The scent of rain

I was pedaling uphill. 

The only sound in the air was the one produced when I rolled my bicycle over some dried leaves. I had seen the clouds in the sky earlier. A storm was approaching, but I've decided to take my chances and go out with my bicycle. Nobody else was outside at that time. I was all alone. Me and my bike.

And then I smelled it. The scent of rain finally was reaching my nose. 

Rain has a distinctive scent that I love! And also depending how far the approaching storm is the scent changes accordingly. To some that scent smells the same from the begging until the end, others don't even notice it, they're not able to smell it. I feel sorry for these particular people. The scent of rain is my favorite scent of all! It makes me feel wonderful! 

When the storm approaches, the air fills with a distinctive aroma of ethereal freshness. I've read somewhere that this freshness is the smell of the ozone. 

When finally the first drops start to hit the ground, the scent changes, it becomes more grassy but not exactly. It is more like a smell that combines aromas of flowers, herbs and the smell of wood.

Last but not least, when the storm has passed, the scent of rain changes again. This time the scent becomes more earthy. This scent is the strongest of them all. People who are not able to smell the first two initial scents can smell this last scent.

So after I started to smell the rain I knew that the storm was close. After a little bit I heard it also. The sounds of the distant lightning strikes were reaching my ears, too.

So I found shelter to a nearby old and abandoned house. I didn't enter it. I just sat under the canopy of the front gate. Fortunately it was quite spacious. 

I just sat there and enjoyed the rain! The scent, the sound, the beautiful scenery all around!

When it was over, I continued my ride. This was one of my best rides! I don't need hundreds of kilometers to enjoy a ride nor a big group of people all around me. I just want to observe the surroundings and feel close to nature. So what if a thunder is on my way? The more intense the rain, the better! 

Don't you just love rain?