I have lots of memories in my life time that are triggered by aromas of specific things unique to that time. Certain kinds of wood burning ,bring me back to camping with dad and certain trips we've taken. the smell of a particular cigar takes me back to when I was 4 -5 years old in a public park picnic at nigh amongst a bunch of strangers . I wasn't afraid it was just an adventure for me . The smell of a truck stop reminds me of hitch hiking across country when I was 18 , off to see the world. the smell of fresh cut pine boards takes me back to dads cabinet shop behind the garage .saw dust every where. Some times a woman will pass by wearing sent my wife use to use when we met , ahh the memories.
Fresh sawed lumber, first job. Onions and celery frying, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Animal smells (farm kids know what I'm thinking of) growing up.
Honeysuckle on a summer evening, a hay field or barn, plowed earth, cotton defoliant in the fall, warm just picked cotton, my Mother's cooking, coffee brewing, BBQ, the smell of rain coming and wood smoke. I bet you can tell that I was raised on a farm in Alabama.
A certain Liz Claiborne perfume... Last I heard from that girl she was in Ireland. We were completely incompatible as a couple, but were great friends. The smell of a Zippo lighter on a cool morning. Reminds me of Dad. Pipe tobacco drifting on the wind was always how I knew my Uncle Gene had come to visit. I usually caught the smell of it as soon as I got off the bus, a quarter mile away. Coal and wood smoke always makes me think of steam thresher meets, and antique engine shows. Race gas fumes always brings bitter-sweet memories of my days autocrossing and land-speed racing. CLP brings visions of machineguns laid out all over tables for cleaning. There are so many more. I'll have to start a list somewhere.
Hoppes #9...spent gunpowder...fresh cut grass...green lumber...the smell of pending rain on a summer's day
Dry and fresh hay, jeternice sausage, sour mud, cowshit, stale beer, Hoppe's, hydraulic fluid, mimeograph paper, woodsmoke, animal guts, grandma's baby powder and perms, Dad's Old spice, fuel smells, burning rubber, and welding galvanized metal from my childhood years. Jet exhaust, fear sweat, burned pork, MRE bags, burned ball powder, trains, and omelettes from the military. As a grown up: The smells of women. I'll always be partial to White Diamonds from a special time. Chemical smells, tears, uncontrollable fermentation, diapers, the sea, tortured metal, Kroil, and oddly.... diapers again in my grandpa time.
The aroma of Da Skunk takes me back when I finally mastered catching them without getting sprayed. Hey a kid has a lot of worthwhile uses for a skunk.......... Like putting one in the principles office desk drawer......... or in a cop car .......... and any number of other strategic places to achieve proper revenge.
Sometimes while riding the motorcycle I get a brief sent of smoke for some one's fire place and I almost want to turn around a find the source . Funny thing about these aromas is that the place where the aroma is originated rarely get to enjoy it them self.
My sense of smell is about kaput,I attribute this to being in to much methane/Nat gas and H2/S Something has to be really strong smelling for my sniffer to work.