One consequence of working on a farm is earthy aromas,
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You know how you tend to stop noticing your own aroma because it is too familiar? Well, when I am on the farm I don’t put on clean clothes every day. I am surrounded by aromas, cats, dogs, goats, horses, alfalfa, manure, straw, alfalfa … every day. I get dusty, sweaty and dirty every day, it is constant and persistent….
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On some hot days, there is a reason why I sometimes take a dunk in the horse water trough (damn the horse and dog drool). I feel so sweaty when I get home! Once I have gotten a quick dunk ( it is much longer than I am tall) I climb out, put on my boots & hat, pick up my pile of clothes and walk starkers to the side door of the house. I am sooooo looking forward to a nice hot shower in the mud room.
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Hmmmm… Tony has once again decided to lay down between me and the keyboard… pinning my left arm to the desk this time. 🙂 I try to not disturb him because I love physical contact with my closest animals. 🙂 It’s a tactile thing… I sometimes even let them under the sheet when i am in bed. 🙂 they feel so good against my bare legs!
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I often give Tony or Cleo rubs with my chin and cheeks while I am typing, their fur is so soft!! Tony is softer than Cleo’s probably because they have different dads. They pace back and forth, rubbing against my face and purring so loud! They make me smile and feel loved. 🙂
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Back to clothes and aromas: My bottom or first layer: bloomers, socks and undershirts are always fresh. But my 2nd, 3rd and 4th layers don’t change every day. This totally depends on the time of year.. Even in the summer it is in the 40’s in the mornings here, maybe up into the 80’s by 5:30 which is the hottest time of day here. And then the temperature starts to drop again . So I am often shedding or putting clothes back on (this will be changing soon, for obvious reasons). In the hottest months I get tempted to wear less and less, sometimes only a hat on my head, a bandana I soaked in water around my neck (mostly for my face) but for fingers and noses too…. and shorts (or a skirt if I am feeling particularly brave), a cool breeze is always welcome, socks rolled down as small as they can go and the always present heavy & hot boots.
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Back to aromas… you might find this a topic you don’t often talk about, but they are ever present on a farm. And I often go into town while wearing my work clothes, sometimes at the end of a hot and sweaty day. Bob is with me and we both feel satisfied ’cause we got a full day of work done, and the wind while driving feels awesome! But this one particular day I was lingering in the frozen food aisle, it felt heavenly! And a woman pushing a cart in front of me paused and started sniffing for whatever smell had just reached her. She turns her head spots me, sniffs again and wrinkles up her nose. Clearly smelling me…
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I just tip my head while my right hand is reaching up to tap the edge of my wide brimmed hat. “Howdy Mam” is all I say. She lets out a huff and walks away shaking her head. I ignore her reaction, shrug it off, buy my groceries and head out to Bob in the truck. No one else in the store seems to notice how I smell, or at least they act like they don’t. When I am stepping down off the curb I notice something out of the corner of my eye, on my left boot… I am trailing a few strands of hay that have stuck to a damp and sticky clump of manure, on the sole of the boot. Whoops! I scrape it off before I get back into the truck… You have probably already heard this but, “Manure happens every day.”
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Sending all of you a tired smile, a non-stinky hug, hope, peace and prayers… The deep shade of the east porch is beckoning me, Bob and a cold drink. – Iris
Thanks for sharing. I can almost smell the hard work. When shopping I have smelled the aromas of physical labor and I admire it, I love it. Around where I live it is usually construction workers at the gas station or maybe at a fast food place.
Again, thanks for the vivid description of your day.
Hi Elf, You are welcome…. ( This ran a little long. Sorry! ) Wow you got really lucky with your name….
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It seems that most of the people in this town have more white collar or blue collar jobs…. I don’t know for sure, but I can make a guess based on the cars I am seeing… Audi’s and Acura’s instead of Volkswagen and Honda’s. Plus, they are all sparkly & clean, not a dirty headlight in sight.. Lots of people wearing newer clothes or brands I am not familiar with. Plus lots of sunglasses and not so many wide brimmed hats, like the ones i tend to wear. I mostly have exactly three of each type of clothes in my dresser and closet. Socks and undergarments are the only exception. But…. my collection of women’s clothing is growing… ! 🙂 I really enjoy shopping in thrift stores…. skirts, dresses, blouses, bras… Hey why are the shirt buttons the reverse of men.s clothes?
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I am so lucky that this place is furnished and has its own clothes washer and dryer!
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The different kinds of people probably has something to do with being so close to a university, the average education level and income have climbed away from surrounding communities…. Not everyone can afford $ 61,000+ a year for four years!!
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This apartment is the only unit above a big “Higher End” Organic grocery store. Think Metropolitan Market or a Whole Foods instead of Albertson’s. Some distant relative owns the building, but I am still paying rent. Luckily, dad is helping out since I don’t have a “regular” 40 hours a week job. The cousins are helping dad on the farm, about a 45 minute drive from here. It is almost like we traded homes….. and I am staying in this apartment with Bob, which is pretty cool.
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This is my first time “Living on my own” it all seems a bit overwhelming! I am more accustomed to living miles and miles from the nearest neighbor. But it is pretty neat, it has a secure entrance, a wood burning stove and no two story buildings are within sight. For at least a few blocks in all directions there are just open spaces and trees. …I have grand ideas for expanding the roof deck, adding a fire pit, a covered seating area. or a wood fired hot tub. And, I have already rescued a lot of plants headed toward the garbage and built planers for them…. 🙂
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I could walk round starkers and no one could see a thing. since the apartment is centered on the roof. .. I could probably get sunburned on the top of my butt cheeks! Every other part of this body has been evenly browned by the sun. 🙂 I will have to scavenge or trade for building materials because I have very little money. But unlike other people, I have simple tastes, and I am “handy”. Plus, I have very few monthly expenses. 🙂 The biggest one is food and my meds kill my appetite. This might be why I am not even five feet tall and barely weigh over 100 pounds. Just imagine a typical 7th or 8th grade girl… Just recently I started gaining weight. 🙂
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I am lean but strong, working muscle does not look like weight lifting sculpted muscle. Some people have described me as “scrawny”. I don’t care what anyone thinks of me, most of them are intolerant of “outsiders” and irrelevant to me… Except for the ones who are mean and like to hassle, tease, trip and insult me. The worst ones are more likely to use there fists and feet. 🙁 ……….I do not know why……..
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What else do you want to hear about?
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– An average work day.
– How I like to spend my free time?
– Books I am reading, or music I am listening to?
– Conversations with some of the animals?
– What color my hair will be next, instead of mousey brown…..
– My very short list of people to spend time with?
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Sending you a hug, a smile, peace, hope and prayers – Iris
Hey Iris!
This is going to be a short belated response, but I wanted to let you know that I enjoyed reading your blog post. I know I’ve said this before but I’ll say it again. You’re really talented at writing and telling a story.
You always write in a way that paints a vivid mental movie. While reading this blog entry, I could easily imagine what you were describing…even if it was my own interpretation and not the reality of exactly what you experienced. It’s just like reading a well-written, descriptive, short story. Thanks for sharing!
I hope you are doing well and I’m sorry that we haven’t communicated much lately.