Plethora is one of the most misused words in the English language. I know this because of the extensive surveys I've done on the subject. Other words often used incorrectly are ironic, cleft lip, and psychiatrist. Plethora actually means too many, and not the widely believed “many.” Therefore when I say a plethora of smells, I refer to there being too many smells. Some are good and some are bad, and some of the worst are the ones that come out of Matt. ( I don't think he'd be mad I'm saying this. His methane excretions are more a matter of hilarity and pride in his eyes.)
In springtime Oregon we've passed fragrant flowers and pungent plants. I'd say the plants are more like factories, but I wanted to make use of my alliterative abilities. I noticed a theme. Every factory we passed brought the urge to hold our collective breath, which proves to be very difficult while riding a bike, and push through the pain. There's a basic system of smells, and it's far easier to produce a bad one than a good one.
My favorite smells were those of campfires, fresh muffins, allergenic roses, and nightly dinner. My least favorite were road kill, dirty jerseys, Matt's digested food, and a particular factory along St. Helens Road - It was mostly bad with a hint of sweetness, which made it far worse than anything else. Here's to far more fires and far less factories, but no factory fires. That would be the worst.
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