The Backyard is The Real Thing...

The Real Stuff Happens Off Stage.
If the saying “All The World is A Stage” is true, then I choose to view what is behind the scene.

One of my favorite creations I made in a back yard.
I created this bench, arbor, and firpit in a backyard I had in Beaverton, Oregon.
This back yard, and neighborhood perfectly represented what this blog is all about...
The Real life happens in the back yard!

It seems more and more people really attempt to put on a performance when they know others can see them. I prefer watching people when they are relaxed, and doing what they do without a known audience… Or more appropriately, when they know they are fully visible, but do not care one bit.

Have ya ever noticed that inside cars, or in backyards are perfect places for people to go about their lives without acting as if they are needing to put on some sort of performance?


In October, when I needed to take my computer in for repairs, I got a much-needed view of some real-life people behaving as nice, kind, caring, loving, happy humans. So much of the “performance” people in Vegas put on daily is the exact opposite. So many people in Vegas seem to think they need to act rude, violent, hateful, mean, and just flat-out anti-human. It baffles me how many people in Vegas really go out of their way to attempt to ruin another person’s day.

This particular day had started off the same way. It was Friday, the 21st of October. Because of how rude everyone had already been earlier in the day, I was not exactly looking forward to the trip to Best Buy. The people on the busses, and around town were in extreme mean, rude, and just acting in an awful manner this day. The trip to Best Buy means three different busses, each with at least a half-hour wait between them, and the transfer-points are not exactly places I enjoy hanging-out. It takes a full two-hours just to get to Best Buy from my home. I also knew that I was now going to be without my computer for a couple of weeks.

The Five Guys was well-hidden... I just happened the notice
the sign that makes me happy!
(I had previously searched, but there were none listed...)
So just happening to stumble upon it was
exactly what I needed!

While riding the second bus, I saw a ray-of-hope outside the window. There was a Five-Guys Burgers in Vegas! In the 9-months I had lived here, I had not once found a great place to get a good burger. I immediately got off that bus, and went to the Five-Guys! (I will write more about my love of Five Guys later). That stop seemed to be a turning point in the day. The people in Five Guys were the friendliest I had met since moving to Vegas! Then I went and completed the rest of the journey to Best Buy.

(Please visit my Blog about My Love of Five Guys! You can see it here: http://enterwithanopenmindorclosedeyes.blogspot.com/2012/01/i-love-five-guys.html



I have had plenty of experiences with The Geek Squad at Best Buy, and often they are pleasant, but frustrating, too. This afternoon, I happened to get the absolute nicest Geek Squad Guy Ever! With only one week left on my warranty, he set it up for basically a whole-new computer.

As I left Best Buy, I Knew I would just barley miss the bus to start the return-trip journey. As I rounded the corner to the bus stop, I saw my bus just starting to pull away from the curb. In Vegas, the bus drivers NEVER wait, or stop. It almost seems like they enjoy pulling away just as you approach the bus. This driver was half-into the lane of traffic, and stopped for me! I could not believe it… He actually stopped, and let me board!!

The Deuce Bus. You can see how the top level easily has a
a wonderful view! (The fences beyond the bus show how tall the bus is.)

This bus was a Deuce! The double-decker bus. I got a seat on the top-level, in the very front. This is the very best seat and view on the entire bus! You are seated thirteen feet up, with very large windows all around. Much like when you climb a tree, and can watch the entire world below, this is how it feels when riding in this seat!... With the exception, that in a tree, you are not moving, and have to wait for the world below to come past you. On this bus, you can watch the world go by, as you make your journey. From here, everything is a bit different.

Instead of seeing just what is visible at window-level in other cars and vehicles, you see down into the cars. Have ya ever watched what people do inside their cars? It is amazing what people do inside their vehicles! (Not to mention the items they have inside that are not normally visible when looking only above the window-line.)

Instead of watching people at eye-level on the sidewalk, you now are viewing them from above. When people board, or exit a bus, we are used to watching them from the same level. It is quite hilarious to see their antics from above!

We are used to watching birds in the trees, and on power-lines overhead. But when you are at the same height as them, they seem totally different.

Not only is the street-scene different when viewed from above, so too are the surrounding neighborhoods.

From the top deck, you can see every backyard, looking well above all the fences, shrubs, and other usual barriers. Backyards are magical. I have always been fascinated by the scene you see in a backyard. People put on a show in their front yard. They present what they think others want to see, or pretend to be what they want others to believe they are. Backyards show people in a real-way. In the backyard, all barriers are forgotten. People relax, go about life, and enjoy their own little patch of nature.

