Charles E. Burchfield (1893-1967)

99. lichen; - a delightful woods altogether.

     We drove down thru Glenwood, and up a hill to the west to a point overlooking the Boston Valley, and parked by the road to eat out lunch. A great dark isolated fleet of clouds had assembled in the western sky, blotting out the sun. For a long time it seemed to be motionless, with the yellow strip low on the western horizon, always the same width. But as we watched sunlight began to spread out over a distant wooded ridge; it had the quality of dust - Presently we realized that rain was falling and sun-lit, was a rich golden color - The effects changed rapidly and multiplied so that it was impossible to follow them all - To the north, a heavy golden brown shower was traveling eastward rapidly - to the south the sky was cold, with no sign of sunlight.

     Now a soft roar commenced in the valley to the northwest gradually increasing in volume. Arthur could hardly believe me when I told him it was rain, and seemed to marvel that it eventually proved so, and I though to myself how all my youngsters have been deprived of the experience of common natural events; but perhaps the memory of such an event will linger with him longer for experience it in just the way he did.

     After the shower had passed, we stepped out of the car; the scene to the east was almost supernaturally magnificent and beautiful - At the north-east-east, a gorgeous fragment of a rain-bow grew out of a luxuriant field of corn, in front of which was an oat field, the sky beyond rich blue black, topped with flaming orange salmon-pink clouds; - to the south of this, the whole