The front garden -

We enjoyed our visit with my sister Charlotte and her partner C.J. in Grants Pass, Oregon this last weekend. They've begun restoring a third of an acre and a 1950's house - it was our first time to see their new/old home since they moved in last summer. We admired how much work they've done already and noted the daunting amount still ahead of them. The house and yard, once a showcase, had fallen into disrepair as the previous owner aged and didn't maintain it. A creek runs through this front garden, there's a greenhouse in back, and a large back lot where they will grow vegetables. They've begun planting fruit trees, and will spend much of this summer building up the soil before they do more planting. In a few years this place will be as lush and productive as the garden they left behind when they moved - but for now they're a bit overwhelmed with what they've taken on.