Charles E. Burchfield (1893-1967)

97. yellow flowers growing by the road. Here a woods, by the road, with dark interior, cut by white slits of sky thru the tree trunks, attracted me - a hedge of goldenrod added to the interest and altho I tired, I started work. My first attempt failed, and I started another one 0 Bright sunlight had prevailed when I started, but now a heavy blanket of cloud spread out from the west. The sinister mood of the woods was heightened thereby, but now rain threatened - I set up my umbrella, but I soon saw that a real storm was coming - the sky behind the woods grew deep blue-black, and the rumbling of thunder was incessant. I just had time to collect my materials without any order at all, and scurry into the car before the torrent commenced. The heavy rain clouds closing down swiftly toward the east, formed a rapidly shrinking lunette, in which great dark thunderclouds on a light sky, seemed tossed every which way by the whim of some giant. - The whole solidly streaked by grey-violet rain; a low woods in the middle ground with deep shadows, and violet trunks.

     I noticed, by the road, that little grasshoppers had taken shelter on some goldenroad (sic?). Each one had clasped firmly the main stem, with his head up + under a curving leaf, touching it.

(Sketch in margin of grasshopper on stem)

     After the main violence of the storm had subsided, I drove on a little way, to a point where I had an unhindered view to the northwest. An oatsfield, with shocks rich orange brown from the rain, a deep woods beyond - The mystery (still unexplained) why thunder after a storm has passed has such a different sound [i]