Saturday, June 6, 2009

The Smell Of Nature

Hmm. There is something about nature and a forest that most people never mention. It's really hard to blog about because it can't be broadcast over the internet like a photo or even a sound. It's the smell. There are some very interesting smells that come from nature.

When I go to a nature park the first thing I do is take a deep breath of the fresh air out there. Even when there's a city close by, this patch of nature can cleanse everything in it. This smell is one of the main things that is so relaxing about nature. This is the thing that refreshes my soul whenever I'm out there.

When I enter a forest, the first thing I smell is the damp earth combined with old fallen leaves. This earthy smell has an instinctive calming effect to a human. Then there are the trees. You know, every tree has its own unique smell too. Some can have a sweet smell while others are almost sour or bitter, but they're all good. Walking past a pine tree can be one of the most enjoyable experiences ever.

SwampThen there are the swampy areas. The smell of the stagnant water isn't necessarily one of the best smells in the world, but it isn't really that bad when it's combined with the other smells of the forest. They all kind of mesh to form a nice harmony.

Who doesn't love the smell of a large body of water? A rushing river or a lake has a wonderful damp smell that can't be duplicated. The ocean must be very good too, though I've never been to one, only my own fresh water Great Lakes. It's that damp smell that plays a big part in the love of watching the water.

Carpenter LakeIn the back of one of my parks there is a trail where I smell the most wonderful perfume I've ever had the pleasure to inhale. The trail runs between the lake and a group of trees. On the other side of the trees is a meadow. The trail wraps around to that meadow to reveal the source of the perfume.

HoneysuckleLining the side of the trail is a large group of honeysuckle bushes. You can't smell them as strongly right there next to them for some reason. But if you walk over and smell the blossoms you'll know immediately that you've found the source of that wonderful smell. I only ever smelled that same perfume from one other source, and I loved it even more then.

Every once in a while I smell the bad scent of a skunk in the area of the park. I've never seen it, and I'm grateful that it never seems very close by. Far away it is actually another welcome smell of nature that stirs my thoughts. I would love to have a picture of a skunk.

These nature smells are not easy to describe, but they certainly are one of the best parts of the natural world. What is your favorite smell of nature? Which smell do you not like at all? What do those smells do to you? Do they give you fond memories of days gone by? Do they inspire you to trek deeper into the wilderness to find new and greater discoveries? I really love these smells of nature.

16 comments:

  1. Beautiful post, Ratty! I love the way you described the smell of nature, and all the photos are so green, so calming!

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  2. I'm glad you wrote this because I could not find a way to do so. It is very hard to explain and put into words the description of the smells of the forest.

    We vacation in a spot in Kentucky, and there is just something about the smell that that immediately relaxes me. It is a damp, sweet-smelling air that I don't get here in Chicago. Sometimes, on a very humid night, I catch a whiff of it, and I associate it with KY. I inhale and exhale about a million times a day while I'm there, somehow hoping it will fill my lungs and stay there until I can come back again. And the night before we leave, I cannot breathe it in enough.

    I'll be there next month.....breathing.

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  3. WOW! You really have wonderful photos! Smell of the crisp leaves, sound of running water and leaves blown softly by the wind...

    I could almost feel it! Ha!

    ;-)

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  4. What I wouldn't give to be able to walk through the woods again, even if it was on a scooter. There was a trail through the woods when I was younger that went from my Aunt's house to my Grandmother's. I used to love walking that road. There were Blackberries all around and I'd see puffballs along the side. We'd pick them along the way. Believe it or not, I love the smell of a farm and cow manure..Ha! ha!
    And talk about skunks!! I have too many of those smells here. Yikes! Not too long ago one really sprayed along the side of the building and it permeated the whole building for days. And it was right outside my bedroom window. Imagine how that smelled...Ha! But I have gotten used to that smell also but when they spray their whole load at some animal, it is real bad. Skunks usually will only spray what they have to. If they use it all up in one spray then it takes a while to fill up again. It's usually the cats that the skunks are spraying in this area. I once saw two cats dragging a young skunk. I heard it screaming at 5 am. I opened the window and shined the flashlight on them. The cats dropped it and the little skunk came running back towards me. He stopped for a second and looked up at me and then continued up into the woods.
    Have a nice weekend Ratty.

