Top ten autumn aromas

Top ten autumn aromas

Haeleigh Bayle, Reporter

One of my favorite things about fall are all of the smells. The smell of leaves as they die off, the fall baked goods, pumpkins, the candles lit everywhere, and the distinct smell of a fall breeze. For every fall smell, I can relish a specific memory to go with it. For example, the smell of the fallen leaves gets associated with when I was eight years old and I would pile up high mounds of leaves and jump into the pile for hours. Although it may sound weird or out of place, below I have listed the best fall aromas from the worst to the best.

10. The muddy/moldy ground smell – This smell always signifies the fall season for me because after the rain starts to fall and the ground stops absorbing the moisture quite so quickly, this moldly, bitter smell wafts up from the earth. I am not a fan of it because of the sharp, acidic smell it produces.

9. The smell of freshly carved pumpkins – Although this is a staple of fall activities, the way the inside of pumpkins smell makes me want to hurl my insides. I never had a problem with the smell when I was younger, but one year I was feeling sick as I carved the pumpkin, so I was left with a forever-negative view of the pumpkin insides.

8. Sweaty/muddy running shoes – This smell definitely isn’t one of my favorites but is very prominent in the fall because this is the time of year that cross country takes place in. So whenever we would get done running in the rain or on a muddy course, the potent smell of muddy feet would take over, which always caused me to wrinkle my nose and promise myself to clean my shoes.

7. Hay harvest – The smell of hay is always a signifier of fall because I associate it with the farmers who live down the road from me. Just before the winter months set in, they are out trying to get their last load of hay in before the winter. The smell of the freshly cut field grass adds to the comforting fall atmosphere.

6. Smell of crisp apples – This smell in particular reminds me so much of my grandparents because at their house they have many apple trees, which is where we as a family have spent many memorable times together.

5. Firewood being brought to the wood stove – Although you may not think firewood has a smell, I always welcome the rustic, woodsy smell of the earth into the house because fall is when we start our wood stove. The earthy smell always reminds me of the first weeks of autumn that will eventually give way to winter.

4. Autumn breeze – I love the way the warm yet crisp air tickles my face. The breeze carries with it a sweet welcome to the fall months that makes me smile as I realize that my favorite season of the year is approaching.

3. Pumpkin spice candles – This will forever have a mark on my heart because for many years during the fall months I would smell the pumpkin spice candles everywhere I went. Whether it be in stores, my house, my grandparents house, or even just walking by someone who had the pumpkin spice perfume on.

2. Baked apple cinnamon muffins – One of my favorite things to do in the fall is bake sweet treats to share with others. This is by far one of the best autumn smells because it fills the whole house with such a sweet smell, and it brings such comfort.

1. Leaves turning – This is by far the best autumn smell of them all because everywhere I go in the autumnal time, I am surrounded by the sweet aroma of the leaves. The breeze blows their scent every which way and envelopes me in season of fall.

Thank you for taking the time to read my top ten article about the best autumnal aromas! What different smells come to mind for you when you think of fall?