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.

Then 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.

In 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.

Lining 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.