicking on the Winterfest logo will always take you back to The Great Hall. The candles at the lower corners of the pages will take you to the previous page or the next one.

Now, light your candle, get out into the tunnels, and start your adventure. We look forward to seeing you.

Tap on the pipes if you need us.

The Wintercandlemakers
wintercandlemakers2@yahoo.com