I like walking the beach. It’s good for the mind, body, and soul – and refreshing on my feet.
As I walk, air along the gulf coast has a certain freshness that vitalizes the soul. The salt and a bit of fish or other marine life seems to permeate the sense of smell.
I think about how smell and taste influence each other. The sommelier smells the wine first, then tastes – and smell influences that taste – then the sommelier may smell again, followed by another sip to taste, and then even repeating this cycle of experiencing enhancement.
I think about the times when walking into the house from the outside to be greeted by the aroma of a food feast is in the midst of preparation for a family meal. Smells that we recognize – smells that trigger memories – smell that make our mouths water in anticipation.
I think of the smells many of us recognize – burning leaves of autumn – grilling steaks – newly cut grass – freshness of a flower.
I think of chemistry class as a teacher taught us to wave one hand over a beaker or test tube toward our nose to catch a scent – especially wonderful esters that are part of the flavor industry.
I think of products with distinct smells – whether roses, leather goods, pungent ammonia, or many more in nature and as manufactured products.
I think about how smell and taste are two senses working in tandem to enhance the other. We have many more different specialized sensors detecting smell than taste – yet the wine sommelier uses both to develop descriptors for that wonderful fruit of the vine.
I think about pheromones – the chemicals that living things release outside the body for a variety of reasons as attracting a mate, defense, marking territory, alarm, and more. Although we humans also have natural pheromones, sometimes we chose to add a scent of our choice.
I think about those who cannot smell. What a world they are missing. Yes, they are fortunate to miss the bad and unpleasant – but smells absence is a misfortunate when encountering the flowery, the essence of a spice, the sensuality of freshly-cleaned skin, and more.
I think about how smells are personal. Not only can smells trigger memories, each of us can smell something different from the same object as each of our brains interpret those smells differently. Each of us may associate a smell with a different event in our past – some pleasant, others no so.
Yet, we have something in common. Our smell sensors are in the same location. After detection, the sensory impulses travel to the same part of the brain, which interprets that smell for our analysis – yet we may perceive the smell differently in the analysis
We can walk in the same air, but smell is personal. Each of us my detect something different or interpret the same smell differently.
I enjoy smelling the sea air when I walk, after all walking the beach is good for the mind, body, and soul – and refreshing on my feet.
It’s so true about how a certain scent will trigger a memory. Sometimes, it actually happens that I think back on something and I can actually gain my sense of smell as per that memory.
Interesting post, Frank.
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Marc,
It’s truly amazing how much the mind can remember – let alone using a trigger as smell to recall it and even smell it.
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I think so too.
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Excellent song choice to go with this post Frank – I was already humming it in my head as I read 🙂 Fresh cut grass is a winner too any time of the year and I do love the smell of fresh salt laden air down by sea! Reading this made me think of how much I watch Siddy when we are on the beach – his nose is constantly quivering as he picks up scents that are way beyond my ability. He lifts his head and scents the wind then turns in the direction that holds the most promise….. Dogs live in such a rich, scent laden world. I am curious to know what it is like.
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Pauline,
Glad this walk hit home for you. Great point about Siddy. Dogs out for a walk seem to be relishing the opportunity to use their smell. I wonder how acute their sense of smell is. Then again, I wonder what the downside of that would be.
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Well, apparently we have about 6 million smell receptors and dogs have 300 million. And the part of the brain that analyzes those smells is proportionally 40 times larger than a humans. I have a book called ‘Inside of a Dog’ written by Alexandra Horowitz which contains that and loads of other extremely interesting information about what a dog is doing and why. It’s made observing my dog a hundred percent more interesting 🙂
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As usual, I love your musings. Smell is such a powerful sense–and one that is said to be the best at triggering memory. Family meals, walks on the beach or in the desert–I do love the smell of rain in the desert Thanks for helping me remember so many scents!
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Patti,
Thank you and glad you walked along. Now you have me wondering about the smell of rain – therefore wondering how the smell of rain in the desert is different. Thanks for sharing.
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I think sense of smell is one of the strongest to trigger memories or emotions. A scent associated to a person, a place, an event… yep. very strong.
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Dale,
No question – and to think we seem to take so much about smell for granted. Then again, it’s also interesting how easily that sense gets fatigued to a reoccurring scent.
