There is a park sitting in this backyard. Let me repeat - there is a PARK sitting in this backyard! Why am I the only one excited about this? You're all sitting around shmoozing over lunch and i am simultaneously at someone's home and at a park! This is incredible!! So maybe it's just a huge backyard but it definitely has the park de jour...still there's something missing...hang on...it'll come to me...
ah, there it is. Essential different between enormous backyards and parks:
1. no crumbs left behind from picnics
2. no other doggy smells to discover
3. no other friends to play with
In other words, gorgeous lonely landscape.
The expensive lawn furniture isn't stocked with pee-mail, the grass isn't hiding left-over food, and i'm just lying here quietly next to you until you're ready to leave (and also just in case you drop some food.)
So while it must be nice to live with the luxury of a park-sized yard, nothing takes the place of hearing "Gracie, you wanna go to the park?" everyday and both of us slipping into the sanctuary of friends and laughter that we find there...
plus the dropped food!