Uncategorized – This Old House 2

The common thread

We can’t erase the evil that careened into our country on this day 19 years ago. We can’t bring back the dead, those who were unaware of the peril they would face, and those who charged into that mass inferno selflessly to do what they signed up to do- save lives. Some survived the heroic effort, many did not- Arthur Barry, Thomas Hannafin, boys from my ‘hood who grew up to be men of the FDNY, I’ll always say your name in prayer on this day , I’ll never forget your sacrifices, your heroic efforts.

If you can even think it of that horrible event, one thing came out of it I wish had stayed with us all- our love for our country, our caring and respect and kindness toward each other as we shared a common thread of grieving our dead, loving our country, condemning the rage filled hate in the hearts of those who would attack us, picking up the pieces, together , Unity, flags displayed proudly, so many flags. Compassion. Resolve. It was a beautiful thing that rose from the ugly twisted steel, the scars on our land, the ashes.

For ourselves and the sake of those who can’t be here because of the events of that awful day- let it have taught us something. Let us remember, and find that common thread again.

Santa Pants

We get up pretty early around here, before the sun for sure. It’s just what we’ve always done, have not ever used an alarm clock because neither of us needs it. Now I’m not bragging here, let me be clear. I wish we got more sleep. We just… don’t. When I rise in the morning, first stop is the bathroom, then the dogs need to go out. They’re let back in and fed, coffee made, e-mail checked, news skimmed, then breakfast for the Mr. and I.

Then my daily commute commences – and often that means leaving the house in my pajamas. Today it was Santa pants and Snow boots, even though this is the mildest winter we’ve had in a long time with no snow to be seen for miles and miles.

My first stop is the chicken coop across the yard… where the girls are let out into their newly raked run, the water is changed, their feed tub filled. Treats like sunflower seeds, parsley and yogurt are dispersed and if it’s their lucky day, if the sun is out and the predators (hawks, coyotes, fox) not evident at the moment, they’re let out for a little while to free range while I’m up at the barn. Today was that kind of day.

While they’re scratching around in the mulch at the side of the garage just to piss the Mr. off, I head up to the barn to begin chores there – I’m greeted every morning by the nicker of all four horses. With all of them in the geriatric stretch of life, I’m grateful for all four of those nickers.

First they are given their grain – the big boys eat in their stalls, the littles are walked out to their day paddock and are given their grain and hay out there, unless it’s a bad weather day. In that case they’re fed in their stall. Every day the weather determines how the routine will play out.

Meds are administered to my two boys – Coady (red mini) has Cushings Disease and gets a pill for that, and Max gets eye drops to help ease the glaucoma that has developed in his left eye.

Once the big boys, Max 1 and Max 2 are finished eating their grain, they’re let out for the day into the fields. The littles would become obese if they had access to all that grass, so they have to settle for less.

Stalls are mucked next, and my trusty old gator is my best friend for that chore. After mucking stalls, refreshing bedding, cleaning water buckets and filling with fresh water, blowing out the tack room and rubber brick aisle with a leaf blower – I drive the gator to the back of the farm and dump it in the manure pile that slowly turns to fertilizer.

Once the animals are set for the day, in warmer weather months I head to the gardens to see what’s ready to pick, what needs tending, watering, etc. This year we’ve planted more blueberry and raspberry bushes in the apple/pear/peach orchard and we plan to apply some tips we learned from another farmer in Vermont – netting and “Protecting the Bloom”. More on that another day.

This photo is taken from one of the hayfields.. facing the houses and the road beyond them. The horse barn and chicken coop and orchard are on the left, our home almost at middle, and my daughter’s new home on the right. Tending this little farm has become a family affair, I don’t ever lose sight of that blessing.

