I know we have had threads trying to grasp the concept of "modern homesteading" and this is about a major draw I find of the philosophy.... the aroma. No, I am not refering to the stench of green manures or processing worm bins (although FINISHED worm castings do have a sweet earthy smell, but you won't find me tasting them as the old timers did to evaluate soil :>). What I mean by aromas are the smells of coffee beans roasting , ham slow cooking over the heater outside my open office door , the bread machine producing my morning loaf of bread and the occasional wafting from the apple wine open fermenting in the pantry as I sit here at 4:30 in the morning, working on the PC, enjoying the first cup of coffee for the day and waiting for the sunrise to come. This is what makes the lifestyle special to me.

Uh-oh, here comes kitty on his way to the box, better enjoy this while I can :>)

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), January 22, 2002

Answers

Coffee. Horses. Pine trees. Wood smoke. Sweet feed. These are my best homesteading smells!

-- Shannon at Grateful Acres Animal Sanctuary (gratacres@aol.com), January 22, 2002.

Coffee, beef stew in the crock pot, fresh compost, fresh-cut hay, fresh bread and buns in the oven, pine trees and sawdust in the workshop, and yes, even manure.

Ahhhhh...home sweet home

Russ

-- (imashortguy@hotmail.com), January 22, 2002.

Yes!! The smell of the fresh coffee, a slice of home-grown ham sizzling in the pan. Outside, the smell of wood smoke, horses and the smell of a fresh new day. Isn't life grand!

-- cowgirlone in OK (cowgirlone@hotmail.com), January 22, 2002.

Garsh,I thought I had everything I could possibly want this morning, now I want a pony :>)

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), January 22, 2002.

Jay, I also enjoy the sounds of nature in the morning. If I get outside to do barn chores right a daybreak I can hear several birds. Especially the squawking blue jays. I put peanuts in the shells in the feeders just for the jays. If the water's high, we can hear the creek rushing by. And the animals start to rise and stretch, stomp their big feet and snort. And the roosters are letting me know that it's time for breakfast. I can't imagine life without enjoying nature's sounds and smells. Thanks for such a good thought this morning.

-- Charleen in WNY (harperhill@eznet.net), January 22, 2002.

Ahhhh! What would morning be without the smell of coffee!! Obviously I'm not the only one here who needs the caffeine jolt before I do anything else. Add the aroma of coffee to the smell of freshly fried doughnuts...and then while enjoying those doughnuts and coffee, along comes the same problem that Jay has...except that I have 10 housecats :-)!!!

-- Marcia (HrMr@webtv.net), January 22, 2002.

Much the same for me! Coffee, horses, leather, fresh baked bread, and oats!

-- Debbie in Mo (risingwind@socket.net), January 22, 2002.

My husband thinks I'm a little nuts, but when we go to the state fair, I have to go through the animal barns just to smell the "barn smell". We don't have any livestock (our landlady draws the line at outside dogs!), but the smell of a well-kept, inhabited barn just sends me to heaven. Don't know why - never had animals as a kid, although some of y fondest young-kid memories involve going to see my gran where she waitressed at the sale-barn diner. Maybe that explains it. Who knows. All I know is that I sure get funny looks going up and down the rows of cows and goats, sniffing the air like I was at a bakery. And don't even get me started on fresh baked bread!

-- Soni (thomkilroy@hotmail.com), January 22, 2002.

Coffee, the smell of rain coming, woodsmoke, sweet feed, fresh mown hay, (what's with us homesteaders and the coffee deal???) and last but not least, the color of the sky right before sunrise - that blue black color...and autumn leaves blowing across my pasture and scaring the bejesus out of my silly old mares...

-- Cindy (colawson@mindspring.com), January 22, 2002.

Whats with the coffee??? Simple, we're addicted . Think I'll go make a cappaccino now:>)

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), January 22, 2002.

My friends think I am nuts because I love the smell of manure being spread on the fields. I also used to love the smell of bread being toasted on top of the wood stove. Also, wood burning in a fireplace or woodstove. Bread being baked, turkey roasting. I'm getting myself hungry :-)

-- george nh (rcoopwalpole@aol.com), January 22, 2002.

Scuse me Jay did you say 4:30 in the morning?? Shoot and I was going to invite you to my place for a visit til you said that!!!!!! Ha!!...Kirk

-- kirk Davis (kirkay@yahoo.com), January 22, 2002.

Yes! Early in the a.m.: coffee from freshly ground beans; the smell of the fire getting going (and specifically from the various woods that have their own unique smells); and the green fragrance of alfalfa from the stacks in the barn when I go out to feed!

In the evening, the smell of the accumulation of all the woodsmoke on our hilltop (cough!...but I still like it!) and the smell of dinner cooking when I first walk through the kitchen door after work (did I tell you my husband is up for sainthood?)

-- sheepish (WA) (the_original_sheepish@hotmail.com), January 23, 2002.

You are so lucky, Sheepish! If I ask my hubby about him cooking for a change he'll do it with no problem. But...for the next several days he acts like he set an Olympic record and deserves a gold medal for it :-)!!!

-- Marcia (HrMr@webtv.net), January 23, 2002.

This morning there is a warm wind blowing across the fields and we had a sunny, warm day yesterday. You can smell warming dirt......I would have list that right up there as a favorite for me.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), January 23, 2002.