This world of air…
2001–2022 About

26 October 2022, 13:00–13:30,
Stanley Park, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
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Clusters of dark stratocumulus clouds blend into a uniform overcast sky of pale grey. A weak northwesterly breeze stirs this chill clammy afternoon air proliferated by a vivid scent of seaweed brine and notes of damp decaying leaves.

Upon entering the forest the briny sea fragrance is complimented by an accord of fresh cedar, stemmy wet astringent foliage, soggy humus, and sweet fir resin, with occasional notes of sugary blackberry and a waft of pot smoke

24 October 2022, ~15:00,
Stanley Park, West End, Vancouver, Canada.

The forest is redolent with aromas of dill and anise.
Near the shore scents of briny seaweed and an oaky tea of dry leaves prevails.

21 October 2022, 22:51–23:12,
Balcony, Harwood St., West End, Vancouver, Canada.
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The dark sky is wreathed in a wispy mist that coalesces into broad swathes of glowing white cloud.

This chilly night air is placid and still, but soon a ceaseless subtle movement becomes apparent—palpable micro-currents: many layers expanding, contacting, shifting, slightly rising or falling, or curling in on themselves.

The scent of wood smoke from a nearby fireplace fades into a background of icy river water, frosty soil, and cold pebbles, brightened with a hint of fresh cedar and dry oak leaves

Echoes of distant music from across the water blend into the soft rumble of traffic

21 October 2022, 13:30–13:51,
Balcony, Harwood St., West End, Vancouver, Canada.
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Dark grey cumulus clouds drift slowly east under a bright layer of altostratus broken by a few rapidly shrinking patches of blue.

This fresh afternoon air flows in a weak westerly breeze producing a watery accord of scents: damp concrete like a parking garage after rain, wet slate, and faint notes of silty sand. Light traces of drenched foliage and decaying leaves rise from below.

A chilly cross-draft alternating northerly southerly delivers wafts of ocean salt.

21 October 2022, 01:11–01:40,
Balcony, Harwood St., West End, Vancouver, Canada.
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White rivers of cloud run through the bluish-grey darkness.

This gusty midnight air churns in erratic gyres as it rushes past the balcony and whips through the trees below. Distant gales crash against unseen structures. The scent is a mild accord of damp turf, watery foliage, and minerality of wet slate, with a trace of fresh cedar

20 October 2022, 18:17–18:38,
Balcony, Harwood St., West End, Vancouver, Canada.
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At the horizon sunset’s orange glow breaks through banks of dark stratocumulus clouds that range to the south and west. Overhead the sky is a misty pale greyish-blue. The smog has cleared and the landscape appears in sharp detail for the first time in days

This twilight air is cool and placid, almost motionless, with only the gentlest drafts from north and west. It opens with a scent of cold concrete and water puddles.

A faint doughy aroma appears, slightly sweet. Then a muted fragrance of cool green foliage and a subtle flavour of early morning’s dewy grass

20 October 2022, 12:00–12:30,
Balcony, Harwood St., West End, Vancouver, Canada.
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The layer of low thin cloud begins to dissolve revealing patches of blue and the sun breaks through, adding a magenta tint to the white vapor that permeates the city and hangs over the water. Several freighters are dimly visible through smog that thickens to complete opacity obscuring the horizon.

This tepid noon air has a scent of cold chalky dust with a trace of burnt metallics. Cool watery breezes circle faintly, delivering brief wafts of lemony cleaning detergent and a weak background of ocean brine.

The intensifying sunlight soon brightens the smog to a pale yellow-sepia glow. A subtle fragrance of lush green foliage appears, sweetened with notes of pollen.

19 October 2022, 14:50–15:30,
Second Beach, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
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An opaque bank of pale gray smoke pours into the bay from the north and rolls over the sea like a slow motion tsunami, overtaking freighters and engulfing them in billowing smog. Foghorns echo down the inlet. White vaporous clouds drift into the city, floating between the downtown towers.

19 October 2022, 11:45–12:00,
Balcony, Harwood St., West End, Vancouver, Canada.
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The sky is a hazy greenish-blue. Nearby towers are enveloped in a golden misty vapour. Towards the south and west the Vancouver peninsula disappears into a low blanket of reddish-brown smog.

This warm noon air is soft and watery but has a slight crispness. Its aroma opens with a light empyreumatic scent of dusty burnt toast.

A gentle but steady breeze flows like a cool river from the northwest with a fragrance of fresh salty ocean humidity, sea water on cold rocks, and notes of chilled chalk dust. Occasionally its course twists northward over the balcony.

The empyreumatic scent slowly fades to a flavour of dry gravel. Faint whiffs of lemony cleaning detergent

18 October 2022, 14:10–14:30,
Balcony, Harwood St., West End, Vancouver, Canada.
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The atmosphere is permeated with a luminous—almost glowing—brownish-pink smog that fades to pale blue overhead. The land across the water towards the south is washed out into featureless layers of bluish silhouettes.

This warm afternoon air has a soft but lush humidity with a fluid texture. A cool northwesterly current curls around the building producing gentle eddies on the balcony.

The aromas are subdued. A mild scent of sweet sulphur, slightly powdery in texture, with metallic and peppery notes. A weak draft of cool moist ocean salt, faintly briny. A muted undertone of juicy green foliage

13 October 2022, 17:30–17:50,
castle ruins, Èze, France.

A distant sepia light penetrates the nebulous blue-grey murk that has settled over the sea and mountains. The horizon is dissolved into a band of white mist.

This early-evening air is tepid and muggy, engulfing one in its smooth velvety texture. It feels like rain is imminent. Cool slow currents flow over the castle’s rocky promontory, first easterly, then westerly, then northerly.

The scents are very subtle: fresh water and warm dusty stone, with a hint of florals; faint aroma of of olive oil; subtle stemmy shrubbery; muted notes of crisp green foliage, akin to snap peas. Swirls of cologne and perfume emanate from several visitors. It finishes with a whiff of distant grilled meat

13 October 2022, 10:39–11:20,
Chemin de Nietzsche, Èze, France.

Ascending Nietzsche’s Path from the Èze train station the landscape quickly becomes arid with a building aroma of dry pines. The rocky ground is still cool, but warm breezes thick with the humidity of herbage drift back and forth across the path.

10:47. The aromas of pine resin and dried needles have subsided, replaced by a subtle scent of dusty earth and occasional wafts of humid soil. The air is warm and thick, but with cool downdrafts. Hints of a anise, cardamom and astringent herbage.

Periodic notes of Pyrus calleryana. The downdraft carries thin whiffs of cologne from a distant nietzschian pilgrim.

10:52. A crossbreeze carries a current of florals with a very soft sweetness. Ebbinge’s Silverberry? And traces of sea minerals.

11:00. Dry leaves litter the edge of the path producing a mild toasted aroma of black tea.

Waft of stinging nettle astringency

A cool shady grove of small deciduous trees and enormous shrubs ellicits flavors of damp, slightly muddy soil and moldering fallen leaves. Gentle note of fresh pine needles. Musty aroma of mushrooms

A floral cross-breeze of Ebbinge’s Silverberry blows over the slope immediately below the town of Èze.

11:16. Cool wafts of dried grain, freshly baked pastry dough and coffee. Mild health food store aroma. A tang of stale sour sweat on the updraft

11 October 2022, 15:00,
Plage du Marché, Menton, France.
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The sea in Menton has a very mild aroma—more minerality than brine. There’s little or no scent of shellfish and seaweed, maybe because the clear turquoise water is seemingly devoid of any organic life.

The prevalent smell is a flavour of fresh cucumber emanating from the waves. It’s like swimming in cucumber water. A high concentration of salts results in the soft and almost oily texture of a mineral bath.

Seagulls speak in an unusual dialect here.

8 October 2022, 15:00–15:35,
Plage de Fossan, Menton, France.
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The sun struggles to break through a murky billowing bluish-grey and sepia vapour that hangs low in the air obscuring the hills and mountains.

This warm afternoon air is thick and watery, enclosing the landscape in its muggy, almost viscous, texture. A cool draft streams steadily from the east with the aroma of humid sea salt, a minerality of water evaporating from warm rocks, and a light crustacean brine.

Occasional highlights of faint florals. Vague wafts of outdoor swimming pool with a hint of urine. A soft undertone of fallen dry pine needles, desiccated dusty soil, and weathered wood becomes apparent.

Intermittently there’s an incongruous scent of playdough, accompanied by slightly metallic notes and vehicle exhaust.

7 October 2022, 16:30–17:05,
Garden of the Monastère de l’Annonciade, Menton, France.
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The horizon has disappeared into a golden-white haze that suffuses the sky and blankets the landscape in vaporous layers. This lukewarm early-evening air has a soft enveloping humidity but imparts no sense of moisture or dampness. Cool southeasterly breezes flow over the monastery garden’s narrow promontory with a gently rippling texture like fresh linens.

The fragrances are very subdued. A mild cedarwood aroma radiates from the trees, accompanied by scents of dry grass, dusty earth, and a faint trace of florals. As the wind ebbs the smells slowly build.

Alternating air currents seem to arrive at the garden from all directions. A warm westerly updraft opens with a muted mineral flavour of granite and iron, developing into a black tea aroma of spicy dry leaves and conifer needles. Then a weak northerly breeze briefly delivers notes of rosemary, warm dusty earth, and plaster. A cool current of mildly salty humidity appears from the southeast.

As the winds subside a resinous aroma of sunbaked weathered wood slowly permeates the garden.

7 October 2022, 15:45–16:05,
Chemin du Rosaire, Menton, France.

Climbing out of the city into the hills. The air becomes increasingly herbaceous with the scent of warm cedar, desiccated fallen leaves that crackle lightly underfoot, and a peppery dusty earth that almost sticks in the throat.
A cool peppery draft descends from the mountains.
A stemmy scent of warm dry underbrush. Dry silty dirt.
Momentary whiff of dog shit.
Aromas of shady herbaceous plants. Astringent flavour of stinging nettles.
Warmth radiates from the terraced hillside.

7 October 2022, 12:18–12:55,
Plage de Fossan, Menton, France.
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The blue sky lightens to a soft milky yellow at the horizon where sea and sky are sharply divided. The atmosphere is veiled in a pale, dusty haze that settles over the nearby mountains. Three small cumulus clouds float above the peaks.

This warm noon air has a palpable, velvety texture that feels soft on the skin and in the nose, creating the impression of an unbroken continuity inside and outside the body. It seems to linger on the skin like a gentle balm.

A southerly ocean breeze opens with a scent of salty brine that gradually recedes. A subdued accord of arid dusty earth, weathered driftwood, and a light spice of dry crushed pine needles radiates from the warm ground, slowly increasing in prominence.

Eventually the sea aromas return to the foreground, only to recede again in a continuous interplay of ocean and earth flavours.

An occasional thin whiff of tobacco smoke interrupts the reverie.

2 September 2022, 9:02–9:30,
Terrace of the Kurhaus Alpenblick, Tenna, Safiental, Switzerland.
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Cumulus clouds cling to the mountain peaks under a blue sky streaked with feathery white cirrus. Sunlight angles into the valley through a thin bluish mist.

2 September 2022, 9:02–9:30,
Terrace of the Kurhaus Alpenblick, Tenna, Safiental, Switzerland.
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Cumulus clouds cling to the mountain peaks under a blue sky streaked with feathery white cirrus. Sunlight angles into the valley through a thin bluish mist.

This light tepid morning air flows down the valley in a gentle southerly wind with the smooth texture of clear stream water. Occasionally it’s met by a northerly mountain breeze, producing mild circling gyres on the terrace.

Five aromas blend into a shifting green accord: a recurring flavour of cut grass, a muted scent of pasture warmed by the sun, rich drafts of sweet fresh hay, subtle wafts of wildflowers, and occasionally a light stemmy foliage that is slightly astringent. Intermittently there’s a faint perfume of warm weathered wood. Sometimes a light undertone of dry clay and gravel

1 September 2022, 17:45–18:00,
Terrace of the Kurhaus Alpenblick, Tenna, Safiental, Switzerland.
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Swathes of white cumulus clouds hang motionless in a pale blue sky. The valley is flooded with a golden haze.