In the front yard, everyone acts like they are on stage, and put on a show. They act, dress, and behave in a way that is not how they would in the backyard. The back yard is where real life takes place. This is very much just like in the theater. On stage, the performers pretend to be what the audience expects them to be. Performers stop acting the very second they go behind the side curtain, and are then back stage. Back stage, they can relax. Just like the back yard.

In the backyard, everyone knows they are fully visible to neighbors, and passers-by. They know it is not even close to being a private place. But that does not seem to matter. The backyard is magical in how it automatically takes away all those ways we perform in the front yard. In the backyard, people are safe. It is their own little piece of the world where they can freely enjoy the outdoors without worry, fear, or concern. In the backyard, nobody cares about how others see them.

Often, The best views are only available from the tracks....

Have you ever taken a train trip, or just walked along the tracks? The tracks usually go behind the houses, or the backside of the city, or even behind the fanciest of places. Whether it is a home, an office, a country-club, a private estate, or a farm, you see a completely different side of life from the back side. But that also is what is expected. The people on those properties put on a show, and make everything look one way in the front, but on the track-side, they do not. I have always been fascinated by how comfortable, happy and relaxed people are on the back side. On the front side, it baffles me at how uptight, uncomfortable, and stuffy they are. When you see people outside from the track-view, they are very comfortable, and relaxed. If a house is in need of repair, it is often only fixed on the front-side, and the back is left how is naturally is. People are the same way. In the front of a house, people usually dress a certain way. On the side facing the tracks, it is not uncommon to see people naked, in their underwear, half-dressed, or even just wearing their most worn-out, yet comfortable clothes. Often when you pass by a house on the front side, the people you see will sometimes give you a half-hearted greeting, because they see so many people always coming past, it becomes a chore just to put on the show to greet them properly. When you pass behind a house on the railroads tracks, those same people will heartily greet you, and make you feel welcome. I believe this is because they are most comfortable, and relaxed, not performing, when they are in their back yard.

Backyards hold a truly magical wonderment for both the people using them, and the people who can see them. Backyards take on so many wonderful different qualities. Some become gathering places for things. Whether those things are junk, or treasures, they are welcome there. Many have odd collections in their back yards. Many have pets, some unique, some common. Some have cars, boats, and other big “toys”. Some have playgrounds. Some are used for storing needed supplies for their businesses. Many have pools, Jacuzzis, decks, patios, and awnings. Some are just plain dirt. Some are solid concrete. Some are wonderfully landscaped. Some have gardens. Many have barbeques, fire pits, or even fire places. Some have elaborate furnishings, entertainment systems, and even stages. Some have forts, and other hiding spots.

While there are so many different styles of backyards, they all have the one common feature. People relax in the back yard. Relaxing, and being comfortable is different for every living soul. But the one thing that seems to be common among everyone in how they relax, is that there is no dress code. It seems that relaxing has no dress code… except that one wear what they are comfortable with. Or, in many cases, not wear anything at all. This, too, is a wonderful thing about back yards. Even the people who would never allow another to see them naked out front, do not care if anyone sees them naked in the back yard. This applies to almost any form of clothing, too. Those who would never allow anyone to see them in their swim suit, underwear, or even any other possibly revealing clothing, happily will be seen in these in the back yard. (Well, perhaps, not happily, but they seem to not worry about being seen.)

On this particular day, while riding the bus, I was happy to see so many people outside enjoying their yards. I had noticed that during most of the summer, almost everybody stayed indoors, and the back yards looked abandoned. Seldom, if ever, did I see anyone enjoying their yards. I often wondered if I could knock on their door and ask if I could use these abandoned yards, since they did not. It saddened me to see so many beautiful yards, and not a single person using them. I was often told that the reason nobody is ever out, is because it was too hot to be outside. Even those with pools said it was too hot to enjoy the pool. Umm, excuse me!? Isn’t that the whole point of having a pool??... to enjoy it while the weather is hot??

This particular day was a Friday evening, and almost the end of October. The days had started to cool off a little, but it was currently 85 degrees, sunny and warm, with a slight breeze. It seemed that everyone was done with their school week, work week, and thoroughly cherished the magic a backyard holds. It also seemed like everyone was grabbing what little bit of summer still remained before the sun went further south. I saw people doing their laundry (hanging it out to dry), polishing boats, sweeping patios, and sorting accumulated junk. Others were building things from scraps. I saw people barbequing, and gathering socially. I saw groups of kids having swim parties. I saw old people relaxing on a patio swing. I saw single people relaxing in Jacuzzis. I saw kids getting their horses ready for Saturday events.

Every one of these people were comfortable, relaxed, and enjoying their back yards. Not a single person cared that they were visible to others. Not one person cared that they were visible to the world while naked, in their underwear, half-dressed, or in raggy-clothes.

