DR Question:
How often do you go to parks? Do you have parks near you? If not, do you feel the natural beauty of your surroundings compensates for the lack of parks?
Der Brucer and I have taken the dogs on walks along a trail that stretches from the local state park almost all the way into downtown Rehoboth Beach.
But we're surrounded by countryside. The back yard runs up against a protected marshland, which is fine by us. We have lots of trees and animals. It's lovely here.
Back when we were living in Long Beach, we didn't frequent the parks very often. Sure, when der B and I met I was scorekeeping for a gay softball team, so we'd head over every Sunday for the games (and took the pack that lived with us then along with us). But there wasn't as much need to visit a park in our neighborhood, as it was filled with single family dwellings (they're called "houses") that had front and back yards. We had an avocado tree in the back yard, and plenty of room for the dogs to play in.
Much of Los Angeles County, and Orange County as well, is what is called an "urban forest." There are vast areas where trees line the streets, and grass and bushes abound. While it may seem like much of the land is paved over, the paving is in lines which divide a checkerboard of greenery. And while there are public parklands, communal spaces intended for everyone's enjoyment, there is also much pleasure to be found in the neighborhoods. People take pride in their homes and their communities. It's a far cry from a towering city, where the residents might not even know who their neighbors are.
