Sunday, July 11, 2010

Cow Appreciation Day--July 15th

As you may know Cow's are something close to Raven's heart.
The cow is the most productive, efficient creature on earth that Jehovah has created. She is the premier dairy animal because of her cooperative temperament, the comparative ease with which she can be milked, the volume she is able to produce, and because of the versatility of cow's milk. Think of all the delightful physical benefits this lowly and humble animal provides for us. Milk, cream, butter, cheese, yogurt, ghee, buttermilk, whey, and we can't forget about ice-cream.

Cows are referred to as the foster mothers of the human race because they produce most of the milk that people drink.

The first cow in America arrived in Jamestown colony in 1611. Until the 1850's, nearly every family had its own cow. The first regular shipment of milk by railroad was between Orange County, New York, and New York City and began in 1841.

In 1856, Gail Borden invented the condensed milk process. This process removed some of the water from milk so it would take up less space. Refrigeration came into use in 1880, and the first pasteurizing machine was introduced in 1895.

A cow chews her cud (regurgitated, partially digested food) for up to 8 hours each day.
Contrary to popular belief, cows do not have 4 stomachs; they have 4 digestive compartments:

Temperament Of The Jersey Cow

As a whole, the Jersey breed is a docile breed of cow. Female Jersey cows are known as being curious, calm animals, so much so that they were valued as pets as much as herd animals and milk producers. Bulls have been known to be much more aggressive. Their color is generally brown, ranging from copper to dark brown, and they have the most beautiful, big, rich, chocolate brown eyes. A mature cow will weigh 1,000 pounds or less.

By the way, another health benefit we can get from the cow, is lower blood pressure. If you are ever up-tight, take a ride into the country and stop by a field of cows eating grass. It's the picture of poise and calm.




Origin

Jersey cows get their name from their place of origin as a breed, the British Channel Island of Jersey. DNA tests suggest that the breed is descended from Danish cows brought to the island from the continent, but there is no conclusive evidence of this. It is considered to be one of the oldest purebred cattle breeds, with records of breeding going back six centuries.

Every Family Should Have A Cow

The famous 19th Century agricultural essayist, William Cobbett said, "When you have the cow, you have it all." The dairy cow does so much for us and asks so little.

As mentioned before, not so very long ago, a great many people did indeed keep a cow and she was often an adored member of the family. Well-to-do families even in cities kept a cow well into the early part of the 20th Century.

Some of the forces that stopped cow keeping were the same ones that have stressed the American family. A desire for consumer goods which can't be satisfied without focusing the whole energy of the family on acquisition was certainly a factor. The automobile was important; but it dispersed families and directed interest away from home based activities. A rising desire for consumer goods fostered a yearning for enhanced social status. So, the high status animal, the horse, replaced the cow. But all of these factors are as chaff compared to the power of the 20th Century revolution in food production, processing and distribution. There is so much to say about that, and so that will be another topic for another blog at another time.

There is an amazing cow magic that most people don't know about. "A young fellow wantin' a start in life just needs three things: a piece of land, a cow and a wife. And he don't strictly need that last." That's an old saying to which some may agree.

According to the book, "Keeping A Family Cow" by Joann S. Grohman "An over-arching truth about the cow is that she drives the domestic or small farm economy. By living on a constantly renewing resource, grass, she is able to support not just herself and her calf, but also your pig and you chickens (neither of which can live on grass) and still provide milk for the house. The reverse is never true. No pigs or chickens or any other non-grazing animals can live on grass or support another animal. And the cow does it on a free resource made of water and sunshine. Through her amazing ability to convert grass, ( thanks to Jehovah), which otherwise has no value, to milk and meat, which does have value, the cow produces wealth. She thus vaults the domestic or farm economy into a self sustaining mode. Even with the most exacting sweated labor in the orchard or garden, you can't grow plants that will support reproduction in pigs or chickens or any other non-grazing species including humans; the best you can do is fatten them. This key fact about cows should never be forgotten."

So with that said, believe it or not, July 15th is Cow Appreciation Day! -- something to "Moo" about.

Our appreciation for cows can be expressed in many ways. Some websites suggest you go out and give a cow a big hug and/or a kiss. While it might sound like fun, you don't have to go to extremes to enjoy this special day. It can be as simple as pausing for a moment to think about cows, and all that they do for us.

In appreciation for all that the cows do for us, have an ice cold glass of milk. Add chocolate syrup, if you prefer. Then, fire up the grill, and cook some burgers or a steak. And, don't forget to get your fill of cheese. Sorry, goat cheese is not allowed today.

Note: Restaurants and dairy companies celebrate this day by offering specials. Watch for them.

