What is the Perfume Project?

This blog is a constantly evolving forum for thoughts on perfume, perfume-making, plants (especially orchids and flora of the Pacific Northwest) and life in general. It started out chronicling the adventures of Olympic Orchids Perfumes, established in July 2010, and has expanded in other directions. A big part of the blog is thinking about the ongoing process of learning and experimentation that leads to new perfumes, the exploration of perfumery materials, the theory and practice of perfume making, the challenges of marketing perfumes and other fragrance products, and random observations on philosophy and society. Spam comments will be marked as such and deleted; any comments that go beyond the boundaries of civil discourse will also be deleted. I am grateful to all of you, the readers, who contribute to the blog by commenting and making this a truly interactive perfume project.

Friday, December 20, 2013

SNOW FOR THE SOLSTICE


When Jasper the cat woke me up this morning, his fur was wet and his nose was cold. It was 7:00 AM and pitch dark outside, except for an eerie glow that came from the white coating that had appeared on the ground during the night. As I sat typing, taking care of e-mail that had arrived overnight, I watched the fluffy snowflakes fall in the light shining from the window and thought about what a perfect scene it was with snow on the shortest day of the year. Eventually the black sky started turning faintly pink in the southeast, and by 8:30 it’s as light as it’s going to get given the dense cloud cover and the low position of the sun. Snow is still falling in huge, clumpy flakes.

I’ve always been fascinated by watching snow fall. Living in a place where a significant amount of snow is unusual, there’s something magical, exotic and romantic about it. I know snow is no fun in a place where it’s a regular occurrence and sticks around more than a few days, but here where we only get a snow accumulation once every few years, it’s a special event.


This gorgeous snow day is the perfect occasion to mark the changing of the seasons and the fact that days will start getting longer soon. Here’s wishing you all a happy winter solstice (or a happy summer  solstice if you’re down under)! 

[I haven't gone outside with my camera yet today, so the snow photo is one taken a few years ago, back when our now-mature palm tree was still young and cute. I like it because it shows the snowflakes falling. The "solstice-flower" photo is one that I took earlier this fall, when the sun was just starting to get lower in the sky.] 

1 comment:

  1. Happy Winter Solstice to you, too! We don't ever get snow here, but I do enjoy the southern end of a cold front now and then, the clear, dry breezes are lovely. And big hugs to Jasper!

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