Lost Toys

There is something about finding a toy abandoned to the force of nature that brings a piercing sense of loss. On a forested rural property in Northern California, I have found these toys that belonged to children who were born there years before. They are all photographed on site, outdoors, as found, on a slab of old growth redwood, also part of my archeology of this place. Walking in this forest, there are other things to be found. A Volkswagen and an old Chevy truck now converted to wood rat nests; axles and engine blocks; a washing machine. Perhaps most poignant of all is the place we call “The Shaky Shack.” But for now, these toys bring me closest to the inhabitants of this remote site.