Apart from their intelligence, our children have inherited their father's artistic capabilities augmented by curiosity and a propensity to explore a world of aesthetic devotion to complement their focus on their various choices of professional expertise. In our youngest son's case, as a biologist he loves nature and the out-of-doors to which he was introduced at an early age by us indulging in our own love of the natural world.

Living on the West Coast of this great country he has immediate exposure to nature on a truly grand scale with easy access to the ocean, to mountains and the kind of geological terrain that satisfies the spirit of adventure that he is imbued with. Mountain hiking, canoeing, kayaking, skiing, camping out in wilderness areas all appeal to his bonding with and contemplation of nature.

Yet among his other interests there is the attraction of wood, and working with wood to build pieces of furniture by hand, without modern tools, relying only on antique hand tools to produce finely designed and realized armoires, tables, and lowboys in the style of the 18th and 19th centuries.

And then there is his fascination with pottery. He has belonged to a pottery club for decades, working out of the University of British Columbia. And we have been the grateful recipients of many pieces of pottery that he has produced over the years. Some of them, like pie plates and casserole dishes I use, but many more I do not for fear, through my notorious physical clumsiness born of always working at break-neck speed, of breaking.

This most recent trip in early January that brought him first to Ottawa for a week then on to Newfoundland where he attended an annual conference on his field of science, gifted us with yet another lovely piece of pottery to be treasured, a large bowl with a beautiful blending of finished fired colour that now graces our breakfast room table.