Charles E. Burchfield, Journals, March 24, 1937

Morning- Half sunlight from vague misty sky. On my walk hear killdeer, red-winged blackbirds.

P.M. To head of Zoar Valley Country - a fine day - a raw wind from the east, promising snow - down into the “Snow-Remnant Hill” group. The feeling the same as when I first came here (it was indeed on Mar. 24, 1931 when I discovered these hills.) Make studies.

Strike southwards, intending to explore as far as the canyon. While making study of a rock, a blue-bird came to a small tree near me. The heavenly almost miraculous color and quality of this bird is always a newborn delight to me. The loveliness of its blue is incredible. He flew down to a patch of snow as if to pick up something, but grew alarmed & retreated - Then I saw a black spider laboriously crawling over the snow. Again & again the bird tried to gain courage to seize the spider, but always flew back again. A second bird came along, & they both flew away. I lifted the spider, whose movements were growing more & more sluggish, from the snow to a patch of dry grass.

I reached the canyon on the edge of a large sugar bush sooner, than I expected. The snow was still deep here. The spot where I stopped was one of these places in a woods that seems to have something special about it - something that cannot be definitely explained. You stop at a certain place, and everything seems transformed - yet what it is, is hard to discover - a few fine seedlings, some slender beeches and maples, with deeper woods beyond. Snow commenced to fall and the wonder & beauty of the world suddenly seemed too much to endure. 

Charles E. Burchfield, March 24, 1937