Once outside chores are done, I head in to shower and do some house cleaning , perhaps some editing work in my little office. Speaking of that office… most of This Old House is decorated sort of in keeping with the feeling of country, old, comfy, rustic. This room has a totally different vibe. I chose blue as the accent for two reasons. My grandmother loved blue and all her decorating centered around it. I miss her still, all these years after she’s passed, and the hues remind me of her. Also, the kids and husband bought me that blue moon you see on the wall some years back while on vacation on Martha’s Vineyard. I saw it in the window of one of my favorite little shops. The colors and oldness attracted me to it, and the fact that we rarely go on vacation made it fitting, it must have been a Blue Moon that gots us all away together for a bit. The kids and husband bought it for me on the last day of our stay, it’s a reminder of love and family and the importance of taking time away from it all to just enjoy life. So I plotted the room vibe around Nana’s blues, the Blue Moon and the bohemian in me ( Love Those Shabby Chic Curtains!) My arts and crafts supplies are in the cabinet and dog beds are plentiful.

office?.. you say….

oh yes, the computer clutter is in the other corner. If you spot the little stuffed animals and are eye rolling just a little, you haven’t seen the four dragons hidden behind the printer. If I’m lucky enough to have grandchildren some day, they will have plenty of Grandmother’s toys to play with.

I’ve had jobs where I had to report to an office, where the work was more “cerebral”, where I got to wear grown-up clothes like heels and skirts and a smart suit, etc… where the pace of the day was at times chaotic, demanding, relentless, invigorating, exhausting, boring, and a few more words I’m not coming up with right now. I enjoyed most of my colleagues, and sometimes I miss the daily camaraderie, but most often I truly enjoy this slower pace of life.

My schedule is my own to create, the pay not in dollars (except for the editing.. thankful I’m paid for that) but in the very real satisfaction I get from tending to the critters in my care, (even the shit shoveling) the home my family lives, laughs and loves in, these fields we work that produce food for the table, hay for the horses – maybe even christmas trees for our holidays someday down the road if our new crop ever takes hold. I help with the family business when they need me… and thankfully, it’s enough.

I’m grateful for every day I get to do this, and to know I can do it all in Santa Pants is icing on the cake.

No. 3

Not my quote – but it’s in essence what I keep saying to anyone I know who still supports No. 3 and tries to defend it. Truly an ugly soul on every front –

“None of the president’s positives can balance the moral and political danger we face under a leader of such grossly immoral character.”

And women like Sara Sanders who last night mocked Joe Biden’s stutter on twitter? I don’t have to be a fan of Joe Biden or a member of his party to know that’s just a really low blow – an ugly flaw in character, just like No. 3’s mocking of handicapped people, pussy grabbing mentality, attacks on 16 year old climate activists with autism, gold star families and dead DECENT politicians and career military who gave their entire lives to service, – and I am so done with anyone who continues to applaud these people and their degrading bullying childish stupid behavior. Reminds me of all the mean kids in school and how some never grow up. These things have nothing to do with politics and everything to do with who we are as a people.

I believe you when you tell me who you are.

🎇 But in this season it is well to reassert that the hope of mankind rests in faith. As man thinketh, so he is. Nothing much happens unless you believe in it, and believing there is hope for the world is a way to move toward it.

– Gladys Taber

Fresh Salt

My gardens this year have been a bit of a mystery.

For one thing, the combination of some really intense rainstorms and some really humid days throughout the summer have produced an abundance of flowers and growth on all the perennials. I’ve also noticed the wild flowers/blooming weeds all along the roadsides seem to have multiplied tremendously, Queen Ann’s Lace and what I call black eyed susans in particular.

As for the vegetable gardens… well, despite my fortification attempts in the two large raised beds here on the farm…. all my tender care and raising from seedlings the tomato, eggplant, yellow squash, onion and yellow beans….they were a miserable lot. Having produced only a pathetic yield, I cannot tell you why. The only plants that were marginally happy in my farm garden this year were parsley and basil, zinnia and new-to-me Dahlia.

The SEASIDE cottage garden, however…. Stella’s little 1′ x 5 ‘ raised garden bed crammed up against the side of the house? The one we did almost NOTHING to coax? … has triple the yield, go figure. I’m thinking it must be the fresh salt air, the moisture off the water, and the fact that for hundreds of years, before the “island” became a 140 summer cottage retreat, it was a New England seaside cow farm. Lots and lots of old fertilizer makes really rich soil.

Despite that wicked heat and thunder storms, we’ve had some beautiful weather this summer. The family has been enjoying our little Stella by the Sea in between work and volunteer and farm obligations, and that brings me great joy.

