The Scent of the Earth

As I walked along a winding hillside path, the scent of wet earth rose to greet me. The snow had melted into the soil, leaving behind a rich, loamy aroma that seemed to pulse with life.

I met a farmer repairing a wooden fence, his hands calloused but steady. He noticed my pause and nodded toward the ground. “You smell it, don’t you?”

“The earth?” I asked.

He grinned. “It’s waking up. That smell means the roots are stirring, the seeds are readying themselves. Soon enough, this whole hillside will be alive with green.”

I closed my eyes and breathed deeply, feeling the earth’s quiet awakening in the air around me.