Charles E. Burchfield, Journals February 27, 1911

This has been a splendid day. This morning began with a cold sky overcast with grey low-hanging clouds which are driven across the sky by a cold refreshing breeze from the northwest. All morning the clouds, grey tipped with yellow raced across the sky, growing more scattered; the bending and swinging bare trees and winter weary fields and lawns were flooded with sunlight every few minutes; now and then broad expanses of blue appear in the grey, rich and deep.

To-night I was at my usual spot and watched a sunset form. All afternoon the grey yellow edged clouds had been sweeping in endless procession across the sky; the sun, when he came out, was intensely bright and blinding. Gradually a great mass of black clouds formed and ascended the sky threateningly and slowly; just as it begins to hide the flaring sun, its whole top was crowned by a quivering streak of silvery white, so intense in its brightness that it blinded the eye and made the cloud bank deep black in comparison. All around was yellowing grey clouds and pale blue sky; dawn below a passing freight sent up clouds of dull white against the black. Gradually the silver streak turned to pale yellow and then dull orange, the cloud broke up and the sun sank lower. Presently another cloud bank arose over the distant wood and as the sun slowly sank behind it, it became bright vivid gold; the color hung there, turning to a deep orange as the sun went lover down.  The whole sky behind the clouds became a pale orange; suddenly at the base of the cloud, a bright streak appeared, rapidly widening into a broad patch of orange, into which the sun, a living coal of golden fire dropped and disappeared again behind the clouds, and the whole sky was covered with orange brown and yellow clouds. Presently a tiny red streak between the trees of the forest attracted me; gradually it widened into a ball of deep red, with black clouds above and below; slowly it dropped down diminishing to a tiny speck, finally being swallowed by the black; the sky was strangely light for a long time after.

 After supper as I was studying my lessons, we suddenly heard someone whistling and then stamping on the porch. We all hastened down and met Bill and Joe in the hall, greeting each other noisily. Both were so tired they could hardly move, Bill was especially tired and went home at once. We asked Joe all kinds of questions as was natural, but he soon went to bed. He brought down three jabots for Mother and the girls.

Charles E. Burchfield,   Monday, Feb. 27, 1911