As does a really good pound cake -Like this one found on the internet I’ll share below. I hope you’re having a good summer! I’m trying to look away from the ugly and look for more of the good. It is out there, we need to underline it, highlight it… celebrate what is beautiful, choose kindness and spread that shit like fairy dust wherever we can.

Old School Butter Pound Cake

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c cake flour

1 1/2 c all-purpose flour

3 stick butter, unsalted (softened at room temp)

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature

3 1/4 c sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 tsp almond extract

1 tsp salt

6 large eggs

Directions

1. Beat butter and cream cheese with a mixer on medium speed until mixture comes together.

2. Add sugar and extracts; beat until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low.

3. Add eggs, one at a time, alternating with flours 1/2 cup at a time until all eggs and flours are used.

4. Transfer to a buttered, oiled and floured, 10-cup shaped pan such as bundt pan.

5. Place in cold oven. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Bake until an inserted tester comes out clean about 1 1/2 hours.

6. Remove cake from pan. Let cool on wire rack.

For Life and Rights

Oh, the irony of those who don’t believe a woman has the right to make reproductive decisions regarding a pregnancy and her unique circumstances, those who “defend life” at any cost to the woman who’s actually affected – Without fail, those are most often of the republican persuasion, and the religious persuasion to boot. They act as if they are crusaders for life, although the life of the woman and women’s rights be damned. Follow their path – as a whole, (but there are of course always exceptions), they do not support so much of life on the ground – the mother and eventual child if they aren’t able to take care of themselves, just look at our homeless population, our starving children, our orphans who aren’t adopted, our children born of addiction and abandoned, our mentally ill left to fend for themselves, life if that life might come from another country seeking safety from a repressed and violent existence, (BUILD THE WALL) they do not support life if that life is what they call “sucking off the system”, they do not support life if the person they chose to love doesn’t meet their comfort levels.

Right now in Alabama they do not support the well being and life of the woman, no matter how young! if she’s been raped, incestually or otherwise. There are more than 3,000 homeless people in Alabama every day. Why aren’t the “pro-lifers” taking them in? There are 266,000 children living in poverty in Alabama alone! Many of them go hungry on a daily basis – why aren’t we feeding the children? I laugh when those people feign religion. I laugh when republicans say that want less government interfering in their life… and yet they believe a woman’s body should be the exception. If you’re a woman and you follow that cult, shaking my head here.

I am truly pro life – and pro choice – I don’t believe in late term abortion and that’s true of most women, just look at the actual statistics. I believe women to be capable of making decisions for themselves with their own body and circumstances. Because we have already proved as a society we aren’t gonna do the job for them or truly help them, no, we’ve failed miserably at that. Because I don’t have to have experienced rape or incest or the horror of a dying or severely deformed fetus or any other awful medical crisis to have sympathy for the woman in that position, and I don’t believe your or I have a right to hold her up in the medical decisions she and her doctor have to make in horrible circumstances. Because I don’t practice whatever your religion is – and there are over 400, and I believe in science – and that a cluster of cells at the beginning of a pregnancy are just that – with the POTENTIAL for life, but not yet viable life. I believe in taking care of babies after they are born, not dumping them at the proverbial altar.

That any part of this country is reverting when it comes to women’s rights is pathetic. All women should be alarmed, no matter what your stance on abortion. And if you still can’t see the forest for the trees, may your God help you should you ever find yourself in one of those awful situations above. Because your chosen republican lawmakers won’t.

Not a democrat, not a fucking snowflake. I’m a believer in freedom to have control over our bodies, our decisions, our circumstances, our chosen religion or non religion. I believe in compassion, empathy, and assistance for those who need it, the life WITH BOOTS ALREADY ON THE GROUND.

First, let’s kill all the hypocrisy

Testing the Waters

So… here we go. I’m here in my new “home” and I don’t know where all the appliances are going to go yet… heck, I’m not even sure how to get them in the house! I’m not thrilled with my bland design so far, and yet I’m liking the simplicity too. It’s only bland because I haven’t figure out how to work with it yet, I do know there are so many options if I find the patience.

Blogger was so darn easy, I wish I didn’t have to leave my old house. But there’s something about owning your space, the certainty of it that makes this uncharted territory navigation worth while.

