A Burst of Fragrance

We had a break in the weather this morning. We used it to run errands and get out for a walk. But now the rain has returned. It's not a hard rain, or a stormy rain, just a steady rain, and it will last. Flood warnings are going up on local rivers. That's common too, and usually isn't too disastrous, not like Australia and Brazil. This rain is not predicted to be one of those 100 year floods, but then you never know. People wonder how we stand it here in the dreary Northwest, but there are some bright spots to living in a temperate climate. For example, we always have some little thing or another blooming. Yesterday I showed you the lovely yellow winter jasmine. That one does not have a fragrance, but another winter shrub does. Sarcococca rascifolia, also called Sweet Box, begins to bloom about now, and it fills its space with the most wonderful vanilla-like fragrance. This powerful fragrance comes from minuscule white flowers arranged along the stems, appearing at the same time as the black fruit from last year's flowers. I pick a few sprigs at a time of this shrub to bring into the house. Placed in a bathroom, in an enclosed space, the heady, sweet scent is a lovely surprise. Teamed up with a bit of Skimmia fruit and flower, it makes a lovely little arrangement for the kitchen table.

And it smells like spring! It's a dark afternoon, but Tom took his turn in playing with the new camera, and got this shot of a Junco at the feeder. You can see tiny rain drops on its head from the steady drizzle outside.

( Click to enlarge)

But the Sarcococca bush is near the front door, which is also near the feeders, so maybe the birdies are enjoying it too?