The Origin of Cow Appreciation Day:

Our research did not find the origin of this day. The selection of the date is not universal. Some websites have Cow Appreciation Day listed as July 14th.

So are you ready to get a cow? If not, I hope this blog has heightend your appreciation for this ever giving animal and the one who provided it our loving heavenly father Jehovah God!

Don't forget, hug a cow on July 15th!

This is Raven-as the crow flies!

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

The Dog Days of Summer

Have you heard that expression before? I have, and I always associated it with a very hot, humid, muggy summer season. But I wondered why these days were called "the dog days of summer"?

I asked some of the brothers and sisters if they knew what that expression meant. Although they were very familar with the phrase, they didn't know its meaning. So of course one of Raven's Delights is to find out the meaning of things and to blog about it.


What Are The Dog Days of Summer ?

Some say it signifies hot sultry days "not fit for a dog." Others claim its the weather in which dogs go mad.

Everyone knows that the “dog days of summer” occur during the hottest and muggiest part of the season. Webster defines “dog days” as...

1 : the period between early July and early September when the hot sultry weather of summer usually occurs in the northern hemisphere.

2 : a period of stagnation or inactivity

But where does the term come from? Why do we call the hot, sultry days of summer “dog days?”

In ancient times, when the night sky was unobscured by artificial lights and smog, different groups of peoples in different parts of the world drew images in the sky by “connecting the dots” of stars. The images drawn were dependent upon the culture:

The Chinese saw different images than the Native Americans, who saw different pictures than the Europeans. These star pictures are now called constellations, and the constellations that are now mapped out in the sky come from our European ancestors.

They saw images of bears, (Ursa Major and Ursa Minor), twins, (Gemini), a bull, (Taurus), and others, including dogs, (Canis Major and Canis Minor).

The brightest of the stars in Canis Major (the big dog) is Sirius, which also happens to be the brightest star in the night sky. In fact, it is so bright that the ancient Romans thought that the earth received heat from it. Look for it in the southern sky (viewed from northern latitudes) during January.

In the summer, however, Sirius, the “dog star,” rises and sets with the sun. During late July Sirius is in conjunction with the sun, and the ancients believed that its heat added to the heat of the sun, creating a stretch of hot and sultry weather. They named this period of time, from 20 days before the conjunction to 20 days after, “dog days” after the dog star.

The conjunction of Sirius with the sun varies somewhat with latitude. And the “precession of the equinoxes” (a gradual drifting of the constellations over time) means that the constellations today are not in exactly the same place in the sky as they were in ancient Rome.

Today, dog days occur during the period between July 3 and August 11. Although it is certainly the warmest period of the summer, the heat is not due to the added radiation from a far-away star, regardless of its brightness. No, the heat of summer is a direct result of the earth's tilt.

So as you can see the summer heat has nothing to do with Sirus, and all to do with the tilt of the earth toward the sun.

I always like to know how things got their name. Now you know too!

So enjoy the rest of these "dog days of summer" for they will be quickly gone before we know it.

This is Raven-as the crow flies!

Thursday, July 1, 2010

The First of July-As The Crow Flies!

As you already know, the custom of Raven's Delights is to blog on the first day of each month.
So before this day is over, which will be very soon, I hope to share something interesting, silly, witty, or wise, as the crow flies!

How did the seventh month of the Gregorian calander get the name July?

It was the fifth month in the early calendar of the ancient Romans. The Romans called the month Quintilis, which means fifth. Later, the Romans moved the beginning of the year to January 1, but did not change the names of the months. The Roman statesman Julius Caesar was born during this month. In 46 B.C., Caesar gave Quintilis 31 days. The Roman Senate renamed the month Julius in honor of Caesar.

As Emperor Julius Caesar was instrumental (a means) in reforming the Roman calendar, this month was named after him by Mark Anthony in 44 BCE, the year he was assassinated.

Until the end of the 18th century, July was pronounced to rhyme with truly.
However, Julius Caesar celebrated only one July because after it was named for him he was murdered, on the Ides of March.

Julius Caesar was the first historical Roman to be officially deified. Divus Iulius or Divus Julius (the divine Julius or the deified Julius) was the official title that was given to Caesar posthumously by decree of the Roman Senate. The cult of Divus Iulius was promoted by both Octavian and Mark Antony. After the death of Antony, Octavian, as the adoptive son of Caesar, assumed the title of Divi Filius (son of a god)

Again we see the Satanic influence in naming the months after a sinful human, even making him "God", and his adopted son Octavian, "son of god". Won't it be refreshing when the days, months, seasons, and years honor Jehovah and his righteous ways?

So ends this blog on July 1st. There will be more to come as the crow continues to fly!

This is Raven-as the crow flies!