David_Weatherly's Blog

The old saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words,” is certainly true. Since we started the “Roy’s Folks” series twenty years ago, Roy Ackland and I have tried our best to let the pictures and accompanying sound, tell the story of the “Folks” we feature. Occasionally though, pictures, sound and even all the words in the world are not adequate to convey a major element of a story. The airwaves can be a powerful tool to transmit emotion. It’s the next best thing to “Being there,” when it comes to sight and sound. But when the other senses, touch, taste and smell are involved, all forms of media fall far short.

This short coming became quite evident on a recent trip to a little farm just north of Hillsboro.  Annie Baggett is a lavender farmer. Every year, in mid June, her fields explode with vibrant color, the sound of buzzing bees, and a heavenly fragrance that frustrates our story telling capabilities. If only there was such a thing as “Smellavision.”

The true beauty of the herb can not be gazed upon; it has to be absorbed. Touch it and your skin tingles. Breathe it, and your spirit is soothed. Tate it and you’ll discover a combination of the previous two. We found out about the tasting part when Annie gave us a sample of lavender ice cream. Wow!

I have to admit; there has been a time or two when Roy and I were glad you folks at home could not smell the smells surrounding us. We’re happy to spare you more unpleasant odors of farm life, or the aftermath of Roy’s late lunch of pintos and cornbread. Some things are better off left to the imagination for sure. But when it comes to stories like the lavender farm, I just wish there was some way to send you just a whiff. When you think about it, there is a strange irony at work here. Why is it, a TV signal can transmit pictures and sound over the air, but even if you're down wind of our tower, you'll never smell a thing? Go figure…  

You can get a sample of the lavender smell with products which she sells through her web site, www.sunshilelvenderfarm.com

Click here to see, hear but not smell the "Roy's Folks" segment.