Buy this photo on Getty Images : Getty Images

Submitted: 18/06/2018

Accepted: 20/06/2018

“Because one believes in oneself, one doesn't try to convince others. Because one is content with oneself, one doesn't need others' approval. Because one accepts oneself, the whole world accepts him or her.”

- Lao Tzu-

I'm back from my Oregon trip and will try and catch up with everyone. This image was accepted into Central Coast Artists Collective juried exhibit at the Art Center Morro Bay. The show will run from May 18 to June 26. The opening reception is May 21 at the Art Center.

First time using photo merger from 10 vertical shots. Accepting recommendations to make the process easier. It took me forever working from raw files, which generated a huge file.

On the far horizon, the setting sun.

Last beams of golden light search their way through the open window. A murmuring brook flows to the song of the birds outside. Wind gently brushes the cherry trees and carries the scent of flowers inside the quiet room. With a deep sigh he lifts his gaze from his graphic tablet, eying his work in a critical manner. Maybe it was time for a break? He turns towards u10. They've been quietly working side by side. It was a comfortable silence between them, that he rarely felt with others. A smile whisks over his face as he watches him.

A moment passes, before he gets up and disappears into the kitchen, only to return with a red fox cup, filled with fruit vinegar. He takes a seat on the edge of u10's pillow, gently he leaning onto him.

"Here.", he almost whispers, while passing the cup to him.

"Asahi-kun." A genuine smile spreads across u10's lips.

"Thank you.", he says accepting the cup. "We should take a break and stretch."

Asahi chuckles and thoughtfully he taps his chin with his index finger. "How about... would you like to watch a movie?"

"Hai!", u10 replies with a hearty laughter.

あなた は わたし の とくべつ です。

You are special to me.

• Soundtrack •

it will always try to seat you at the worst table you will accept :-)

Robert Brault

HSS!!

hibiscus, sarah p duke gardens, duke university, durham, north carolina

The photo wasn't planned but it works well for this week's Happy Caturday theme "Brushing or Petting" and so I post two cat photos today. There aren't many hands which Tofu accepts on his fur. The one in this photo belongs to my nephew Hendrik who at the moment lives in the room behind this window. Cats generally like Hendrik a lot and they all appear on his windowsill quite often. :) Happy Caturday !

If flowers had personalities, how would you describe how they feel? For some reason this one seems kind of "accepting". Like here I am, a weed by the side of the road, but I'm happy and that's enough for me I accept my lot in life.

Speaking of lots, did you know Mariah Carey's hubby gave her title deeds for a lot of land as a present last Christmas? When she opened it she said ...... I don't want a lot for Christmas ...

:)

“One of the greatest tragedies in life is to lose your own sense of self and accept the version of you that is expected by everyone else.”

― K.L. Toth

Learn the alchemy

true human beings know.

The moment you accept

what troubles you've been given,

The door will open.

Rumi

pink, white and blue for crazy tuesday # 3 colours

Please accept my apologies for not commenting. I'm on the road and have limited internet access and time.

This is an image from last summer of Swiftcurrent lake in Glacier National Park.

View large - 'A Very Still Morning' On Black

View the Entire - Glacier National Park - June 2007 Set

View my - Most Interesting according to Flickr

Slab City, Ca. (Yes, again)

Somewhere in my world, Jura, Franche-Comté, France

Credits

♬

Jelly Fish

Created with Midjourney engine Version 7.

PP work in Adobe PS Elements 2024 Raw filters.

A very close up led screen showing a large blue glowing jellyfish against black background. The jellyfish is so big making the scene feel like an abstract art. You can see the light dots. UHD photo shot by Sony Alpha 9

--chaos 10

--ar 9:16 --style raw --v 7 --stylize 600

WARNING !! if you use my prompts, please give me the courtesy of either credit me or at least say: inspired by Irene Steeves. If I find you continue using my prompt without credit I will block you. Thanks for your understanding.

Thank you all for the visit, kind remarks and invites, they are very much appreciated! 💝 I may reply to only a few comments due to my restricted time spent at the computer.

All art works on this website are fully protected by Canadian and international copyright laws, all rights reserved. The images may not be copied, reproduced, manipulated or used in any way, without written permission from the artist. Link to copyright registration:

www.canada.ca Intellectual property and copyright.

