Oh that smell

 A thick stand of camphorweed, Heterotheca subaxillaris, grows along the Yellow River just south of the Rockbridge. You can’t miss the identification. Break off a twig, and the odor will put you back in grandmother’s medicine cabinet.

Camphorweed grows across North America, often in sandy places. In Texas, you see it near the beaches on the coast and in the uplands where longleaf pine grows. In Georgia, the Yellow River moves sand around, creating some nice habitats.

The stand I saw was blooming — loads of yellow flowers on dusty green, belt-high plants.

Campho-Phenique, a combination of camphor and phenol, has been around since 1884. My mother and grandmother used it for general first aid, covering everything from fever blisters to bug bites. I spent a good part of my childhood slathered in it.