I wish I could just sit all day near a pond or tree

Sounds wonderful. We're in the midst of our coldest, wettest August on record, and the time of the year in our area, where one can do something like this.

A few years back, I used to be prepared for cold weather hiking, and one of my favorite hikes, took me by a pond, with weeping willows around the edge. I used water-proof clothes, and I could sit there for hours, but not the whole day, because the trail closes at dusk. Theoretically I could stay overnight, but that's illegal and not advised with the abundant wildlife.