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True
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Your walk on the beach is my scent of sagebrush after summer rain. 🙂
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Yvette,
Now that’s a poetic line!!!!! Thank you. 🙂
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The ocean / sea scent, precious and -like all scents- impossible to convey/share digitally, which makes it even more precious and …personal! What a walk, Frank! Yamas! 🙂
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Marina,
Yes, yes, yes! … Smell is so personal and a difficult to express digitally – yet we try it through descriptive words with hopes of the read personally connecting. To my friend, Yamas!
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Well, you can be sure that I connect! 😉 Yamas!!!! 🙂 🙂
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For me it is the smell of coffe brewing. Morning would not be morning without it.
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Drew,
Although I seldom drink coffee, it’s unique smell is so associated with the start of the day. Thanks for sharing.
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Meant to tell you, that song triggers plenty of memories.
Good choice.
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Marc,
You are welcome … Hmmmm …. sounds like you could write a post around that song.
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Certain songs bring you right back to a time. That is one of those songs.
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On our early morning walks, I especially notice scents. It’s a wonderful way to start the day before the rest of the city wakes up. The air is clean and full of nature’s perfume of dew and plants.
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Monika,
Morning air …. ahhhh …. I wonder what makes it so special and refreshing? … well, besides less pollution.
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That gorgeous early light for one thing. And the quiet.
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Therefore, many factors … including the freshness of morning air (which includes temperature).
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The scent of life around us is a wonderful thing. Nice job, Frank.
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John,
Thank you … and you well know the difference between inland air and coastal air.
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Your opening sentence always pulls me in and sets the stage for your post. Then you pull us back to the beach at the end with the same comforting words. You are so right on smell and how it triggers memories and places. Good post!
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Jo,
Thanks for the kind words. I remember not only coming up with that line – but that getting the idea to use them as the bookends for each walk … so your comment made me smile.
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The scent of smell does trigger a memory and even in the scent of an ocean we will always remember such a beautiful scent of freedom and happiness.
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Charlie,
Amazing the power smell memories hold!
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Indeed my friend. 🙂
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Lots of interesting thoughts and information in your post today about the sense of smell. Turns out my cat with between 45-80 million olfactory receptors comes in a distant second to dogs with their 149-300 olfactory receptors. Bloodhounds are the champions of smell. Here’s a Top 10 list: https://dogtime.com/dog-health/general/18724-10-dog-breeds-with-the-best-sense-of-smell
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Tim,
Thanks for digging up the data that explains a lot! … good link, too!
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I love the beach air engulfing my being as I walk on the soft wet sand. I agree that certain scents bring back memories we aren’t even aware of. I LOVE the scent of baked bread 🥖
I grew up across from a Wonder bread factory. They baked all night. The scent permeating through the open windows at night in summer was comforting. Great thoughts on the scent of smell.
Isadora 😎
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Isadora,
Thanks for sharing your memory growing up. Amazing the affect of smells from factories and business impact an area. Even walking near certain restaurants! Then again, there are also the negative/foul smells.
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Thankfully, the only negative smell was when bread was burnt occasionally. : )
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My college town had a ketchup factory – definitely not a pleasant smell.
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LOL … that could be a turn-off if the tomatoes rot. LOL
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Smell is an integral part of the life experience.
Fab beach walk!
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Resa,
Definitely an integral part of the human experience – yet it is so under utilized. Thanks for walking along.
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I love this, smells are so evocative, like music. Gorgeous Frank. Sorry Im slow to posts at the moment – I’m on holiday 🙂
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Rachel,
Smells are like music – oh my my – I like that so much I wish I would have used it! Cheers to your holiday – and for stopping by during it.
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Thank you Frank. It’s harder to relax on holiday than I would think!!
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Tough challenge … But you can do it.
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It really shouldn’t be a tough challenge, but somehow it is!
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Just enjoy yourself.
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Smell and taste are such important senses for our well-being. Life is pretty miserable when you have a cold and cannot taste/smell anything. 🙂
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E R,
Ah ha … you’re catching up on Beach Walks. 😀 … thanks … and great point about when one has a cold – and that’s a point I wish I would have included!
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