Happy Canada Day Birthday Ian!

Today isn't just Canada Day, it's also my youngest's 12th birthday. Ian was born at 10:30 in the evening, around about the time the fireworks would have been going off. Oddly though, he's a very peaceful little creature, not at all fiery.



When he was wee he preferred solitary pursuits, like splashing in puddles.



and playing in the garden.



Here he is at three in a tree in Saskatoon, he's one of the few people in the family that takes a good picture.



His interests have changed a bit over the years. He use to love Lego - lots and lots of it,



and snakes. Though he's less keen on these things now,



he still loves to torment his sister.



When he was younger he had a bit of a fear of dogs. Which was a small part of the reason we added Gus to the family.

Here he is with a five-week-old Gus:



They became good friends in a short time



He became, in time, less low-key as his toddler days. He developed a love of making goofy faces,



and wearing costumes.



And now, instead of collecting Lego, he prefers technology,



and cold, hard cash.



Happy Birthday Ian. I hope your birthday brings lots of what you love best!

Happy Birthday Ian

Today is Ian's birthday, not my son little Ian, but my brother, less little Ian.



Ian is the middle child between Jane (the eldest) and me (the least eldest).



Ian was gifted with a great intellect and he's finished a number of University degrees over the years. He has an impressive ability to understand and appreciate (what I consider to be) the most impossible kinds of art, like Bruckner's music, Blake's poetry and Pollock's painting.



He's also a minimalist which takes a tremendous will - to resist modern culture and it's trappings. Ian lives a spartan (sort of) life - free of knick-knacks, collections and unnecessary possessions. The only excesses are a vast number of friends and maybe a bit of good wine.



And even though he's always refined and dignified,



somehow things often turn into a laugh-riot when he's around.



I think that's a pretty nifty trick.

Happy Birthday Ian!