More than a photo of a man and his dog.....

Why am I running to raise money for Cancer Research next weekend?

Nigel was a very modest man. I didn't see him often because he lived most of his working life in Canada and I lived in Switzerland, but we had some wonderful family holidays in Nova Scotia, and spent some time making sand-castles with small children on this particular beach.

Nigel was a man of simple tastes. He loved walking his dogs and bird-watching. This photo just sums him up.

I knew Tom was a good photographer, but it was only when I recently visited Nova Scotia, that I saw the breadth of Tom's work. He took many subjects, mainly of nature and wildlife, and filed them all meticulously. The family home is full of random pictures, all breath-takingly poignant.

I picked out this one and had it framed - it will always be with me. Nigel is forever walking his dog on the beach, and Tom is there, unseen in the background, observing the world and seeing its beauty.

My brother and my nephew were lost to cancer within two years of each other. Life is too short and we need to be reminded that we should stop, smell the salt in the sea, listen to the relentless waves and feel the breeze on our faces.