Thursday, January 22, 2015

Winter's perfume (with added photos)

A "drive-by shooting;" the evening sky on our way to fencing class tonight

This afternoon, in my brief time at home between work/errands and Brian's fencing lesson, I stepped outside to clean dog paws and was hit with heady fragrance. I knew instantly that the sarcococca was finally in bloom!
Inconspicuous but incredibly fragrant flowers
Sarcococca line the north side of our house (plus our dead heat pump)
A close-up of fully opened flowers

I've checked on it several times in the last month to see only buds; I should have known it would clearly announce its debut. Before too long, the daphne odora on the opposite side of the house will add to our olfactory delights. I love our winter bloomers!

Speaking of bloomers, my woolly girls look like they are wearing some. Some of them acted bloomin' silly, too, when I turned them out late yesterday afternoon while I rode!



I didn't notice until watching this video clip on my computer that I caught one of Annabelle's stumbles. Earlier this week Rick was helping me bring the sheep in at dusk, and when he walked out into the pasture he found Annabelle cast and had to help her up. That's why she gets a protected corner when in the fold, and I don't leave the ewe flock out when I'm not home. She eats well and enjoys life, though, so we will continue to accommodate her as long as that's the case.

That's it for now from . . .

8 comments:

Theresa said...

We have 3 Sweet Boxes that we planted last year. I catch whiffs of them all year long, smells like honey and vanilla to me.
Let's hope for as long a time as possible with Annabelle

Mama Pea said...

The ewes look like little lambs frolicking. You have happy sheep!

Tammy said...

Silly silly young girls. There are a certain bunch in my flock that get rambunctious too, and play like little lambs. I call them my mini reindeer. I have an old ex-ram with a heavy horn set that gets cast on his side from time to time because of the heavy horns. Someday I fear that he will lay to long, but so far I've found him in time and help him up. Otherwise he seems to enjoy life too.

Tammy

Unknown said...

What fun to watch the girls running and playing. Their little jumps are so cute.

Michelle said...

Theresa, ours are only fragrant when blooming. I wonder if you have a different variety?

Well, two of the frolickers ARE lambs, technically, but one is Marta, a four-year-old ewe!

Those must be some massive horns, Tammy!

Animals are far more entertaining to me than TV, Nancy Kay. ;-)

Unknown said...

LOL. Yes, they are a joy to watch, I agree. I'm interested in the sarcococca; what does it smell like? And, does it only grow in wet, mild climates??

Michelle said...

Nancy Kay, smell is hard to describe, but I find sarcococca pleasant, if powerful. I do prefer daphne odora, but I think it is personal; my husband thinks cherry blossoms smell sweet but I find them unpleasant and musty.

Tina T-P said...

Looks like somebody was feeling their oats - I love it when they prong like that - poor Annabel - I'm glad she lives at a farm that just doesn't summarily cull any weaker animal.

I like sarcococca, but I think my all time favorite is honeysuckle - :-) but these early ones do give one hope that spring is coming. Our snow drops bloomed today! T.