Scents from Nature

I greatly enjoy the smell of the woods when we go camping and hiking. The fresh scent is in total contrast to the odors that are noticeable in a city such as what emanates from the local factory, or the exhaust of numerous vehicles as they travel from place to place. Nothing can be equal to the refreshing smell of pine and cedar trees as well as beautiful flowers such as dandelions, and lavender. This reminds me of the times when I was a young person and my brother and I would go camping with our father. We would get away from it all, and enjoy fishing on the lakeside and spending time in the sleeping bag under the stars which was truly refreshing. The cookout was one of our most favorite times grilling hot dogs and roasting marshmallows walking on the hiking paths was a special time as well be it through the Adirondack mountains on the east coast, or Oregon and Wyoming in the western part of our country. On these hiking trails an individual could truly appreciate the wonderful scents that God has given us in the various plants, shrubs and trees in His creation. Many times the trail would lead to a beach side or a body of water that offered their own distinct yet pleasant odors. When the wind picked up in particular the environment became one of great serenity. Today many seem to enjoy the electronics of our age such as video games and television productions and do not appreciate the wonders that God has provided for us to enjoy. A canoe or small boat trip also resulted in much enjoyment for our family. Seeing the many birds and animals that seemed to stay closer to the water was another time of learning as well as a time of pleasure as they went about their busy life. Even as we would pass a football or throw a frisbee. Our camping trips were more reminiscent of the old days when families would spend much time together enjoying the great outdoors and conversing with one another. One instance comes to mind as we were trying to sleep in our tent, of looking out and seeing what looked like a bear putting wood on the fire. I was about eight years old, somewhat terrified and more than a little perplexed at this unusual occurrence. It was not until the next day that my father told us there was no bear but it was he who was out there with the campfire.

Let me know if you have a scent that takes you back to a certain time or place. Leave a comment below:)

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Seventh Generation blogging program, for a gift card worth $50. For more information on how you can participate, click here