Friday, November 14, 2025

Sniff Sniff

I do not have a keen sense of smell. It can be annoying at times. At other times it is a blessing.

I love the smells of flowers. Unfortunately I cannot always smell them. My favorite smell is a clean baby.

Soon after I moved back here to Iowa it rained. I love rain. The air is so clean after. And the petrichor was a smell I really missed in the city. Petrichor is that earthy smell when rain first falls on dry earth. 

A smell that is overpowering is the dust on the prairie grasses that grow beside the road. If a person were to stand in the midst of the grasses I believe the person could smother and die. 

One day I called my mother. My youngest sister answered the phone so we talked for a few minutes. Suddenly I asked her if she was eating Cheerios. She was.

She wondered why I asked. It was because I could smell them!

Of course each of us has our own distinctive smell. Even though my patents have died there have been times I would smell one of them. It has been a long time now.

When I moved back here I discovered I even liked the smell of fertilizer if it is not too strong. I really dislike the ammonium smell of pig farms. It is so strong and burns the nose.

I would really like to know some favorite smells and some least favorite smells.

14 comments:

  1. thecontemplativecat here. I also have a strong sense of smell, which doesn't always please. Coffee is my favorite, with bacon next.

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  2. I do not mean to frighten you away: I adore the durian smell. The scent will stay with us for some time after we have enjoyed the durian feast.
    Of course, I love petrichor too, no doubt.

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    1. I have not smelled a durian but have read that they have a strong unpleasant odor. I am glad to hear a different opinion.

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  3. I have a bad sense of smell. However, I have a strong memory of the way my grandmother smelled - of roses. I wish I knew what scent she used so I could buy it.

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  4. Pig farms are bad but a skunk is worse. The worst of all is passing by a turkey farm and has to be experienced to be believed. Regarding wonderful smells, though, every time I smell a gardenia my mother’s face appears on the movie screen inside my head. It’s uncanny.

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    1. Skunks are truly bad. The gardenia making you remember your mother is a beautiful memory.

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  5. I like the smell of hot chocolate and fresh baked bread, but not necessarily together. Freshly baked cookies are also good and delicious too!

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  6. Favorites for me: the smell of coffee. I have one cup a day, what a blessing. Lemon tree flowers, lilacs, stargazer lilies, sweet peas. I grow these in my garden.

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    1. I love the smell of coffee. You are so fortunate to have those beautiful smells close.

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  7. Yes I too most love the smell of first rain on the soil 🥹🥰♥️
    I so much love it !
    My favourite smell is of red roses and all other flowers, tea ,coffee and mint leaves, coriander hot chicken soup 🤗

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  8. Chicken soup... yum. There are so many wonderful smells if we just take a moment to enjoy them.

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