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  5. There are one hundred types of smell in the jungle if I would like to differentiate, I think. The unhappy smell of stagnant water, rotten leaves, droppings of monkey, the fresh cooling smell of rushing water, the fragrant smell of blossoms.. sometimes the sense on this surrounding enable me to landmark my position.

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  6. That second photo is my favorite. So rich, lush and green. I know what you mean about the different scents within nature. When I walk into the botanical gardens and take a deep breath I feel refreshed and energized.

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  7. I love trying to figure out the different smells. Thanks for a really good post about them.

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  8. I love the way you make it sound/feel as if we were there too. So enjoyed the walk!

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  9. You are so right about this. I especially love spring because of the fragrant lilacs, etc.
    You need to come to the U.P. Ratty and stop by Lake Superior.....the fresh smell of the lake and wind is like no other smell on earth!!!!

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  10. Ahhhhh...I feel a haiku coming on...ask any psychologist and they'll tell you smell is one of the most powerful memory triggers...I LOVE the smell of nature...it only rivals the scent of one's mother...or grandmother...as it happens, today would have been my grandmother's 102nd birthday and I found myself at a garden center sniffing lavender and ginger mint - plants I ended up buying...and with my daughter home from the west coast, we have literally been 'inhaling' each other...so thanks for the memories, Ratty! Your post was a happy connection for me...

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  11. Icy BC - Thanks. Smells are so important but very hard to describe.
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    Lin - It was something I've been trying to figure out how to write about for awhile now. I completely understand about breathing in a certain smell like that. I do the same thing with many different smells. The honeysuckle is one of them.
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    Daisy - It's amazing what certain senses do to us when we are out there.
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    Ginnymo - I know exactly what you mean about the smells of a farm. My grandparents' farm was the base for my family for all of my life. Going back there and smelling the barnyard is like heaven to me. I know that skunk smell very well too. We have a very large skunk population here too. A closeup skunk smell can choke a person sometimes. My sister's dog got sprayed just a few months ago.
    You have a nice weekend too.
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    Rainfield- Instead of the smell of monkey droppings I smell deer droppings. I'm glad you mentioned that, because it was something I forgot. I sometimes use smells to landmark my position too.
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    Poetic Shutterbug - You aren't the first to like that second photo. Thanks, I actually worked hard to get that one. From the pictures you've shown, your botanical gardens are beautiful. I can just imagine what sweet smells come from there.
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    Sharkbytes - I do too. Usually I'm unsuccessful in the hard ones, but I'm glad I got that honeysuckle.
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    Jason - I'm glad you liked it. That's exactly what I hope for is to take everybody on an adventure with me.
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    The Retired One - Spring brings my favorite smells too. They're all so fresh and new. I'd love to see the U.P. and Lake Superior one day.
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    Diane KQ - The psychologists are exactly right. I'm glad I could stir your memories. This post also stirred some of my memories of past smells. Some of my grandmother, like I mentioned above, and other very good memories of people and places.

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  12. Great post Ratty.. I was doing some research for a post of mine similar to this. You and I sure enjoy the woods. I will probably be publishing my post early next week.

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  13. I found this post as I was researching for a post I am planning for my blog, Nature Bits and Bytes. Should have it up later in the week.
    Thanks for your wonderful photos and descriptions.

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  14. I stumbled upon your blog while doing research, like some fellow commenters. Your blog, your pictures, your words have inspired me. Thank you.

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  15. I too stumbled across your blog doing research. It was just what I needed to envision what I wanted to write! It reminds me of my own adventures through woods and how I felt at one with nature, how the smells were powerful and calming, what I saw, and heard. Thank you!

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  16. Beautiful post, just when I was looking for descriptions of woodland fragrances for my novel. I adore the scents of the forests and mountains!

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