That Heady Scent

After three months, the Texas drought finally ended. Blessed rain clouds came. Dark clouds rumbled through our neighborhood. Thunder boomed and lightning crackled. Then fat drops of summer rain fell onto the hot, dry ground creating a pleasant and rather distinctive odor that stirred childhood memories of my mother standing on the front porch describing how she could always “smell rain” right before a storm. During a rain event, an “earthy” smell permeates the air. Folks call it musky, fresh—generally pleasant. Until recently, I didn’t know that rain itself actually has no scent. What?! Come to find out that pleasant smell is called “petrichor,” a term coined by two Australian scientists in 1964. Petrichor comes from the moistening of the ground and is a combination of fragrant chemical compounds. Some are from oils made by plants. Some are actinobacteria that decompose dead or decaying organic matter into simple chemical compounds which can then become nutrients for developing plants and other organisms. Who knew? Too much information for me. All I know is I love that ‘fresh’ rain smell. first comes the rumbling rain falls with rhythmic tapping release heady scent even while I sleep even locked in the attic I can smell the rain