This watery early-evening air descends from the mountain in a brisk northwesterly draft, flowing over the terrace with the flavour and texture of a cold mountain stream, complemented by occasional aromas of warm weathered wood, and pungent drying hay—sweet, slightly fermented.

A muted scent of earthy manure briefly builds and then fades away. A hint of fresh green conifer needles. Brief smokey fragrance of a wood fire. Short waft of bullion broth.

31 August 2022, 11:55–12:15,
Terrace of the Kurhaus Alpenblick, Tenna, Safiental, Switzerland.
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A cloud engulfs the village, dissolving the landscape into luminous white. This tepid noon air has a soft liquid texture. Chilly currents of mist swirl around the hotel, flavoured with tastes of a clear icy stream, gentle granite minerality, faint notes of sand, and a trace of fresh sweet florals.

An oaky scent of weather wood radiates from the hotel’s facade. Subtle undertone of dewy pasture. Sharp waft of cut grass. Puff of tobacco smoke.

30 August 2022, 22:30–23:00,
Terrace of the Kurhaus Alpenblick, Tenna, Safiental, Switzerland.
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The black mountains are outlined by a pale glow in the north and east. To the south the sky and valley are unified in a total darkness broken only by a single point of light.

This tepid night air has a fluid watery texture scented with mild sweet manure. A soft chilly current from the south produces a slightly herbaceous fragrance of dewy pasture. Bright aromas of cut grass blend with the dung to create an oddly floral impression.

Muted tones of oaky weathered wood and gentle resinous conifer are eventually revealed.

30 August 2022, 12:20–12:45,
Terrace of the Kurhaus Alpenblick, Tenna, Safiental, Switzerland.
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The mountains recede into a gauzy bluish haze. Thick cottony cumulus clouds float low, almost within reach, under a blue sky traversed by broad channels of wispy white stratocirrus.

This noon air settles around the hotel in soft warm pools. A light breeze meanders northward up the valley, occasionally sweeping over the terrace with a flavour of clear stream water.

The smellscape opens with a shifting green accord of warm leafy grasses, faint herbs (mostly thyme), deep chlorophyll wafts of cut grass, and gentle notes of stemmy astringent foliage. A subtle oaky background scent of warm weathered wood, dry earth, and stone minerality becomes apparent. Occasional light whiffs of manure. A brief taste of smoke and charred wood. A short puff of powdery artificial florals.

5 August 2022, 16:30,
Stanley Park, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
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The temperature is increasing again and putrefaction is back on track. The northeast side of the lagoon is starting to smell like a septic field, but elsewhere it’s still delicious. I’m leaving for two months so I’ll miss the opportunity to explore the shitty end of the olfactory hedonic spectrum. Hard to find a bad smell these days

3 August 2022, 17:30–18:00,
Stanley Park, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
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A flat grey light penetrates the overcast sky. The mountains dissolve in a dense advancing mist. This tepid afternoon air is thick with humidity and virtually motionless.

The cooler temperature has stalled the lagoon’s putrefaction. A ubiquitous scent of fresh spearmint is pared with an occasional tannic astringency of steeping black tea. The floral aromas have mostly dissipated.

In the forest a mellow fragrance of dry fir needles meets dewy fresh herbs—thyme, rosemary—, and a sweet undertone of damp mildewed straw. Soon one finds a sustained aroma of crushed blueberries, intense wafts of lily and rose, and a flavour of stemmy astringent herbs (dandelion?)

Whiffs of sea surf and crustacean brine become more prominent towards the west. A brief scent of dry weathered wood smells like sitting on a sunny porch

29 July 2022, 16:00–17:30,
Stanley Park, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
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The sky is spotless blue fading into a perpetual milky haze that blankets the mountains and forest. This warm late-afternoon air is thick, almost viscous in texture, like floating in heated water. It’s loaded with ocean aromatics, resinous scents of warm dry fir needles, sweet florals, and notes of overripe fruit. Shrubs and foliage emit auras of fragrant humidity.

A steady breeze comes off the sea, vibrating in rapid pulses like a 10 hertz strobe.

16 July 2022, 15:30–16:05,
Stanley Park, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
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The air in the forest this afternoon is like holding your face over an aroma diffuser: successive steamy waves of floral, berry, and herbal scent, changing every couple meters.

Amazing cucumber-scented ocean today. Was like swimming in cucumber water

13 July 2022, 15:40,
Lost lagoon, West End, Vancouver, Canada.

The ground level aromas are drier today. On the north and west side of the lagoon the warm afternoon air is calm and perfumed with the scent lavender florals, sweet pollens, dry earth, dusty gravel, dedicated cedar twigs, and dried straw. It smells more like an arid conifer landscape.

10 July 2022, 14:38–14:52,
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
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The sky is mostly clear blue. Stacked banks of fluffy clouds are anchored to the mountain tops forming an active scape of grey, white and golden layers that extends north above distant slopes and valleys that are blurred in a hazy bluish fog.

This tepid afternoon air feels dry and smooth with a slightly powdery thickness. Light breezes meander west then east. A ship’s horn sounds amid seagull cries and the buzz of a passing float plane.

Aromatic waves of acidic sweet ketchup and fatty french fries surge intermittently from the east over a subdued background of dusty asphalt, faint motor exhaust, and muted green foliage.

9 July 2022, 16:00–16:10,
Stanley Park, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
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At ground level the warm muggy humidity is fragrant and thick like shisha smoke. The air at the north end of the lagoon is scented with green herbs, pond grasses, mild algae, silty sand, and honeyed florals.

On the shady northwest side deep cedar foliage and lily florals blend into a sweet fragrance like ripe blackberry.

9 July 2022, 13:20–13:33,
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
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The mountains are pale shadows in a bluish fog, their peaks disappearing into layered banks of white cloud that obscure most of the sky.

This lukewarm afternoon air is alive with gentle fresh swirling breezes that provide a counterpoint to its muggy humid density.

It opens with a cool, faintly metallic and slaty scent of cold water sprayed onto warm concrete. A westerly aroma of fresh lake water contrasts with easterlies of a subtle biscuity bready odour and muted green foliage.

8 July 2022, 20:35–20:50,
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
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A patchy cluster of golden altocumulus clouds floats in the blue sky while thick banks of fluffy magenta cumulus loom low beyond hazy mountains.

This tepid evening air is cooled by languorous circling breezes. It opens with a sweet biscuity aroma and a mild scent of dry earth. Westerly wafts of fresh lake water alternate with easterly aromas of cool foliage faintly coloured with mint and chamomile.

Discordant smells intermittently appear from below: musty artificial florals, powdery cinnamon and nutmeg, and a sudden burst of simmering beef fat.

7 July 2022, 15:05–15:35,
Stanley Park, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
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The air is fairly light on the balcony today but at ground level aromas are prolific. By the lagoon floral pollens infuse a thick swampy transpiration from shrubs, foliage, and pond reeds, interspersed with scents of resinous cedar and crisp green apple. A cool westerly breeze smells of pencil shavings with a faint metallic tone.

Entering the forest reveals a cooler humidity scented with brighter greens, fresh cedar, lemon balm, damp earthy mushroom, and wet mossy humus.

Deeper in the forest the flavours change to sweet florals, spicy fir needles, and an accord of stemmy astringent green herbs and chlorophyll. A cool westerly draft is broken by intermittent waves of warm muggy humidity.

6 July 2022, 21:43–21:57, 23:50–0:09,
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
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The sky is a frozen ocean of low storm clouds. Twilight fades behind a murky slate-grey fog that engulfs the mountains. This lukewarm night air is cooled by the faintest easterly breeze carrying deep aromas of fresh foliage, tree pollen, and crushed green fir needles.

A scent of sugar cookies with notes of cardamon and ground walnut appears from the east. It rapidly intensifies into an overwhelming powdery cinnamon odour so intense that it inundates the atmosphere with its dusty texture and obscures all other fragrances.

23:50—Rain approaches with a sibilant patter that builds to the sound of a rushing creak.

An ambiance of deep resinous minty fir is broken by wafts of musty custard with hints of canned tuna and lemon

As the rain passes a scent of warm wet concrete emerges in its wake, followed by an intense fir aroma so sweet it’s almost floral, then quickly becoming resinous and minty

A mild fragrance of pond grasses and faint algae drifts from the west

The musty tuna custard returns, but soon dissipates into an accord of wet concrete and cut grass.

5 July 2022, 14:30–14:44,
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
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The blue sky is broken into an active layered scape of massive cumulus clouds, swathes of foggy altostratus, mottled patches of high cirrocumulus, and long feather streaks of cirrus clouds.

This tepid mid-afternoon air has a smooth, almost velvety, texture. Erratic breezy easterly gusts occasionally make a sharp reversal against their prevailing current.

Cool sea aromas are prominent: salty humidity, a slaty minerality and the shellfish brine of a wet reef drying in sunshine, contrasting against a subtle background accord of moist warm earth and potting soil. Intermittent wafts of rose florals from the east.

4 July 2022, 13:55–14:40,
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
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The landscape is lost in a misty drifting fog that chills the afternoon air. Its fresh watery flavour is cool on the palette and very weak in scent: muted aromas of drenched green foliage and manure, hints of damp soil and mossy tree bark, and a vague minerality.

After half an hour the mist clears revealing a low sky of billowing clouds that descend almost to sea level, breaking up into churning columns and wisps where they meet the forest. An easterly breeze brings a couple gusts of roasting coffee, faint asphalt, and a mild smell of ocean brine.

3 July 2022, 15:11–16:14,
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
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The sky is obscured by an unbroken expanse of low grey cloud that recedes in murky banks, breaking into roiling mists against the distant mountain sides.

This chilly afternoon air opens with a fragrance of fine metallic dust, vaporous vehicle exhaust, and a note of aviation fuel reminiscent of an airport boarding bridge. A humid easterly wind delivers weak undertones of ocean brine, green foliage, and wet slate. Intense easterly waves of freshly baked anise shortbread clash against westerly drafts of cheese fondue and aged parmesan.

After half an hour a thick drizzly fog rolls in from the north with scents of ocean salt and shellfish, dissolving the landscape into white.

2 July 2022, 20:10–21:05,
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
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The mountains are faded behind a reddish-golden haze that seems to reach all the way up to the wispy cirrus clouds wreathing the blue sky.

This lukewarm evening air has an enveloping, slightly soupy texture, smelling of dry concrete and faintly metallic dust, blended with an aroma of warm foliage similar to steamed snap peas. It’s motionless except for occasional faint puffs. A thick scent rises intermittently from below: yeasty, fatty, briny, with notes of shellfish, eventually becoming meaty, caramelized, and faintly singed. A momentary burst of pistachio and ground cumin appears.

As the sun sets the air is saturated with cool green fragrances drifting from the west: cut grass, watery foliage, and deep peppermint.

1 July 2022, 15:02–15:15,
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
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The sky above is a clear pale blue. Banks of thick golden-white clouds are rowed in the north beyond mountains veiled in a soft gauzy haze.

This mild afternoon air moves in a lazy wavering easterly draft with light scents of cool green foliage, dry beach sand, and a faintly metallic smell of warm dusty concrete. Sporadic puffs of jammy cooked strawberry become increasingly musty and cheesy.

30 June 2022, 19:05–19:25,
Stanley Park, Vancouver, Canada.
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At ground level the evening air is thick with fragrances.
In the forest the humid breath of green foliage and a profusion of fresh herbs and florals sets the background for a shifting blend of spicy aromas: black tea, tobacco, resinous conifer bark, and dry fir needles—at times verging on cinnamon or eucalyptus.

30 June 2022, 15:15–15:47,
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
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Towards the north, white cumulus clouds float like islands in the blue. This tepid afternoon air has a smooth fluid texture, circling in soft breezes with an ambient aroma of cool concrete, dry earth, and a mild salty ocean humidity.

Scents of resinous foliage, dry wood, and open-air swimming pool fade in and out. Intermittent easterly wafts of fatty fried oil slowly become doughy and yeasty, finishing with a note of ground pistachio. An intense smell of cut grass arrives from the west.

Short puffs of soapy artificial florals appear. A thin odour of car exhaust drifts past.

29 June 2022, 02:00–02:09,
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
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The cloudy night sky radiates a greenish-white glow. This brisk midnight air streams westward in choppy waves flavoured with intense ocean aromas: salty minerality of wet beach sand, a redolence of shellfish exposed by low tide, and the sour tang of decaying seaweed with a faint note of manure.

