Jan. 27 – Friday –
Bertha and Martha shopping for food – they went to Your Host for lunch first.
Late P.M. – B called Sally (Sally had called yesterday saying her asthma was worse + wondered what medicines I used. We suggested Norisodrine. S said she had been to a doctor + he gave her adrenalin shots which had no effect – he also gave her some pills + capsules + a prescription for the Norisodrine - the latter helped her, but its effect on her heart frightened her – I told B to call her she had taken too much, but that there would be no permanent issues.
In the midst of the call, Harold Olmsted arrived with a friend, Lon Kessler a stimulating visit. Mr. Kessler said he had a large wood, some of it virgin forest north of East Otto near the Cattaraugus Creek. The very words ‘Virgin forest’ thrilled me and I longed to be able to visit it. He said he often left his house (a rambling farm house) for several days at a time – he would turn all the water off as a precaution, when he got home he would turn on the electric blanket in his bed, build fires in the fireplaces + stoves, then go to bed and sleep warmly in the blanket. An interesting man. He prided himself on guessing the exact week in the month when a picture of mine was painted. The only one he got right was the “White Violets under a Pine Bow” – the Purple Scarlet + Gold he guessed as the first week in October (I myself was not too sure but I think it was late September, but I must look it up in my journal) –
The Cherry-Blossom Snow he thought was several weeks in June – But even in New York State, the time would have to be May.
Charles E. Burchfield, Journals, January 27, 1959