I water the plants every couple of nights in summer, takes 10 minutes. Mowing the lawn takes 30 minutes every couple of weeks. A small exchange of time to have a backyard for the dogs to play in and to have fresh tomatoes. As a bonus, I refuse to water grass, so I rarely mow in the dry Seattle summers (worry not, it comes back just fine when the rain starts in November). This Indiana boy feels kind of stupid mowing in December, though.

Outsource? Bah, I grew up mowing acres so I can manage my lot that is measured in square feet. I'm not paying someone for a task that takes 30 minutes. What's next, pay to have someone load the dishwasher? There is no mower maintenance: it's battery-powered.

Pools? I know of one house within a several mile radius of my own house that has a pool. It's right down the street, the dogs and I walk past it all the time. I've never seen anyone in it, and I'm not even sure that they fill it with water anymore. It's Seattle, you'll never use a pool.

Playgrounds? The park 400m from my house always has someone using it even in the dark and rainy Seattle winter. The wide gravel trail a block from my house always has traffic. Even during a run at 5 a. m. on a dark, rainy December morning, the mutt and I will see someone out there on the trail.

Maybe it's Seattle, maybe it's just my neighborhood, but folks do get outside and utilize what's available to them.