The dawn air was fragrant with eucalyptus today.

There were myriad other fragrances in the air also; some too subtle to identify. You will probably find it very strange of me, but to me sunrise has a very distinct fragrance in each season. Maybe it is a mixture of the aromas of the flora of that season; maybe the earth smells different in every season or perhaps the sun triggers off its own alchemy and makes the air fragrant.

Another glorious day, the air as delicious to the lungs as nectar to the tongue.

~John Muir

Whatever be the reason, I only know that sunrise has a unique fragrance in every season. And that there are days when not only is the view spectacular but the whole bouquet of fragrances is an olfactory delight. When would humans create a device which would capture fragrances along with pictures and sound? I wonder what they would call such a video recorder……

After the recent heavy rains, the mornings had turned cold. Today it wasn’t cold. Just an exhilarating nip in the air, the kind that makes you take a sharp breath when you step out on the terrace while a rollicking wave of goose-bumps goes sliding up your skin all the way to your scalp. Then the fragrances wrap themselves around you while you drink in the mesmerizing sunrise unfolding in front of your eyes.

As long as I live, I’ll hear waterfalls and birds and winds sing. I’ll interpret the rocks, learn the language of flood, storm, and the avalanche. I’ll acquaint myself with the glaciers and wild gardens, and get as near the heart of the world as I can.

~John Muir

What else is bliss?

(Click on any photo in the mosaic to launch the photo-viewer)

Fragrant