Thanks for 6,147,555 views 🙏 May 02, 2025

Update April 02, 2025. Now I only accept new group invitation that allows all media types including VIDEOS

Created for AIA GRUP Deep Blue Sea May 2025

www.flickr.com/groups/recreatingmasters/discuss/721577219...

Merci pour vos commentaire et fav,

j’accepte toutes les critiques constructives

Couleurs naturelles

Photo non retouchée

Thanks for your comments and fav,

I accept all constructive criticism

Natural colors

Unretouched photo

After I finished adding the fender washer and wood extension collar, the Chickadees returned. I was unsure if they'd use the box again since I'd done the work with eggs inside, but after a careful inspection, they did.

At Outlaw Tattoo Co. they Accept Walkens. So, if you have some extra Walkens stop on down to 148 Main Street in Hastings and get you self tatted : ) Christopher Walken is an American actor.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=xd9LpME3jnk&list=RDxd9LpME3jn...

Drune: East Of Eden 10,000L Photo Contest #Drune10kContest

Drune: East of Eden

Contest dates:

Midnight SLT, November 6 - 11:59 pm SLT, November 27, 2019

Categories:

10,000L - Grand Prize

5,000L - Best Scenery Photo

5,000L - Best Avatar(s) Photo

5,000L - Best Action Photo

5,000L - Best Erotic Photo

Sim Info:

Drune: East of Eden is a sci-fi sim in Second Life with a cyberpunk feel, inspired by films like Blade Runner, The Fifth Element, Neuromancer, and Altered Carbon. Several versions of Drune have existed before, including a few from different fictional time periods. Eden is a sector 7 district on the East side of Drune, rumoured to be “a place of commotion and carnal disquietude."

Rules:

1. You must be a member of the Drune Flickr group and submit your entry to that group with #Drune10kContest in the title or description.

2. Photos must be taken and submitted during the the contest dates. Photos taken prior to or after those dates will not be accepted.

3. The content of the photos can be anything you like as long as it's clear the photo was taken at Drune: East of Eden. This rule is subjective and it's up to the judges' discretion to determine this. Photos taken at other versions of Drune will not be accepted.

4. Each person may submit up to two photos to the contest. You may submit as many photos you like to the group during and after the contest period, but only two for the contest. If more than two photos are submitted with #Drune10kContest in the title or description, only the first two photos submitted will be accepted unless requested otherwise.

5. The number of entries applies per person. This means that photos from alt Second Life accounts or Alt Flickr accounts will not be accepted. Contestants are expected to be honest and self-policing on this issue. If an alt is used, all photos will be disqualified.

6. Photos taken of the three judges (Hera, Sparklebottom Lasertits, and Riowyn) cannot be accepted into the contest, just to eliminate some bias. However, there are images of Sparklebottom in various places on the sim. Photos which include those images will be allowed as long as they are not the main focus of the photo.

Other info:

If you wish to rez any objects to assist with your photo, Drune Forever! is free-to-join group that allows rezzing (and is also the new, PERMANENT group for all future versions of Drune). There is a group joiner at the entrance. Please be courteous and delete rezzed objects once you have finished with them. Rezzed objects not in use will be periodically returned.

Photos do not need to be submitted to any category. It will be up to the judges to decide which category each photo fits best. As such, "Best Scenery Photo" doesn't mean it can't include avatars, and "Best Avatar(s) Photo" doesn't mean it can only include avatars.

A photo can only win one category, so if the photo includes both action and scenery, the judges will decide which category to consider it for. This also applies to the grand prize, which is what we determine to be the best of the bunch. Each prize is mutually exclusive to all of the other prizes.

Also, keep in mind that Drune: East of Eden is Adult rated (as have all previous versions of Drune) and has many erotic images and themes around the sim. Photos for the contest are welcome to be as erotic (or not) as you'd like.

That being said, please feel free to explore ALL Drune: East of Eden has to offer. There are three clubs (including Pino 2051), a hentai shop, a tattoo parlor, private apartments, an obedience training room, and several other hidden interiors. You are encouraged to explore and utilize the entirety of the sim for the contest. or even for your leisure.