Let’s see if I can figure out a picture insert –

Aha! First mission accomplished.

A little background about the Cormorant – I took this picture last year when out kayaking in our cove with my good camera. I was able to sneak up pretty close to this fellow as he was drying his wings while resting on a rock not yet covered by the incoming tide. Cormorants are fish eaters and divers, who propel themselves with their feet and a little help from their wings. They have been known to dive as deep as 150 feet! They nest in colonies and are coastal birds rather than oceanic, found all around the world. We often watch them fishing out in front of our little cottage, where it’s most often no deeper than six feet. They’ll dip under the water and come up a minute or two later about 40 feet away.

Once I witnessed a cormorants dinner of a rather large eel. Took him a few minutes to swallow the whole slippery wiggling thing. That’s when I discovered we had been swimming and muck walking and clamming among eels… and now it’s all I can think about when out there – from now on it’s high tide swimming for me.

If you’ve found me here unpacking my new space, thank you for stopping by – and leave a comment to let me know that feature is working the way it needs to.

Till soon –

Chicks, Cool finds and Artichokes

The chicks are now a few weeks old and growing some serious feathers. I’ve made their brood box bigger so they can run and jump and flap their wings. I supplement their medicated chick starter crumbles with chopped up parsley and spinach and crushed hard boiled egg – they love the yoke in particular. One of them has developed a scissor beak and I’m not sure she’ll make it. When chicks hatch out of the egg they protect their head and beak with one wing over it as they claw/peck their way through – When they fail to do that they can develop an injury to the beak that becomes more evident as they mature – which is what’s happening with Cersei. Some live with the condition, some don’t. She is the one on the bottom left corner – if you look closely at her beak, you’ll see the misalignment.

Meanwhile.. out at the coop – the girls are getting out to free range more often now that the weather has improved, and they’re loving it. Ruby is my friendliest hen…

Their favorite places to hang out around the yard are under the big pine tree at the front of the garage and the side of the garage where the dust baths are divine and the worm scratching prolific. Hence all the mulch in disarray.

I’ve been doing some Spring cleaning here at the farmstead, tackling a clutter issue I’ve been ignoring but annoyed by for some time. The big window in the keeping room area that the dogs sleep under has housed my plants on a table for a while now. The problem is it blocked the light/cluttered the view, just looked like an afterthought. Two days ago I came across a very old plant stand in an inexpensive antique store and had an aha! moment.

Before…

After…..

The plants are now on the stand on the other side of the bar divider, in the dining table area. They’ll get the same light, so I’m hopeful they will be happy there. I do need to raise my stained glass creation, but it’s a heavy piece and will need one of the menfolk to get the job done without smashing it.

This recipe has been circulating facebook, and I’m definitely going to try this as a seaside supper at the cottage. Looks delish!

Stuffed Artichoke bottoms with lemon and shrimp

Servings: six as a first course; two as main course.

These stuffed artichoke bottoms are impressive appetizers but also make an elegant main course for two.

Ingredients

For the breadcrumbs

3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
3 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme
1 clove garlic, minced
1-1/2 cups coarse day-old breadcrumbs

For the artichokes and shrimp

Kosher salt
6 large artichokes, trimmed down to bottoms
3/4 lb. medium (51 to 60 per lb.) shrimp, peeled and deveined
1-1/2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 tsp. cayenne
Freshly ground black pepper
6 Tbs. unsalted butter
3 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

Preparation

Make the breadcrumbs

Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the parsley, thyme, and garlic. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the breadcrumbs and increase the heat to medium high. Cook, stirring, until the breadcrumbs are golden-brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Immediately transfer to a bowl lined with paper towels. (The crumbs may be made up to 1 day ahead; cool and store in an airtight container at room temperature.)

Prepare the artichokes and shrimp

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 400°F.

