That morning in the roadside pasture, cows stood at different angles to one another because swirling, unstable air was coming from all points of the compass. This meteorological condition often occurs before a storm, so it is a good indication that rain or snow will fall within 24 hours. When cows in a herd are looking in one direction, as they do most of the time, it can tell folks plenty. For example, let's suppose they all point to the south. In Central Maine, it's common for a south wind to swing to the east, often sooner than later, which usually brings foul weather.
Exceptions exist, though.
Larger rivers or long, narrow lakes running north and south may funnel a southwest wind so the air looks to us as if it is moving from the south. In this situation, it may blow for days from that one direction. Folks can usually unravel local deviations, though. Before meteorology became such a refined science, seamen, farmers and explorers occasionally trusted their lives to such power of astute observation and common sense, and these skills are well documented. For instance, a red sky in morning forecasts stormy weather that day, a sign not lost on such varied individuals as William Shakespeare and Jesus Christ.