Winners will be announced within a week of the contest ending.

The most important part is to have fun and do what you love! Those photos tend to come out best! If you have any questions about the contest, contact Sparklebottom Lasertits (Sparklybootie in Second Life).

Stuff

AZOURY - Dessein Leg High

AZOURY - Ephese Arm

Asteria "Vera" [Maitreya] Panties

MAD' Human Being Tattoo

A&Y Zeo Cyber Hair (Male) - multicolor

:::SOLE::: SA - Mask 7M (OT) White (All)

:::SOLE::: GRPE - Charged Collar (White) (Unrigged)

:::SOLE::: GRPE - CArm (L) (White) (Unrigged)

:::SOLE::: GRPE - NCcore (White) (Lara)

:::SOLE::: GRPE - CLeg - Lara base (R)(White) (Unrigged)

:::SOLE::: GRPE - Crotch Guard (White)(Unrigged)

Hi everyone, I'm disabled and have been without a source of income for over a year so if you are in a position to help, I have setup an account to accept donations, even as little as the price of a coffee. Anything would be greatly appreciated.

See my "About" page on Flickr for the link. Thank you. www.flickr.com/people/jax_chile/

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Thanks for your visit, FAVs, and comments, I truly appreciate it!

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Press 'F11' for Large View then 'L' for a Largest View.

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This image may not be reproduced or used in any form whatsoever without my express written permission.

All rights reserved.

© Fotografias de John B

© John Edward Bankson

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Rosas de Santa Gemita - 031621 - LR TS2-2

Anaklia (Georgian: ანაკლია) is a town and seaside resort in western Georgia. It is located in the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region, at the place where the Enguri River flows into the Black Sea.

The earliest settlement on Anaklia's territory dates back to the mid-Bronze Age and is typical to the Colchian culture. It is the Classical Heraclea of Colchis, Anaclia of later authors, and Anarghia of Archangelo Lamberti and Jean Chardin (both the 17th-century travelers). After the fragmentation of the Kingdom of Georgia in the 15th century, it was an important fortified town, sea port and fishing station within the Principality of Mingrelia. In 1723, the town was captured by the Ottoman Empire and converted into its maritime outpost and slave-trading locale. Western Georgian kingdom of Imereti regained control over Anaklia in 1770, seizing the opportunity of Ottoman Empire being at war with Russia (Russo-Turkish War (1768–1774)). Solomon I, the king of Imereti, was supposed to be supported in this endeavor by a small Russian contingent under General Totleben, but the Russian troops retreated before a clash against the Turks.

In 1802, Kelesh-Bey Sharvashidze, the pro-Turkish ruler of the neighboring Principality of Abkhazia, capitalized on the internecine feuds in Mingrelia, and forced Prince Grigol Dadiani of Mingrelia into surrendering Anaklia, taking Grigol’s son and heir, Levan, as a hostage. When Mingrelia accepted the Russian protectorate in 1803, the Russian commander in Georgia, Prince Tsitsianov, demanded that Kelesh-Bey release Levan. On his refusal, Tsitsianov sent Major General Ion Rykgof into Abkhazia. In March 1805, the Russians took hold of Anaklia and threatened to march against Sukhum-Kaleh, forcing the Abkhazian prince to release Dadiani. The capture of Anaklia drew an Ottoman protest, however, and Tsitsianov hastened to disavow his subordinate and even apologize for his action, removing a Russian garrison from Anaklia. However, the incident added to an increasing tension between the two empires. When the next Russo-Turkish War broke out in 1806, the Russian forces restored Redoubt Kali and Anaklia to the Mingrelian prince Levan who would later relinquish the control of these forts to the Russian administration. (See Russian conquest of the Caucasus#Black Sea Coast.) In the 1850s, Anaklia was a small but strongly fortified seaport, which had a custom-house and carried on a considerable trade with Turkey.

Subsequently, the importance of the Anaklia port significantly reduced, but it remained a minor Black Sea Fleet base in the Soviet times.

After the War in Abkhazia (1992–93), a Russian peacekeeping post was opened at Anaklia in 1994. In 2006, the Ministry of Defense of Georgia reported numerous damages inflicted by the Russian soldiers upon the 17th-century fortress of Anaklia and accused the peacekeepers of installing latrines and baths within the walls of the fort. Following a series of protests by the Georgians, the Russian military post was withdrawn in July 2007.

