B & I to Gowanda Country – a bright clearing day after the heavy showers of last night.
Took the road straight south after leaving Hamburg instead of Route 62 – a delightful winding road thru wildish country. Redwings – Bobolinks – (Bobolinks and windblown dandelions reed).
Lunch at a diner in Gowanda, then to the northern edge of the canyon, along the S. Quaker St. Road. Park by high tension lines.
Studies of dead chestnuts – climb to grove. The dogwood tree in full bloom. Exploring eastward. More dogwoods, yellow oxalis, & fringed polygala. Strange bunches of glutinous flowers on fungus on young cedars (or arbor vita?) –
A fine cool windy day – the clump of silver poplar saplings half out in leaf, a pale silvery greenish white, against the distant blue. Sheep sorrel coming into bloom –
Eastward towards Zoar Valley. The rolling hills (of the “Snow Remnant” Country.) – The grove – marvelous effect – raw yellow green foliage sunlit, foremost trees (slender second growth a rich grayed warm violet, interior trees jet black – floor of the woods rich with wild geranium, foam flower, wood betony, and trilliums.
Thru Zoar Valley – north to Genesee Road, east to Boston Springville road, & north. Stop and get some trilliums where there are literally thousands.
We came home aglow, and felt that this was our anniversary trip.
Charles E. Burchfield, Journals, May 21, 1946