Skip to main content

The Pondering 10 - Favorite Outdoor Smells

Bit of a weird topic, huh? Regardless, you can't tell me that there aren't certain smells in life that you just love. Certain whiffs that relax you, remind you of good times, or just simply put you in a very happy place. Yeaaaaah, thought so. With that in mind, I've decided to put together the latest Pondering 10 based on my favorite outdoor smells. Just a warning, most of these will be from the summer, because, well, winter is terrible!


10. Honeysuckle - With summer comes the bloom of various plants and flowers. Some of them bring about a specific scent that can't be duplicated. The Honeysuckle is obviously one of them.



9. Burned Firewood - Say what? Sometimes this city kid loves an old fashioned fire-pit. I've had my share in the day, plenty during my Caribbean visits, and a few sprinkled in during my time in upstate New York. A good fire is always fun, especially that scent of burned wood.



8. Rain at the end of a Hot Day - I'm not sure how to describe this one. It's just one of those things in life...We all know when rain is coming in the summer as it gives that certain chemical release from the weather approaching. That scent that eventually cools the hot summer day, and reminds you, it's summer time!


7. Open Road - Nothing like rollin...err, I guess pushing the button to put your windows down, and smelling that open road as you drive during the summer. For this city slicker, I appreciate this a lot as we tend to leave our windows up with the A/C blasting to avoid smog and other pollution.



6. Hot Drink on Cold Winter Morning - The ONLY non-summer point on this list. Nonetheless, as much as I dislike the winter, having that warm beverage (coffee, tea, hot chocolate, etc...) in your hand on a cold winter morning is a great feeling, and a great scent.



5. Baseball Field - Baseball fields just have that smell. That smell. It's hard to explain. Some say it's just grass and dirt combined, but there is a little extra in there for baseball diamonds. Maybe it's a baseball thing? Maybe I'm just crazy? Who knows? Either way, still a favorite.



4. The Beach - One of my favorite places on earth. Nothing like the sun, the sand, the salt water, and the open air all combined.



3. Morning Dew - I am not a morning person. Not even close. Most of you already know this. However, when I do wake up early, and it's in the summertime, I do enjoy that summertime smell of the morning dew. But of course, I rarely catch that.



2. Caribbean - My family homeland. Only few know if this smell. If there is anything on this list I cannot describe, it is this smell. It hits you as soon as you exit the plane and that tropical paradise breeze hits you. Smmmmmfff, I want to book a ticket just thinking about it.



1. Summer Barbecue - What's better than this? Summertime, food on the grill, and livin' is easy. Gotta' love it. 

Recently Read

Would You Rather: Questions 121-130

This edition of "Would You Rather" is credited to the NBA Would You Rather NBA Account on Instagram ( See Here ). Adding to the fun, this edition (and possibly future ones) are all NBA basketball questions.  121. Who would you rather have on your favorite NBA team - Giannis Antetokounpo or James Harden?  Seeing how I'm a lifelong suffering Knicks fan, the thought of any of these guys in blue and orange is hard to believe. With that said, I'm taking the Greek Freak for this reason - I enjoy watching him play a bit more. Nothing against Harden who is amazing as well, but at times, the ball sticks and that isn't always fun. Plus, I feel like we haven't yet seen a finished Giannis. 122. Would you rather have Giannis Antetokounpo with no driving ability or James Harden with no Three-Point shooting ability?  This is definitely a weird and unique one, but I'll take Harden. Giannis without his strength doesn't offer much. However, if Harden's d...

Dome Pondering Movie Review: In a Relationship (2018)

What is it about?  Following the progression of two couples over the course of a summer.  Who is in it? Emma Roberts - Hallie Michael Ambrano - Owen Dree Hemingway - Willa Patrick Gibson - Matt Favorite Scene:  [Spoiler Alert] Matt and Villa sit on the stairs, and he admits to not wanting to introduce Willa to his parents.  Favorite Quote:  I don't... I don't think you ever find someone... you don't resent. And that's part of it. It's just... find the person you *want* to resent, you know. Review:  This was a weird film. The opener had much promise, but as the film continued, it felt like it was just getting longer.  My biggest gripe with the film is that I liked each of the characters less as I got to know them. I understand that the film attempted to highlight the modern relationship for a specific generation, and in certain ways, it succeeded in doing so. However, the characters never grew or became better people from their relationships...they just...

Thoughts on TNA on AMC Debut: "Yup, TNA is back. It is so back."

TNA is back.  And I know that because it is heavily under scrutiny by the internet. But that criticism comes with being back on a major platform like the AMC Network, and of course, taking the next step after a super successful 2025.  So, what did I think?  The show was...ummmm okay, at best. Some of the challenges the company faced heading into this weekend were well documented among the rumor mill, which didn't bode well for the company. In balancing reported visa issues with talent, pivoting after losing core talent to free agency, and attempting to build and manage talent workload with a premium live event on Saturday, TNA found themselves in the usual TNA stuff. The most peculiar - and strangest - of situations to be in going into a big network premiere. This company, man! All in all, again, the show was okay. It had its flaws. It had some cool moments. It didn't live up to the hype (or the expectations we each had for such a premiere). But it's one show. TNA has put...