Notes From the Farm #1:

On Nov 15, 2:39*pm, Giles wrote:
On Nov 15, 7:06*am, Frank Reid © 2010 wrote:

And oh, by the way, my buffalo grass lawn is doing quite well and its
VERY natural.

Not very familiar with the species, as it is not common hereabouts,
but the name alone tells me it is likely very well suited to your
neighborhood. *Though, of course, we also had bison hereabouts a while
back......buffalo grass may well be a native species in western
Curdistan, for all I know.

http://fresc.usgs.gov/products/fs/fs-057-03.pdf
Nice map and I do notice that there was some tall grass prairie in
Curdistan, though not in your area. There is anecdotal evidence from
the early pioneers that small expanses of prairie were found in areas
of Kentucky, Pennsylvania and New York.
Buffalo grass is the only turf grass native to the US. Pretty nice
stuff.
Frank Reid

On Nov 15, 12:11*pm, DaveS wrote:

I was told years ago that taking care of trees
and repairing the land is what men are supposed to do in later life.
And then there is that French tale of deep regeneration that has
influenced so many to plant trees. Or honoring the creation as some
Christians put it. Anyway, good stuff.

Sounds like a great "later life". From what scholars say is the oldest
book of the Bible, perhaps the first written story:

"if my land cries out against me and all its furrows are wet with
tears,
if I have devoured its yield without payment or broken the spirit of
its tenants,
then let briers come up instead of wheat and stinkweed instead of
barley."
The words of Job are ended.

(from the ending of Job 31)

On Nov 16, 6:03*am, Frank Reid © 2010 wrote:
On Nov 15, 2:39*pm, Giles wrote:

On Nov 15, 7:06*am, Frank Reid © 2010 wrote:

And oh, by the way, my buffalo grass lawn is doing quite well and its
VERY natural.

Not very familiar with the species, as it is not common hereabouts,
but the name alone tells me it is likely very well suited to your
neighborhood. *Though, of course, we also had bison hereabouts a while
back......buffalo grass may well be a native species in western
Curdistan, for all I know.

http://fresc.usgs.gov/products/fs/fs-057-03.pdf
Nice map and I do notice that there was some tall grass prairie in
Curdistan, though not in your area. *There is anecdotal evidence from
the early pioneers that small expanses of prairie were found in areas
of Kentucky, Pennsylvania and New York.
Buffalo grass is the only turf grass native to the US. *Pretty nice
stuff.
Frank Reid

Looks like there are a half dozen or so grasses that go by the
moniker, "Buffalo Grass." The one I have some contact with is the
longer stem variety known to me as "Sweet Grass," in its dried form.
Ive usually gotten it from Native Americans, it is woven in a tight
"pigtail' and we use it home in casual cleansing rituals. (That puts
too formal a cast on what we do) I rough up the end, light it and
slowly twirl it in a swinging motion so the smoke spreads, and do a
little chant. I know of others who use it the same way, not some big
religious thing or anti christian, its just something you run into
occasionally among folks, sometimes combined with gift giving,
farewells, blessings etc. It smells good.

Dave
TaTonka ;+)

On Nov 16, 12:32*pm, DaveS wrote:
On Nov 16, 6:03*am, Frank Reid © 2010 wrote:





On Nov 15, 2:39*pm, Giles wrote:

On Nov 15, 7:06*am, Frank Reid © 2010 wrote:

And oh, by the way, my buffalo grass lawn is doing quite well and its
VERY natural.

Not very familiar with the species, as it is not common hereabouts,
but the name alone tells me it is likely very well suited to your
neighborhood. *Though, of course, we also had bison hereabouts a while
back......buffalo grass may well be a native species in western
Curdistan, for all I know.

http://fresc.usgs.gov/products/fs/fs-057-03.pdf
Nice map and I do notice that there was some tall grass prairie in
Curdistan, though not in your area. *There is anecdotal evidence from
the early pioneers that small expanses of prairie were found in areas
of Kentucky, Pennsylvania and New York.
Buffalo grass is the only turf grass native to the US. *Pretty nice
stuff.
Frank Reid

Looks like there are a half dozen or so grasses that go by the
moniker, "Buffalo Grass." The one I have some contact with is the
longer stem variety known to me as "Sweet Grass," in its dried form.
Ive usually gotten it from Native Americans, it is woven in a tight
"pigtail' and we use it home in casual cleansing rituals. (That puts
too formal a cast on what we do) I rough up the end, light it and
slowly twirl it in a swinging motion so the smoke spreads, and do a
little chant. I know of others who use it the same way, not some big
religious thing or anti christian, its just something you run into
occasionally among folks, sometimes combined with gift giving,
farewells, blessings etc. It smells good.