A thin vaporous smoke, mildly sulphurous and metallic, twists through a steady background of resinous oaky foliage.

28 June 2022, 15:05–16:18,
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
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The mountains are veiled by blue-grey gloom, their peaks disappearing into a dark ceiling of nimbostratus cloud that creeps southward under the bright grey sky.

This cool afternoon air meanders in weak unstable currents with scents of cold concrete, dry dusty earth, and a faint undertone of foliage. A fatty umami aroma occasionally appears in the foreground, offset by sporadic puffs of artificial powdery florals. A gusty easterly breeze delivers soft rose scents followed by a growing charred fragrance of roasting coffee beans and notes of cut grass.

Over the course of 40 minutes the hazy gloom thickens into a rapidly advancing opaque wall of drizzly mist that saturates the smellscape with an accord of soggy turf, wet asphalt and metallic whiffs of iron.

27 June 2022, 14:08–14:30
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
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The blue sky is streaked with long criss-crossed cirrus clouds. A pale yellow-white haze desaturates the mountains. This afternoon air has a soft enveloping warmth tempered by cool breezes that alternate between eastward and westward.

The base fragrance is a diffuse ambiance of dust, concrete, and warm asphalt, with a faint metallic edge. Muted drafts of distant ocean and cool green foliage emerge as a contrasting layer.

Disparate scents appear in the foreground: an occasional odour of powdery artificial florals; a short waft of fresh lily; an intermittent fatty stew of yeasty, fermented, maillard aromas with top notes of cumin and cardamon; repeating bursts of pistachio; and briefly a faint whiff of manure.

26 June 2022, 14:55–15:13
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1541190828390899712

The cloudless pale blue sky fades to a greenish-yellow hue at the horizon behind mountains filtered by a light milky haze. This warm afternoon air is cooled by a tepid easterly breeze with a slightly buttery texture that moves in soft turbulent guests.

A mineral aroma of warm concrete and dry dusty dirt establishes the olfactory background beneath sporadic wafts of greasy French fries, apple sauce, and mild fermented soy.

Gentle scents of warm foliage arrive from the east: dry and stemmy with woody notes of tree bark and muted hazelnut. A subdued fragrance of fresh ocean, barely salty, rises and ebbs intermittently.

25 June 2022, 23:22–23:48
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1540960265981657090

The ultramarine night sky is dotted with a few stars. A dim glow, rapidly fading, outlines the black mountains.

This midnight air feels like stepping into a warm shallow lake. The ambiance is close and sheltered, but gentle circulating currents suggest an expansive environment with a deep ocean scent—more port than beach: fresh crustaceans, salty seaweed, and creosote pilings.

As the ocean aroma subsides a mild pond-water accord with traces of algae and marsh grasses emerges from the west, disrupted by random puffs soapy artificial lemon and pine oil. Honeyed clouds of flower pollen drift intermittently from the east.

24 June 2022, 20:55–21:20.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1540560090452832261

The pale blue sky is marked with golden feathery cirrus streaks. The atmosphere has an unusual clarity, showing only a light haze over the distant mountains. This placid evening air is tepid, just below room temperature, and almost completely motionless, with a palpable enveloping texture lending it a relaxed, intimate mood.

A thick seething cloud of odour floods the balcony: decaying mushroom, boiling fat, an accord of bone broth and reduced carcasses, with top notes of cured fish and peppery lemon. Background fragrances of cool concrete and fresh green cedar are faintly perceptible.

The weakest westerly draft arrives with soft scents of cold moist foliage, dewy grass, and vague floral highlights.

23 June 2022, 17:05–17:23.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1540137037902163968

Cold sunlight pierces through a ceiling of dark, heaped nimbostratus clouds. Towards the north the atmosphere thickens into a wall of murky grey that sweeps eastward.

This late-afternoon air is tepid and calm. A tangible current of damp chill flows from the west in a discrete layer like a thin invisible cloud, with gentle scents of foliage, freshwater organics, and pond silt.

The air breaks abruptly into light churning gusts of rose florals. Eventually it consolidates into a turbulent easterly breeze redolent of foliage, tree pollens, dry soil, concrete, and beach sand.

22 June 2022, 18:27–18:47.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1539797992575709184

The sky is a luminous pale blue, clear except for a few tiny white wisps and a row of low golden clouds beyond the mountains. This cool evening air moves erratically in light swirling gusts scented with mild florals. The smellscape is very thin, just a subtle background of dry sand and occasionally a gentle musty flavour.

Suddenly the air settles into a slow wavering easterly current and a profusion of aromas appear in faint sporadic wafts: dry cinnamon, meaty grilled maillard, and an unusual smell of fresh ground hazelnut.

21 June 2022, 22:47–23:00.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1539498577700958210

The night sky is covered by a pale layer of cloud lit from beneath in a faintly orange glow. This air is thick with humidity. A chilly easterly draft smells of powdery, dusty artificial florals and muted ashy menthol, laced with soft notes of cotton candy and syrupy cherry soda.

The vivid aroma of pine pitch fades into a mineral background of wet concrete and salty ocean mist that grows stronger, developing flavours of beached seaweed and tarry creosote.

21 June 2022, 0:51–1:15.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1539179043941076992

Thin white clouds are scattered across a featureless black sky. This cool midnight breeze has a thin, flat, faintly powdery texture and a dusty metallic scent—slightly dirty, gungy, a bit sweet and sticky. It courses westward with a monotonous, almost lifeless, regularity like air being drawn through a long tunnel.

There’s a persistent resinous pine aroma with such a narrow flavour profile that it’s almost reduced to single note, intensifying until it verges on cinnamon.
Traces of decaying garbage, ashtray, and old chewing gum drift briefly in the background.

19 June 2022, 19:11–19:31.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1538719453416128512

Golden sunlight from the southwest breaks under a ceiling of low grey cloud that recedes into thick bluish fog towards the north. A weak easterly draft of cool evening air is interspersed with irregular breezy gusts.

Yeasty toasted scents with an undertone of dry earth fade into an aroma of green foliage on a slatey mineral background, gradually becoming more fresh and juicy.

Subtle wafts of powdery artificial florals float by. A pungent flavour of resinous, slightly minty pot smoke appears and dissipates.

18 June 2022, 15:50–16:13.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1538313341210198016

A dense undulating layer of low grey nimbostratus clouds covers the sky and pours down the mountainsides. The faint pink glow on the northern horizon is soon obscured by a thickening blue fog.

A cool easterly late-afternoon breeze produces 3 olfactory layers that cut across one another, giving this air a close, enveloping quality. Mineral aromas dominate: cool concrete, gravel and dry soil, with a mild vaporous note of car exhaust that slowly increases, becoming metallic.

Intermittent cross-currents of buttery cumin spice develop into deep fatty maillard scents, caramelized soy sauce, and dry dusty paprika. These flavours seem to wash out into a fragrance of warm wool—slightly musky and oily like an old hide. A background of distant ocean smells gradually builds into salty wafts of a pebble beach at low tide.

17 June 2022, 14:53–15:16.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1537934967715442689

Islands of white and grey cumulus clouds float under a blue sky feathered with cirrus wisps. This cool mid-afternoon air drifts back and forth, slowly building into soft swirling gusts.

The smellscape opens with a wave of fresh harbour scents: mild shellfish, seaweed, and salty ocean brine with a papery note. Aromas of dewy foliage and sweet floral accents rise and ebb.

An unusual empyreumatic fragrance appears intermittently, deepening from burnt toast into roasting coffee, then developing a note of manure that becomes slightly rank and almost fecal.

A muted puff of cigarette smoke briefly announces its presence.

16 June 2022, 16:05–16:37.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1537589968159117312

Volatile clouds extend down into thick white mist and drifting sheets of rain only to break open patches of blue sky and sunlight minutes later. Crow calls and bird whistles sound above a light percussive texture of raindrops that extends into the rushing white noise of traffic.

This chilly, damp, afternoon air comes from the west in a fir-scented wave, but soon turns reverses direction, introducing aromas of green foliage, soaked earth, and occasionally a musty smell with notes of wet hay and buttery cumin spice.

A fragrance of dry crushed seashells emerges, developing traces of rusted iron.

15 June 2022, 15:30–15:47.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1537217190704779265

The sky is a smooth, blurred-out, white and grey expanse, brightening to a pinkish-yellow glow towards the horizon. This mid-afternoon air is suffused with a thickening milky haze, rendering the landscape in a flat, shadowless light.

A cool, slightly clammy, westward draft carries an intense petrichor aroma with notes of earthy minerality, wet concrete and iron. Puffs of powdery, artificial lavender florals with a faintly gluey note rise intermittently from below.

The air current reverses eastward for a few minutes, bringing a fresh green accord of cold lake water, before resuming its westward course. The petrichor returns, now accompanied by a scent of earthy, wet foliage and undertones of manure.

A strong fragrance of powdery, soapy lemon drifts past in several waves, followed by a short waft of cinnamon clove spice.

14 June 2022, 16:08–16:30.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1536894104197468161

Wispy golden clouds under a pale blue sky consolidate into a solid, dark ceiling over the mountains.

The cool evening air is thin and light, meandering eastward with a muted aroma of fresh grass and cool pond water revealing notes of silt, algae and paper. Suddenly, a burst of sweet, yeasty donuts

As the sky rapidly clouds over, the breeze reverses westward, delivering a subtle undertone of dry earth and concrete, and intermittently a mild, stale, dusty, sweaty fragrance. Briefly a trailing scent of aviation fuel

13 June 2022, 17:38–18:05.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1536528701679992832

Thin scattered clouds overhead converge into a dense bank towards the north where blue haze flattens the mountains into a dim foggy silhouette.

Crows careen manically between the towers, sounding their calls above a rumble of distant traffic dotted with birdsong. A goose flies just below with a rhythmic swish of wings.

This early-evening air has a cool, watery texture with a scent of cold concrete and subtle pine. It flows westward in a light, wavering breeze.

A savoury, tangy, maillard aroma occasionally appears. A thick odour of musty cupboard with overtones of acrid citrus cologne hits the nose intermittently, eventually softening into soapy florals. A waft of pencil shavings and gentle pipe tobacco smoke provides a brief interlude.

12 June 2022, 23:30–23:57.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1536253897458651138

Low white clouds break up into a patchwork against the dark night sky.

This cool midnight air has a smooth and glassy texture, with a scent of concrete, cold dust and desiccated earth. It moves slowly westward, occasionally turning back on itself in a soft, turbulent swirl.

Muted ocean aromas and a light fragrance of fresh foliage with floral accents alternate in the background. A sudden waft of artificial blueberry changes into grape as it passes, later reappearing in faint echoes.

11 June 2022, 16:40–17:10.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1535789926372954112

Sunlight breaks through stacks of dark clouds dissipating to reveal patches of blue.

A soft, warm, late-afternoon air comes from the east in lazy, swirling puffs and eddies with predominantly mineral scents: warm concrete and gravel, suggesting a dry abandoned swimming pool, coupled with subdued greens of foliage, and a subtle metallic undertone of rusted iron.

A strong umami flavour, tangy and sweet, with notes of fermented soy, appears in sporadic wafts. Momentarily, a faint sugary scent of spilled soda drying in the sun.

10 June 2022, 17:20–17:44.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1535439431905054720

The sky is an active scape of blurry grey layers and cumulus islands that blanket the foggy mountain tops.

This tepid, early-evening air meanders westward in a faint, inconsistent draft. Its humidity and palpably fluid texture seems to draw smells into the foreground. The aromas open with a vivid accord of watery foliage, dewy grass, subtle florals, and mild resinous cedar. A distinct scent of warm, wet concrete soon deepens into the steady background of damp, loamy earth.

A cloying, vaguely cheesy flavour with notes of warm dust, brown sauce, and powdery artificial florals, forms and disperses in sporadic clouds.

9 June 2022, 14:05–14:25.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1535049802798354433

Rain falls from a continuous expanse of low, grey cloud that covers the sky and reaches down to obscure much of the landscape, veiling the nearby forest in twisting fog.

