Whiffs of this and that

I have a sensitive nose. I can smell things a lot of people around me don't notice.

The sense of smell can trigger memory. For the longest time the smell of Dove soap on my skin triggered the memory of when Jen was a baby - don't know why it brings back that particular memory, as I've used Dove soap all my life.

The smell of coffee in the morning drums up memories of a visiting grandmother from Montreal - she was always up early and had her coffee percolating long before anyone else was awake. I'd lay in bed and the smell of coffee would waft up into my bedroom. That meant - Grandma was here!

The stale smell of cigarettes brings back memories of another grandmother. She rolled her own cigarettes for a long time and that made the odor more unique. But a better smell I also relate to her is of a pot roast cooking on the stove. Yum!

Getting back to the strong sense of smell...I can smell rain and snow - that is, the air smells different when rain or snow is on its way. I sniff and declare that we will have rain, or it is going to snow. Maybe I should have been a weather woman. But my long-range forecast wouldn't fly - I can only predict weather that is imminent.

This morning the air smells like McAllen Texas. I started flying to McAllen many years ago, and I was always struck by the humid, hot, damp smell as I exited the airport. Mexico has its own distinct smell, but today it is smelling like McAllen Texas here on my street. I think it has something to do with the street workers clearing plants and moving rocks and uncovering moist earth (they are getting ready to lay down sidewalks). With the gentle breeze we are enjoying, it is very pleasant.

Another smell that has nothing to do with my talents to smell weather, is the smell of death. Cruising down the road we will pass an area that has an odor that is hard to describe; it means there is a dead animal somewhere nearby.

Yesterday morning I walked around two of our blocks trying to detect that odor and not wanting to detect it. Luna had been missing since Friday evening. Luna has been missing before for a day, but never two full nights and mornings. With the recent disappearance of Chong, I was afraid something had happened to Luna and went looking for her. I did not detect any odor, so that was maybe a good sign. And later yesterday morning, there was Luna, peering at me through the patio screen door that she can no longer open. I was glad to see her even if she did try to swipe at me with her claws - she was in a bad mood and only after sleeping all day did her mood improve. We have no idea where she was, although I suspect she had a hunting conquest that was too large to eat in one sitting, and she was guarding it until she had finished it. Just speculation, but based on observing her sitting on top of the rock pile where a nice iguana made its home. And Luna loves to eat iguanas.

Well, the sun is shining, the doors and windows are open, the breeze is flowing through the house. Time to get to work, although I do think my nose smells a hammock somewhere nearby, and maybe I should check that out first.