Dave
TaTonka ;+)- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

This is the one I was talking about.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bouteloua_dactyloides
Frank Reid
(who hasn't danced in a circle with a wand of burning organic matter
in this mitts in alsmost a week and a half)

On Nov 16, 11:03*am, Frank Reid © 2010 wrote:
On Nov 16, 12:32*pm, DaveS wrote:





On Nov 16, 6:03*am, Frank Reid © 2010 wrote:

On Nov 15, 2:39*pm, Giles wrote:

On Nov 15, 7:06*am, Frank Reid © 2010 wrote:

And oh, by the way, my buffalo grass lawn is doing quite well and its
VERY natural.

Not very familiar with the species, as it is not common hereabouts,
but the name alone tells me it is likely very well suited to your
neighborhood. *Though, of course, we also had bison hereabouts a while
back......buffalo grass may well be a native species in western
Curdistan, for all I know.

http://fresc.usgs.gov/products/fs/fs-057-03.pdf
Nice map and I do notice that there was some tall grass prairie in
Curdistan, though not in your area. *There is anecdotal evidence from
the early pioneers that small expanses of prairie were found in areas
of Kentucky, Pennsylvania and New York.
Buffalo grass is the only turf grass native to the US. *Pretty nice
stuff.
Frank Reid

Looks like there are a half dozen or so grasses that go by the
moniker, "Buffalo Grass." The one I have some contact with is the
longer stem variety known to me as "Sweet Grass," in its dried form.
Ive usually gotten it from Native Americans, it is woven in a tight
"pigtail' and we use it home in casual cleansing rituals. (That puts
too formal a cast on what we do) I rough up the end, light it and
slowly twirl it in a swinging motion so the smoke spreads, and do a
little chant. I know of others who use it the same way, not some big
religious thing or anti christian, its just something you run into
occasionally among folks, sometimes combined with gift giving,
farewells, blessings etc. It smells good.

Dave
TaTonka ;+)- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

This is the one I was talking about.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bouteloua_dactyloides
Frank Reid
(who hasn't danced in a circle with a wand of burning organic matter
in this mitts in alsmost a week and a half)- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Proof positive that these rituals have relevance in the modern world. ;
+))

Dave

On Tue, 16 Nov 2010 10:32:11 -0800 (PST), DaveS
wrote:


Looks like there are a half dozen or so grasses that go by the
moniker, "Buffalo Grass." The one I have some contact with is the
longer stem variety known to me as "Sweet Grass," in its dried form.
Ive usually gotten it from Native Americans, it is woven in a tight
"pigtail' and we use it home in casual cleansing rituals. (That puts
too formal a cast on what we do) I rough up the end, light it and
slowly twirl it in a swinging motion so the smoke spreads, and do a
little chant. I know of others who use it the same way, not some big
religious thing or anti christian, its just something you run into
occasionally among folks, sometimes combined with gift giving,
farewells, blessings etc. It smells good.

We use it for a variety of reasons./
The smoke smells nice
It is quite cleansing for the senses and the soul
We also use Sage

Fred

On Nov 16, 11:00*am, Jonathan Cook wrote:
On Nov 15, 12:11*pm, DaveS wrote:

I was told years ago that taking care of trees
and repairing the land is what men are supposed to do in later life.
And then there is that French tale of deep regeneration that has
influenced so many to plant trees. Or honoring the creation as some
Christians put it. Anyway, good stuff.

Sounds like a great "later life". From what scholars say is the oldest
book of the Bible, perhaps the first written story:

"if my land cries out against me and all its furrows are wet with
tears,
*if I have devoured its yield without payment or broken the spirit of
its tenants,
*then let briers come up instead of wheat and stinkweed instead of
barley."
*The words of Job are ended.

(from the ending of Job 31)

Job.....heh, heh......the very model of self-actualization and well
deserved high self-esteem, ainna?

Which is not to say that Job's story is NOT the first written story!
Oh, no, masochism has undoubtedly been around for a long long time.
And who's to say that those who BEG for punishment should be
denied......right?

As for the "later life" thingy, well, "Oxygen" and the "Playboy
Channnel" are both fairly recent additions to the buffet. For the
first half or so of human history, what's an old guy going to do BUT
plant trees......know what I mean?

So, yeah, you can go all noble and ****, but a satellite dish is a lot
cheaper in the long run.*

giles
*but then have to go out in the snow and ****.

