It has been a dreamy summery day today, balmy breeze with temperatures bordering on hot, endless sunshine under a powdery azure dome. An ideal day for the national holiday “Victoria Day”.

To Canadians, Victoria Day signifies the beginning of summer and the arrival of warmer, greener days. This day marks the birthday of Queen Victoria, who was the ruling monarch at the time of Canada’s birth as a country in 1867.

This celebration of the iconic British queen began in 1845 when the Canadian government announced Victoria’s birthday on May 25 as a national holiday. It wasn’t however until after Queen Victoria died in 1901 (she had been the longest-reigning royal at 60 years on the throne) that the holiday was fully solidified in the country as an official holiday. In 1952, Canada redesigned the celebrations for the Monday preceding May 25.

What made Victoria Day special this year was an unanticipated reunion with Mr. Justice Alan S. Diner and his 22-year old son Justin. They had thoughtfully arranged to connect with us on their way to a private function to be held in Ottawa tomorrow. Within the 2-hour period that we sat together at table on the clubhouse patio overlooking the fairway, we succeeded to recapitulate our out-of-date recollections of the Diner family with whom we’ve had the pleasure over the past 32 years to associate in Ottawa, Almonte and Anna Maria Island.

As I mentioned to Alan upon his arrival at the golf club today, he is looking progressively more and more like Mr. Justice James Knatchbull Hugessen for whom Alan clerked at the beginning of his legal career. Meanwhile Justin is visibly confronting a multitude of promising possibilities in the unfolding of his own impending career. I shared with him my heartfelt conviction that Justin’s patent resources (good looks, brains, wonderful family and initiative) will stand him in good stead whatever he decides – though I certainly acknowledge the debate and consternation surrounding these arbitrations.

Together we gratified our mutual adoration of technical time pieces as we considered the many features of the Garmin fēnix 7 Pro Sapphire Solar, 47 mm Multisport GPS Smartwatch with Built-in Flashlight and Solar Charging Capability that he sported. Justin could not have spoken more favourably of his choice of modern watch. My parter outright closed the door on what he called my whimsical profligacy (or words to that effect). Once again I am realigned to the likes of Bulova. And natively I am persuaded to remain confined to Apple products if for no other reason than uniformity.

Although Alan is far from retirement, today’s infrequent conference is a poetic reminder of the speed at which time suddenly passes. We pondered the inevitable changes wrought by time and aging, a common process which unglamorously resembles a flourishing then diminishing weed. In all there is but one conclusion: Keep moving!