Smells have an umbra and a penumbra. (These terms are taken from astronomy and mean "shadow" and "almost shadow", respectively.)
When you are reasonably close to a source of strong odor (that is, in its penumbra), it has a distinctive smell: like incense, cat-litter boxes, or, in particular instance, skunks.
However, when you are really close, in the umbra, the odor takes on many nuances, and can change entirely. One can detect the match flare in the incense, the catfood post-processing, etc. In the case of our recent nocturnal visitor, the skunk:
--strong skunky mercaptans
--raw sulfur
--strong green onions (you know the ones that are really too big, but you eat them anyway?)
--and really really strong raw garlic.
Under our bedroom, two nights ago.
I got to sleep by mentally completing the recipe: the skunk needed basil and oregano, tomato sauce, and to roast those garlic slices in olive oil until slightly brown before adding to the sauce.
(Last night she was less panicky, so less stinky.)
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