Daughters of the Shadow Men

Paula in Texas encouraged me to reprint again this photo I took of a prize jersey milk cow at the state fair. I always look with a lot of nostalgia at the funny and wonderful photos she takes of her companion rancher John's Texas cows.  The pics she ran yesterday were of lots of them out under the mesquite trees which had not yet leafed out, and she commented about them still seeking the 'shade' of the bare trees.  In the heat they will soon need them!  http://journals.aol.com/plieck30/Iwantedtobeacowgirl/

Here is my cow photo.  I can just imagine having this beauty. My dad once brought home a jersey cow he bought at the auction.  She was old, but her owners needed to sell her.  Talk about a wonderful cow!  She gave rich milk like we had never had before, she was easy to milk, and just stood patiently while we put the hobbles on her, and never misbehaved once so manure fell in the milk bucket. Eech!  Yes, I am sorry to disallusion you, but milking cows is not always the pristine activity you might imagine.  Unless you have enough milk cows to warrant a milking machine, milking by hand is going to risk a close encounter with manure. 

I have often laughed to myself over how much milk this country consumes, and yet the children are hardly even aware of the critters that produce all this milk.  I have to confess to feeling sorry about the assembly line nature of life on a dairy farm for a cow.  We had green pastures for them, good alfalfa hay in winter, and shelter from the storms. I did feel sorry for the milk cows' calves though.  I thought they were psychologically damaged.  You could tell from looking at them.  They were only allowed a few minutes to nurse their mothers night and morning.  So when they were turned into the corral they would run bellowing to their mothers and all too soon they would be wrenched away with the milk come down and human hands ready to take over.  Of course, most of the milk cows gave far too much milk for one calf to consume, and I was told that even if the calves were turned loose with a milk cow mother, she would soon be in trouble with a caked bag.  I wasn't sure I believed my dad.  It was obvious to see that the calves of the wild cows were much happier creatures who were never denied anything.

The milk cows' calves were at least better off than the dogeys we always ended up with when a feckless cow mother ran off to the mountain, leaving her calf behind.  I used to get mad at those heartless mothers if I thought they gave up on finding their lost calves too soon! Somebody would have to feed them night and morning and they still did not do very well.

But oh the joy for me in turning the milk cows' calves in with them, when for some reason nobody was around to milk.  I would think how happy they would be, at least for a night  The next morning of course, they would be separated and put back into their own little pasture while the mothers went to theirs to eat lots of green grass and produce more milk for their human being owners' tables.  

As a child I was always thinking about the feelings of the critters and worrying about whether they were happy or not.  It would break my heart to see all the fat steers, so contented, munching away, not realizing how soon they were destined for market and the slaughter house. My dad should not have been surprised when after several rebellions about eating my pets in childhood, I stopped eating meat in my twenties while still living on his cattle ranch.  You would have thought I had gone crazy.

But I did not succeed until my old age in becoming a vegan completely.  I did it by thinking about the feelings of the animals again.  Then it was not hard. 

I read about animal abuse when I can, because we do have a big problem in our country with assembly line production of all animals, especially chickens and pigs, for market.  It's just not good. And would behoove everyone to cut back on these foods in their diet  I used to worry about feeding chickens to my children that had been doctored with hormones to make them grow faster.  We just don't know what those things do to us. I have always enjoyed whatever foods I was eating at the time, but I feel so much more at peace with myself (and healthy) as a vegan at last! 

I didn't mean for this to turn into a sermon, but guess I can't help myself! Even though I used to think how fortunate I was to be raised on a cattle ranch in some of the most beautiful country on earth. My Grandfather King was a great animal lover and he taught my father to be the same. My dad just provided us with enough cows to have a little milk, but my grandfather always went large when it came to animals. My dad's drinking probably impeded him.  He had to have time to party, too!  Which was when the milk cows got turned in with the cows and the water ran too long in one place because he wasn't there to change it. 

There is always some bad with the good.  My life with the animals on my grandfather's and dad's ranches was sometimes wonderful and magical, indeed.      

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• #6 Comment from gehi6Entry Author 
  4/15/08 11:41 PM | Permalink

  I did want to say in response to Nelishia's concern that becoming a vegan would be expensive, I thought so too, and in the beginning when I did not know what I was doing, it still seemed that way, but now as I have gradually cut back on what I eat (I was afraid I would not get enough to sustain me so overate) the high food prices have passed me by, my needs each day are so simple.  Simple pinto beans are one of the best sources of protein.  I have learned to eat just a few nuts instead too many which will help satisfy protein requirements.  I have learned to concentrate on the flavor and tang of fresh vegetables.  I could just never managed diary, but I like you was always afraid to give up milk.  And drink silk etc, even though I had read that the dairy associatins want us to believe we can't do without milk even though many what we call third world countries do not consume anything close to what we do in dairy, not only milk but many cheese products, as well as eggs.  I would think well, what if they are right and the vegans are wrong.  What if my bones get weak.  What if.  What if.  But at my age, I figured my big strong bones were not likely to break down, so I could experiment with total vegan without so much fear.  I have studied what the vegans say and will continue to do so.  I will not stop reading about what to eat to stay healthy on a vegan diet, but you just aren't tempted to eat expensive desserts because you can't.  I am not eating sugar either.   So now I have finally got a diet that feels like it is really good for me.  I feel like I have been eating badly all my life, tons of sugar, fats, dairy, meats, after all I was raised on a farm  This is what we grew up eating.  People would have been scared to death to eat just beans and nuts and such! Since they were so convinced, they would just harass you day and night and tell you you were killing not only you but your ki
• #5 Comment from kamdghwmw 
  4/15/08 10:55 PM | Permalink

  I like that cow! My mom was raised on cows milk. I am talking straight from the cow to the table. Now she wont drink any other type of milk! LOL I like only whole milk.
  Kelli
  http://journals.aol.com/kamdghwmw/noonmom
• #4 Comment from plieck30 
  4/15/08 7:05 PM | Permalink

  She sure is a pretty gal and an interesting entry. Paula
• #3 Comment from lanurseprn 
  4/15/08 1:08 PM | Permalink

  I have never milked a cow. I should try it someday...but I wouldn't know where to go. My son's class went to a dairy, but the cows were on the assembly line as you said.  
  I'm sure it was an adventure growing up on a ranch as you did. I love your stories.
  Pam
• #2 Comment from nelishianatl 
  4/15/08 10:21 AM | Permalink

  I read on animal abuse as well and found some sickening videos of the truth of chicken slaughter houses on YOUTUBE.  It's not for everyone but I needed to see it for myself.  I worry about the hormones on the feed as well that is covered with estrogen causing little girls to grow breasts too early, start menstrual cycles too early and grow body hair.  I saw a documentary on it with my father over twenty years ago of a little girl still in diapers who had developed far beyond her years and had started her menstrual cycle.  This occured in the Phillipenes but I'm not sure it isn't happening here and that just no one is talking about it.  Our consumption of milk is dangerous too I think for the cows making the milk are consuming tainted feed which is going back to our systems.  I wonder about alot of things like our violent youth and mental instability of young people that it might not be because of chemicals.  I do not know but I suspect.  
  
  I have not yet had the nerve to become vegan and it would be very, very hard after a lifetime of being a carnivore.  Vegetables are very expensive. So is fruit.
  
  Nelishia
  http://journals.aol.com/nelishianatl/PRAYINGANDBELIEVING/