Charles E. Burchfield, Journals, January 15, 1911

     This morning Jim remarked to me. “Winter is really here.”  It is.  I have been trying to put aside the idea and hope for snowless sunshiny weather, tho I wanted it cold enough to freeze.  Yesterday wasn’t so bad for it had gotten much warmer, but the snow is what I don’t like for it prevents brisk walking afield.  Yesterday after dinner I did go for a walk.  I chose the same course on the way out as I took the other evening.  When I started out, snow began to fall, and it kept up all afternoon just enough to make it nice.  In the Locust grove in Bentleys as I was coming up the lane and Peter-bird began to sing.  As I listened I declared to myself it was the most beautiful song of bird I ever heard, for it stirred within me a feeling of Spring.  Yes, I am thinking of Spring even now.  I can’t help it when I hear a Peter-bird, no matter if it is snowing and cold and only January.  As I came up he flew down in the hollow by the “Old Mine” sending back his beautiful notes.  Presently his curiosity got the better of him for he came flying back peering at me as he flew ahead from bush to bush as I advanced.  Soon he left me.

     All along here were ski-tracks, and when at the end of Bentley’s I heard a sharp report as of an axe driven in a tree, I thought some redoubtable boy scouts were abroad.  However, I saw no one and started across the deep hollow between Forker’s and Bentley’s.  Here I heard a louder report in the Beech Grove on the north side of Forker’s.  Thither I turned and entered the woods.  Something about this woods seemed to impress me, more than it ever had before.  Somehow the white gaunt beeches to trees seemed grander taller and more mysterious than ever before.  And they seemed more beautiful - to look down thru the woods and see the white rugged trees, seemingly arranged in fold upon fold, some of them covered with white yellow leaves, a pleasing contrast to the gray sky and whitened ground.

     Again, I heard the report, now from the north; I looked and saw no-one.  Then I knew it was some phenomenon of nature, but I couldn’t see what.  Suddenly and especially loud one sounded in the hollow and then three or four of varying degrees of loudness sounded in different parts of the woods.  I went to the edge of the hollow thinking it might be ice in the stream cracking.  The banks here in places were frozen solid with ice but the stream itself was hidden with snow.  While I was looking down here at a report from a Beech-tree near me.  At last I had it!  Or at least I think so.  My explanation is that the reports were the result of the sudden rise in temperature after being so cold.  As I went on thru the woods, I could hear the reports on every side and when I got away from the Beeches, I heard them no more.

     After proceeding a way along the hollow, I decided to set northwards intending to come home by way of Post’s – woods.  I had come to where the main hollow in North hollow came together.  Here I saw a black and white warbler, who flew away at my approach after several sharp cries.  I had a hard time crossing North Hollow whose side are very steep.  If I had my kid gloves on I didn’t want to use my hands any.  I presently found myself in the stream bed.  Here, above a mass of icicles which hung down from a rock I found a lot of False Solomon’s Seal berries in good condition.  I picked a bunch to take home and proceeded to climb the other side.  It was hard to do so without using my hands, but I soon was up in the Field of the Seven Trees.  Almost to the Painter Road I decided to turn back and go home by way of Bentley’s.  This I did and as I was now facing the wind, by the time I got home I had acquired quite a glow.

Almost all of yesterday, except for my walk, I put in in sketching wild flowers.  At nine o’clock I went to the depot to meet Louise.  It was snowing pretty hard then and so if it was from the east, I thought it meant something.  This morning however it is cleared off and bright.  The weather is just right now to suit me, but as the wind has veered around to the north-west again, I suppose tomorrow will bring some more “zero weather”.

Charles E. Burchfield, Monday Jan 15, 1911 - 7:30