Shabbat Morning Calamity

Although it was not an ox in the ditch or an ass in the pit, this was a calamity that had to be dealt with, none-the-less, on Shabbat.  With calf bottles in hand, I opened the door to discover a strange sight awaiting me.  It all happened so fast, I probably don't have an accurate head count, but there were no less than six satisfied goats lounging around ON the front deck.  They were relaxing and ruminating in what little clean space there was.  At the sight of deck pots, flower pots, and uprooted plants strewn amidst the goat excrement, I simply lost my mind.  One war hoop and the deck was cleared!

Unfortunately my shock and awe awakened Mr. B, creating two situations to deal with, but I digress.  The gate to the deck was simply beyond repair, and upon surveying the plant damage I simply went back in the house and flung myself, face down, on the loveseat in tears.  It seems life has been exhausting with hindrances and extra demands since Pentecost.  I know this is spiritual and I'm just worn out.  The last two weeks have tried my patience!  Committing a sin physically is not usually a major temptation, but I can definitely speak before I think.  Or I should say, speak what I've got no business speaking, much less thinking.  More than anything, I really want victory over my tongue and do not want to say something that would bring dishonor to Abba.

I do still struggle with thoughts that do not need to be entertained.  I'm the type of person who doesn't usually entertain thoughts of overt sinning, but rather can lend my mind to rumination and consider what I could have said . . . With my entire deck garden destroyed, there was plenty of negativity bouncing through my brain, but none of it was aimed toward Mr. B . . . at the time.  I went ahead and completed my chores and by the time I returned I was somewhat calmer.  Since the damage was done and the goats knew they were in trouble, the only thing left to do was to apologize to Mr. B for waking him.

I came in to find him sitting in the glider.  I went on, grabbing a cup of coffee and heading to more Sabbath readings.  It then occurred to me that I should check to see if any of the plants had simply been knocked out of their pots, as that could be interpreted to be an ox in the ditch.  With plenty of now empty pots, it didn't seem that I would be breaking Sabbath to set plants back upright, if there were any.  I headed back through the living room to find Mr. B staring and asked him what was wrong.  He then proceeded to tell me how discouraged he was and how exhausted he was that there was so much hard work involved in this homesteading.  Mind you, this is the day after I'd taken him to lunch two days in a row to celebrate his birthday.  It was then, that I realized this discussion could definitely wait until after Shabbat.  I simply stated to him, that I was sorry his birthday had worn him out and I needed some time to nurse my own discouragement, as I was the one who had planted all those plants and dragged them in and out every winter and spring for the past few years.

He and I both realized this front deck calamity was not going to change Shabbat, which we do not spend together anyway, so it was time to wrap up the interaction before it went bad.  He began to say something that sounded like whining to me and I simply stated if he was tired, he should go lay back down.  I was not willing to watch him turn my crisis into his drama.  {Fortunately that thought did not fly out my mouth.]  I then headed outdoors to see if any plants had survived and lo and behold, there were a few herbs that apparently didn't appeal to goat taste buds.  I do have to admit, I secretly hoped the jalapeno plant gave one of them a little heartburn on rumination, but other than that, I did get through the Sabbath without regrets of my own behavior or words.

Although the deck still bears the aftermath of the calamity, I do believe saving uprooted plants ranks right up there with tending to an ox in the ditch.

Mathematics of the Farming Industry

The other day on social media, a video went around, showing a mama cow bellowing to proclaim the "horror" of the dairy farming industry.  I'm not a dairy farmer, but I know a little bit about the subject, as I purchase young dairy bulls to raise for beef, not veal, beef.  I do raise goats, and I've purchased a couple of goats from dairy farms.  Next, let me qualify this by saying, the dairy industry has been vilified for the way some of the big operations do business.  I'm not saying they are all above reproach, but they don't all deserve a bad rap.  There is another side to this industry, and the accusation of greed, and that would be the consumers.  Even if you don't drink milk, if you eat cheese, yogurt, put cream in your coffee, or use butter, and don't have a cow; you are complicit in the dairy farming industry.

The goat I purchased from a dairy herd is a great goat.  She loves me, she lets me know, according to her schedule when I should be getting the milk bucket and heading to the milking parlor.  She doesn't even need to be tethered to the stanchion, she just jumps up there and stands.  I do give her something to munch, but she doesn't always even eat it.  She is a perfect milk goat, but . . . she isn't so maternal.  Now this may be because she was in a dairy herd and the kids were removed at birth, but the fact of the matter is she's not maternal and she doesn't grieve about it.  She gives birth, licks them a couple of times, not nearly enough to dry them, and goes right on with life as it was before she gave birth.  Once I get them dry and on their feet, she will allow them to suckle, but it's not her priority, she's just exceedingly accommodating for me.  The point is, she displays no distress or what would appear to be maternal instincts.  She's certainly not mad at me for moving the babies.