This late-afternoon air is saturated with a chilling, drizzly spray. The smellscape is spare. A mild ocean fragrance comes in waves, with a muted salty slate minerality. A faint scent of gasoline emerges. The subtle background of crushed green leaves and snapped twigs gradually becomes apparent.

8 June 2022, 16:40–17:00.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1534697358331482114

Mountain peaks disappear into masses of low cumulus clouds coursing west across a misty blue sky flooded in golden light.

The lukewarm late-afternoon air has a soft, velvety texture, with a mild aroma of dry concrete and dusty gravel. Muted, vaporous highlights of acetone and a faint note of grape occasionally appear, interspersed with a watery flavour suggestive of puddles on warm asphalt.

A momentary, vivid gust of bright mint, turmeric and a touch of cumin dissolves into the scent of olive oil and passes away

7 June 2022, 16:10–16:29.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1534326159730569216

Pale blue-grey bands run through a white sky that renders the landscape in flat desaturated colours. A weak and irregular easterly draft cools this soft, tepid, late-afternoon air.

The mineral scent of wet concrete forms a consistent background with an intermittent flavour of dry, dusty wood reminiscent of an old cabin.

A pungent wave of pea soup becomes acidic and yeasty, then mellowing into a fatty, umami broth, and finally revealing an undertone of sweetish, heavy, machine grease.

A light fragrance of foliage and tree pollens with swelling floral highlights floats westward.

6 June 2022, 22:20–22:44.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1534060374877540352

The dark, ultramarine sky, pinpointed with stars, fades into a yellow glow behind black mountains. This cool, moist, night air meanders westward noncommittally.

An initial fragrance of earth and pine gives way to notes of green foliage, briefly interrupted by a light waft of decomposing garbage. As the air turns eastward it delivers a subdued aroma of cold pond water and mud with tinges of algae.

Occasional vague updrafts are scented with cold dust and cement, like a construction site after-hours.

Suddenly a distinct flavour of fresh, rosy florals appears from the east.

6 June 2022, 0:55–1:17.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1533735976060608512

A patchy cover of white clouds drifts above the darkness. This brisk, watery midnight air courses from the east in swift, but gentle, rippling gusts.

A sustained fragrance of dry cement opens into fresh, green foliage and damp earth with hints of warm cedar, interrupted by a brief waft of stale cigarette smoke. A salty ocean aroma gradually emerges.

4 June 2022, 20:20–20:40.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1533300132485091328

The mountains are pale grey ghosts disappearing into the mist, while dark clouds roll across a gloomy sky.

This drizzly evening air moves in a wavering, easterly draft. The humidity seems to condense into a deep aroma of soggy earth, like a flooded pasture, with notes of mushroom and faintly sour cabbage.

Resinous flavours of fresh oak and sawdust appear. Occasionally, a soft scent of cement, mingled with gritty mud.

3 June 2022, 15:00–15:22.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1532859200421785600

A bright grey sky darkens to a bluish haze towards the northern horizon. Mountains appear above low misty clouds and to the northwest a huge cumulus rises out of the forest, drifting eastward.

A sibilant rush of distant traffic forms a background to nearby birdsong and the rapid thudding of a power washer.

This cool, damp, mid-afternoon air blows in a steady westward wind, thick with a palpable humidity. It bears the distinct aroma of wet earth and creek moss, gradually developing into silty notes of fast-flowing river water.

The smellscape is interspersed with subtle hints of gasoline and an occasional slate minerality. Eventually a salty ocean fragrance emerges.

2 June 2022, 14:55–15:20.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1532497216610349056

The bright sky is mottled white and grey, with a slightly yellowish cast, fading into patches of blue toward the north. Clusters of cumulus clouds are visible beyond the mountains.

This tepid mid-afternoon air is suffused with a steady white noise of distant rushing traffic. It has a faintly powdery texture, cooling a bit as it drifts vaguely west, then east.

The smellscape background is a subtle aroma of dry earth and faint greens: stemmy, leafy, with hints of cut grass.

A strong fatty smell rises intermittently from below — cooked meat, mild cumin and turmeric, somewhat sour and cheesy, like fat congealing in lukewarm frying pan.

Sporadic puffs of dusty, artificial, rose florals with light notes of stale cigarette smoke.

1 June 2022, 16:20–17:00.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1532163591310147584

Dense bluish clouds emerge beneath a uniform, bright grey, faintly yellow, sky that floods the landscape in a flat, even light. The mountains are faded in a light blue haze. Towards the northwest the clouds begin to bleed downwards in into short, blurry streaks.

This cool, moist, early-evening air feels soft and fluid, with green leafy fragrances and a mild scent of humid earth. Undertones of paper, silt and fresh lake water appear.

The faint westward draft occasionally builds into a gentle breeze, quickly waning, sometimes reversing eastward.

A short wave of cigarette smoke trails off into ashy notes. Thick, greasy, sweetish aromas of cooked fat briefly waft from the east. Occasionally, an updraft reminiscent of musty, old upholstery.

Uncommon Senses Air Reports

Sensory analysis of the Vancouver air conducted as part of the Uncommon Senses III 2021 conference hosted by Concordia University, Montreal Canada.

8 May 2021, 20:40–21:00.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1391248315463864323

A continuous expanse of low tufted grey clouds recedes into foggy bluish gloom.

This brisk late-evening air is fluid in texture but feels lean, almost insubstantial. A soft, steady draft from the west gradually fades into stillness.

The smellscape is sparse: a subdued fragrance of earthy manure with faint watery greens of cold, dewy grass.

A brief whisper of resinous cedar. A momentary whiff of sticky sweet pollen. Short puff of coriander spice.

8 May 2021, 0:13–0:30.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1390941930901557252

This cool, dry midnight air comes from the east in a gentle, wavering breeze.

It opens with a series of fragrances in quick succession. First an austere, crystalline aroma of icy snow. Then salty sea brine interfused with petroleum tar and rubber. Finally, an intermittent, dusty, metallic vapour of motor exhaust with notes of gasoline.

In time a thick cloud of minty pot smoke briefly envelopes the balcony, striking a muzzy counterpoint to the clear and frosty notes of ice.

7 May 2021, 13:34–13:51.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1390777838341484547

A bank of massive clouds pushes against the hazy blue mountains while a feathery white vortex swirls in slow motion overhead. This afternoon air has a watery chill, blowing irregularly from the east in a crisp, almost icy, breeze.

The foreground is dominated by a persistent scent of artificial florals — powdery, soapy, with an edge of acetone, it gradually sharpens to a hard point.

Undertones of fresh, moist greens and damp earth are faintly perceptible.

A momentary buttery waft and a flash of pineapple appear from the west.

6 May 2021, 23:40–0:01.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1390570341601202176

White clouds are scattered through the indigo darkness.

This midnight air is cold, dry and hard, like a metal rail. It feels almost inert, virtually motionless but for an occasional sluggish westward draft.

A muted aroma of stale refrigerator air has settled over the smellscape, papery and slightly sour, with a sulphurous note of mercaptan. Faint scents of vegetal rotting garbage and congealed grease emerge. Brief trace of cold cigarette smoke.

6 May 2021, 12:32–12:44.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1390395704971907072

A light, bluish fog is visible in the distance, blending into the mottled grey sky. This cool noon air arrives from the east in irregular, breezy gusts carrying a strong aroma of green foliage and tree pollens with undertones of petrichor and dry earth.

A light minerality of concrete with faint metallic notes appears, and occasional rosy florals.

5 May 2021, 20:33–20:55.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1390164788861280261

The chilly evening air is suffused with a dull, powdery, blue-grey light that drains the landscape of colour. It drifts vaguely back and forth in slow eddies, eastward and then westward .

Salty ocean aromas are strong at first but slowly weaken and are overtaken by more immediate fragrances.

A momentary, light cotton candy scent is followed by complex, buttery, walnut fragrances intermingled with alcoholic tea tree cologne, then becoming more toasted, like popcorn, and finally deepening toward a caramelized, fermented soy.

Light background notes of fresh green foliage, deciduous tree pollens and cut grass come into view, foregrounding faint cigarette smoke and pungent, soapy, artificial florals.

5 May 2021, 13:40–14:12.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1390062279756959748

This cool afternoon air comes in a weak, wavering draft from the east, gradually building. Occasionally it stutters, reversing, then continues westward. The sky is a luminous cold grey that seems to dissolve the mountains into gauzy blue silhouettes.

A background of fresh leafy aromas with a touch of mint and mild ocean brine soon reveals gentle earthy humus and granite minerals. Vivid lemony citrus notes momentarily cut through.

A rich, yeasty, pea soup umami with light cardamom top notes appears in the foreground. Developing strong wafts of buttery coriander and turmeric, it eventually subsides into a subtle soapy fragrance.

The undertone of fresh foliage grows, finishing with a strong accord of cut grass.

4 May 2021, 13:44–14:02.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1389696017931456516

This cool early-afternoon air blows from the east in irregular soft gusts. Distant haze renders the mountains in a desaturated bluish tint.

The light, airy smellscape opens with a sustained aroma of deciduous pollens and fresh, green foliage, joined intermittently by subtle rosy florals.
A gentle scent of dry earth and astringent geranium occasionally appears.

A faint, syrupy, jammy fragrance, like a dried-out fruit reduction, arrives sporadically from the east.

Subtle whiffs of playdough, salty wet flour, momentarily intervene.

2 May 2021, 19:55–20:22.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1389066098750803969

This cool evening air flows gently westward. Nearby mountains are softened by a golden haze.

The aromas open with a brief accord of faint ocean brine, gentle manure, salty guano, subtle rotting garbage, and light smoke.

Strong wafts of red meat jus and grilled fat with an acidic undertone of ketchup or tartar intermittently appear from the east, growing in intensity to become rich and heavy.

There’s a muted, fleeting fragrance of cut grass, damp earth and deciduous pollens.

It finishes with a blast of charred, fatty, maillard beef, offset by a subdued counterpoint of juicy green foliage.

1 May 2021, 21:30–21:53.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1388726555803734017

The chilly night air drifts steadily eastward in a crisp and watery ultramarine darkness.

It opens with a sweet, artificial floral aroma, jammy and cloying, powdery but sticky in texture, accompanied by a soft flavour of cold ashes.

A faint scent of bread is quickly overtaken by distinct fragrances of burnt toast and campfire embers briefly rising from the east.

Gradually a vague but persistent undertone of cold pond water becomes apparent. It’s almost more haptic than olfactory, like submerging in chilled mud. It finishes with a mild accord of damp grass and earth.

Wildfire Air Reports

Sensory analysis of the Vancouver air on my balcony during the height of the Oregon, Washington and British Columbia wildfires from 11–16 September 2020.

16 September 2020, 12:48–13:05.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1306328866676326400

A soft pink light penetrates the grey smog that thickens to complete opacity behind the towers and trees.

The afternoon air is cool and damp, flowing in an irregular westward draft. Dust and humidity combine into a viscous texture that fills the nose and sinuses.

The fragrances are mild: chalky campfire ashes after rain, wet earth, fresh grass, and a hint of graphite. Briefly a powdery wave of artificial lemon washing detergent and then a scent of boiled pasta with olive oil.

15 September 2020, 16:00–16:13.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1306013239885672449

The early-evening air is warm, humid and slightly gritty on the palette and throat, with a soft, almost viscous, draft from the east.

For the first time in days there’s a blue sky overhead. The colours have returned with a slightly surreal golden hue, but beyond 300 meters everything is still faded by a dusty smog. A pale mountain silhouette is dimly visible above the murk.

Odours are very subdued, mostly a scent of chalky concrete dust with notes of underground parkade, dusty dirt road and gentle notes of burnt metal. Faint undertones of earth and green foliage.

A brief waft of sweet sugary syrup and fatty grease.

14 September 2020, 14:00–14:15.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1305625495728353280

This afternoon air is cool and dank, almost misty, with a weak meandering breeze. The city has dissolved into a thick cloud of beige-white vapour. Fog horns sound in the distance.

Heavy dockyard aromas proliferate. A deep, kelpy, sea brine blends with pungent petroleum flavours: notes of creosote, diesel, tar, and coal smoke. Soft undertones of cold ashes and damp cardboard.

A powdery scent of washing detergent sporadically floats by.

