This is my annual post on the Winter Solstice. The day when it all shifts, astronomically speaking. The point after which the short, dark days begin to grow longer and brighter. A reboot, if you will.

Interesting term: “reboot.” It originally comes from the 18th-19th centuries, having to do with tall boots and the small straps at the top to help pull them up. Boot straps. Fast forward to the world of computing in the mid-20th century where a tiny bit of code told the computer to load the rest of the operating system. This was jokingly called the “bootstrap loader.” You were “booting” the system. And if you did it again, you were “rebooting.” Basically, you were restarting the computer.

So here we are rebooting the solar year at the end of 2025. And here’s some of my rebooting, both creative and personal . . .

Writing & Publishing

As I mentioned earlier, after I finished the screenplay adaptation of my first NEANDER book, I started working on an illustrated version of it. I’m not counting on the story being made into a Hollywood movie, but I can count on it becoming a book. That I can control.

But it’s been challenging. My first crack at the images felt lacking, so I ran them—and the script—past a couple of people in the movie-making biz, and the opinions were uniform: “not good enough.” So I went back to the digital drawing board.

Still using Midjourney AI as my base, I developed a better workflow that combined smarter prompting with more manual drawing work in Photoshop. Here’s a snapshot of my desk during all this:

And here’s an example paperback spread from Act Two using this workflow (the paperback images will be one-color B&W; haven’t decided if I’ll colorize the ebook versions):

I’m anticipating criticism for mixing text and visuals in a screenplay (which has very strict conventions), but I don’t care. I see it as a new hybrid format that’s more immersive as a pure storytelling medium.

So what’s next after I finish and publish this illustrated screenplay? I’m taking a look at AI filmmaking. Why not?!

Sports & Fitness

While taking a short winter break from swimming, I stepped up my disc golf game. I play at least twice a week at the local courses, and I’m having a ball doing it, even when it’s freezing outside.

Here’s a quick 2025 disc golf summary:

And I even get to be a little creative. Here are some improvements I made to my adopted “75 Feet” at a nearby course:

Around House & Home

Fall allowed me time to appreciate our 5-acre property:

• Loving the colors out a bathroom window:

• After clearing out a messy area in the front yard, I decided to give it a creative flair. I drove to a stone store and loaded up with smooth river rocks (the local river was lacking). Then I outlined the area with them. I’m still deciding what to do in the middle of the cleared area (note that the stump of the white oak I made a video about is at top right):

• After the devastating fires in Los Angeles in January 2025, I stumbled onto the effort to restore a wall mural in Pacific Palisades, where I used to live. And I tracked down one of the mural’s original artists, Cathy Salser (pictured), who took the time to find my name among the other 1980’s sponsors. I donated again, and she wrote: “If you’re ever out this way to visit, please let me know. It would be special to meet at the mural :-).” Will do!

Friends & Family

• Nearby friend Peter is occasionally surprised by wandering cow Earl outside his kitchen window:

• My extended family has been adding on. Niece Kira and husband Leo welcomed Lyla Mae in May to join sibling Justin Duke:

• And sister Karen & Mike adopted and rescued Skye, a sweet Great Pyrenees puppy.

• And I still do regular Zooms with my German cousin Thomas in Costa Rica, and am keeping up my connections with faraway friends like Martin in Oslo, Rich in Canada, and Tim & Laura and Richard & Nancy in L.A. Plus close-by friends like Gilles and Gerry. Maintaining social connections.

So let the rebooting of the solar year begin!

Happy Winter Solstice.

— Harald