My Precious, Precious Palm Trees

...Continued from yesterday:
    It had been an excellent birthday weekend (see yesterday's post), but on Monday morning it was back to the weekday routine, which started as usual with the walk to school.

     Having lived most of my life in the East and Midwest, I still haven't lost my enchantment with the West Coast ecosystem nor my sense of the wonder at the concept of walking to school every morning in the midst of palm trees,

...fruit trees,

...cerulean blue skies,

...and balmy air.

   I imagine my grandchildren, having been born in Los Angeles, must take the wonderful climate, skies, flora and fauna - not to mention living near the ocean - for granted, except when their Ohio Grammie comes for a visit and constantly reminds them what a beautiful place they live in.

     Still, I learned during a visit earlier in the year that my discourses on the natural beauty of their environment - or at least on my love of palm trees - have not gone completely unremarked by my grandchildren, when, during a walk with the children, my youngest grand daughter,

...pointed towards the sky and said, "Look, Grammie!"   
    Not sure what she was pointing to, I asked her what she was pointing to.
    "Look, Grammie," she repeated, sounding slightly exasperated and continuing to poke her finger heavenward.
    I looked up again. "What?" I asked.
     With a look that asked how I could possibly not know what she was pointing to, she said, "Grammie, Look! Your precious, precious palm trees!"