13 September 2020, 12:45–13:00.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1305256827349729280

The chilly afternoon air has a clammy humidity. It drifts westward in a wavering breeze. Again the texture is simultaneously powdery but also fluid. A murky pinkish-brown smog blankets the city and obliterates the surrounding landscape.

The smellscape is surprisingly mild compared to the past two days. It opens with a metallic fragrance of wet flaked rust, subway exhaust and cold dust, with mild sulfurous notes like a distant pulp mill or smokey factory. Beneath this there’s an accord of fresh sea brine, beach sand, moist earth and subtle manure.

Suddenly a fatty umami scent of greasy fried batter, spices, fish sauce, shrimp, and lime appears in the foreground, occasionally accompanied by gentle wafts of dusty upholstery, stale sweat and ashtray debris.

12 September 2020, 12:55–13:15.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1304886801731997696

The trees in the park are pale shadows in a murky yellowish-pink smog of fine chalky dust. This cool afternoon air feels simultaneously moist and dry, like a layer of flour suspended on a surface of cold water. A weak breeze drifts vaguely westward.

The atmosphere is permeated with a heavy scent of chalk and burnt metal reminiscent of overheated brakes and subway exhaust, gritty on the throat and slightly sweet. A muted background of cool watery notes is evident and a faint fragrance of fresh snow.

An aroma of cooked blackberries momentarily appears.

11 September 2020, 13:20–13:55.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1304545519428042756?s=21

An advancing sea of milky smog has erased the mountains and north shore. Nearby towers are blurred in a luminous golden haze as the sunlight’s warm cast gradually deepens into a rosy orange.

This balmy afternoon air is dry but thick with a fine powdery texture that catches at the top of the throat like drywall dust. It flows eastward in slow intermittent waves.

The smellscape is overwhelmed by an intense empyreumatic aroma: ashy, chalky, dusty soot with slightly acrid flavours of burnt metal, mild chlorine and hints of sulfur and dry hay. Surprising yeasty notes (think Wonder Bread factory) shift towards melba toast and then charred coffee beans.

A subtle oily petrochemical scent of plastic gradually appears.

Undertones of fresh water, resinous green cedar leaves, and grass are faintly perceptible.

Balcony Air Reports↑

The Balcony Air Reports were tweeted live from 12 July to 2 September 2020 at twitter.com/airtasting. Each report is a brief sensory analysis of the visual, haptic and olfactory qualities of the air on my balcony at that moment. To contribute to this portrait of the atmosphere please tweet your observations of the current air conditions with the tag #ThisWorldOfAir and add your geolocation.

2 September 2020, 12:40–13:00.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1301259045014175746

The humid afternoon air drifts in vague circles. A thick blueish haze obscures the landscape.

Powerful umami scents of sweet pea soup quickly fade into a muted background of cut grass and slate minerals with a trace of sand and salt, broken by intermittent wafts of musty artificial florals and stale sweat.

1 September 2020, 12:05–12:17.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1300885407052083200

A faint, wavering breeze stirs this humid, lukewarm, noon air. Nearby mountains are pale shadows in a foggy white haze. The aroma opens with a vaporous, singed, metallic minerality and ocean salt on undertones of damp earth and pencil shavings.

Occasionally a fragrance of sweet custard and raspberry jam floats by.

31 August 2020, 23:55–0:13.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1300702217406611456

The lukewarm midnight air is moist to the touch, flowing westward in a slow current.

It opens with a persistent, gritty, metallic scent and subtle notes of diesel smoke before revealing rich rose florals on a background of ocean salt and undertones of grassy damp earth.

Momentary whiffs of short bread and toasted wheat appear.

Gradually the marine flavour builds to a thick, almost misty, sea kelp and beach sand finish.

30 August 2020, 12:46–12:58.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1300165450593050625

The cool, fluid, early-afternoon air drifts softly back and forth. It opens with a #scent of slightly metallic sandy minerality and watery ocean salt.

An aroma of warm herbed olive oil with toasted notes occasionally wafts in.

The finish is wet cement and and a burst of rosy florals on a subtle background of dusty country road.

30 August 2020, 0:05–0:12.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1299973535180283911

This chilly midnight air opens with a metallic and somewhat earthy fragrance, like a slow wave of cooled air pouring out of a walk-in freezer—cold but not fresh. It finishes with the addition of subtle green leaves and a gentle but cloying sweetness.

29 August 2020, 11:00–11:10.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1299780555056185344

The late-morning air is moist with a smooth watery texture as swift chilly breezes swirl in erratic gusts. A white haze softens the forest and renders the mountains featureless.

The smellscape opens with a thick buttery aroma of nutty oil, fading into strong artificial florals, then a heavy scent of sweet soy, and ending with a hint of salty beach sand.

28 August 2020, 12:12–12:24.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1299433132957990912

A cool noon breeze redolent of fresh foliage, arboreal pollens and ocean salt comes from the west in soft swirling gusts, colliding with intermittent wafts of singed popcorn and roasting coffee.

A vivid fragrance of crisp sweet apples on a background of cut grass appears spontaneously in the middle of the smellscape. It quickly fades but then reappears several times.

27 August 2020, 21:25–21:40.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1299212853459603456

The tepid night air creeps westward in a faint draft that starts off rich with fresh green aromas: leafy foliage, cool tree sap, a hint of salty ocean, and highlights of rosy florals, deep mint oil and eucalyptus.

Gradually the smellscape becomes sweeter and warmer, developing towards a more resinous conifer fragrance of fir needles.

27 August 2020, 13:20–13:40.
Stanley Park, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1299104031747444736

At ground level the afternoon air is slightly cool. Gentle salty breezes blow eastward from the ocean through the trees. A sweet resinous aroma of dry fir needles perfumes the forest periphery.

In the shady forest interior you can find scents of fresh humid foliage and crisp juicy cucumber with subtle thyme, oregano, juniper, and a hint of quinine.

26 August 2020, 16:12–16:28.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1298768138910212098

A cool fluid late-afternoon breeze from the west is perfumed with sweet florals, vaguely of elderflower, and fresh leafy foliage, gradually becoming more watery and juicy.

Sporadically from below, rich rose notes and a soupy aroma of sweet congealed pasta water.

25 August 2020, 13:23–13:40.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1298366803760910336

A cool early-afternoon breeze flows gently and steadily westward. The mountains are faded behind a filmy haze. This air has a crisp watery humidity with mild aromas ocean salt, arboreal pollens, and fresh green foliage.

A scent of toasted wheat, dry herbs and olive oil briefly appears, followed by occasional muted wafts of sweet greasy fat.

24 August 2020, 0:08–0:20.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1297802921178836992

A cool moist late-night air drifts slowly but steadily westward exhibiting a succession of lucid aromatic layers:
Bright juicy rose florals on a background of fresh green foliage, then mild cut grass, followed by a damp earthy undertone, and finally a tart minerality of ocean salt.

Wafts of vinegar and acetone briefly cut across the smellscape.

22 August 2020, 14:30–15:15.
Stanley Park, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1297802921178836992

At ground level there’s an abundance of big odours this afternoon. In the forest you can find intense humid herbal aromas, and on narrower paths with a thinner upper story some deep tobacco flavours. The beach is extremely pungent, almost fecal. A rich flavour of soft overripe crabapple permeates the shady areas around the lagoon.

22 August 2020, 12:08–12:24.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1297262222431801344

The fresh noon air circles vaguely in wispy, cool breezes rich with juicy aromas of crisp green leaves, arboreal pollens, and occasionally a rubbery sweetish playdough scent, on a faint background of ocean salt.

Intermittent contrasting smells appear: an oily cloying cumin and turmeric, artificial flowery washing detergent.

21 August 2020, 12:00–12:45.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1296907127601000448

A temperate noon air saturated with drizzly humidity blows erratically in soft turbulent gusts. Heavy banks of low cloud obscure the mountains, and the north shore is hidden in fog. Thick mist drifts through the forest gathering into wispy columns.

The smellscape is suffused with a deep earthy aroma of wet humus, like a flooded garden, and secondary notes of subtle green leafy organics with a weak undertone of ocean salt. Occasionally a pungent whiff of cut onion appears.

20 August 2020, 11:44–12:06.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1296534032935579648

The tepid noon air flows westward in a persistent blustery current thick with drizzly humidity and abundant in cool liquid organics of fresh green leaves with notes of apple, watery mud, and light earthy geranium florals.

Occasionally there’s a contrasting waft of smokey caramel with cooked strawberry, and in the background a faint scent of aviation fuel.

Briefly, a distinct smell of wet paper.

19 August 2020, 12:00–12:18.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1296175285721640960

💨 A gentle, warm noon breeze carries aromas of
  🌾 salty-sweet rubbery playdough,
  🌹distinct rose florals,
  ⚒️ a minerality of dusty concrete and faint notes of iron,
🌊 with a background of mild salty sea humidity.

🐟🍤 A mellow fish market fragrance with a subtle, fatty scent of crispy fried batter gradually builds,
  🍋 acquires a note of juicy lemon
and then vanishes

18 August 2020, 16:51–17:10.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1295887065050038273

This relaxed late-afternoon #air is warm but with a watery freshness and soft enveloping density. Faint westward park breezes alternate with short drafts from downtown.

A neutral watery aroma with muted notes of green leafy foliage, hints of fresh florals and a trace of silty mud predominates the #smellscape, intermittently displaced by a cloud of ashy sweet artificial fruit and florals.

Later, a puff of cigarette smoke and a brief waft of gasoline.

Sarah Hay
17 August 2020, 12:20–12:40.
facebook.com/events/346261716373390/permalink/351044072561821/

Following strong early morning Qualicum winds from the south, our midday passage between Hornby Island to the northern tip of Lasqueti Island offers a sublime sea breeze air tasting experience. Notes of kettle corn, toasted marshmallow and fresh buttered corn flow across our bow with gentle wafts of sun dried salty beach towels and iodine. Fresh gusts of cool wind cleanse the palette. As we approach land, undertones of warm sweet grass and dark chocolate. Autumn is coming.

17 August 2020, 11:42–12:00.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1295441312674529281

A languorous breeze drifts intermittently from the east. The noon summer #air is a thick and warm soupy bathwater with a pervasive aroma of hot salty beach sand and light ocean brine. Hints of cut grass, floral pollens, and warm lagoon water. An occasional faint freshness of mineral water.

In the background, subtle odours of warm rubber and dry powdery iron. Suddenly a vivid sugary waft of raspberry pie with buttery crust.

16 August 2020, 22:30–22:47.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1295240413591113728

A sluggish, warm night wind blows steadily eastward from downtown, heavy and enveloping. Like the #air from a cooling engine block, sulfurous, slightly oily, with a scent of chemical combustion, metallic and almost gritty. An underlying aroma of pine resin blends closely with the empyreumatic odours, almost inseparable.

16 August 2020, 0:20–0:36.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1294906990087479296

The late-night #air is a motionless warm cloud of thick vapours suffused with the aroma of burnt steel and charred old timbers. Occasionally a pungent waft of stale ashtray and faded chemical florals rises through the dark.

From above a cool draft cascades in slow motion carrying a sweet #scent of crushed green fir needles.

15 August 2020, 11:47–12:05.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1294717169230417920

The warm hazy noon #air flows in gentle inconsistent breezes with aromas of warm dusty concrete, mineral water, and a subtle salty beach sand freshness.

Briefly a sour cheesy waft, cigarette smoke, and a momentary tang of decaying food waste. A thick warm umami #fragrance of soy, meat stock and melted cheese arrives intermittently with increasing intensity.

14 August 2020, 17:16–17:44.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1294439868001443841

The early-evening #air has an ambient warmth and mild humidity. Only the occasional soft puff disturbs its smooth, placid texture. Like an old wooden chair where every edge has been smoothed through years of wear and its surface has acquired soft, almost velvety, feel.

The #aromas in this atmosphere are very subtle and almost inseparable from the haptics. A soft, warm nose-feel resolves into faint dusty mineral notes, like a gentle breeze over warm concrete at a construction site. Intermittently a hint of buttery, musty, cooked fruit appears and briefly a trace of roasted coffee.