All my life, I have loved the way people behave in their back yards. I like real people, and relaxed people. Every place I have lived, you see neighbors enjoying their back yards. They relax. They do not mind if others see them. They are welcoming, and comfortable. People enjoy life in whatever clothes, or lack of clothing is comfortable to them. People are always naked in their yards. Those who see them, or join them in their yards welcome, and often join in the same manner. Often, even when I was in most-hiding stages of life, I would happily relax in swimwear, or almost nothing in friends’ back yards. You knew that if you were welcome in their back yard, you also were safe, and they would not every consider making you uncomfortable. You also knew that anyone else who happened to stop-in was also safe. That held true until I moved to Vegas. Until this particular day, I had not seen one iota of comfort, or relaxed life in people’s yards. People in Vegas are the most uptight I have ever met. People in Vegas seem to be all about being in other’s business, and not wanting anybody to relax, or be comfortable. The views people have here about simple nudity is incredibly naive, ignorant, and seemingly feared. They somehow have the impression that ANY Nudity is all about porn. They expect to see people in the ‘sex-industry’ naked, and cannot fathom anyone else having a desire to not wear clothes. For the locals, if they see any skin, they cannot see it as anything but sexual. It really is sad how shallow they are. Everywhere you go in life, there are naked people, and nobody even blinks twice about it. Except in Vegas. I have never before met so many people that believe anyone seen naked is somehow connected to porn. I will often find places I can enjoy life nekkid, but I have to be cautious about it, because of the way they treat it here. It is not at all illegal, but everyone thinks it is.

This day, I was pleasantly caught off guard when I saw so many yards with naked people! After seeing the first yard with many naked kids at a swim party, I figured it was just a bunch of kids seeing if they could get away with it. But, I noticed the kids were very comfortable, and relaxed. They were not acting as if they were trying something for the first time, nor did they react when the bus pulled-up alongside their yard. If they had been trying it out for the first time, or seeing if they could get away with it, they would have all watched the bus to see what reactions they got. They saw the bus, and flat-out did not care. There were no clothes, or swim suits laying close-by for quick grabbing and cover-up. The towels were far away from the pool on the chairs, so they also were not used for cover-up. The kids had clearly come out of the house naked, and intended to stay naked. These kids also were not using the pool to hide their nakedness. There were easily fifteen to twenty kids in that yard, all naked. Some were in the trees, some were on the balcony, some were in the play-structure, some were swinging, some sliding, some in the water, and some lying in the sun on the patio. It looked like a big party for the kids. There were a couple of the moms inside the open sliding door. (They were dressed.) Likewise, there was a group of kids the same age right next door all wearing their swimsuits. The second yard was elevated, and looked over the first yard. None of the kids wearing suits looked at the ones who were nekkid as if it was unusual. When I later saw the old couple sitting on their porch swing, I noticed that they, too were comfortable, and did not react to the bus looming over their yard. They were no more than twenty feet from the bus. When I saw the naked guy in a Jacuzzi, he was just simply relaxing, and not at all trying to be creepy. He, too, had no clothing, or towels nearby. This indicated he was comfortable coming outside naked, and did not feel the need for cover. When I saw the lady hanging her laundry in only a pair of panties (they were bright yellow!) She did not care that the world could see her. She was a grandma-type, and very plump, and without a bra, her boobs hung below her belly. The funny thing was at this point a couple of teenage boys took a picture of her from the bus. Must have been quite a thrill for them. Then later I saw a crowded back yard that looked like some sort of family-gathering. (Family gatherings look different than friend-gatherings.) That gathering had some of the people nekkid, some in swim-suits, some in casual clothes. They ranged from very young to very old, and each age had a mix of dressed to undressed. Not a single person was acting weird, or even looked twice at the bus. They all went about their back yard activities in a relaxed, comfortable manner. This would indicate that none of this was new to any of them, and it was everyday life. Very Comfortable, Safe, and Relaxed. Next door to them was a gathering of what looked like country-club golfers, and there was only a low-shrub between the yards. The country-club golfers did not look uncomfortable around the naked ones next door…. Nor were they acting like it was somehow a thrill. They looked just like any respectable neighbor should… Comfortable in their yards. (But the funny thing was, the country club people looked a bit uptight and uncomfortable around each other.) A few houses down, there was a bunch of ladies sitting on the balcony in towels, while their boys played naked in the pool below. These boys all had their wet swimsuits right next to the pool’s edge, indicating they had been wearing them, then decided to take them off. (The only thing I thought was unusual about this was that there were only boys.) At this point a little girl on the bus started giggling, and had her mom, and sister look at what she saw. The mom looked horrified, and attempted to cover her daughter’s eyes. The girl said she just wanted to see them, and kept pulling at her mom’s hand. It was funny. The older sister in the seat behind her was grinning hugely. The two teenage boys who had taken the picture of the granny in yellow panties looked absolutely horrified, and could not wish the bus to pull away fast enough. The boys got off the bus at the next stop, so I would imagine they knew those boys they saw naked in that yard.

