Smellable Bike

I often teach my hike as a "smellable hike" where I challenge students to use their nose as we walk through the woods. Sometimes I just sit them down in the woods and have them close their eyes.  The next sense that comes into play after they close their eyes is usually hearing, and they will suddenly notice the birds, the cicadas, and the wind in the treetops.  A few will feel the light breeze on their skin, but even fewer will notice the smells.  This is why I like the smellable hike!  It trains them to use their nose.  

For this reason, I purposely introduce smells on my hikes; the sweet gum leaf, the wax myrtle leaf, the earth, the grass, pine needles and even the grey fox (in our animal compound).  The kids often turn up their noses at these unusual scents and when I ask them what it smells like, I often get "air freshener", "deodorizers", and "house cleaners". A few will mention fruits like mango and lime when they smell the sweet gum, but most think of artificial scents; scents that we have chemically manufactured to put back into things!

The sense of smell is one of our oldest and most powerful senses.  Have you ever caught a whiff of something and been brought very suddenly to a memory?  I have!  That's because the sense of smell is a chemical sense and when it goes in your nose, its messages go strait to your brain.  The smell of Confederate Jasmine always reminds me of spring break at my Grandparents home in Savannah, GA when I was little and likely underfoot. Of course, they told me to "Go Play Outside...Right Now!"  So, I climbed the pear tree and imagined I was in a treehouse. I tried to scale the ivy covered brick wall like a secret agent.  I stayed away from their roses after picking some for my hair and getting in trouble. I explored the garage for dusty artifacts.  I ate Pecans out of the tree in their front yard.  These were great days of exploring and smelling.  

So last night I went for a bike ride and rather than a smellable hike I decided on a smellable bike!  I tried to identify as many smells as possible during my ride!  The gardenias (pictured here) are in full bloom, as is the confederate jasmine!  I need to get closer to the blooming crepe myrtle and elderberry to identify those! I could smell the bodies of water I rode by, thinking about the smell of water and then realizing it was the smell of wet soil and damp grasses.  I smelled the cut grass at the park, and the burgers being grilled at the local restaurant. One of the best smells was the lumber yard of the home improvement store I went by!  Sometime when I am riding, I can smell the soap of people I pass. The best sights last night were the large male turkey with his red head and full beard and the beautiful thunder cloud lit up by the setting sun.  What a night for a smellable bike and a good reminder to pick some gardenias and put them inside!