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Do you know what petrichor is? #SundayStills

Petrichor

Just the other day our Social Saturday Riders group got together for a catch up over coffee (or hot chocolate in my case).

We were talking about words and I asked if they knew what the term for the ‘smell of the earth after rain’ was, as I had taught it to my 5 yr old granddaughter just the week before, getting her to smell the ground after we got out of the car when the rain had stopped. She ran inside to teach her mum and dad the new word she’d learnt!

Funnily enough no-one knew the word so it’s serendipitous that this week Terri has Rainy Days as her prompt for Sunday Stills. I was thrilled to educate them all on the word (once a teacher, always a teacher), Petrichor as mentioned in a post for Sunday Stills a few years ago.

(It’s funny, we don’t plan it, but we end up having a girls end of the table and a boys end – we just have so much to chat about it often happens that way).

The smell of rain has been given the name ‘petrichor‘, a term coined by Australian scientists in 1964, which describes the unique earthy smell associated with rain. There’s more detailed scientific explanations available online if you’re keen to go searching for more information!n Isn’t it a great word? My friends immediately noted it down to use at their upcoming trivia night!

I know the correct use of petrichor is usually after log periods of dry weather when the ground throws up an amazing aroma, but its still works for those showers that come after a period of a few hot days.

I love the smell – have you ever smelt it?

heart rock
A heart rock on the ground at my feet

So onto rainy day photos – it’s hard to believe but apart from the odd storm with heavy rain for short periods we’ve not had a lot of rain lately it seems.

I love raindrops on flowers so have included some of these among my rainy day gallery, plus my sunroom in the rain (from my archives).

Winter, raindrops and blue sky
Raindrops from the outside looking in
Raindrops on roses
Raindrops on roses
raindrops on orange flower
Raindrops
view looking into sunroom
view of sunroom
A single rain drop
raindrops on green leaves

I can’t resist sharing this morning’s photo from our front door as the sun came up – how beautiful is it? The temeprature was about 10 degrees C at the time but it’s since warmed up to 27.

Monday morning
Monday morning

Of course you don’t get rainbows if you don’t have rain so I’m including a collection I’ve taken from our front door over the years. And really who doesn’t like a rainbow??

rainbow love
rainbow 26 Feb 2022
rainbow over Tumbarumba
double rainbow
rainbow from the verandah
rainbows
rainbow over vineyard
Rainbow light
Double rainbow in a stormy sky

I have an app with a rainy window filter and it gives a photo a different look such as this on – interesting that we dealt with editing photos last week for Sunday Stills.

Debbie on a rainy day
Debbie with a rainy day filter

Changing Seasons

I’ve just been out walking in the paddocks and the grass is all brown and dry but the cooler temperatures overnight have started the autumnal pull and soon the trees will start their inevitable changing colours routine. Daytime temps are still getting up into the high 20s and early 30s, so although it’s technically autumn now, we’re still having hot days. But the trees and flowers know what’s happening!

As many of you in the Northern Hemisphere head into spring we’re getting ready for a gorgeous display of autumn colours down here, leading eventually into winter – the world keeps turning!

sunroom on a wet day
A wet and muddy track at Purlingbrook Falls
A wet day out
wet leaves
A storm approaches over Lake Taupo
Rainbow and sculpture
ruby red frames
rain drops in forest
rain drop on pine trees
rainy day
daffodil in the rain

Sunday Stills Photo Challenge

Terri, from Second Wind Leisure, hosts Sunday Stills photo challenge every week with the prompt this week being ‘Rainy Days’. You can read Terri’s post here.

Are you a fan of rainy days? I still like jumping in puddles (despite my age).

Have a great week!

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All my Sunday Stills posts can be found here – I’ve been doing these for a while!

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Debbie - mother of a 40 year old

Deb is a young-at-heart & active 60+ blogger/retiree, after being made redundant from her 22-year career managing education programs in a men’s correctional centre (jail). She now spends her time reading, blogging, riding her ebike and travelling. Deb was awarded a Bravery Award from the Queen when she was 17 after a tragic accident – a definite life changing moment! She is married with 3 grown-up daughters & has 4 grandchildren. You can read more of Deb’s story here

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48 Replies to “Do you know what petrichor is? #SundayStills”

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    1. Thanks Marsha, it’s been dry here for a while now so we would like some rain but I’m not quite ready for the warm weather to finish up. I’m glad you know the smell I mean.

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  11. If you want the rainbow…. You gotta take the rain. Excellent post Debbie. Like many others, I have never heard of petrichor. I will hold on to that form grandkids. Lots of nice photos. I especially loved the sunglasses.

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  12. That’s a good piece of random information to remember for a quiz night! We’ve had a lot of rain here in the last week so this is a very appropriate post for our weather!

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  13. Fabulous selection of photos! Plus, I learned a new word, so, bonus. 🙂 I’m familiar with the smell but haven’t heard the term “Petrichor” before.

    Raindrops on flowers are always beautiful, but the green leaf really stands out. You have some magnificent rainbows in Australia! We don’t get too many here. Love the rainy windows filter and the wet sunglasses

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    1. Thanks Debbie, glad you’ve learnt a new word :). Our place is placed perfectly for rainbow sightings and I love nothing more than spending time looking at them – I’m very lucky! Yes the raindrops on the green leaf is a favourite of mine too.

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  14. So much to love in this post, Debbie, from your beautiful rainy day pics to the great word to describe the rain smell petrichor. Another blogger wrote about this and broke down the word which comes from the Greek for rock Petra, and ichor the ethereal blood of the (Greek) gods. I love that rain filter you used in the post! Here’s hoping you get the rain you need in your area.

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    1. Thanks very much Terri, I loved looking back at my rainy day shots for this challenge and sharing one of my fave words again. I saw the other post where it’s mentioned and was so pleased!

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  15. Pingback: Sunday Stills: #Rain, Rain, Go Away? – Second Wind Leisure Perspectives

  16. I have learnt Petrichor at least three times over as I forget it, then think was was that word for… Relatively a very new word, I wonder if other languages have similar. I love the smell of newly sawn or chipped wood, I’m sure there is a word for that. The other day just after the rain, passing flower beds with fresh woodchips as mulch, I realised a special name was needed for that scent.

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  17. I didn’t know it had a word! It’s an interesting smell and I can never tell if I enjoy it. Maybe because it’s been so overcast lately that I’m over it haha

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    1. Yes Ashley the prevailing weather patterns do make a differenceI think. It can be quite an earthy smell and not always pleasant but at least it’s memorable 🙂

      Thanks for stopping by.

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    1. Great memory Bernie, I’m so glad to hear you learnt the word from me :). The photo galleries were fun to put together and show the amount of rainy day photos I’ve taken over the years!

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  24. Petrichor is one of my favourite words Deb – it reminds me of “Dancing in the Summer Rain” and the smell always makes me happy. We’re longing for some Autumn rain over here in WA – it’s been SO hot and dry – and a lot of bushfires etc (one quite close to us last week). I love the warm weather, but these ongoing 35+ degree days are definitely calling for some petrichor moments!

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    1. Yes Leanne, dancing in the summer rain is a great way of describing the word. You’ve certainly had lots of hot weather over there and we’re having a late summer with hot temps here too at the moment but hopefully it won’t last too much longer. Having said that I’m not quite ready for the cooler temps to hit us.

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