Photos by Barry Hass

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.

Two years ago, I turned 70 – a personal milestone that prompted me to think more than I ever had before about aging, mortality, and how my life is connected to all the other lives around me. The process of creating this image was my way of starting to wrestle with those topics.

I like the way the rhythmic patterns in this picture, as well as the other lines and shapes, play against each other.