Last night we had about 10 minutes of a steady, thick, downpour of rain. We even had some flashes of lightening and loud cracks of rolling thunder. Southern California is in such a dire drought right now, it's pretty unnerving. So last night's shower was a little blessing for us. Whenever it rains here, it's as if we get a new slate. The sky is cleansed, and the air smells sweet and fresh. The hills change from dry brown to lush green. The plants and animals are happy. I walked outside today and smelled wet earth for the first time in a while. Growing up in rural Pennsylvania, I always loved this smell, but of course took it for granted at the time. Smelling dampened soil today took me back to playing in the woods in PA, to camping trips in the Summer, to sitting under the stars around a campfire with my family. I think I prefer the smell of the earth and woods more than any flower, more than any ocean. LA gets a bad rap for 'not having seasons', but today we have Spring.
What smells do you love? Bring back memories? Remind you of home?
love,
p.a.
