Fresh Start

The winter solstice—when the sun stops and turns—is always a good time for a review. For what the past year brought, and what the new one portends.

So here’s a look back at my last 12 solar months based on the solstices and equinoxes, which define what I call the “solar quarters” . . .

Solar Quarter 1 (Dec. 21 – March 20)

I launched the final book of my Neander sci-fi time-travel trilogy right after the last winter solstice. That wrapped up three years of writing and learning about Neanderthals, gene editing, quantum mechanics, and all kinds of interesting subjects.

And the response to the book has been strong. As of today, the three-book series has racked up almost 1,000 Ratings & Reviews on Amazon.com (the U.S. store). And even more in other countries and on Goodreads.

Then I immediately started doing research on the next book, which I’d already begun doodling and daydreaming about. See more about that at bottom here.

On the family front, I continued regular Zoom and Facetime sessions with others in my far-flung family: my cousin in Costa Rica (after moving from Germany), another distant cousin still in Germany, my mother in Austin, TX, and my sister and her family in Texas and Maryland—all via emails, texts, Zooms, and phone calls. My wife, Lynn, would poke her head into these online sessions for the occasional guest appearance.

Solar Quarter 2 (March 20 – June 21)

Right at the Spring Equinox, Lynn and I were happy to help old friends Richard and Nancy’s daughter Abby head off on the Apalachian Trail for her 116-mile, multi-day, solo effort through some tricky weather. She made it safely and headed back to L.A., where they all live (and I used to).

Another highlight for me was the start of the outdoor swimming season at my local 50-meter pool on May 15. There’s nothing quite like swimming down a long pool with a few friends who are enjoying the water and swimming along with you.

And a few days before the Summer Solstice, I finalized the motion picture and television developmental rights to my debut historical novel New York 1609. It’s now in the script-writing phase (not by me), and all I can do is wait to see what they come up with. My old swimming pal Richard Marks led the lengthy negotiations on this. Who knew when we both swam around Manhattan island in the early 1980s that he would be helping me with this!

Solar Quarter 3 (June 21 – Sept. 22)

Probably the biggest family news of the year was the wedding of my youngest niece, Kira, in Maryland right after the Summer Solstice. Lynn and I drove up—with our Covid masks—and enjoyed meeting groom Leo’s family and friends, and seeing what young Millennials are all about. Hint: partying!

And I kept up with my new sport: disc golf. I joined the volunteer work force that’s creating a new course at a nearby county park, and I even created my own disc golf course around our property to practice on! So I get regular exercise in a game-like setting. Pretty cool, eh?

Solar Quarter 4 (Sept. 22 – Dec. 21)

The Quarter we’re closing today. I spent this quarter jumping between finalizing my new novel and living the rest of my life. And that included ending my outdoor swimming season. Here I am enjoying an October afternoon of underwater exploring, which will come into play more next summer . . .

And finally, to close off this solar review, I’ll soon be releasing my new novel. It’s a suspense thriller with lots of action and excitement. Here’s a partial peak at the book’s cover:

So, are you excited about a fresh start using the mark of this solstice? I am.

Happy Winter Solstice!

— Harald

P.S. Today, I also replanted a small white pine to another spot on my property. I wanted it to have a new start, too.