After moving to Arlington eight years ago, I have walked in Menotomy Rocks Park almost daily: winter, spring, summer, and fall, no matter what the weather is doing.

"Originally referred to as the "The Devil's Den" Menotomy was established in 1896 when the importance of recreational woods and parklands was supported as part of major public planning initiatives at the local, state, and regional levels." menotomytrail.com

One can easily see the importance of this park and appreciate the vision of those who agreed to protect this land in the 1890s by creating and preserving a natural environmental barrier to counter the potential and what has became the over-development of residential housing which has occurred in the last 50 years. Menotomy also provides wildlife a small refuge and enables people of all ages to use the open fields, woods, and Hills Pond for skating and fishing. This park adds to the natural resources of the town as a and special place to live and visit. Shhhh.... just don't tell too many people about it.

My photographic work in the park unfolds as a form of walking meditation, shaped by attentiveness to subtle shifts that often reveal themselves only through presence. The act of moving through this environment—without predetermined intent—allows moments of quiet transformation to surface, becoming sites of visual inquiry and inspiration.

In this way, I feel a kinship with Henry David Thoreau, whose reflections at Walden Pond similarly emerged from sustained observation and immersion in a specific landscape. While walking the park’s paths with my dogs, I encounter an ever-changing interplay of light, texture, and seasonal variation. These experiences prompt a photographic response that is both intuitive and deliberate—an effort to document not only the physical environment, but also the fleeting sense of wonder and quiet contentment it evokes.

This series is photographed mostly on an Apple iPhone, with a few images made on a Nikon D850. Open-edition, hand-signed archival pigment prints are available for sale. Inquire for pricing, sizes, and availability.