A monument has been erected in Anaklia on May 21, 2012, commemorating Russia's expulsion of the Circassian people from the region following the conclusion of the Caucasian War in the 1860s. The May 21 date was chosen to coincide with the day on which the Circassian people themselves commemorate the expulsion, which the Georgian government has recognized as an act of genocide. The monument was designed by Khusen Kochesokov, a sculptor from the North Caucasus region of Kabardino-Balkaria.

Polly & Maggie agreement...

Thank you to everyone who stopped by to watch, leave a comment and keep smiling.

Accept the things to which fate binds you, and love the people with whom fate brings you together, but do so with all your heart - Marcus Aurelius

Wish you all a wonderful week ahead : ))

was walking by and saw Ashlie up where Abbie always used to sleep before she died. She looked so much like her up there (accept for the little birthmark on her nose) that it took me back for a minute ... aarrgghhh ...

Getting as close as I possibly can on a circuit board, harvested from a remote-controlled power outlet whose remote went belly-up, capturing examples of tiny surface-mount devices, possibly resistors. The ruler scale at the bottom is in millimeters.

Taken with the Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens at 5X magnification. At that setting, the lens has to be less than an inch (25.4mm) from the subject, making lighting difficult. The lens and camera were attached to a macro focusing rail, a necessary but very finicky device (more so at extreme magnification) used to move the camera fore and aft to focus. Given my sometimes uncooperative set of hands I have, it was a challenge, indeed.

Introduction

Word of God "God Himself, the Unique (III)" (Excerpt)

www.holyspiritspeaks.org/videos/God-Himself-the-Unique-vi...

God’s authority exists regardless of the circumstances; in all situations, God dictates and arranges every human fate and all things in accordance with His thoughts, His wishes. This will not change because humans change, and it is independent of man’s will, cannot be altered by any changes in time, space, and geography, for God’s authority is His very substance. Whether man is able to know and accept God’s sovereignty, and whether man is able to submit to it, does not in the slightest way change the fact of God’s sovereignty over human fate. That is to say, no matter what attitude man takes toward God’s sovereignty, it simply cannot change the fact that God holds sovereignty over human fate and over all things. Even if you do not submit to God’s sovereignty, He still commands your fate; even if you cannot know His sovereignty, His authority still exists. God’s authority and the fact of God’s sovereignty over human fate are independent of human will, do not change in accordance with man’s preferences and choices. God’s authority is everywhere, at every hour, at every instant. If heaven and earth were to pass away, His authority would never pass away, for He is God Himself, He possesses the unique authority, and His authority is not restricted or limited by people, events, or things, by space or by geography. At all times God wields His authority, shows His might, continues His management work as always; at all times He rules all things, provides for all things, orchestrates all things, just as He always did. No one can change this. It is fact; it has been the unchanging truth since time immemorial!

Once I was beautiful...abandoned Venetian living room interior

Created with Midjourney engine.

PP work in Adobe PS Elements 2024 Raw filters.

Prompt: abandoned Venetian livingroom interior with peeling silk wall paper, exposed stucco walls torn drapery dirty wood floor vase with silk flowers;in the style John Walsom pastel tones watercolor in soft pearl azure tones.

Thank you all for the visit, kind remarks and invites, they are very much appreciated! 💝 I may reply to only a few comments due to my restricted time spent at the computer.

All art works on this website are fully protected by Canadian and international copyright laws, all rights reserved. The images may not be copied, reproduced, manipulated or used in any way, without written permission from the artist. Link to copyright registration:

www.canada.ca Intellectual property and copyright.

Update April 02, 2025. Now I only accept new group invitation that allows all media types including videos.

Thanks for 7,521,581 views 🙏 January 16, 2026

Entered in Interiors - Kreative People - January 2026 Contest

www.flickr.com/groups/1752359@N21/discuss/72157721924471643/

Calles de Málaga

A lonely cyclist near Herrnfehlburg (Straubing)

"We accept the love we think we deserve."

–Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower

The first of my quite-parred-down-from-last-year Valentines offerings.