On Nov 16, 9:00*am, Jonathan Cook wrote:
On Nov 15, 12:11*pm, DaveS wrote:

I was told years ago that taking care of trees
and repairing the land is what men are supposed to do in later life.
And then there is that French tale of deep regeneration that has
influenced so many to plant trees. Or honoring the creation as some
Christians put it. Anyway, good stuff.

Sounds like a great "later life". From what scholars say is the oldest
book of the Bible, perhaps the first written story:

"if my land cries out against me and all its furrows are wet with
tears,
*if I have devoured its yield without payment or broken the spirit of
its tenants,
*then let briers come up instead of wheat and stinkweed instead of
barley."
*The words of Job are ended.

(from the ending of Job 31)

Your post makes me wonder if there is a collection of Bible, Koranic
etc verses/teachings etc on "conserving the creation, " environmental
stuff etc.. My guess is SOMEBODY has done it, but where to look etc..
Anybody?

Be useful stuff sometimes to fight off the slash and burn folks,
without getting into the standard political push and pulls. Job's
message seems to tilt toward fairness in employee (tenant?)
relations? ;+))

Dave

On Nov 19, 12:24*pm, DaveS wrote:
On Nov 16, 9:00*am, Jonathan Cook wrote:





On Nov 15, 12:11*pm, DaveS wrote:

I was told years ago that taking care of trees
and repairing the land is what men are supposed to do in later life.
And then there is that French tale of deep regeneration that has
influenced so many to plant trees. Or honoring the creation as some
Christians put it. Anyway, good stuff.

Sounds like a great "later life". From what scholars say is the oldest
book of the Bible, perhaps the first written story:

"if my land cries out against me and all its furrows are wet with
tears,
*if I have devoured its yield without payment or broken the spirit of
its tenants,
*then let briers come up instead of wheat and stinkweed instead of
barley."
*The words of Job are ended.

(from the ending of Job 31)

Your post makes me wonder if there is a collection of Bible, Koranic
etc verses/teachings etc on "conserving the creation, " environmental
stuff etc.. My guess is SOMEBODY has done it, but where to look etc..
Anybody?

Be useful stuff sometimes to fight off the slash and burn folks,
without getting into the standard political push and pulls. Job's
message seems to tilt toward fairness in employee (tenant?)
relations? ;+))

Dave-

It's been done, at least with reference to the Bible.....haven't
checked on the Koran yet. So far, just about everything I've looked
at is a thinly veiled exercise in Chritian apologetics, of little or
no use in demonstrating a genuine conservation ethic extending beyond
a mere repetition of the "save some for tomorrow or you'll be sorry"
philosophy. The sad but simple truth is that ALL of the world's great
religions were born of and continue to exist for the need to support a
priestly class, and nothing more. Dominion is the name of the game.

Of course, the rule regarding religions does not necessarily hold ALL
of their adherents in thrall. There are some interesting exceptions.
There are individuals and even minor sects that transcend their
breeding and manage to do good works. Some of the monastic orders,
for example, brew beer and make wine. But judging a culture by its
minorities is generally bad juju.

Even more interesting, there are right thinking individuals who truly
believe that religion can be put to good use despite a dubious (at
best) history. See E.O. Wison's "The Creation: An Appeal to Save Life
on Earth" for an excellent (if doomed) effort along these lines.
Wilson's earlier book, "Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge" was an
effort along similar, though broader, lines.....and that sounded like
a good idead, too. But twelve years later, nothing has changed much.

Meanwhile, secular scholarship and research and discussion have done
more to promote an environmental ethos in the past century and a
half.....and especially in the latter third of that span.....than have
5 or more millennia of demented witchcraft.

And that isn't going to change anytime soon.

Wolfgang
who will not be staying up late in anticipation of the lightning bolt
that has failed to materialize on every one of many more promising
occasions.

On Nov 16, 11:00*am, Jonathan Cook wrote:

From what scholars say is the oldest
book of the Bible, perhaps the first written story:

"if my land cries out against me and all its furrows are wet with
tears,
*if I have devoured its yield without payment or broken the spirit of
its tenants,
*then let briers come up instead of wheat and stinkweed instead of
barley."
*The words of Job are ended.

(from the ending of Job 31)

O.k., something about this bothered me, but I was busy and didn't
think about it for the last three days. It's that business about Job
being perhaps the first written story. Some scholars may believe
that, but I think that Gilgamesh gets the majority vote. The Tummal
Inscription, dating from somewhere around 2000 B.C. beats out Job by
perhaps 500 years.

g.
but then, the dates on these things are subject to
change.....sometimes radical change.....as new scholarship comes to
light.