Here's to palm trees and sand

This isn’t usually a travelogue kind of column, but I just have to tell you about how we spent last week.

Laura and I were blessed to be able to spend last week in San Diego, where we met our oldest daughter Amy, her husband Stephen, and our four-year old grandson Augustus (Augie) for a vacation. We were doubly-blessed to be able to stay in the village of La Jolla, a quaint little place atop a rocky portion of the Pacific shoreline.

If you read my reports from Dauphin Island, Alabama last spring, you know I was surprised to see so many pine trees on the island, and very surprised to find pine cones all along the beach. On this trip, my attention was drawn to the palm trees that were literally everywhere in the San Diego area, especially along the shore. In fact, there was a big palm tree that spread its branches right outside our balcony. I could hear the leaves rustling in the breeze each evening, and the same sound greeted me each morning. It was all very nice.

We had a chance to spend a couple of days on the beach at La Jolla Shores. What a joy it was watching Augie play in the sand and waves with his mom and dad. He is such a free spirit. With his dark tan and long curly blonde hair, he is the very picture of a southern California beach kid.

We also visited the famous San Diego Zoo (a must see for anyone in the area), and spent a couple of hours at the Birch Aquarium at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography. Both more than lived up to their reputations. However, I must admit I ended up quite exhausted at the end of the visit to the zoo. There is just so much to see there.

The week went by way too fast and, before we knew it, it was time to jump on a plane for the flight back to KC, via Dallas/Ft. Worth, followed by the drive home from KCI. We settled in late Friday night, both tired - but in that good kinda way.

Now it’s back to finishing the house on the farm and getting moved - hopefully before autumn is too far gone.