StoneRoad2013's photos

This Maine Coon is a large cat, even for this breed. I'm going to try for another image, as he's [sort of] accepted me. Hopefully, a profile or the "china cat" posture ...

Sunset on 12th Night [Epiphany] imaged on the 'sunset' setting. Note the frost/fog over the fields.

Sunset on 12th Night [Epiphany] imaged on the 'dawn' setting. Note the frost/fog over the fields.

Went out to one of the rural tea rooms that we visit quite often for a late lunch - usual good fare ! we even bought a second round of cakes as a "takeaway treat" ... Highly recommended [and dog-friendly, too] - White Monk Tearoom. Alternatively, The Lord Crewe Arms supply more alcoholic refreshments. Both are in Blanchland, Co.Durham. Spotted this tree showing off autumn shades on the stroll back to the car park. Construction of the right hand wall / gate post is a little different !

hahahahaha!!!!! That's cheered me up quite considerably. not my image : fair use & public entertainment

For me, 2023 has not been a particularly good year, it was only slightly better than any of the previous three years or so, ie 2020 / 2021 / 2022, so I'm quite glad to see the back of it. [and satisfying my internal grinch!] . not my image : fair use & public information

Huge waves over the pier and lighthouse during a storm [undated, guessing anywhere between 2015 and early 2023 - although the weathered appearance of the lighthouse indicates pre-2022] I suspect this might be Storm Desmond - 3rd to 8th December 2015 - which was quite vicious / devastating to most of Cumbria, which lost a lot of bridges and a Police Officer was killed when a bridge in Workington collapsed under him, as a result of the excessive rainfall. . not my image & only a small one : fair use & public education

For me, 2023 has not been a particularly good year, it was only slightly better than any of the previous three years or so, ie 2020 / 2021 / 2022, so I'm quite glad to see the back of it. . . not my image : fair use & public information

Finally, some relief from the excessive fuel prices in the UK, largely driven by supermarket forecourts. Probable cause - oil company profiteering as a result of [temporary and largely imaginary] supply difficulties after the ru551an invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. . not my image : fair use & public information

The small section of the legacy backlog still remaining appears to be the more complicated applications. There are still people awaiting an initial decisions whose applications were made just after the arbitrary 28th June 2022 date ... Also, there was a significant increase during 2023 of abandoned / withdrawn applications - which suggests both people disappearing into the underlevels of society and a degree of administative fudging to achieve this artificial and politically driven "target" ... . not my image : fair use & public information

Updated to 31st Dec 2023 - number of people detected crossing the English Channel in small boats. Much of the flattening of the curve in the latter months [Nov & Dec] will be due to unsuitable weather conditions ... I doubt if the people smugglers will be taking account of things like the proposed deportations to rwanda, partly at least because it is very difficult to catch these modern day slavers and secure convictions. . not my image : fair use & public information

The next weather system in the European winter wind storm season is expected on 2nd January 2024, the yellow warning issued by the UK's Met Office is mainly for strong winds in the South West of England and Wales. [I suspect that any additional rain will induce further flooding in places like the Somerset Levels] . Not my Image : Fair Use & Public Information

A grand total of 10 American states ban "assault weapons" and another 3 have some restrictions. So that's 38 where there are NO restrictions ! . not my image ; fair use & public information

I strongly suspect that some the steep climbs in the "more strict" thinkers came about because of the repeated mass shootings of young school children, specifically Sandy Hook in 2012 and Uvalde in 2022. Plus the Las Vegas massacre in 2017 when 60 died and over 410 were wounded in a 1,000 round spree. Compare to the UK reaction to the 1996 Dunblane massacre. It took to 2010 before the UK had another comparable event. [Hungerford was in 1987] . not my image : fair use & public education

Four victims, at least ... to count as a "mass" shooting. . On that basis, 632 might become as much 684 by the end of December, if the weekly average is consistent. There were 39 incidents in the first 24 days of 2023. hmmm, the jump in 2019 - 2020 *might* be related to the stresses caused by covid regulations during the global pandemic, some affects of which are still present. . not my image : fair use & public education

Just shows how well regulated gun ownership is in the UK ! {the 1996 Dunblane & 2010 Cumbrian mass shooting events both affected how the UK population viewed firearms}. note - dates for the periods covered do not fully overlap, but data are still comparable. . not my image : fair use & public education

Disgustingly, I think that the massive 2013 increase in the "gun rights" lobbying expenditure was largely in response to the outrage expressed over the 26 victims in Sandy Hook school shooting / massacre on 12 Dec 2012. The outrage developed into a campaign for greater levels of gun control. The victims were 20 children between 6 & 7 years old plus six adults and the perpetrator's mother was also killed by him earlier. [ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandy_Hook_Elementary_School_shooting ]

updated - prev version was for 2020 - there has been an overall increase of almost 10 deaths per day ! How the gun-related deaths in USA are split between murders, suicides and 'other' ... . . Not my Image : Fair Use & public information