Shortly after I posted my husband went up to the ravine where everyone dumps compost materials...leaves/grass/branches. The strong odor is coming from that area the worst. So maybe leaves that came out of a ditch smelling? Hope it settles down. Worse case our honeysuckle will bloom and its fragrance will be appreciated!

Are you near a farm? Sometimes the fertilizer can smell bad. Are you out in the country? Sometimes an animal dies. Also, if you have bushes like Russian Olive, they seem to smell good when they first bloom, then it gets bad.
It really shouldn't be smelling much if its just compost materials. If it continues smelling, you might call a local official to have it looked at.

Yes country...our private lake borders a farm. Just puzzling that the worst smell comes in the evening when the dampness from the lake settles in.

Though the ravine compost area also borders the farm...so maybe it is coming from that direction.

You would think if something dead...it would funk worse on the heat of the day.

Not sure they pushes over the compost pile today or not. It was "work day" where ones cleaned up around the lake association properties and the senior residents get their ditches cleaned by the younger generation in here. If it continues...I'll call the health department I recon. Shame we can't enjoy the back patio come evening.

That's a real bummer cadillactaste. I would definitely call the health department if it doesn't ease up soon. I feel the same way when we're trying to enjoy the peacefulness of nature on the deck, and our neighbor is riding his motocross cycle through his woods. :(
Let me know how this turns out for you.

Catherinet...we've lived here 23 years and this has never happened. So it is extremely puzzling. This is why I thought it was the waterfall...which we put in last fall. It is the only thing "different".

But the smell was stronger up near the compost area as I mentioned. I keep thinking...something dead smells worse in the heat of the day...not when the temps drop and the lake moisture comes in and the air gets damp.

The one lake guy pushed the compost over last night...so we'll see if that helps.

Is it possible that during the day a wind may be blowing the odor away from your property and during the evening, the wind becomes calmer allowing you to catch a whiff of it? I hope that no one is composting a body.

Never thought if that...could be. I know several are commenting. One man who stopped down at our house. Grew up here and never moved away. Said it smelled like dead to him as well.

I am curious is something could have gotten caught in a mower...and is in the cuttings. Of someone's bagged grass they dump there. Thus it is buried in the compost and not laying in the open. When it gets damp it funks?

Who knows...we'll see what tonight brings.

Have you had any flooding lately? I noticed that after half of our property floods, things die and might start smelling.

This is sort of funny........We have a long lane and the other morning my husband left for work and immediately called back....."There's a deer head in our drive". Some idiot dumped a deer carcass over a bridge bordering our property last fall and it got caught on bushes. I think the flood may have brought the head close to our drive. I went to move it and ewwwwwwwwwwww......what a stench. Fortunately, the turkey vultures took care of it.
I'm wondering if there is a dead animal mixed in with some of that stuff in your ravine? Any turkey vultures circling around overhead?
Or.....did anything like a small animal fall into your pond?

We have a vanishing waterfall. So no "pond" but a puddle at the bottom. Enough for the birds to bathe in...but not enough to temp our dogs to take a swim. We have the lake view and beach area to take them swimming when we want to deal with wet dogs.

I must say...past two nights haven't been as bad. Not sure if something was tossed into the compost area that was dead...or the smell just finally ran its course. Barely detected last night. I was out until 7:30 tonight but nothing...so who knows. Just glad the scent has faded for the most part.

No flooding in our parts either. Who knows...we have coyotes maybe one took down a deer or something on the farm near us. Seems strange they pushed over the compost and the smell left or faded to where we can sit out and barely notice.

Think a squirrel or something may have been mowed into the grass bag? Though neighbors all say it had to be something much larger to smell that bad.

They also said during the day they smelled it up their way...and faded in the evenings. So definitely the wind was a factor.