Photos by Barry Hass

Earlier this week, my good friend Lynn Holbein posted a lovely watercolor of the Boston skyline from the windows of the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston. (You can check out her work at lynnholbein.com.) Here is a different view from those windows. The ICA is currently showing an exhibition on migration, immigration, and displacement through contemporary art. I tried to frame this image to fit that theme. The reflections in the glass make it look like there are a few people on the inside looking out, and a lot of people on the outside looking in. But the division is an illusion. The people who seem to be outsiders are just a reflection of those on the inside.

This gentleman is deep into a game of Eisstockschiessen, also called Bavarian curling, which is played on asphalt during non-winter months. I took this shot in Zell am See, Austria in 1971.

Na Pali is the name of the northwest coast of Kauai, a stunningly beautiful area of high sea cliffs covered with lush vegetation, and cut by deep, narrow valleys and waterfalls. Insatiable sunset chasers that we are, we decided to take the long, twisty road up to Kalalau Lookout one evening, to see the sun set over the ocean from the top of the cliffs. Unfortunately, when we got there, a dense, cottony mist had settled on the coast, completely obliterating the view. We waited around a few minutes, and were about to drive back down, when magically, the wind picked up and the clouds parted just long enough for me to take this shot.

I took this picture somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin while on a road trip through the Midwest in 1971. The original (a slide) is pretty badly deteriorated, but I still like the way the composition depicts a lazy summer afternoon.

For me, Friday night has always been a time to relax, take a deep breath, and count my blessings. May that Friday night feeling stay with all of us throughout the coming year.

Stacked and tied down for winter.

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.