Oooh, that smell

I don’t recall ever reading a meme on smells, but this has been rattling around in my brain for a while. As one of the five primary sense (Smell, Hearing, Sight, Touch, Taste), smell is one that (at least to me) can bring back some vivid memories. The other day when I was running (and not falling down), I was passed by a diesel pickup that had a smell that reminded me of my days in the army. Weird, huh? Not to me. I can recall many smells from my youth that garner some instant reaction/response. Do you have any particular smells that bring back memories or create a strong reaction/response? I thought I would list some of my more memorable smells (good & bad) and see if ya’ll can relate.

1. Diesel fumes – I served many years in the Armor branch of the service and spend many a day & night on the trail in Germany. As XO of my company, I had two sets of wheels. A blade tank (M60 with a 5 ton dozer blade) and an M88 recovery vehicle. The latter was a massive vehicle that served as the primary recovery vehicle (i.e. tow truck) for the company. Needless to say, these were big mommas with enough horsepower to lift & tow a tank. Part of my job was to trail the company wherever it went in the M88 and recover any broke down tanks along the trail. That means I was always downwind of the company and subsequently always sucking in diesel fumes from the leading tanks. In the middle of winter, when we were traveling on the roads/trail, we would sit up top enjoying the blast of heat & fumes from the residual vapor trails as we rumbled down the road.


2. Snow – I know, snow? Growing up in New Jersey, I distinctly recall in December when there was a fresh snowfall. Something about new fallen snow in how it seemed to clean the air. There is nothing like going out on a clear, cold morning and smelling new-fallen snow. One Christmas eve, we left to go to church for service and, when we got out, there was a blanket of new snow covering the entire town and, for a brief moment, the world was peaceful and serene. It was like the song “Silent Night, Holy Night" brought to life.


3. Beer – this is one that can be good or bad. I like the smell of fresh cold beer on a hot day. I have even visited several breweries that have a distinct hop smell in the air that brings back good memories of the time I spent in Germany. However, old, stale beer can turn my stomach. Nothing like cleaning up after a party and dealing with a large number of empty (or half empty) bottles or spilled beer to sober you up. I’ve even worked with a few people who would drink so much that they would smell like beer the next day.


4. Fresh baked bread – My mother would occasionally bake homemade bread and the smell filled the house. Today, whenever I pass a bakery, it reminds me of those times at home.


5. Bacon - Nothing says good morning like a mess 'o fried bacon. I know its bad for you, but the aroma of cooking bacon in a cast iron skillet while out camping is almost like smelling heaven (to me).





6. Gunpowder – nothing is as distinctive as the smell of gunpowder. In the Army, we got to throw a lot of lead down range and blow things up all of the time and the distinct flavor of an expended round left me with some vivid memories. “I love the smell of Napalm in the morning... Smelled like….victory.”



7. Babies – incredible little critters. On one hand they can smell like a breath of fresh air or a field of flowers. On the other side, they can create the most breath-taking odors that would make a dog cry. All with the same smiling face. It takes a real man (and woman) to step up and deal with the problem while not gagging.




8. Dogs – Like kids, dogs can be the source for a plethora of exquisite aromas. When Shadow had a bath, he was the sweetest smelling dog around. Three of the more distinctive ones I remember from him were 1) his breath, 2) the wet dog smell, and 3) his farts. His breath smelled, at times, like the bottom of a fish tank, regardless of what food or treats we gave him (BTW – those treats that claim to make a dog’s breath smell better are worthless). Many times I would threaten to give him a tic-tac. Wet dog - Whenever I walked him in the rain, no matter how much I dried him off afterward, he still smelled like a wet carpet. And farts. Boy, could this dog cut the cheese. He was always a master of the SBDs. We would be sitting in the den, watching tv when the air would literally turn green. In his later years, he got a bit more fragrant in his contributions. Not sure if it was the dried food we gave him or the rawhide treats, but he could clear a room in thirty seconds when he was in form. One night, I swear I awoke from a sound sleep because of one of his “gifts”.


9. Machine oil – I know, it’s another guy thing. But for years, I grew up helping my dad with various auto repairs and machine oil has a distinctive flavor that reminds me of shop class in high school. Just recently, when I was on a supplier audit, we were touring a big machine shop in Minneapolis. When we walked into the lobby, the first thing that hit me was the smell of machine oil and, for some strange reason, I was more receptive towards this company.


10. Pine/evergreen – At one time in my youth, I was going to go into forestry and become a forest ranger. Seems weird now, but I loved the outdoors (still do) and hiking and such. I was actually going to go to school in east Texas to get a forestry degree but wound up getting an engineering degree instead. I love the smell of pine trees and enjoy hiking through the east Texas piney woods (or even the high altitude pines at Philmont).


11. Cigars – I used to smoke an occasional cigar. I loved the aroma of a good cigar especially when accompanied by a good glass of Macallan 15 year old scotch. Would typically smoke a cigar or two when we went hunting (sorta was a habit). But the key words here are used to. Long time ago, when my son was in elementary school, the filled his head with all sorts of trivial information which led him to inform me that “Dad, you’re killing yourself smoking”. Gee, thanks. Nothing like being guilted into giving this up by your 8 year old. I pretty much dropped it after that and have only indulged once or twice over the past three years. The most recent being when we did our Caribbean cruise and I got chance to acquire a couple of genuine Cuban Cohibas. The last one I smoked was the night we put Shadow down (while walking the block in memory of him). While I relished it, I think I have lost my taste for them, even though their aroma reminds me of younger times.


12. Skoal – ok, being from south, a lot of folk may be familiar with dip. When I was in college at A&M, I got into a very bad/nasty habit of either dipping or chewing tobacco. Didn’t have enough hair to dip Copenhagen, so Skoal was my brand of choice. I was a light user and not heavily hooked to it like some classmates. We would dip whenever we were working on the bonfire or out in the field. I even took to dipping when we when out to the local bar (we were convinced that we were invincible/cool. On night, I was drinking my usual Lone Star (another Texas tradition) and dipping (it can be done), when my buddy crack a funny joke. When I went to laugh, I swallowed my dip and spend the rest of the night out back “spilling my guts”. At that moment in time, I was cured of dipping. TO THIS DAY, I cannot smell a can of Skoal without getting nauseous.

Well that’s my list. I have more memorable smells, but did not want this to become a novel. Can you list 10-12 smells that mean the most to you?