As the bus went further, we were more into wide-open yards, where the people had horses, cows, and assorted other farm-type animals. These were not so close to the road, and had only sporadic wooden fences around portions of the yards. The entire yards were fenced with wire, built for keeping animals, but not designed for any sort of privacy. As is true with anybody who has farm-type animals, they are not terribly modest people, nor are they easily made to feel shameful about being comfortable. But Even I gotta admit, that when ya see naked people taking care of their horses wearing only boots and hat, I did a double-take! There was a group of young kids about fifty-yards from the road seeming to be getting their horses ready for a Saturday event. There were trees and shrubs lining the road-facing side of the property, so they were fairly secluded back by their stables. But they also were not exactly hidden, either. That is the magic of back yards! This yard seemed to be a group-shared area for all those with horses. It seemed to have five houses that shared this area as a back yard. There were young kids who looked to be between the ages of five, and maybe thirteen or fourteen. They were each only wearing their hats, and boots. (Some were muck-boots, and some were cowboy boots.) They were washing, brushing, and tidying their horses. It made me laugh, because they must have understood the joy of being naked in the open air, with the sun shining, and how uncomfortable wet clothes were. They all had tan lines that were very obvious, so you knew they often wore swimwear when out in the sun. Of the six kids out there, only one was a boy. He looked to be about 10 years old, and not one bit uncomfortable around all those naked girls. The youngest girl was about five and she was riding bareback on a horse that was being led by the one who looked the oldest. On the other side of the stables, four older teenage boys, and one older teenage girl were fully dressed, and shoveling, moving hay, and doing labor-work to clean the place up. They were not looking at the naked younger ones, or even seemed to care they were out there. It would appear they had outgrown their freedom, learned shame, and their naked younger brother and sisters did not phase them one bit.

It was quite refreshing to see so many people doing real activities in their back yards. I had almost totally given up hope that any real humans existed in Vegas at all. I knew the magic of back yards existed everywhere… but had been wondering why Vegas was different. I could not imagine going through life so uptight that nobody ever relaxed. Perhaps I was spoiled by having so many wonderful experiences as a child. Perhaps by being around so many people who actually encouraged life, living, comfort, and safety jaded my views. As a child, I had the privilege of getting to see people and enjoy people in back yards. I wrote extensively about my childhood freedoms, and naked acceptance in the blog titled: “The Joys of Naked as a Child, then Lost”. You can see it here: http://enterwithanopenmindorclosedeyes.blogspot.com/2011/09/joys-of-naked-as-child-then-lost.html  My own yard was also as safe, and comfortable as a child. Everyone’s yards I was ever in as a child, and most of my adult life was comfortable, relaxed, and safe. The only exception was the family on my Dad’s side. For some reason the uptightness was always on the perimeter when in these yards. Swimsuits were allowed… only while swimming. Otherwise, you had to be in proper clothing. Naked was never allowed at any of my Dad’s family. Because these were so uptight, I never looked forward to spending time at these relatives’ homes. I truly liked people who were real, comfortable, and accepted people for who they were. I have never liked being around people who act like they are on a stage and putting on a show for others. (Leave that for the theater.) Live life as real humans, open, honest, and relaxed.

Meanwhile, I am living smack in the middle of a complex and neighborhood where I do not feel I can live life. I merely exist here, and will continue to look for places I can escape to. The thought of the freedom I saw in that neighborhood reminds me that there truly are real people who value life, safety, and comfort in Vegas. Even if there were apartments available in that wonderful neighborhood, I know the price would be so expensive I could not afford it.

I have been along that bus-route many times since then, and occasionally see a few people (both clothed and naked) enjoying their yards. But it would seem that day late in October was the one day almost everybody decided to make the best of the fleeting warmth of summer. It is early January right now, And I have noticed that the days are starting to get a wee-bit longer again. The sun seems to have come up a notch above its low winter arc. Soon the sun will shine on my balcony again, and I can start enjoying more time out there. Perhaps I will discover a place in Vegas that I could live affordably where I could enjoy a yard, too! Perhaps I must just sit-tight and wait until I get to my next place I will call home.

May you find the magic of a back yard near you! Whether it is your own yard, or you get to enjoy someone else’s yard. May you find comfort, peace, safety, and relax!