Backyard Days

When I moved to Cambridge one of my favorite features of the apartment was the little back yard. As a child my father always kept a garden and to this day, every summer his garden is an oasis in my parent’s backyard. When I visit my father, he always takes me for a walk around his backyard upon my arrival. He shows me everything he has planted, telling me to taste this or smell this. I have many fond memories of my father and this is one of them.

Backyard Bike, 2010 © Traverse Day Robinette

With this new backyard it was now my turn to try my hand at gardening. My first summer I didn't have a whole lot of time to commit besides watering what was already growing. It was an interesting patch of land because tenets before me had planted a variety of flowering perennials. Throughout the summer each plant took its turn by becoming the center of attention in this backyard jungle.

Summer White Flower, 2010 © Traverse Day Robinette

A jungle is what I imagine my backyard to be every time I went out to water or till the soil. I never knew what I would find under the leaves of a plant or crawling in the soil.

Coming home after work and spending time in the garden became a daily ritual for me. I quickly learned how relaxing it is to work with the earth and getting dirty as you watch your efforts grow.

Garden Worm, 2011 © Traverse Day Robinette

Needless to say by late summer, my overgrown garden was truly a jungle. I didn’t do much weeding this first summer because so many of the plants were new to me. If it started growing I gave it a chance and left it alone. Most of the plants growing I had no clue what their proper names were. Like most explorers, I called them by what the plant resembled. The Firework Weed grew in abundance. I'm sure it is a weed but it became one of my favorite plants in the jungle.

Firework Weed, 2010 © Traverse Day Robinette

Summer came and went, so did the jungle. Winter has a way clearing the canvas to my little piece of paradise. Of all the seasons’ winter is by far my favorite. Because of winter and its bone chilling cold, it makes warmer times that much more special. I love the crocus for the triumph it represents to winter’s end as a sign to spring’s arrival and the warmer days to follow. With this sign I know the jungle will soon return.

Crocus, 2011 © Traverse Day Robinette

Somewhere Between Here and There

I use to find the best way for me to connect with nature was to hike as fast as I could. I had this idea if I travel a great distance I would experience nature better by seeing more. All this rushing proved to be, I was missing out on all the woods had to offer. I now take hours to travel the distance of a mile. I spend more time looking at and appreciating my surrounds. Being still is becoming part of the environment. Slowing myself down even more I journal about each image made. Thinking more about what I’m looking at and what the scene looks like before and after exposure, instead of capturing and moving on. Not only do I record the light and my settings, but also how I feel at that moment with all that is happening around me. It is a time for me to connect with nature and a time to disconnect from everyday life. 

 Noon Hill Reservation2011 © Traverse Day Robinette

I search for places close to Boston that make you feel miles away. Most of the reservations are quite small.  All of the woods I visited are second generation growth. These places were cleared for farming and now new growth has taken over. I think these small parcels of land are just as important as the grandeur of any mountain or ocean. The beauty in this ordinary landscape is overwhelmingly powerful. Every tree, rock, twig, puddle is special and important. A puddle deserves the same attention as an ocean. 

 Rock Woods Reservation 2011 © Traverse Day Robinette

Cooks Canyon 2011 © Traverse Day Robinette

Underneath the canopy a complexity of layers unfolds and envelops me. I find my way through these layers by working out the patterns of the trees and undergrowth. Letting my gaze drift through this maze of layers I try to find spaces where there is an opening, looking for a way out at the same time finding enjoyment in being lost. 

Cooks Canyon 2011 © Traverse Day Robinette

Middlesex Fells 2011 © Traverse Day Robinette

The Flood

Old TV, 2009 © Traverse Day Robinette

What Did You Say, 2009 © Traverse Day Robinette

 I Said There Is A Flood On The Way, 2009 © Traverse Day Robinette

 Sad Donkey, 2009 © Traverse Day Robinette

 Big Boat, 2009 © Traverse Day Robinette

 Rainbow, 2009 © Traverse Day Robinette

Starting to Share

Crane Castle, 2009 © Traverse Day Robinette

Winchester Street Bathroom, 2010 © Traverse Day Robinette

Unicorn, 2011 © Traverse Day Robinette