Can You Smell That Smell

[Gn2Dlnd]

Originally Posted by Betty

Corona used to be that way though - with the oranges. I would drive the kids to the sitter and we'd all roll down the windows as we passed the lonely little orange grove back in the hills.

They're all gone now though. They pulled them all up last year then ground them up into piles. It was cold out and the piles were hot from decomposing and you could see huge plumes of steam coming up from them.

This made me sad. I grew up in Corona in the sixties, there was an orange grove at the end of our street. Lots of orange and lemon groves everywhere. I think, because of this, orange blossoms are one of the things that set off my allergies. I remember on cold mornings, they would light "smudge pots" in the groves to keep the frost off the oranges. I suppose the people who watched empty land being turned into citrus groves felt sad about that, as well.

As for the vinegar/salt potato chip smell, last night, on the iPod, here comes Sandra Tsing Loh with her explanation of sodium acetate! Apparently, this is the stuff used to make that flavor. It also has all kinds of industrial uses, including as an additive to concrete, and the active ingredient in portable hand-warmers! So, Im thinking that at that fork in the freeway, there must be some company neutralizing a sulfuric acid waste stream. Mmm, vinegary!