buffy said:

kii said:

I woke up. Again.

That nasty smoke smell lingered in my room all night, apparently it was from a fire pit not an inside fireplace.

The smoke had such a delightful smell at the start of the fire yesterday, then it turned to a filthy smoke smell, like a flue needing to be cleaned. The original scent was almost incense like. I wonder if they had some type of scented fire starter? I’ve never come across such a thing, but I bet they exist.

I must Google.

Perhaps they did just chuck an incense stick on the fire. Which reminds me…I haven’t burnt incense for some time. I used to light a stick in the kitchen at Casterton when I went over there for gardening. Mr buffy doesn’t like the smell. I do, I like the sandalwood ones (never liked patchouli at all). However, now it’s been brought back to my attention, once we are out of the fire restrictions ( posted for 1/5/26), I could light a stick outside the window of the library/office/sewing room and I’d get the drift without the complaints.

It seems that Google coughed up the answer. Scented firestarters are a thing. You can even make your own or buy cute ones from Etsy.
The neighbours had their backyard landscaped over summer, then had their engagement party a month or so ago. The firepit was part of that work..
I can imagine they received gifts that might have included scented firestarters from Etsy.
The smoke was not sandalwood*, it was a floral and musky scent.

*despite roughbarked’s insistence that he knows better than dumb dumb idiot me