... WCPF Members Exhibition, 2020, Print, Accepted

Kitlens, flash with small diffusor, partly shielded by my hand.

Cropped and Vignetted in Apple's Aperture.

The birds they sang

at the break of day

Start again

I heard them say

Don't dwell on what

has passed away

or what is yet to be.

Ah the wars they will

be fought again

The holy dove

She will be caught again

bought and sold

and bought again

the dove is never free.

Ring the bells that still can ring

Forget your perfect offering

There is a crack in everything

That's how the light gets in.

www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a...

Key information

Noisy and gregarious, these cheerful exploiters of man's rubbish and wastefulness have managed to colonise most of the world. The ultimate avian opportunist perhaps. Monitoring suggests a severe decline in the UK house sparrow population, recently estimated as dropping by 71 per cent between 1977 and 2008 with substantial declines in both rural and urban populations. While the decline in England continues, Breeding Bird Survey data indicate recent population increases in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

What they eat:

Seeds and scraps.

Measurements:

Length:14-15cm

Wingspan:21-25.5cm

Weight:24-38g

Population:

UK breeding:5,300,000 pairs

Where and when to see them

House sparrows can be found from the centre of cities to the farmland of the countryside, they feed and breed near to people. It is a species vanishing from the centre of many cities, but is not uncommon in most towns and villages. It is absent from parts of the Scottish Highlands and is thinly distributed in most upland areas.

Breeding

House sparrows usually nest in loose colonies and since they don't defend a proper territory, nests can be as little as 20-30 cm apart.

How house sparrows nest

Nests are often placed in holes and crevices within buildings and they will readily use nestboxes. Free-standing nests are also frequently built, in creepers against walls and in thick hedges or conifers.

Pairs often remain faithful to their nest site and to each other for life, although a lost mate of either sex is normally replaced within days. A hole is filled with dry grass or straw with a nesting chamber lined with feathers, hairs, string and paper. Feathers may be plucked from a live pigeon!

The main nesting season is from April to August, although nesting has been recorded in all months. Most birds lay two or three clutches, but in a good year fourth attempts are not uncommon.

About house sparrow chicks

The female lays two to five eggs at daily intervals and often starts to incubate part way through egg-laying. Both sexes incubate, and the chicks hatch after 11-14 days. The parents share nesting duties equally. Chicks are brooded for 6-8 days, but can control their own body temperature only when 10 or 11 days old.

The youngsters are fed on a variety of invertebrates, including aphids, caterpillars, beetles and grasshoppers. Seeds and vegetable matter are also given, particularly during periods when invertebrates are scarce (e.g. cold weather) and become more important after the chicks leave the nest.

The young fledge 14-16 days after hatching. They are unable to feed themselves for about a week after leaving the nest and are cared for by their parents for around a fortnight. Post-fledging care is frequently left to the male as the hen prepares for the next brood. She can begin laying her next clutch of eggs within days of the previous brood leaving the nest.

Newly independent young often gather in large flocks, anywhere there is an abundance of seed, invertebrates and other suitable foods. These may be areas of wasteland or around garden feeding sites. Later, rural flocks may move on to grainfields to feed on the ripening grain, often joined by adult birds, once they have finished nesting. Flocks tend to break up through the autumn and birds return to their nesting colony sites.

Population trends

The house sparrow is common through most of its world range, and can tolerate a wide variety of climates.

The recent decline of house sparrows

UK house sparrow populations have fluctuated greatly over the centuries, with a gradual decline during the last 100 years.

Causes for the rapid recent declines, particularly in urban and suburban environments, remain largely undetermined, although research is underway that aims to establish the cause(s), and develop conservation solutions.

Declines in rural house sparrow populations are thought to be linked to changes in agricultural practices, particularly the loss of winter stubbles and improved hygiene measures around grain stores.

House sparrow numbers were not monitored adequately before the mid-1970s. Since then, numbers in rural England have nearly halved while numbers in towns and cities have declined by 60 per cent. Because of these large population declines, the house sparrow is now red-listed as a species of high conservation concern.

Relations with humans and other animals

People have a love-hate relationship with the house sparrow. However, control attempts have failed to limit the sparrows numbers and range.

