Charles E. Burchfield (1893-1967)

Nov. 17, 1939 –; To Otto Cattaraugus etc –During the whole morning and part of the afternoon, my mind was filled with the petty thoughts and problems of everyday life, that I was trying to get away from. It was not until, at midafternoon, I entered the Zoar Valley that I achieved any sort of detachment, or peace, and was able to appreciate the day.; I stopped at the Guthrie (Lou Gables) house, to get some witchhazel (sic) sprays (all day I was collecting material for winter bouquets) The walk up the steep hill, caused me to pant, but when I was coming down, the wide landscape to the south, bathed in the pale watery sunshine of November made the effort worthwhile. ; At the house, I noticed that someone had knocked loose one of the carved brackets that joined the porch posts and roofs. I took it along with me, excusing my vandalism with the thought that it would only moulden (sic) in the ground, or be used as firewood by some tramp.; I stopped on a steep hill, by a spring, for lunch. It was an idyllic interlude. Part way down the hill, the road was framed in by an elm, and woods; the bright afternoon sun cast a sharp shadow from the elm-trunk down and across the road. It was very quiet. ; I drove east of Springville; and at late afternoon