In a 3- to 4-quart saucepan, bring 4 cups of water to a boil over high heat. Add 2 Tbs. salt, drop the artichokes in, and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from the water with a slotted spoon. Spread out on a clean cloth to cool and dry.
Heat a 10- to 11-inch cast-iron skillet over high heat. In a large bowl, toss the shrimp with 1 Tbs. of the olive oil, the cayenne, a pinch of salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Working in two batches, sear the shrimp in the hot pan, turning once, until lightly browned on the edges and opaque throughout, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer each batch of shrimp to a medium bowl.
In a small saucepan, gently melt the butter over low heat. When the butter is just starting to foam, add 2 Tbs. of the chopped parsley.Let the parsley sizzle in the butter for 1 or 2 minutes and then whisk in the lemon juice. Add the butter mixture to the bowl with the shrimp and toss.
Oil an 8×10-inch baking dish with the remaining 1/2 Tbs. oil and arrange the artichoke bottoms stem side down in the dish. Season with salt and pepper. Pile 5 to 6 shrimp in the center of each artichoke bottom, including some but not all of the butter. Top with the breadcrumbs and drizzle the remaining butter and the shrimp juices over the top. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 Tbs. parsley and bake until heated through, about 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

One last thing before you go – I laughed out loud when I saw this one..

Till soon –

Karen🐤🐣

A beautiful day

When I was younger I didn’t live so much in the moment – always worrying about choices, relationships – the good ones and the bad ones, finances or lack of them, my young family’s safety, health, the list goes on and on. While I’m still and always will be a chronic worrier, ( Heck, I just stopped having “I didn’t do my homework” dreams about five years ago) I have learned with age to live far more of my life in the moment. And… I don’t give as much of a f*ck about trying to please everyone all the time, or even if someone likes me. I have finally come to that place where I know in my heart of hearts I am a decent soul and I like me… maybe even love me. Sounds silly, but that knowledge comes hard to some of us, and maybe you know the woe. This was a day when I sat completely comfortable with myself and content with my life’s direction.

Yesterday it seems everyone in New England was out and about, enjoying the beautiful 🌺SPRING🌸 day – temps reached 61 degrees! On the road, some of my fellow Jeepers had their tops off and down at Stella, island folks were beginning the Spring ritual of opening up and airing out their cottages. My daughter and I spent some time at the show barn with Leah – and I got to take her for a spin around the block a few times myself.

As I watched my daughter go ’round the ring practicing for the first show of the season, the warm sun beaming down on our faces, I was reminded again of all she has overcome, how lucky we are to have these experiences after all.

After time well spent at the barn, I headed down to the cottage where the Mr. was working with two of his crew to replace the split railing we initially installed at the waterfront. When sitting on the blue stone patio, what greeted seated folks at eye level were clunky cedar beams. It was a nice rustic look but took away from the water views. So we’ve installed wire which will keep people from falling over but doesn’t block the view. It’s almost invisible. as you can see in this photo.

We were so pleased with the effect, we decided to take the waterfront railing section of the deck out and replace it with the same wire. We have a lot of summer meals up on that little deck and the view now when seated will be a much fuller waterfront scene. That deck comes in handy as a “playpen” for Frasier and Sally as well – they are safe up there with a gate at the stairs, and someday the same will be true when and if we’re blessed with grandchildren.

We brought some dirt from the farm down to the shore – we’ll spread it in the waterfront part of the little yard to fortify the grass and level the footing some. If you can believe it, M wants to plant a little vegetable garden down there as well as the one I keep here on the farm. The bunnies are prolific on the island-really-a-peninsula, he’ll have to put a little fencing up if we are to eat any of that produce.

Frasier, Sally and I took a walk after inspecting the new fencing… we are on a cove in the Long Island Sound – which you can see in the distance here. The crocus have arrived! And they tell me the peepers too, and while I can’t hear the actual thing, I hear peepers 24/7 with the tinnitus and hearing loss, go figure – 😂

I can usually find at least one piece of seaglass on each walk. This one was a very pale blue, my favorite color.

The water hasn’t been turned on yet so the cottage can’t be given a thorough Spring cleaning, bed linens aren’t re-washed or beds made until April 15th or so, when the water is turned back on. We don’t spend too much time here until then, no toilets! The new gas stove does a fantastic job of heating up the space when the nip in the air needs tucking. Sally approves.

