For Leslie Kiefer, Sean O'Hagen and Robert Adams

Life's twists lead on. Leslie sent me links to her winter beeches, a motif I've obsessed over, and to Sean O'Hagen's Guardian piece about long-time favorite Robert Adams, pushing a button unknowingly. Her rhythmical trunks and pale, twisted leaves, and Adams' B&W ways of conveying connections to place connected with me, Nehalem Bay State Park, from This Day, 2009 especially. I revisited recent images made after another unexpected turn.

Expecting to hike in Shenandoah NPA two weeks ago, I pulled into the shopping center meeting place by 8:00 - and found no hikers. Wondering what happened and what to do, I returned to this fallen beech. This accident, the grey winter woods, the tatooed beech body, the silvered day, Leslie Kiefer, Sean O'Hagen and Robert Adams all conspired unwittingly to cause a color photographer go grey.

Series have become my method.