Air quality in Wisconsin was among the worst in the world this past week as smoke from the Canadian wildfires spread over the state. After having to spend some treasured summer days inside, Wisconsinites are now safe to step outside and take a nice, deep breath. Not of fire and smoke, but of fresh, hot manure.
"There are certain smells that just ground you — make ya feel whole. For some people, that's lavender, vanilla, stuff like that. Well, for me, it's the dung that comes out of a farm animal's dirty, sweaty body on a 90 degree day," said Roxbury native Greg Breunig, a smile creeping over his sunburnt face. "It brings me peace like nothing else."
Lost days aside, Wisconsinites can count themselves lucky that the smoke cleared when it did. Now, only two days away from the Fourth of July, everyone can rest assured that the holiday's staples will remain intact.
"It rained a bit the other night, which is great — Lord knows we could use it," said Witwen resident Kathy Hoff. "The weather the last while has really had me a bit worried — nobody wants a wrench thrown into things."
Though seemingly referencing the state's near-historic dry streak and its impact on crop growth just before sweet corn season, Hoff had something else in mind. Namely, the rain's positive affect on the sights and smells of her family's annual Independence Day volleyball tournament.
"When someone accidentally hits the ball out of bounds into the cornfield, it holds thing up, so we have a little tradition we do just for fun — whoever hits it out there has to run and get it barefoot," shared Hoff. "As you can imagine, it's much better when there's moisture in the ground. Not only can you smell the manure more all around, but it sticks to your feet better, so it can travel with you. It almost makes me want to hit the ball out on purpose — it sounds like such a treat!"
Though some continue to wear a mask outside out of caution against lingering smoke particles, others, like Madison's Aaron Krause, have decided to take the risk of removing their mask in order to embrace one of the Badger State's most prized stenches.
"I have pretty bad asthma, so I tend to be pretty careful. As much as it sucked to wear an N95 on 85 degree days, I didn't have much of a choice — even my healthy coworkers who chose not to have said they regret it," said Krause, who works in landscaping.
Yet, there are some things that are worth the struggle — like working long hours to support one's family, running into a burning building to rescue an innocent child, or risking lung irritation to breathe in the good shit — literally.
"When I stepped outside yesterday morning, that sweet, funky dirt smell was just strong enough to give me a bit of a whiff through my mask. And that's when I thought 'Dammit Aaron, you've gotta live a little. Really just put your nose in it and let yourself be happy. You deserve it,' remembered Krause, delicately wiping a tear away from his left eye.
The last week has served as a reminder to millions of Wisconsinites who may have found themselves without an eye on what matters. Now, depending on how close one's face gets to the manure, that eye can soon be pink.
Photo courtesy of UW-Extension via CC BY-NC 2.0
Comments