“Petrichor, the wonderful, soul-lifting smell you get after rain on earth, is thanks in large part to the metabolites of soil life. To geosmin. We’ve evolved around living earth, and our ability to sense geosmin could well explain why it feels so invigorating being in a garden, or so life-affirming to visit an ancient forest, as well as why the smell of summer rain lifts the spirits beyond the mere relief of it watering the garden. Soil microbes make rain smell joyful.”
– from Soil by Matthew Evans
Summers in Central Portugal are hot and dry, so when we had our first autumn rain this past week, it brought cooler weather in its wake and a hint of green, where shades of brown made up the dominant colour palette during the summer months. The birdsong, at the moment, sounds louder and more joyous, and I find myself gravitating towards sunny spots with a hot cup of tea.
The cooler weather is also making the outside chores I’ve put on hold during August much more palatable, and so, when there isn’t an icy wind blowing, I find myself outside entangled in another round of fighting brambles, which are also rejoicing in the recent rain. I’m gradually learning which chores belong to which season, and to appreciate each one for its own beauty and joys.
There are still tomatoes, zucchini and eggplants in the garden, and soon there will also be peppers de Padron to pick. I’ve sown lettuce, spinach and beetroot and am busy collecting the seeds I’ve been drying.
I can’t say I’m looking forward to winter, but for now, I’m focusing on and enjoying the lovely autumn days, spending as much time as I can outside. Midnight and Lily are never too far from where I busy myself or soak up the last lingering warmth of the sun.
Michael will arrive next weekend for a two-week visit, and although we’ve decided not to engage in any big projects, we will be busy trying to tick off various items on a never-ending to-do list, including some admin we’ve been avoiding. I hope the weather will stay gorgeous, so that we can spend a fair amount of time outdoors and do some exploring, while plotting our next big project.
Portuguese Words:
outono – autumn
pássaros – birds
tarefas – chores
chuva – rain
silvas – brambles
Written by: Jolandi
Ah, sounds most excellent. We are still waiting for our first proper rain. We’ve had just a few drops of rain full of sand that managed to dirty our cars. The ground is still completely yellow. I wish you a lovely visit!
Thank you, Manja. I’m really looking forward to it.
Wishing for you a lovely rain shower. It makes such a difference to both the landscape and my soul. Not to mention my garden. 😍 – Jolandi
I can’t believe fall is coming to some places in our hemisphere! Of course, I used to live in one of them also, but here in south Texas we are still firmly rooted in late summer – very hot and humid days and not yet an evening cool-down at all – and I forget that September is when things become crisper. Enjoy those delicious sunny spots, as well as Michael’s visit!
Thank you, Lexie. I definitely don’t envy you those hot humid days. It is so wonderful living in a place with four seasons again. – Jolandi
It’s so good to know you have had some rain but the brambles are definitely bad news! Our brambles have loved our cool, dull summer and have ramped away everywhere. We also have a plague of crane flies and the mosquitoes and gnats are having a wonderful time!
Midnight and Lily do look very contented; what a wonderful life it must be for them! I hope you enjoy Michael’s visit and that he is able to rest a little while he is with you.
Love and best wishes,
Clare x
Thanks, Clare. I hope Michael will allow himself some rest, as he certainly needs it.
Midnight and Lily love their life here on the quinta. So much so that Lily spends most of her time outside (even when the weather is not so good), while Midnight enjoys the comforts the house has to offer (including the proximity of food).
Sounds like you had a challenging summer in more ways than one. Good luck with those brambles. I want to get to a point where I can get to them with the strimmer before they get out of control, and that sometime in the near future they will just stop growing. (sigh) – Jolandi
Have a wonderful time with Michael, even if it means busy work. Hope autumn brings you much more rain.
Thank you, Peggy. I hope Michael gets to experience at least some rain in the time he is here, as living in the UAE makes one feel a bit deprived. I wish for a good mix of warm autumn days with a day or two of rain thrown into the mix, while he is here. – Jolandi
Oh! I’m envious of your rain and cooling weather! It’s still warm and dry here in Northern California: we got a little break today when a small front came out of the northwest and brought rain to the Sierras and clouds to my area. But never fear, it’s supposed to spring back into the 90s this week. I am so tired of summer heat and the lack of rain: any spot that isn’t being watered by human beings has turned brown and dry; the trees are shedding leaves, and not because we’re having an early fall. I’m thinking of looking for a place with four seasons as well. I’ve lost the ability to adjust to extreme heat!
It’s interesting that you say you’ve lost your ability to adjust to extreme heat, Hangaku. I find that I, wrapped in the discomforts of menopause, really struggle with the heat, where before I dealt with it much better. I wish for you some lovely cooling rain, as I know you’ve had a difficult summer. Has the air quality improved yet? You certainly live in a part of the US that has quite a couple of challenges. – Jolandi
Hi Jolandi xx loved your opening quote and its reminder of that joyfilled smell. For us, Spring is here, and in our patch of Australia we’re still enjoying crisp early mornings and later-day deep clear skies. Much like Al Ain winters! Enjoy Michael’s visit, these short, important breaks are precious.
According to me it is one of the best smells in the world, Felicity, and I thought the scientific explanation is quite interesting.
Ah, I love these mirror images of the Northern and Southern Hemisphere in Spring and Autumn. Our mornings are also rather chilly, but late afternoon it is deliciously warm. Al Ain winters were so wonderful!
I’m looking forward to have Michael here for two weeks. Yip, you know just how precious they are as you guys also lived apart for quite a while. Thank goodness he has been able to travel here throughout the pandemic without any problems.
Enjoy those lovely Spring days. Big hug. – Jolandi
Nice to see an update from your blog. Take care and regards always!
Thank you for sharing the quote by Matthew Evans, Jolandi. I’m not familiar with the author or his book, but I love the sentiment he expresses in this paragraph.
Happy petrichor to you!
Tanja
Thank you, Tanja. It is a really interesting book. I love how the smell of rain has a wonderful scientific explanation. – Jolandi
So nice to read the blog, and happy for you that the weather has cooled a bit. I am jealous of your rain, we in So. California are in desperate need of some rain and just don’t know what this winter will hold for us. Hoping we get a lot of rain, but that is not what we are hearing. How nice that you still have some fresh veggies in the garden. Can imagine that will come to an end soon for you, but it was a fun adventure.
Enjoy your visit with Michael, it will be awesome to have him home with you for some time.
Take care,
Terri
I hope the prediction is wrong, and you will get adequate rain, Terri. It appears that California is really having some serious water issues, which from predictions will just get worse. I’ve been very aware of how precious water is my whole life, and have always found a lot of joy in rain. We’ve actually had quite a lot of rain recently, and I can just see how grateful the land is. I’ve pulled out almost all the tomato plants yesterday, and am transforming that part of the garden into different beds, levelling them better, as I want to see if I can grow some winter vegetables. Not sure if there will be much else than just beetroot, lettuce and spinach, or for that matter if they will grow well, but it is definitely worth a try. My kale is looking great, which I’m told will flourish in winter. Let’s see. It is all very exciting and new to me. – Jolandi
The title of the photo with both cats is “Midnight and Lily beneath rejoicing brambles.”
I agree with you in appreciating a scientific suggestion for why we love the smell of wet dirt after a rain. There must be an evolutionary reason for it, because the amount of pleasure I get with that smell doesn’t match my preference for sun. And it’s that first rain too, that brings the best smell, wetting the dry earth and dry grasses for the first time in so long. Yay for soil microbes!
I love the title, Crystal! Definitely yay so soil microbes. I haven’t yet anyone who doesn’t like the smell of the soil after rain. – Jolandi