Sunshine and Raindrops

I've been working on some greeting cards through Heritage Makers and was looking through some suggested sentiments.

One of them gave me pause:

May the sunshine be plenty and the raindrops be few.

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I know one thing for sure: The saying was not written by a Kansas farmer or farm wife in 100-degree-plus heat in August.

We could use some raindrops right about now. And so could our milo, sudan and pastures.

I understand the sentiment, I suppose. In life circumstances, we prefer the sunshine to the storms that rock the proverbial boat and threaten to toss us overboard.

But a little cooling rain right about now? Well, to paraphrase a TV commercial, that would be priceless.

I took my camera along when Randy and I went for an early morning walk a couple of days ago. Randy said it was good I was taking the pictures in the cooler part of the day. Come afternoon, the milo's leaves are curled up as tightly as a shy girl trying to blend into the background at a junior high dance.

But in the first light of morning, there's a promise to the day ...

... even if your head knows it's never going to last.

And you get really long, lean shadows, too. Who doesn't love that!? (Even Ralph the dog!)

Randy says the milo crop appears to be one of the best we've had in several years. Up to this point, we've had good, timely rains.

But I have been a farm wife long enough to know it's a cautionary tale. Last year, a hail storm "harvested" most of our milo crop before the combine had a chance. The hail storm followed the county line, along which all our milo was planted. It demolished the milo, two roofs, tractor lights and did a number of several of our vehicles.

The sudan could also use a drink of water. After rains a few weeks ago, it truly looked like it was growing overnight. It has been stopped in its tracks during these hot, hazy days of August.

So I will probably not be using that sunshine and rain sentiment in any of my greeting cards anytime soon. Instead, I will pray for plentiful raindrops. Rain dance, anyone?