Jennifer Chan
13 August 2020, 15:00.
Hague Lake, Cortes Island, Canada.
facebook.com/events/346261716373390/permalink/351474702518758/

cool, almost autumnal air temperature. brisk on the breeze, but leaden heat in the still air. the warmth comes as summer, broken by the occasional gentle gust. sun baked rock surfaces sloping into the fresh, clear water. no vegetation in the water - it’s a deep sand and rock bottom, no marshy foreshore here. typical dry coastal landscape of young fir and hemlock interspersed with manzanita and arbutus. the deep dapple of woods butted up against stone and shore.
swimming a low breaststroke with my face at the surface, an overwhelming glacial minerality assails the nostrils. gliding on my back, sulphurous whiffs definitely not emanating from me. dry moss and lichen, tinder crisp, notes of musty paper and dust.

12 August 2020, 17:00–17:25.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1293712109910421505

This lukewarm late-afternoon #air is light and clear in texture with a faint humidity. The lightest wavering cool draft blows vaguely westward. A gauzy haze has veiled the mountains this week but is thinning now.

The #smellscape is very closed in, revealing only the most nearby aromas. A recurring #scent of sugary cooked fruit gradually develops into a deep caramelized soy, eventually weakening but with an addition of chopped green onion.

Sporadically the artificial florals of laundry detergent appear, and briefly a hint of wet, vinegary, decaying food waste. With difficulty one can detect a gentle background #fragrance of warm dusty asphalt and a touch of dry leaves.

10 August 2020, 11:11–11:37
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1292903947221348352

The tepid late-morning #air moves in a gentle but erratic turbulence of whirling gusts. A thin, gauzy vapour renders the nearby mountains pale purply blue.

The prevailing flavour in this #smellscape is a moderate watery mineral accord with notes of dry earth. It develops gradually into an aroma of salty sea air and beach sand, later shifting back into mineral water. This is accompanied by an intermittent #scent of fresh dewy grass and a hint of pine resin.

Contrasting fragrances occasionally cut across the air: moderate but cloyingly sweet wafts of stale, soggy, strawberry pie; a mild, buttery, pastry accord with a faint taste of toasted coffee.

9 August 2020, 16:20–16:44.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1292614673578127360

A slight meandering cool breeze stirs the dry luke-warm #air this afternoon. Noisy seagulls chase a bald eagle around the highrise.

On the nose, a noncommittal collection of independent odours that don’t cohere into any sort of unified structure:
At first, subtle florals, a warm dusty wood closet #aroma with a papery inflection, and sporadic mild whiffs of curry spice cooking in oil.

This evolves into scents of tap-water accompanied by the mineral #smell of warm concrete, and faint smoke. It finishes with a mild grassy accord and hint of manure

8 August 2020, 16:05–16:27.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1292250476163895297

A tepid, moderate wind blows from the east in irregular gusts, producing an unusually subdued #smellscape of faint musty fabric, dry artificial florals and coconut. Brief pungent wafts of lime gradually build.

As the breeze subsides, a #scent of damp paper emerges accompanied by a faint #fragrance of buttery fried bacon

6 August 2020, 12:06–12:28.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1291465231651151872

The fresh, cool, noon #air is thick with humidity and animated by a gentle changeable wind.

A watery accord prevails:
rich, damp earth and cold mud;
wet grass and leafy green organics;
a hint of cut green wood.

Intermittent incongruous aromas cut through the #smellscape:
a sweetish, sickly flavour of stale, greasy baking and ashtray with a note of rosewater;
a brief soapy #scent of artificial florals;
a momentary distinct biscuity #fragrance of fresh shortbread

5 August 2020, 11:09–11:29.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1291086774094065664

A steady and lively warm eastern wind carries a distinct #aroma in this summery late-morning #air:
dry earthy minerals,
dusty asphalt,
water sprayed onto dry concrete under a hot sun,
with a faint scent of florals.

A mild background #fragrance of salty ocean humidity and warm sand gradually builds.

Vivid notes of sweet custard—vanilla and fresh whipped eggs—appear in sporadic, brief wafts.

4 August 2020, 22:36–23:00.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1290898756250951682

The night is #air warm and thick. It seems to collect on the balcony. A faint cool breeze meanders from the east forming eddies in the warm pool.

The dominant #aroma is a complex accord: strong florals; deep resinous cedar—almost eucalyptus—shifting into tarry pine pitch; subtle wood smoke; and a pervasive background of watery silt and musty pond organics.

When the breeze weakens disparate scents intermittently appear: faint toasted bread; stale ashtray, dusty upholstery and cigar smoke; a brief peppery tomato reduction

3 August 2020, 20:37–20:57.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada. Late evening.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1290500794391773185

The luke-warm late-evening #air is mostly calm with only short, infrequent, light puffs appearing sporadically from arbitrary directions.

The #smellscape tonight is similarly mild and erratic, a changing composition of brief, disparate, muted fragrances: cigarette smoke, warm rubber, vague florals, a sweet jammy essence, dusty upholstery, damp cardboard, congealed animal fat, and pencil shavings

1 August 2020, 23:17–23:35.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada. Night.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1289817663267409920

A gentle night breeze blows steadily westward from downtown, warm and perfumed with a pervasive #aroma of peppery, oaky, wood smoke, gradually developing a resinous cedar note. In the background, a mild salty ocean humidity gives the #air some weight.

After stepping inside for a moment I come out again just in time to catch a bright floral #scent flowing swiftly past, trailed by a taste of sugary overripe watermelon

1 August 2020, 17:45–18:15.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada. Early evening. Sunny, 59% humidity.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1289738970457239552

The balmy early-evening #air is soft and enveloping. Its quiet tranquility is only occasionally broken by a languorous meandering draft from east or west. There’s an unusually sheltered and intimate quality to this air.

The perceivable #smellscape is mostly contained within the area of the balcony, buffered from outlying aromas by the placid blanket of #atmosphere. The dominant #flavour and feel is a vague watery tone. Periodically a moderate waft of chemical, powdery citrus with a touch of Concord grape appears from nowhere in particular.

A subtle silty water flavour drifts from the east inflected with vegetal organics. From below a momentary sweet, fatty, caramelized umami #fragrance.

31 July 2020, 17:15–17:38.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada. Early evening. Sunny, 48% humidity.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1289365400992354304

The summery early-evening #air flows steadily from the west in a warm breeze. It rises in long swells that last for several minutes, and when it ebbs sporadic eddies briefly swirl.

The aromas are subdued:
a light #scent cardboard and dry dusty earth;
an intermittent accord of cigarette smoke and old upholstery with a touch of stale warm butter;
a distant watery flavour showing little complexity and no organics, more like a swimming pool than sea or lake.

Briefly a dry, flowery, smoky #perfume washes over the balcony.

30 July 2020, 16:55–17:12.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada. Late afternoon. Sunny, 50% humidity.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1288993366860955649

This warm late-afternoon #air has the temperature and consistency of bath water. Although the humidity is moderate this #atmosphere has a perceptible density that seems to envelop the body like a velvety fluid. It ebbs and flows in irregular thick lazy waves, like intermittent ocean swells coming from random directions.

The #smellscape is fairly closed and muted. Scents of warm rubber, old dusty upholstery, and some very light indistinct florals. On the peak of each westward wave there’s a brief subtle taste of green leafy organics.

29 July 2020, 23:00–23:30.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada. Night.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1288735347283603458

The placid night #air is almost exactly room temperature and only the occasional vague draft can be felt; so still that one can perceive the myriad tiny eddies cascading from a hand gesture.

The first #scent to appear is a light unusual aroma of fresh crisp cabbage, gradually fading. Then a subtle, persistent base of salty ocean humidity, followed by an intermittent mild mineral taste recalling a cool, dry concrete basement.

From the west, an indistinct muted accord of green watery notes with a hint of manure.

28 July 2020, 12:45–13:15.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada. Early afternoon.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1288215659776577536

The temperate early-afternoon #air meanders lazily, not committing to any particular direction. It has a perceptible density and a gentle, enveloping, radiant warmth that seems to accumulate rapidly in still moments and then dissipate in the wavering drafts.

A moderate salty sea #aroma sets the background for a constellation of shifting fragrances:
a dusty, glyphic mineral accord recalls the #scent of a dirt road on a dry summer day;
a fresh taste of watery silt, vegetal with a hint of cloudy sourness;
a subtle green leafy #flavour brightened by a touch of floral pollen;
the occasional waft of warm, stale air and old cigarette smoke with a slightly sweet, dull, powdery chemical aroma of artificial florals

27 July 2020, 1:40–1:55.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada. Late night.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1287676831781380097

The luke-warm late-night #air travels steadily westward between the towers.

A pervasive salty ocean #aroma forms the background for a rich woody #scent with a flavour of cedar oil so concentrated that it becomes tarry and gummy, blending with intermittent subtle floral notes.

Briefly a sour, fetid waft emerges.

26 July 2020, 1:10–1:44.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada. Late night.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1287317612817289216

The cool late-night #air flows gently westward from downtown.

In the foreground a steady draft of deep cedar #aroma, vivid like cut wood, green and fresh with light notes of minty menthol.

As the current reverses eastward the cedar recedes somewhat and a colder steady undertone of thick salty ocean #flavour becomes more prominent, accompanied by occasional tastes of watery silt.

Sporadic wafts of a distant cigarette drift past, sometimes joined by a whiff of musty carpet.

24 July 2020, 13:30–13:55.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada. Early afternoon. Mostly cloudy.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1286776254327214082

The early afternoon #air is rapidly warming. There’s a cool intermittent light breeze, but when it ebbs an unusual radiant warmth can be felt that seems to give the air a slight density and a kind of soft, weightless pressure.

The dominant #aroma is a subtle, sustained accord of watery flavours: salty ocean brine, mild cut grass and leafy transpiration, with earthy undertones.

Occasionally a light #scent of jet fuel appears. There’s a momentary #taste of sweet, sugary cotton candy. Throughout, an infrequent but recurring aroma shifts rapidly through a series of scents: dry curry spice, warm buttery oil, dusty stale upholstery, and a hint of rose floral

23 July 2020, 1:25–2:00.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada. Late night. Partly cloudy.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1286238465785397248

The spacious late night #air is cool and fresh, not cold but becoming chilly enough to raise goose bumps after a few minutes. A steady, moderate breeze blows westward from the business district.

The first #flavour is a lush, green, leafy accord with a bit of floral sweetness, occasionally intensifying to a mild taste of honey.

From further east comes a light but consistent mineral #fragrance – dry, dusty and slightly earthy, with a hint of thin cigarette smoke. Somewhere between petrichor and subway air exhaust. Gradually it develops a metallic note of rusty iron.

A couple incongruous pops of sugary bubblegum appear out of nowhere.

As the wind picks up, an expansive, intense, salty ocean #aroma cuts through the other scents. Its cool watery tones seem to have a palpably fluid texture that lingers on the skin.

21 July 2020, 17:30–18:00.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada. Early evening. Partly cloudy.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1285748788200534017

The early evening #air is mild both in aroma and haptics. Warm and slightly humid, soft and fluid in texture, a light breeze full of tiny eddies vacillates between eastward and westward.

From the west drifts a thin and intermittent watery #fragrance, a bit silty and earthy with some subtle florals.

A moderate #scent of dusty old, smoky upholstery, faint stale cumin, and congealed grease rise periodically from below.

Occasionally the florals increase in intensity with a pronounced honey sweetness. Momentary flash of strawberry.

20 July 2020, 22:30–22:55.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada. Night. Hazy. twitter.com/airtasting/status/1285482315431329792

The warm night #air is thick and sluggish, barely moving.

The #aromas are dense and claustrophobic. First a #scent like the steam from Mario Batali’s pasta pot, imbued with a congealed flavour from boiling linguini nonstop all week.

Then stale cigarette smoke and old vinyl with faint tang of sweat and bad cologne wafts in from some dingy backroom poker game. It’s intermittent but persistent, like someone keeps leaving the door open.

Finally a meager breeze clears the air briefly, producing a cool, salty, sea broth and fresh parsley.

18 July 2020, 17:30–18:05.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada. Early evening. Sunny, clear. twitter.com/airtasting/status/1284665044353994752

The early evening #air is sightly warm with an erratic light breeze.

There’s an occasional subtle yeasty #aroma with a hint of warm rubber, briefly exploding into oven-warm sourdough.

