pals

When you think of palms, it's easy to conjure visions of Hawaii or some other tropical paradise.  These graceful plants evoke a sense of serenity and thoughts of calm tropical breezes - and maybe even memories of a cool mai tai in your hand. Unfortunately for lots of us, palms thrive only in warmer climates.  In the United States, for example, they generally do not grow north of the 33rd parallel, which stretches roughly from Northern California on the West Coast to South Carolina on the East Coast.   This geographic factor is the main reason I haven't discussed palms before in this column.  After three years, however, I figure I'm