I have to think that one of the most universal traditions is making a wish when blowing out candles on a birthday cake! If it isn’t, we should all help spread the word! Last week Matt and I got to spend a day driving several hours west to deliver bulls to a friend/customer who had purchased them. Since all of us have spring birthdays and three of the four of us had just celebrated birthdays within the week, I decided it was most appropriate to take a birthday cake along! It was an absolutely wonderful lunch with some great friends!
Can you see the candle in each serving of cake? Each of us got our very own wish!
One can never share their wish at the time of blowing out the candles, because it might not come true! However – I can now share mine. 🙂 I had one simple wish as I closed my eyes and blew out my candle. I wished (and prayed) for rain on our pastures and wheat fields. Well – what do ya know? It came true! Best Mother’s Day gift ever for this farm/ranch mama! We were blessed with 2.75″ of rain yesterday and it couldn’t have been more timely! I hope the other 3 had their wishes come true, too!
These storm clouds were a welcome site!
Part of the cattle got turned out to pasture on Saturday even though the grass was still pretty short – this rain will give us some restful nights now, for at least a few weeks; knowing there will be grass for the cows to eat and water in the ponds for them to drink. Rain is so very crucial to farming and ranching – one only has to observe how much the number of cows in the U.S. has decreased the past few years due to drought. You can see it in the prices of beef in the grocery store and at restaurants. I can guarantee there are very few if any ranch families that wanted to sell their cow herds, but when there isn’t enough feed, you have to keep around only what can be properly cared for, and not permanently damage the land. It is tough emotionally and economically. When your annual source of income (or, your salary, if you will) all gets sold at one shot – there has to be a tremendous amount of planning, pride-swallowing, and willingness to do something different for a while. Some ranchers have received rains and are beginning to rebuild herds, but it will take years to get back to what they once had. Best wishes to everyone who has had to make the tough choices!
Hopefully this rain helps the grass to grow – a lot!
Before I forget – I definitely should share the recipe for the cake I took along to celebrate with! It was from one of the recent issues of Southern Living & it is SO Yummy!!!!!
Strawberries-and-Cream Sheet Cake I just can’t say enough about how good it is! And – not always does my food turn out like the picture, but this cake did 🙂
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Picture compliments of Southern Living magazine.
Lady Of Ag 