Intermittently a rich, warm, thick and saucy #flavour of browned butter, savoury umami, a hint of shellfish, and toasted bread crumbs, eventually shifting towards a deep gingery soy.

The 1980s airport lounge upholstery #scent makes several brief appearances – dust, stale cigarette smoke and scotchgard. Later as the breeze ebbs it coalesces into warm popcorn at a summer afternoon movie theatre. Backstage doors are open.

In the distance a faint #fragrance drifts between watery clay, sea salt, green grass and sporadic florals.

16 July 2020, 12:18–12:46.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada. Noon. Overcast. twitter.com/airtasting/status/1283863267689914370

The noon #air is tepid with a brisk irregular wind blowing westward from downtown. A foggy haze washes out the mountains obscuring detail.

#Flavours are muted and inconsistent. There’s a dominant juicy green accord of fresh leaves and cut grass, steady but varying in intensity from moderate to faint. Slightly sweet.

As the wind ebbs a profusion of other scents appears. Brief sticky curry, an occasional momentary sweet custard of fresh egg and vanilla, and a light vaporous smoke.

The wind resumes, bringing increased greens, some subtle florals, and a muted salty ocean aroma with a hint shellfish and minerals.

Soon the wind ebbs again and the air becomes a warm pool of gentle eddies.

15 July 2020. 23:00–23:36.
Balcony, West End, Vancouver, Canada. Night.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1283667983353540609

The night #air is cool and moderately dry – perfect balance of temperature and humidity. A steady breeze from the business district feels like standing in a gentle creek on a summer day.

The first #taste is a mellow green accord, leafy and sweet, though less grassy, with a bit of aromatic pine resin.

Next emerges a light, papery, dusty #aroma with mild notes of diesel and plastic. A bit oaky. Sounds terrible but it’s actually very pleasant.
Gradually it increases to a moderate strength and becomes a little rubbery and charred, with a bit of alcoholic volatility, and then shifts towards metallic.

In the meantime the green accord has faded and is barely perceptible, but now it returns foregrounding a stemmy fresh pine, much less leafy.

A momentary highlight of floral pollen appears, and then a sustained, deep #flavour of unctuous tarry mint, resinous and with a hint of ginger.

14 July 2020, 13:30–14:10.
Balcony, West end, Vancouver, Canada. Early afternoon. Mostly sunny.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1283157089968222209

The luke-warm early afternoon #air is clear with a neutral humidity. A gentle indecisive cool breeze blows lazily from the east and West.

There’s a muted, watery, vegetative #aroma of fresh leafy green with scattering of subtle floral highlights.

A strong empyreumatic accord wafts intermittently from the east. Burnt toast and roasting coffee with undertones of chestnut and chocolatey richness, occasionally accompanied by a warm, dry, yeasted, doughy note.

Suddenly a #flavour of 1980s airport lounge: dry, dusty upholstery and faint jet fuel. Gradually a tone of pungent, slightly caramelized onion becomes apparent. Momentary flash of menthol

13 July 2020, 18:15–19:15.
Balcony, West end, Vancouver, Canada. Evening.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1282870562604212224

This tepid evening #air is almost totally clear with only a slight distant haze. Gentle inconsistent breezes from the east and occasionally from the west.

The olfactory structure is weak and the aromas are fairly closed.
It begins with a moderate, intermittent accord of stale light cigarette smoke and powdery, dull, artificial florals. Then a sporadic hint of stale grease.

Gradually a consistent but very subtle base #fragrance of fresh greens – leafy and slightly grassy – becomes apparent, showing highlights of sweet pollen and a light aroma of green wood.

A vivid, intensely sweet marshmallow flavour appears for a moment.

Finally, a wave of thick, rich, Maillard umami washes over the balcony, with notes of deep, slightly caramel soy and peppery, doughy, ground cumin spice.

12 July 2020, 20:00–20:20.
Balcony, West end, Vancouver, Canada.
twitter.com/airtasting/status/1282578391405756417

The #air is dry and tepid. There’s a slight haze in the distance. A gentle, meandering, cool breeze can be felt from the east.

The #smellscape is surprisingly flat and narrow with very little depth. Aromas are muted, indistinct and a bit muddy. The breeze carries a mild, sweet, greasy #flavour – faintly sticky with subtle spicy cumin.

There’s a weak, intermittent #scent of powdery florals, slightly cloying in its sweetness.
A sporadic mildly rubbery, vaguely tarry #fragrance appears, and a momentary hint of thin, diluted cigarette smoke.

Over the course of 20 minutes the air cools becoming chilly.
Gradually the greasy #scent becomes fatty and meaty with a maillard flavour, losing its spice.

Air Tasting Notes Archive↑

I’ve been recording atmospheric experiences since 2002. Following is a partial selection of vintage Air Tasting notes.

12 May 2011, 15:42–16:30
Humboldt Association Air Symposium
Lecture Salon inside Coach House
Green College, University of British Columbia
Vancouver, Canada

The lecture is already underway in the drawing room. The still and intimate air here exhibits a fairly uniform radiant warmth. There is a subtle but steady breeze, slightly cool, from the north pushing into what is otherwise a stagnant warm pool and creating gentle eddies around the body. A temperature gradient results: cooler on the northern side of the body, warmer on the southern side. It feels smooth and round.

The olfactory structure is composed of two dominant layers. The first is a steady and pronounced microbial aroma––somewhat musky and sweaty—–with a touch of lactic acid and a finish of boiled green beans or brussels sprouts. It feels thick, humid and somewhat off-putting, with a pungency almost similar to ethanol.

The second layer is in a somewhat lower register exhibiting less force and pungency, but still fairly legible: sweet, resinous, oaky wood with a hint of attic dust and faint undertones of earth and loam. It could be described as warm, comforting and relaxing; soft but also slightly dusty and grainy.

Below these dominant olfactory layers one can detect a muted but steady undertone that is difficult to isolate: Humid, watery, slight chlorine, faint earthy mushroom, wet cardboard, and vaguely chalky. Though slightly clammy it is warm and not unpleasant.

From my seated position I can observe the atmosphere build and intensify over the course of the lecture session. The temperature rises to somewhat uncomfortable levels, inducing a rather sluggish mental state. The air seems to increase in density, weighing on the top and sides of the head, as though all the words and ideas were actually accumulating in some material form. Gradually it thickens, becoming vaguely sticky; enveloping and fairly overbearing.

Suddenly a formidable highlight appears: pungent, cabbagey, yeasty and sour. It feels sticky, gooey, and almost clings to the skin. It’s overwhelming. But gradually the odour begins to fade.

The session ends and the audience rushes out of the drawing room, creating a brief turbulence of eddies and stirring up the cooler air near the floor. A fleeting but powerful aroma asserts itself within the crowd: a pungent, alcoholic, chemical waft with a flat floral brightness, maybe geranium. Sharp like a needle it pierces the nose and head but subsides quickly.

After a short break the second session starts and I am greeted by a powerful sweet, creamy flavour with a hint of hazelnut. It is lactic, but full and fresh, not sour. It feels enveloping, heady. Over the course of 30 minutes it slowly recedes and the air’s former structure is restored.

Alvaneu Switzerland Air Tasting Notes 2010↑

An air study of Alvaneu, a small mountain town in Graubünden Switzerland, conducted during October and August of 2010.

29 October 2010, 16:50
Hillock at southeast edge of town, Alvaneu, Graubünden, Switzerland

The air here is soft and warm. A slight current from the east brings a bright grassy flavour with earthy undertones. It feels smooth and velvety on the on the palate. An occasional updraft delivers an aroma of fresh hay and manure.
Rounding the hillock one encounters a cooler air on the eastern side.

17:15
Following the road slightly downhill, past thickets and into the forest, one enters a delightfully herbaceous atmosphere. The dominant aroma is sweet, resinous, cool and almost minty, with a an undertone of dry earthy leaves. Hint of lemony citrus.

29 October 2010, 12:25
Balzer-Laim House, Alvaneu, Graubünden, Switzerland

Balcony overlooking valley
The sun is bright and hot but a slow current of cool air flows from the snowy fields, striking a pleasant contrast. (In fact the sun is so hot that I’m really seeking out these cool breezes.) The air meanders undecidedly back and forth across the balcony, first from the west, then seconds later from the east. Birds chirp over the distant rumble of the waterfall across the valley, accompanied by faint goat bells.

The aromas are very subtle right now, almost undetectable. Damp earthy grass. Faint manure. A hint of the town’s typical dry resinous wood flavour. Very faint cool mineral slate. The olfactory experience here is primarily on the lower end of the spectrum: musky and earthy, with a sublet mid range of fresh dewy grass. Faint floral highlights reveal themselves only after 15 minutes.

10 August 2010
Air tasting walk, Alvaneu, Graubuenden, Switzerland

13:00, Laim-Blazer house, balcony
Upon emerging from the cool interior of the house the air on the balcony strikes one as a tangible, enveloping substance, as though a warm fluid were flowing around one’s limbs. But this isn’t a perception of humidity; the air is dry, its plasticity seems to arise from its warmth which lends it a certain density. Languid warm breezes flow intermittently and briefly across the balcony, first from one side, then the other. They seem entirely noncommittal and leisurely, seldom lasting longer than a few seconds. —Or perhaps some unseen purpose draws them away, cutting short their brief visits.

The mountains are veiled in a thin haze. Distant goats bells are heard.

13:13, Laim-Blazer house, balcony
A cloud passes in front of the sun. The winds become slightly stronger, though no more constant. An aroma of fresh hay and mild manure arrives from the east, with dry, dusty mineral undertones.

The pale wall of the house is cool but the door is heated from the sun and radiates a warm, slightly spicy scent of aged wood, reminiscent of pipe tobacco.

13:37, across road from Laim-Blazer house at goat pasture
A radiant heat rises from the asphalt road. Slightly cooler intermittent breeze from the west and south. The southern breeze yields a fresh grassy pasture bouquet. Occasional deep musky odour of sun-heated goat punctuated by manure from the neighbouring barn. A momentary western breeze brings the faintly smoked flavour of warm dry wood.

The goat bells are incessant. The goats seem to be doing some kind of one-legged dance.

13:52, walking westward along a small road between town and pasture
Although built primarily of stone, the houses in this town often have large wooden balconies and wooden doors. Heated from the sun these wood constructions emit the warm smoked flavour of dry, cured wood which seems to form a fairly ubiquitous aroma near the town and provides a nice contrast to the fresh grassy pasture aromas.

14:10, approaching south-eastern edge of town
A momentary gust of air from beyond an eastern bluff brings a lightly sweetened wildflower fragrance.

Occasionally one can perceive an air that seems to originate in the mountains: a cool mineral flavour mingled with a hint of crustacean. I have noticed a similar surprising crustacean scent in the coastal mountains of British Columbia, Canada. Reminiscent of beach air on a warm, sunny and windless summer afternoon.

The air is permeated with a soft sibilant background of cricket calls, a gentle ocean of sound.

14:25, south-eastern edge of town
Rounding the bluff at the south-eastern edge of town one encounters a new constellation of aromas. The grassy bouquet yields somewhat to a dry scent of woody shrubs and lichen. This scent is earthy and slightly astringent with the occasional rare hint of sweet wild berries.

A very thick, warm and humid grassy air ascends from below. Almost dank and musty. It seems to accumulate whenever the eastward and westward breezes temporarily cease.

14:45, entering the deciduous edge of a mixed deciduous-coniferous forest
Here a steady breeze from the southeast brings a cooler air. The breeze slowly builds and ebbs, creating a layer of sibilant waves beneath the high register of the crickets.

The air has thinned out somewhat and its flavours are more subtle. Grassy undertones with faint hints of fresh herbs and wildflower.

Two people walk by, ascending from the valley and leaving a momentary trail of talcum powder-like odour.

Occasionally in the background: the cool, watery, mossy aroma of a distant creek.

Some unseen insect announces its presence with a surprisingly loud, wooden clacking sound like someone cranking an old wooden winch. Enormous cricket at 1/8 speed.

15:05
Walking along the southern edge of the forest one encounters hints of fennel and conifer resin.

A pile of old hay has been dumped into the bushes below the road. It emits a damp, musty odour like the basement of an old house, or the dark cool lower level of an old barn that has fallen into disuse.

