The earthy smell and pitter patter of rain makes me feel nostalgic.
I had to pop to the post office earlier, and my walk involved cutting through the tree lined short cut to the main road. Although today’s rainstorm had pretty much finished, droplets had collected in the trees and were slowly making their way down the crowded ladder of leaves and onto the ground, making that typical drip drop sound.
This along with the humidity in the air, my youthful navy raincoat and the scent of fresh rain on hot tarmac and dry soil took me back to childhood days at home with my mom and brother… pottering around, painting, scribbling endless short stories in my notebooks and riding the train into town.
I’ve been loving the warm, sunny weather we’ve been having, and I hope it continues after this damp day, but rainy summer days are so cosy and somehow sentimental. It’s probably because us Brits spent countless days as children making the most of wet days in summer holidays, refusing to let the rain stop us from playing outdoors.
They say that smells are very effective at evoking memories, and I couldn’t agree more. If I could bottle that fresh rain on dry ground scent I would…Â and I’d call it Essence of English Childhood.
Ruby Newby 