Cold—freezing—snowing all day—
A. M. To Ebenezer to make color sketch of ice formations. A soft warm day of misty sunlight — pleasant to be among the long willow switches by the creek’s edge.
A.M. – Some “fruit shopping” & to Saville’s in O.P. [Orchard Park] to get a corsage for Bertha (chose what they called a Siberian (?) Orchid)
Late P.M. – [Martha, Bertha] & I to Art Institute for the McPherson opening, while Hank took the children to a movie. McPherson’s show very good.
To country below Boston (near NW of Springville [leave 219 at Hill Road to Springville, then by Moore Rd. to Genesee, turn left and then first right hand road.]
A thunderstorm tonight – it reminds me of God and the dignity of life...
A feeling has come over me that I have lost the aimless love of nature I formerly held...
A few studies in the ravines at the base of the hill —but I do not like the atmosphere here, the once wild country overrun with summer cottages built by city people craving the “wilds” and defeating their purpose because all most flock like sheep to the same spot.
I went back to the Park, where curiously the “hand of man” is felt less. Here I found a subject looking down a ravine and painted all afternoon.
To Buffalo, get Sibelius 4th Symphony as a birthday present –
This is a day when I have feelings to which I cannot give expression – vague thoughts & yearnings that are fleeting and transparent as a burning dewdrop expiring in steam on a grass tip –