Great day for a cow

July 15, 2008 - Soothsayer's wish they had this kind of power. Today, on St. Swithin's Day... the next forty days shall be revealed. Swithin's Day started in 971 when the Saxon Bishop of Winchester asked to be buried out of doors, where he would be walked on and rained on.

For nine years, he was left outside. But, then the monks attempted to bring his remains in to a shrine inside the cathedral on July 15th, 971. During the ceremony, a rain storm blew in, and it continued for the next 40 days. Thus, the folklore of July 15th.

'St Swithin’s Day, if it does rain
Full forty days, it will remain
St Swithin’s Day, if it be fair
For forty days, t'will rain no more.'

You may want to keep an eye on the weather today. If it is a great day - yippee. If its a wet one... the ducks will be happy. As for the rest of us, maybe not so much.

How do the other farm animals feel about the rain? You hear that the rain is appreciated by the ducks. How about the sheep? Goats? Cows? And honestly, how do the cows feel about the ducks getting all the attention?

Cows do get at least one day to be appreciated. Today is Cow Appreciation Day. Perhaps you won't stop the car and jump out to hug a cow, but you could take a minute to think about all the wonderful contributions to society cows have made. Steak makes for great summer BBQ's. Cheese really perks up a burger. Milk helps the Lattés go down. Leather makes those shoes so much more comfortable. Manure greens up the garden, and green is really in fashion. Methane gas helps with global warming. Global warming means hotter summers. Hotter summers means less days that are great for the ducks. Cows really deserve our appreciation today. So... if the weather is good, you could look out and say "Nice day for a cow". And let's hope it is. That means forty more days of the same. Moo.