Scent

Did you ever notice how the rain smells different in winter than in any other season? What does it smell like?

Nothing.

But rain in the spring, summer or fall...
What does it smell like??



I like to think it smells like heaven.
Or close to it...my grandparent's tiny front porch in Clairton.



Don't know why, but when it rains and I get that certain "whiff" I am back there on that porch, 11 years old, in my polyester shorts and striped shirt,playing Old Maid's with my sisters as we wait for the rain to let up.




It just happened again today- which gave me the hope that Spring REALLY is here and yes, my grandparents are here too, if only in spirit.

In truth, like most other things on this planet of ours, it is a chemical reaction of sorts.

"As it turns out, the smells people associate with rainstorms can be caused by a number of things. One of the more pleasant rain smells, the one we often notice in the woods, is actually caused by bacteria! Actinomycetes, a type of filamentous bacteria, grow in soil when conditions are damp and warm. When the soil dries out, the bacteria produces spores in the soil. The wetness and force of rainfall kick these tiny spores up into the air where the moisture after a rain acts as an aerosol (just like an aerosol air freshener)... These spores have a distinctive, earthy smell we often associate with rainfall. The bacteria is extremely common and can be found in areas all over the world, which accounts for the universality of this sweet "after-the-rain" smell...Howthingswork.com

But I don't care much about biology.

I care more about what's inside my heart. And my heart says... they are here with me now and always.



And my heart is leaping.


photos by flickr... pullihora lepiaf.geo imkemper kirainet katiescrapbooklady amy_b