First Rain

The scent of fresh riparian earth between a meadow and a wetland in early fall. Geese overhead, flying south. A loose interpretation of a fougère. About a quarter-mile from the house is a protected natural area where blackberries, cattails, ferns, pennyroyal, and wild grasses grow in abundance. We often encounter many animals here: red-winged blackbirds, frogs, rabbits, herons, and deer. This area smells fresh and herbal, and when the first autumn rain rolls in, the scents of geosmin, clay, and loam rise from the earth. Walking the path alongside this natural area is always simultaneously relaxing for its sensory offerings and exciting because we can never predict what animals we might meet. This scent is similar to Fresh Sweetgrass but with brighter aromatic notes.