When the chill came in off the water with the setting sun I came home to feed the horses and chickens and clean the new chicks water for the tenth time. Have I mentioned how piggy chicks are? All doing well, by the way. The good weather had us all in high spirits, and it was evident in the people we encountered throughout the day, too. I always hope that kindred spirit spreads far and wide. Wouldn’t it be awesome to have a blanket of good will to cover this entire planet – think of all the problems we could solve, what a wonderful world this could be if only. It was a restorative kind of day that I sorely needed. Today I’m wishing the same for you –

Till soon –

Karen 🌷

The Girlz and a remarkable story

Great news – day 2 and not a chick has been lost. I’ve named them… Arya, Sansa, Summer, Snow, Khaleesi and Cersei (there’s one in every flock) – They’re perky and chirpy and hungry and pooping an awful lot. Occasionally they flutter/fly/sprint across the Christmas Tree Box they currently call home – all good signs for healthy chicks.

Cersei in my hands here is the loudest, with a wicked chirp and bossy attitude already. I hope she isn’t a he.

Pardon my allergy eyes – the past few weeks have been the worst my allergies have ever been, and the meds make me feel worse, so I’m winging it without. Bleh. Makes me look ancient and feel ancient. Any allergy sufferers out there have tips on what helps? I’m allergic to grass, pollen, mold, dust – and I live on a horse farm with hay fields in an old house with beams that are dusty – hahahahahaha…. it’s funny if it weren’t so.. itchy.

Today the sun is bright but the air still chilled…

It’s the kind of day where the dogs go out but come back in quickly enough because WIND! After a quick squirrel hunt they much prefer their sun spots in the family room.

I let the grown-up girls free roam for most of today, and just brought them back to the coop before the hawks start circling the fields again. They love to eat all the seed the birds and squirrels drop from the feeder…

When it’s time to bring them in, all I need to do is shake a can of cheerios or corn.. with my high annoying Here Chick Chicks voice – , … and they come running.

If you’ve pondered having chickens in your backyard or farm, I haven’t yet met a person who dared to take it on and then regretted it. They are truly delightful to have around, and the work is minimal compared to other farm animals. There is the responsibility, of course, and you need to know how to properly care for them – many books on the subject – but it’s relatively easy and you don’t need a lot of space as long as they have the right living quarters and you feed and clean properly. The fresh eggs are divine.

Are you a reader? My mother gave me a great book for my birthday – a true story about a remarkable young woman, her memoir- a link to a review of it HERE. You won’t want to put it down until you’re through it.

Till soon, friends –

Chick Day

All around this area at this time of year are the ads for feed stores and especially Tractor Supply announcing their Chick Days. I had written a post a while back describing my plans to build a bigger coop this Spring and I even ordered 16 new chicks of different varieties to raise and increase my current flock of 14 aging chickens. Well – the boyz got busy doing other things, work related things that actually pay the bills, and so we decided to hold off a year or two on the new coop. I cancelled my chick order with Cackle Hatchery, a little bummed, because I had picked out some beautiful breeds.

So… I’ve had to go in to Tractor Supply several times in recent weeks, and each time I stared at the chicks and ducklings and almost grabbed _just a few_, but talked myself out of it because raising chicks is work, and I’d have to create another brooder on the porch, and do I need more chores right now and especially without a bigger coop? The answer is no.. .so…. I was pretty proud of my restraint.

Yesterday on the way home from checking on our little cottage by the sea, the husband said “Let’s stop in Agway and get some of that dried cow manure fertilizer for the vegetable garden“.

I’m thinking that’s safe, they don’t sell chicks there, right?

Wrong.

Frasier’s wondering why mama won’t let him sample the chicken nuggets out on the porch.

I even left the store chick-less with the Mr… came home and thought on it for about 30 seconds more. Then just for the heck of it I browsed the basement to see if there were any big boxes down there that would suffice as a brooder for the time being. The Christmas Tree Box was sitting empty, because once you pull a fake tree out of it’s box, it isn’t ever going back in there the way it came out. So… I took it as a sign. Of stupidity? Possibly. But here we are, regardless.

Last night two of the chicks looked a little wobbly – they go through a heck of a lot to get to the feedstore at just a day old.. and then to their new home. I’m happy to report this morning all six look perky. These are what I brought home..

2 Light Brahmas…