Fresh Air Needs an Air Freshener

Walking through the countryside for weeks on end, especially at this time of harvest and preparing the soil and animals for the winter, reminds me that what I smell is what everyone on the planet smelled every day until the 20th century. And many people smell it even now, all over the world. This was particularly brought home to me today as we witnessed a tractor pulling a round metal container that sprayed a slightly more liquid form of manure over the fields.

More than witnessed, as we were walking downwind. I just about passed out with the stink. Oh my goodness that was fruity!

And here they come again. There are fields and fields that are being primed and we are gagging with each step.

This will no doubt bring forth excellent produce next year, and it is recycling effluent in the most productive and natural way. All tried and true farming methods for centuries and centuries.

Until some of us grew up in clinical cities, surrounded by floral gardens and bath salts and deodorants and perfumes with our hygienic bathrooms and refrigerators and laundry machines. Buying our produce more or less clean of everything but the colour, in shops that play banal music and smell of chocolate and lavender and fresh bread.

Oh yes, it is good to be reminded of what entered our ancestors' olfactory passages every day of their lives. It's also nice to think that it's a rarity in my life!

good thing this photo is not scratch and sniff!