harald johnson

author, creator, mighty fine swimmer

solstice

Summer Breeze

— by 2 Comments

field of dreams
Even though I shot this photo in April, it was starting to feel like summer to me. See the grass moving and undulating with the breeze?
There’s a lyric line in the 1972 song “Summer Breeze” by Seals & Crofts that goes: Summer breeze, makes me feel fine; blowin’ through the jasmine in my mind. (Can you hear it in your head? I can. Find it online if you need a reminder.)

The song captures the feeling of a summer day. A mood. Of long days, long swims and hikes, and the end of long days of writing my latest novel.

Here are some highlights leading up to today’s Summer Solstice . . .

[Read more…] about Summer Breeze

Solstice Spinning

— by 4 Comments

Today is the Summer Solstice!
Today is the Summer Solstice!
The earth spins through its seasonal cycles because of its 23.5-degree tilt off the vertical of its orbital axis. In plainer words, it leans over as it rotates every 24 hours and as it revolves once a year around the sun. And when that lean reaches its maximum tilt toward El Sol, that’s when we hit the Solstice, the longest day of the year. We in the Northern Hemisphere call it “summer.”

Here are some recent highlights of the lead up to summer 2023 for me so far . . .

[Read more…] about Solstice Spinning

Fresh Start

— by 4 Comments

winter solstice
Today is the Winter Solstice!
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” . . .

[Read more…] about Fresh Start