Charles E. Burchfield, Journals, February 11, 1965

A little cooler – cloudy with yellow rifts in the sky, and occasional transitory flashes of sunlight –
Bertha & I for a drive to the Gowanda and Big Woods country –

Intended lunching at the Gowanda Hotel but forgot that it had been burned out – Nothing remained but the sycamore trees by the stream, the largest one charred almost to the top –

Had our lunch therefore at the “Main Diner” All booths taken so we sat at the counter. We had barely started when the waitress told us a booth was available so we moved there. A little courtesy that made us feel good.
After lunch headed for the Big Woods – At the railroad we were held up by a freight train that went back and forth several times, just, we both agreed to annoy us automobile drivers! However it was refreshing to see closely these infinitely varied freight cars, which I loved and painted years ago, especially in this March-like (Vorfrühling) weather – (A number of box-cars “Pittsburg and Shawmut R.R. Co.”)

Our drive by the Big Woods, and homeward via Rte 75 a delightful one – Spring is in the air.

After we arrived home to studio for a while. Got out the enlarged drawings of the “Great Snow-Bank Melting” – I had two, one that would be suitable for a 48 x 60 mounted – the other for 45 x 54 – I want to try to stick to the latter –

Turned on the Toronto Music hour just in time to get their broadcast of the new [Ernest] Ansermet version of the Sibelius Fourth. [conducting L’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande] It matched my mood perfectly – especially for this great snow-bank idea – I begin to dream of it.

But there are so many distractions

A letter from Joe Walker in which he wants certain information on various things, and hints, at a “Burchfield Center” becoming the final repository of my works “for educational purposes” this to keep taxes from eating the whole estate — However this goes farther that [sic] I want to go with the college, so my mind is in a turmoil — If only it all could be concluded and forgotten – I feel however if anyone can bring order out of this confusion, Joe Walker is the man.

Evening music – Played on our set, the new Sibelius fourth – It sounds so much better than via radio I had to hear it again.

So many critics by-pass this wonderful music by calling it “enigmatic” – a barren grayness” – How is it possible for anyone to miss the agony and tragedy that runs through the whole symphony? And if this is so, why is it so unutterably beautiful? It is pure music, but for me it has so many implications, - hard to define – of course it is enigmatic, all great art has its secrets–; it has all the deep mysteries of the earth and its environs – For me, the agony of the old primitive earth stirring restlessly at the beginning of spring; something tremendous is going on in the earth, but I do not know what.

At the end of the third movement, a soul could be standing before God on Judgement day, knowing in his heart that he had failed to qualify – the desolation expressed in this music could be that of the Soul, whom God is about to abandon and forget.
Charles E. Burchfield, February 11, 1965