I am thankful for the smell of autumn.
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| Black walnuts |
That sounds kind of strange, doesn't it? At least that's how it seemed to me today on my walk as I was thinking about what to post for Thankful Sunday. However, as I thought further, I realized that the smell I liked best in autumn is the smell of a walnut tree when it is dropping its leaves and nuts. I hadn't realized that when I walk around the walnut trees in our yard, I always take a big whiff. And I think that whiff subconsciously takes me back to my childhood. We had a large walnut tree in our backyard when I was growing up. It was a part of much of my play including a tree swing that could go high enough that I felt like I was flying--especially when my father pushed me. Also, in the fall as the nuts were falling, our town had a festival celebrating walnuts. It was the biggest event of the year--so big that we even got off a day from school for it. So maybe the tree in my backyard when I was growing up is the reason that I like the smell of walnut trees now and the smell of autumn in general. I've heard that the sense of smell can sometimes evoke stronger emotions that any other sense. Maybe that's true in this case.
So there you go. That's what I thought about on my walk this afternoon while I was sniffing the air. Maybe I should have left it at, "I am thankful for smell of autumn." But you know how it is. Sometimes it's hard to turn your brain off.
I know what you mean. We had hickory trees growing up so MY autumns smelled like spicy leaves and a little of that baked nutty smell when the sun shines on the hickory nuts. Yesterday my family and I went up north to spend a day in the woods (cutting wood for our fireplace, etc.--it's really just an excuse for a color tour and to be outside on a gorgeous day). I got to indulge in the autumn-leaf smell. Also, the sounds of crinkling leaves underfoot are, for me, part of fall as well. I think autumn is a high-sensory season--the colors, the sounds, the smells ... all packed into a few short weeks.
ReplyDeleteYou know, spring has a lot of smells also with all of the blooming trees, flowers, and vines, but I like the fall smells better. I prefer earthy to flowery.
DeleteAnyway, I've been around a few hickory trees but never noticed the baked nutty smell when they are warmed by the sun. I'm going to pay attention next time.
They have to be out of the green husks or hulls or whatever you call them to smell it--the green outer parts have a distinctive scent of their own.
DeleteMy father used to pick up a lot of hickory nuts that he'd find in the woods and bring them home. We would sometimes take the green husks off if they were still on. And then we would crack them and have hickory nuts to eat and cook with. All I can say, hickory nuts are a lot easier to crack and pick than black walnuts.And I like their taste a lot better. However, I would always end up with shells in both of them.
DeleteYes, the smells of autumn are the absolute best along with the feel of the air the crunch of the leaves and the beautiful colors.
ReplyDeleteWhile I love the beauty of colors, I think I like the crunch even better.
DeleteOh, I love fall smell! We try to go to the mountains before the snow every year and enjoy every bit of the cold delicious air...
ReplyDeleteThe smell of cold mountain air--that's wonderful too. Are you going to make it this year?
DeleteFor me it is the smell of oak leaves. Those big fat leaves were the perfect jumping pile when we were kids. Our yard was covered with oaks and my dad would rake them into piles about 5 feet high on the sloped side of our yard. We would run, fly for a few seconds and land in a huge pile of leaves. Most of the time only our heads would be visible.
ReplyDeleteWe only have a couple of oaks in our yard now but each year when they fall I gather some just to smell
AI five feet high pile of oak leaves on a hill. I can't imagine a more perfect set up for a kid. That was a lot of work for your father.
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