I’m lucky to be from a closely-knit family. My sibs and I are not the kind of close where we live on each other’s doorsteps. We’re the kind of close where we “get” each other, we support each other when needed, we share belly laughs when we all get together, and we don’t interfere in each other’s business. We can go weeks or months without seeing each other and nobody gets their tail feathers twisted about that.

Yesterday, we took a drive out to my home town, to have a visit with my brother and sister-in-law. Their home is a 20 minute drive from here. This was our first visit with them since last fall. It was a wonderful afternoon filled with heart-to-heart talks about the things that matter to us, laughter about past memories, and sharing travel experiences.

It was an extremely hot day, so we visited indoors, but I couldn’t resist slipping outside to take some photos of their beautifully lush yard and garden.

My feature photo is of one of two full Clematis Vines. I can seldom resist a close-up of a flower, so …

Vegetable Garden #1 holds several varieties of tomatoes, as well as green beans, peppers, beets, peas, and cucumbers.
The tomato plants are as tall as I am!
Vegetable Garden #2 No shortage of carrots or potatoes

The large building you see in back of vegetable garden #2 is a 1.5 story workshop/guest area my brother is building.

Perennial bed along the back of their property
Creative borders on all sides –
That’s a big stone outdoor fireplace in the centre that my brother and sister-in-law built from scratch
Outdoor patio and dining area

As you can see, they’ve developed quite a haven back there. My only brother takes after my Dad in that he builds absolutely everything himself and does fussy, immaculate work. My sister-in-law is a tiny bit of a thing, but she works hard, right alongside my brother, tending the gardens and even helping him with his construction projects. They’re an amazing couple!

Photo Note: Because I shot the yard photos in the bright afternoon sun (not the best conditions for outdoor photos), I had to dial down the exposure on all of them except the one of the patio.

“True siblings are bound together by far more essential things than blood, while more times than many blood isn’t thicker than water.”

Constantina Maud