15:12
As one continues downhill along the road the aromas of fennel and sweet conifer resin gradually increase. Fallen needles warmed by the sun add a subtle dry spice.

There’s really a lot going on here in addition to what I’ve just described. The breeze is quite changeable, sometimes bringing the thick, damp grassy air from below; other times it brings the drier flavour of woody shrubs; but when it comes in level directly from the west, dry spicy needles become more prominent and one can perceive an accent of delicately sweet wildflowers.

From the ground there emerges a subtle herbal aroma of neutral humidity and sweetness, somewhat similar to the smell of a schnapps flavoured with herbal bitters.

The scents of agriculture and livestock are now entirely absent. It would take hours to taste all the flavours of this air, so as I continue I’ll try to limit myself to the crudest level of detail focussing on the most dominant flavours I encounter.

15:34
A slightly cool breeze from the west brings refreshing, distinctive leafy flavours. One hears clearly the constant rush of the river in the valley below and occasionally distant vehicle traffic.

15:43, traveling deeper into the forest
A damp, warm, mossy flavour becomes more evident—quite distinct from the grassy humidity closer to town.

15:47
The road widens into a small clearing where the air seems to have accumulated like a calm pool. Gentle, slow currents meander in from all sides and coalesce into a layered and complex olfactory scape. This seems to be the central basin of a small airshed. These sorts of topographical airshed basins may offer ideal tasting locations. The air here seems very localized and there is little if any trace of any higher mountain flavours or other distant aromas. The topographical scope of the air here seems narrow yet very rich.

16:07
The resin of the conifers here seems to differ substantially from my experiences in British Columbia. It seems to have an herbal and distinctly minty menthol flavour. A bit like the eucalyptus trees of northern California. There is also an aroma in it that reminds me of the amber-coloured liquid glue that was common in elementary school during the 1980s.

9 August 2010, 19:00
Balcony, Laim-Blazer house, Alvaneu, Graubuenden, Switzerland

Looking out across the valley watching a cloud that’s been sitting above Mitgel peak. It seems on the verge of dissipating as an eastward wind nips off its edges, but it stubbornly refuses to abandon its coveted position.
The sun is setting and the air has a uniform, consistent warmth.
Suddenly a cool breeze meanders around the corner of the house and across the balcony. It has clearly descended from some higher pastures by way of Voia Gulera road, now turning left onto Hauptstrasse it is heading into town, perhaps on some errand to deliver news from the mountain wildflowers to their domestic neighbours.

8 August 2010
Alvaneu, Graubuenden, Switzerland

17:23, top of town on point of land just south of sawmill overlooking valley

The air seems quite variable here as though on a cusp where the slightest change could send it in a different direction.
Initially a slow, luke-warm updraft ascends the slopes from the southwest.
Now a slightly cooler and quicker breeze comes in level from the southeast. The moisture from this afternoon’s thunderstorm is rapidly dissipating in the sunshine yielding a comfortable low humidity. Distant upwind church bells peal twice.
The dominant aroma is a moist grassy bouquet with slight overtones of livestock and dung. Also an intermittent aroma of hay, cut but still wet—sometimes faint then suddenly quite strong. It’s a smell that one can actually fell in the sinuses at one’s temples—slightly aggressive like a pollen.
The wind picks up a bit, now directly from the east and brings some very subtle flavours of forest moss; also a hint of spicy conifer needles and faint smoke.

17h40
The scent of livestock has now completely dissipated.

4 August 2010
Laim-Balzer House, Alvaneu, Graubuenden, Switzerland

12:38, arriving at the backdoor

Outside the air is cool, with a sharp edge of damp coldness under a steady, light rain. The first impression is an aroma like ice and snow; crystalline, inorganic, infused with a hint of iron. The sound of small raindrops striking leaves and asphalt is a soft backdrop receding towards the acoustic horizon.

After only a couple minutes the paper of my notebook has become damp from the humidity and the ink seems reluctant to issue forth from my pen. I gather some other writing utensils and a jacket…

The sky is an almost entirely even white under the low cover of clouds, resulting in a neutral light without shadows. From the top of the stairs at the back door I see a curtain of mist drifting across the hillside.

There is a wintery quality to this air. It smells clear with a tone of minerals—maybe a gravely slate—not dusty, but crystalline.

The air seems calm but purposeful, flowing slowly but deliberately from the garden, passing between the house and barn on its way to the street. Having completed its morning tasks, it travels unhurriedly towards the site of its afternoon activities.

13:17, inside the stairwell

Upon entering the house one encounters a warm, slightly musty wood aroma. There’s something nutty about it, like the dry scent of ground hazelnuts. Something faintly sweet, almost like icing sugar and beaten egg whites with a hint of vanilla.

Engulfed by silence the rain is faintly audible. A hint of distant electrical buzz.

This domestic air seems motionless. It exhibits no intentions or motivations, no agency of any kind. It seems almost nonexistent, a neutral space existing only as a container awaiting occupation.

13:33, 1st floor hallway

Here the nutty aroma recedes somewhat. The dominant smell is a dry woolly fragrance, slightly dusty. It is settled and relaxed, the kind of smell that has spent decades cultivating itself to no particular end.

16:12, living room

In the living room the air seems more focused, more concentrated. The woolly fragrance is still in evidence but the dominant scent is a spicy, sweet, and slightly smoky wood flavour. Somewhat like pipe tobacco, with undertones of old parchment that begin t emerge after 15 minutes. The room seems steeped in this aroma, manifesting a distinct personality and identity. In contrast to the hallway it seems purposeful, as though it were the residue of many years of deliberate activity—not physical activity but mental activity.

The hall had a comparatively uncultivated atmosphere, whereas the living room air seems to exhibit a very long, complex and dense interaction between the building materials, objects, and the human activities supported thereby. A symbiosis in which the constituent parts are very difficult to isolate. The strong identity of this air clearly defines this space as a locus, a centre point in the house.

The space is punctuated by two windows; one offers a view towards the town centre and the church tower, the other overlooks the valley, revealing farm fields, a meadow, waterfall and mountains.

Friday 24 May 2002, 20:00
False Creek shore, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (northern waterfront near Cambie St. Bridge)

A surprisingly bland air. Undertones of salty seaweed occasionally come to the fore but generally remain very subdued. Slightly sweet. There is a faint taste which I can only describe as “wet mineral”, not unlike the sensatin of drinking tap water.

Yet despite this dearth of flavour I find the air to be very satisfying in its tactile qualities. Somewhat thick and humid – but not oppressively so – giving it a certain body and presence. It feels to be at room temperature. An occasional breeze lightly brushes the skin with touches of coolness. One feels as if wrapped in fresh crisp linen. Soft, comfortable, calming.

20 May 2002, noon
Above Lillouette Lake, Pemberton Valley, British Columbia, Canada.

(Cloudy. Light rain overnight and earlier in the morning.)

The air is laden with moisture. Not an oppressive humidity, an invigorating coolness typical of a rainforest environment. The air is calm but not stagnant. A slight constant breeze carries a faintly spicy aroma of firs and the slightly musty scent of moss. A hint of pepper and refreshing minty basil. A minty coolness.
This air is mild and well-balanced, leaning to the sweet side. Calming yet refreshing, it lends itself well to the contemplative activities which demand a calm clear focus of the faculties. One is also invited to walk at moderate pace through the intermittent mists.

Upon approaching the creek the air becomes cold in the manner of a lake that one dives into on a hot summer day. This air fills the nose, the mouth and the lungs from top to bottom with a freshness. It recalls the caress of sap-soaked fir branches as it funnels down the throat. The gourmand is reminded that water is the fluid essence of life and that this air knows full well the clear, wet mysteries of its source. Fine, cold, seductive with a hint of forest musk. All in all, a great air to clear the sleepy haze from the mind and body of the sensitive breather. (Janine MacLeod)

An air which penetrates the whole body almost to the very bones, saturating it with crystal coolness. Thus, this ether is to be savoured briefly as one would take a brisk cold swim on a hot day, and perhaps returning to the waters intermittently throughout the afternoon.

Saturday, 18 May 2002,
Pemberton Valley, British Columbia, Canada.

15:30, on the roof of the Pony Espresso, Pemberton
This air has a thick and languid base. Slightly dusty particulate flavor. A heavy warmth beckons one to recline in the grass rather than engage in any undue activity. Certainly in no way invigourating . Rather, one is inclined to indulge the slovenly pleasures. A state of comatose bliss would surely ensue were it not for the top note of gently and intermittent cool breeze from the nearby forests. This breeze, expansive and refreshing, slightly watery, with floral hints, provides one a respite from the somewhat overbearing and stultifying calmer vapours. It may even stir one to activity—taking the reins of the day, so to speak—and strike out in search of its adventurous source.

5:30pm, Pemberton Valley
Idling through the valley on a warm May afternoon, the weekend cyclist is stuck by the finest air available this side of the land of faery tales. Lilac apple blossom hues blend seamlessly with the benign warmth of new river-fed green. The sweetness of these airs recalls Ariel’s soliloquay in The Tempest: “airs that give delight and hurt not.” The taster is enraptured, enchanted, but not lulled to sleep. Rather, she is delightfully invigorated by this pleasant elixir. (Janine MacLeod)

Friday 17 May 2002, 14:50
Garibaldi Park (at trail head), near Squamish, British Columbia, Canada.

The air is very cool and clear, even cold and a bit biting. Not humid per se, but bearing the dewy sharp coldness of nearby forest mountain streams which gives the air a particular sort of meandering cold breeze.
Faintly loamy.
Rich in forest transpiration giving it almost a slight cardamon flavor. Slightly sweet but not heavy in organics. Thin and clear and sharp but rich in subtle complexities.
The warm sun dries exposed brush and bare earth areas, mingling dry dusty undertones into the forest freshness.
Fresh, young, crisp, clean.

So 2 distinct air layers/currents are in evidence:

1. Sun-dried, slightly dusty granite. warm.
2. Fresh, young, dewy, sharp, clean. Forest and stream air. Scent reminiscent of basil. Also slightly herbaceous and spicy: juniper-rosemary flavours. A little juicy. Light in body, thin, fluid, flowing, delicate yet vigorous.

Both layers are “thin.” They drift gently across the palate, somewhat elusive…
Relation of the 2 layers:
Alternating mingling currents. (2) is descending from forested heights. (1) is a rising undercurrent. (2) is dominant.

As we proceed through the forest
The coolness becomes a biting sharpness so strong to the nose as to overwhelm other flavours—as in a dish that has been too heavily spiced. This icy sharpness penetrates the olfactory faculties and seems to infuse the brain. Increase in mineral qualities: brown, a little rusty, iron. The sun brings out occasional hints of herbaceous sweetness.

As the day wanes
It is as though the mountain were inhaling sunlight, which it now exhales generously into the thirsty lungs of the evening hiker. The network of scents becomes subtly thicker and seems to emerge more from the peaty earth than from the higher regions of the forest canopy. Moist, pungent, richer than the smells of the afternoon. Almost decadent.

20:00, back in the valley
Earthy, toasted, malty, sweet, fragrant, rich. Rusty. Occasionally a floral fragrance comes to the fore, drifting above the earth. Warm air rising from the earth meets the cooler currents descending from the highlands. A heady, sweet melange of mineral and floral aromas.

12 May 2002, 19:30
Richmond Dyke, Richmond, British Columbia, Canada.

(sunny, whispy clouds to the west, haze to the north)
The air is somewhat thick and heavy, humid. Subtle salt aroma of sea. Slightly cool, and temperature dropping perceptibly. A dry dusty scent with a slight edge not entirely pleasant (as of gravel-road dust). Only a hint of sweetness and juicy organics. Very little loam and minerals. Colourwise I would call it grey-blue-green.

12 April 2001, 11:05
Elfin Lakes cabin, Diamond Head, Garibaldi Park, British Columbia, Canada.

…came up into a snowstorm. A landscape of white in white. So pristine and crystal, no colours, just a purity of whites and greys; so silently otherworldly. Not desolate, just alien softness. A soft landscape with no hard boundaries, no firm distinctions. The landscape flows smoothly into the sky. The cabin is the only source of colour—the only object that asserts its own identity in this uniform unified white.
The silence is so complete that every thought creates its own world.