Fresh air, how I've missed you!
We opened up the windows this weekend and let the breezes chase all the stale air out of the house. It was heavenly to hear the birds and smell the freshly cut grass, no matter if it did send Sam and me into sneezing fits! A family of crickets even moved in to keep Tanner entertained. Now I know exactly what I want to ask the Easter Bunny for-- screens for the front windows!
Our breezy weekend reminded me how much I've missed the feeling of living outside since we moved home from France. When it was warm enough, we kept the three sets of balcony doors wide open--sometimes even while we slept.
There were no gnats to pester us, no more than the occasional bee or fly on its way to a sunflower field. But if you're wondering about pests of a more dangerous kind, you must not know about my neighbor. Who needs gendarmes with Madame Mallet keeping watch?
When we moved back to South Carolina, we felt so convicted. Why keep an air conditioner humming the whole summer long? What were we? Wimps?
We promptly built a screened in porch on the back of our house and planned to live out there and use the rest of the house for storage. (Okay, so I exaggerate a little.)
But after the fourth day of temps in the nineties and 100% humidity, we wilted.
"Uncle!" we sobbed, crawling toward the air conditioner vents.
So yes we're wimps. We put in windows.
But at least we can keep them open!
We spent our days looking out those windows, taking in the blossoms, handkerchief in hand.
Tanner loved the fresh air too. He also enjoyed giving each of our herbs a chew.
I'm afraid it did nothing for his doggy breath.
What is your favorite fresh air scent?
The smell right before it rains?
Flickr photo by deepintheforestcat
The smell of fresh sheets dried in the sun?
Flickr photo by Professor Bop
I still wish I had a clothesline.
Do you like the smell of freshly mowed grass?
Flickr photo by Accretion Point
Or do you prefer a woodsy smell, the sweet scent of decaying leaves?
Flickr photo by Kirsten M Lentoft
Don't you think every child should get to play in the fresh air?
I just found out about The Fresh Air Fund and I'm IN LOVE with the whole idea. It's a nonprofit agency that enables more than 1.7 million New York City children from disadvantaged communities to get out of the city and enjoy a couple weeks of summer vacation out in the country. The kids either go to one of the five Fresh Air Fund camps or they stay with host families in the northeast. They've been doing it since 1877!
Watch this fun video and see what you think.
What's your favorite fresh air scent?
Tanner says enjoy the fresh air, wherever you are!
Have a wonder-full Monday, y'all!
Love, Becky
19 comments:
It was a wonderful weekend, doors open and the smell of spring…
My very favorite fresh air scent would be in June when the wild roses bloom but I also love the smell of fresh cut grass. And another wonderful smell, is when the hay field is being mowed and a patch of wild mint that is in the field gets cut and if the breeze is just right one would think that they are in heaven …
Louise
It's always so nice when the temps are just right for open air breezes.
My favorite fresh air scent is when the spring and summer jasmine blows in on a breeze! Yummy! :)
The smell of the sea!! I miss it living in Prague. The compensations - we also get to leave our balcony doors open all night. It is a nice change after growing up in S.C. air conditioning (I'm from Charleston but lived in Greenville so have been excited to discover your blog !)
The porch looks great - we spend lots of time on ours. We open the french doors and dining room windows that open to the porch, we have lots of jasmine & orange blossoms to sniff away at. I removed all of the screens elsewhere because I disliked lizard corpse duty. The lil' buggers would get stuck between the windows & screens & then croak.
Hi Becky,
Great post! We can have the doors and windows open now but summer is on the way! I don't know how people lived in AZ without ac (maybe I am a wimp).
Yay---- YOU WON.
love ya,
Barb
P.s. Please give Tanner a hug from me.
Tanner looks so happy, taking in all those good smells!
I love the smell of fresh cut grass, too. I even have a body lotion that smells a little like it.
I loved that about France that you could spend so much time outside and not be eaten alive by the bugs and wilted by the humidity.
That Fresh Air Fund is such a great idea!
I especially love the smell of the ocean (the salt in the air not the dead fish smell--hehe) and the air before and after rain. Ahh! and Lavender! (That one is from my french life)
This is just the breath of fresh air I needed to start the week. Here in VA, it'll be AC all the way once the warm weather is here to stay. Love you, Tanner!
In my part of the Midwest I'm probably going to have to cover up my lilac buds tonight, so this post IS a breath of fresh spring air I'm not getting yet!
: )
I love the combination smell of freshly mowed grass and piles of red cedar mulch in my flower beds. Ahhh ...
There are so many fresh air smells that I love. Probably my favorite was the first time I visited Maui. That was so long ago that the airport was still open air ; when I stepped off the plane there was a gentle breeze and it smelled full of flowers! I will never forget that moment and that smell. It smelled like paradise.
Hi Becky,
We also had a wonderful weekend with lots of fresh air, I hope it continues through Easter weekend. I so agree with you it is so nice to be able to open a window and enjoy a soft breeze and fresh air.
Enjoy your day,
Elizabeth
Fresh mown grass. So clean smelling and always makes me think of summer.
-c
It's so easy to "wimp out" and run the air conditioner in South Carolina, isn't it? I don't have to run the heat much around here but couldn't do without the AC.
Hi Rebecca,
What a great idea!!
We all need clean fresh air.
I was out in it all weekend planting my flowers.
Have a great week,
Rosemary
Wow. That Fresh Air Fund video really choked me up! What a nice thing to do and how important!
I grew up in Florida, the air-con capital of the world. Now I live in SF and we don't have air conditioning anywhere. It's never hot. Ever.
It's really nice.
You are so right ... we got to do that for the first time this weekend too! Then we all started sneezing! Too funny! That's OK ... it's so nice to feel that breeze, and the sneezing will pass soon enough!
Tanner is so friendly for a dog.
Love this post and love the wimps. I would be crying Uncle too.
Love Renee xoxo
I LOVE reading your blog Becky, always reminds me of the simpler things in life that we take for granted (though the freshly mowed grass gets me sneezing too!) I love seeing all the pictures of the family and of course, Tanner! Though he's a little bit blonder, he's got the same smile as our golden UK, they are so sweet are they not? Love to you and the family!
My favorite fresh air scent would be roses. Your screened in porch is beautiful!
I loved the peep post above, but couldn't leave a comment so I leave one here. I can't stand peeps. I don't even consider them in the candy category. They're more in the weird foam category.
Nancy
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