I just got back from feeding the hens their supper. When I stepped outside, there it was: a weird smell, like lard, faint but clear. There is no obvious source for this, no nearby rendering plant, food processing or food disposal. I only remember smelling it a few times in my life, always faint, always brief.

This happened at about 4:00 pm. The temperature was +2C and the barometric pressure falling. There was a strong wind from the east, which the old timers always said was where the rain came from, and there is indeed rain and snow forecast for this evening. We had 27 cm of snow fall four days ago on what had been almost bare ground. The river is still completely frozen over.

I’m putting this here so the next time I smell that strange odour I can check to see if it is under similar conditions. I realise I may have just tipped over into “old timer predicts the weather” category.

Lardair. If you’ve smelled it, let me know.