Aromatherapy

Iowa can be quite aromatic. It seems to be worse first thing in the morning and when it is raining. The other day, I walked out with Jon to wait for the bus. I commented to him that it was "frio" (cold) outside and he responded "y tambien (and also) pee-yeuw!" and waved his hand in front of his face. Tonight we went out for a walk after dinner just as a rainstorm was approaching. We were talking about the smells in Iowa and Jon showed us how, in Iowa, you have to learn to hold your hand in front of your face so it covers your nose and your mouth. He was quite serious as he demonstrated exactly how to cup your hand so that you could block the smell. When I met with the public school principal the other day, he also brought up the smell. He asked if we had noticed the stink and then explained that only newcomers notice it. He said that everyone here is so used to it that they don't even notice. I'm not sure I could live here long enough to not notice the smell. I'm just thankful that it doesn't stink every day and that when it does, it doesn't usually stick around very long. Tonight as we were walking across campus, headed home, we could hear a cow mooing in the distance. Just a reminder of where those smells come from.