Their relationship with humans

People have a love-hate relationship with the house sparrow. For many they are the most familiar of wild animals, bringing life to city centres and other man-made places, bereft of wildlife.

The house sparrows partiality to grain crops and the damage and destruction this caused resulted in attempts to control their numbers. From the mid-18th century most parishes had sparrow clubs with the sole objective to destroy as many sparrows as possible. Bounties were paid for sparrows until the late 19th century, when it was accepted that the control measures did not work. Similar failures were recorded in a number of other European countries.

Ironically, as people in Europe were paid to kill sparrows as pests, others deliberately introduced them to places as far apart as Australia and New York. Initially they were welcomed, although later appreciation turned to serious concern for the impact on crops. By then sparrows had become well established and control attempts have failed to limit the sparrows numbers and range.

How sparrows behave with other animals

Sparrows are aggressive tend to dominate feeders in gardens and prevent other birds from getting to the food. They harass other birds and steal their food and take over their nests, particularly house martins. The eviction and interference often results in a reduction in breeding success and can cause desertion of even large martin colonies.

Sparrows frequently tear to pieces the nests of martins and swallows and eject any eggs or chicks therein. The owners are unable to stop them.

Sparrows are very resilient and for their size have remarkably few serious predators. Main predators are domestic cats, owls (especially tawny) and sparrowhawks, but none are capable of affecting the size of the sparrow population, with the possible exception of localised effects by cats.

Minnekhada Regional Park, Coquitlam, BC.

Just some nice side light on a cluster of maples.

Consolidated PBV-5A Catalina 433915 G-PBYA Miss Pickup

Built in 1943 by Canadian Vickers

Accepted by the Royal Canadian Air Force with s/n 11005 doing Anti-submarine patrol duties

now in the colour scheme representing United States Army Air Corps OA-10 Catalina which would have been based at RAF Halesworth Suffolk during WWII

Beech 17 Staggerwing N18V DR628 USAAF 44-67761

This aircraft was constructed in 1944 and served with the USAAF as 44-67761, the aircraft has also served with US Navy BuNo 32898, Royal Navy FT507.

He aircraft is now painted in the colours DR628 attached RAF 24 Squadron based at RAF Hendon.

The Staggerwing is now based at Beverlo Airfield in Belgium

Photo taken at the Imperial War Museum Duxford Cambridgeshire on the 6th May 2022

BAH_5793

“Travelling, one accepts everything; indignation stays at home. One looks, one listens, one is roused to enthusiasm by the most dreadful things because they are new. Good travellers are heartless.”

― Elias Canetti, The Voices of Marrakesh

Life isn't about keeping score. It's not about how many people call you and it's not about who you've dated, are dating or haven't dated at all. It isn't about who you've kissed, what sport you play, or which guy or girl likes you. It's not about your shoes or your hair or the color of your skin or where you live or go to school. In fact, it's not about grades, money, clothes, or colleges that accept you or not. Life isn't about if you have lots of friends, or if you are alone, and it's not about how accepted or unaccepted you are. Life just isn't about that.

But life is about who you love and who you hurt. It's about how you feel about yourself. It's about trust, happiness and compassion. It's about sticking up for your friends and replacing inner hate with love. Life is about avoiding jealousy, overcoming ignorance and building confidence. It's about what you say and what you mean. It’s about seeing people for who they are and not what they hate. Most of all, it is about choosing to use your life to touch someone else's in a way that could never have been achieved otherwise. These choices are what life's about.

— Katie Leicht, in Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul

But otherwise bundling up

And then after completing the Balconies Cliff trail, I hopped, skipped and jumped back down to the river and went back through the caves.

The caves are talus caves- caves formed by rock boulders. There were moments of pitch black and I needed my torch/flashlight. Moments too of scrambling up and down river-smoothed (and slippery) boulders. And moments of squeezing through gaps just hoping I don't get stuck. Sometimes, all three moments coincided. Leading to a heart-pounding adventure. Especially when the path forward wasn't clear.

I often think, when doing a trail like this, that I would make a dreadful PC in real life. Next time the GM comments that no we can't cover 50 miles a day whilst spelunking, I ought to accept this as truth.

Anyway, this is the end of the caves as heading east. The light at the end of the tunnel was a relief to see.