[burfog]

I am serious, aside from minor personal details being changed. (different animal, etc.)

The pond is so that the kids can go fishing out in the back yard. They don't need transportation, they can be watched from the house, they can have friends over, and there is no performance pressure to catch fish before it is time to go home. They can float on the pond with a canoe or a makeshift raft.

Having a little creek is fine too. Kids can build damns, dig for crawfish, catch frogs, pan for gold, make waterwheels, and so on.

The kids can camp in the backyard, complete with a campfire. The larger back yards have room for shooting.

The point really is personal land to enjoy.