I found the remains of this old truck in the woods where I walk. (Notice the bullet holes in the passenger door.) I assume it is evidence of logging activity in the area decades ago. The truck appears to have been damaged in action. It may have been on an old wooden bridge which collapsed. There is almost no trace of the structure left. The vehicle is hidden down in a creek bed. Passers by would not necessarily notice this scene from the past as it is well below the trail.  It has probably gone unnoticed for years. One cannot see the body of the truck from the trail and in fact I only observed it on my second trip to document the scene. I had to walk down into the creek bed to see it. The body is completely crushed and hidden from view by an enormous granite boulder. This scene is on the North side of the ridge and it is a very dark, cold place in the fall receiving very little sunlight.

The story behind the truck is unknown and it sparked my curiosity. What happened here? The story may never be known. The decay of this man-made object is in sharp contrast to the natural surroundings. It’s an unexpected thing to see in the woods. This source of contrast both visually and metaphorically is inspiring. I am drawn to understanding the forgotten because we all share in this sense of isolation and abandonment in our culture today.

Oddly enough, a heron was waiting for me in the creek when I returned to take the pictures.  Sometimes I am compelled to do the LOVE work in places that surprise me. I may not understand the significance of the work at the time of photography but the creative act always seems to speak to me in some way over time. Creativity is about shaping our stories and it is an ongoing process of personal discovery and insight.

Red trucks

forgotten in childhood

now rest in nature’s timeless memory

Used

Crushed

Abandoned

Hidden relics of an industrious and distant past

time bears the greatest weight

on the lingering remains

of all our little red trucks