Author: barryhassphoto

Winter is the perfect time for game nights with family and friends.

Named for former Red Sox slugger Hanley Ramirez, Hanley the Hanukkah Cactus has been a mainstay on our sun porch for many seasons. After a couple of low production years, Hanley has surprised us lately with an exuberant outburst of All-Star blossoms. Maybe there’s hope for Hanley Ramirez after all.

These acorns are from a Bur Oak, a species not commonly seen in Massachusetts – except in the Arnold Arboretum in Boston, where I found these.

This building is sometimes called “The Gateway to Boston” because of the way the space under the arches connects the city to the harbor. I never realized how tall those arches are until I stood under them.

The last rays of the setting sun gave the late fall colors along this section of the Charles River a golden glow.

Albuquerque sits on a plateau, about a mile above sea level. The Sandia Mountains rise abruptly and dramatically from the eastern edge of the city, with the tallest, Sandia Peak, more than a mile higher.

When I took this picture from a trail near the summit, it was blustery and mostly cloudy, with temperatures in the 30s and occasional snow flurries. Meanwhile, down in Albuquerque, it was calm and sunny, with temperatures in the 60s.

Because cats are often associated with Halloween, I have tried, with this week’s pictures, to capture the ineffable essence of kittyness.

Northern New Mexico is mostly high desert, with few deciduous trees. But the cottonwoods that line the rivers and arroyos turn brilliant gold in the fall.

The first of these pictures was taken while hiking at Ghost Ranch in Abiquiu. The second was taken from the shoulder of route 84, a few miles to the south.

My favorite time of year to walk in the woods. In fact, my favorite time of year, period. I took this last week at the Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary in Natick, Mass.