A friend of mine does have a dairy operation and they remove the calves at birth.  The cows aren't all in a dither.  They really don't know any other life.  We tend to "assign" human emotions to animals, and sometimes that is the case, but sometimes it's simply PETA programming.  The calves are very well cared for, dry, warm and well fed.  The heifers will become the next generation of milkers and the simple fact of the matter is, most dairy bulls just don't have a prolonged life expectancy.  As for keeping the calves in small pens or enclosures.  Young animals of all kinds, humans included, do not know to come in out of the rain.  I realize there can be greed in corporate farming and likely is in the huge operations, but there are still hard working family farms that treat their animals well, but treat them like animals.

As for the cow in the video, I can tell you, weaning time, is a much bigger raucous than removing calves or kids at birth.  Once the baby has run with the mama and they've bonded, it doesn't matter how mature the offspring is, when they are separated, there is bellowing.  With the exception of my "career" dairy goat, I do keep the kids with their mamas and just separate them in the day time for evening milking, then babies and mamas are together again til the following morning.  That is based primarily to operate around Sabbath.  Mamas and kids are together for Sabbath and I milk once a day, six days a week.

Now, lets get down to the mathematics of it all.  With only 2% of Americans farming, but 100% of Americans eating, every dairy farmer has to milk 49 more cows, than he would for his own family.  With the exception of vegetarians, every beef rancher has to raise 49 more calves than he would for his own family.  To address greed, most folks moved away from an agricultural lifestyle to make "more money."  So we need to be careful just who is being called greedy.  There is no paid holiday on the farm and no sick days.  Farmers work rain or shine and the animals have to be cared for whether milk is $2.00 a gallon or $4.50.  Ranchers tend their herds regardless of the price of hamburger.  The consumer on the other hand, can choose their food purchases based primarily on cost and convenience, at the time.

It's so interesting that the majority of Americans do not want to farm, but they still want to eat.

Coincidence?

Rather than give another folksy update of homesteading in the Land of Goshen, I'd like to present an interesting article.

When this calf first made the newsfeed on Facebook back in the fall, my initial thought was "photoshop," but . . .
the photo re-entered my awareness through the same week the Torah portion mentioned seven healthy cows, and seven starving cows.  The report further piqued my interest when I realized there was a connection between this calf and "America's religion" of professional sports.  The calf was named for Ben Roethlisberger, who is #7 for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
FULL STORY

As the article gave detail, the dates were fascinating.  The calf was born on Sabbath, the Sabbath before Yom Teruah.  The interview took place and the photo was captured the day leading into the evening of sounding the shofar.  The article actually ran via Associated Press on Yom Teruah.  I'm not usually one of those who reads spiritual significance into everything, but the reality is, everything on some level, is spiritual.  You don't have to be looking for extra details in this story!  Now, back to this calf and the timing.

This ministry has been quite vocal in proclaiming the fact that unlike ancient Egypt, America has squandered the years of plenty.  Also, as in the days of Jeremiah, the Sabbath has become "open to interpretation" even by many who profess to be preachers and teachers.  This has ultimately led to a mainstream disregard of the Sabbath.  We've already been warned about doing things as we choose, especially in regard to the Sabbath.  There is still a great deal of buying and selling and causing others to work, by the very folks who claim the day has been changed to Sunday.

So is this little bovine in the barn delivering a message we should heed?  Pharaoh received dreams symbolized by agriculture.  We can't forget, a donkey actually spoke . . .  What is the message?  Does this end the debate of which year is the Shemitah?  Is this the call to remember the seventh day?  Is this the warning of judgment because we didn't remember the seventh day?  Or is it simply a cute little coincidence?

Winter is Here

So many folks are talking about being tired and just generally not feeling well.  The weather has not been terribly cold, but it has been overcast for a number of consecutive days in many regions.  I'm thinking many of us could use a boost in Vitamin D.  There is a possibility of overdosing on Vitamin D, but that is rare.   Follow label instructions.  Vitamin D supplements may be just what's needed!  This link offers some interesting information on the subject of Vitamin D.

On a note of thanksgiving . . . there have been some mornings requiring the chopping of ice, but Abba has continued to grant my request.  I've not so much as lifted a stick to chop ice, much less an axe on Shabbat.  The prayer I prayed last year that Abba answered "affirmative" has thus far been confirmed again, this year.  Now, I'm not presumptuously setting back on my "blessed assurance," I continue to give thanks and praise Him for this wonderful blessing!

Even though winter has arrived, there has been very little snow, and thus far I've chopped ice seven times. I have not chopped ice on Shabbat.  HalleluYah!

UPDATE:  There was a drastic drop in temperature overnight and there was ice, this first day of the week.

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