Avocado-Oranges-Grapefruits--LuJuans??

Temecula, California---97,0000 population---and for every person their is 10 cars on the freeway. Way to much traffic for the both of us. This is a central location that we are staying at. We are 50 miles North of San Diego and 70 miles South of Los Angeles. We are 30 miles from Oceanside--which is right over the mountain from where we are staying. Right in the heart of all the wildfires. I have taken pictures of the hillsides that you can see where the fire killed some trees and others survived. We haven't seen any homesteads where the fires took them, but the homes we have seen are very extravagant. Most all our farm owners are doctors, lawyers, dentist and large family inheritance. Everyone we have visited have been very nice and willing to explain to these two ignorant Texas common folks. We don't understand Avocados---they don't understand cotton??? Simply amazing!!
We have got up and going and really getting some work done. This has been the best experience we have had so far with this job. This is the most beautiful place we have been and the weather has been unbelievable. Even though this is where the fires were last fall, we are here doing irrigation inspections for the company. The local water districts here have limited the farmers to lower water availability and the company wants us to access the farms and what the farmer is doing to allocate this water limitation. The farmer has to reduce his tree population to accomodate lower water rates, and in doing this reduction this process is called STUMPING. They cut the tree back to 3-4 foot for re-growth in 3 years. They have to paint the stump white to prevent sun blistering the bark and killing the tree. We have a 3 page interview sheet and have to visually look at the trees. The largest farm has been 57 acres, but most of the farms are 5-15 acres. And all the acres all on the mountain sides. I have never seen a avocado tree before and never imagined that it would be on such steep grades on the hillsides. Some pickers hang from ropes off the side of cliffs to pick the trees.
While Curtis was in an interview, I was able to visit with a picker (Fele). He said he had been doing this job since he was very little, but had worked for this farmer for 3 years. He and 1 other man works for this man year round and they pick the whole orchard, just the 2 of them---1 sack at a time. You will see in the pictures how the picking works and then they fill up the bins and put them on the edge of their property and late evening the packing plants pick up the bins. So I hope to bring home lots of avocadoes to share. From the time they are picked it takes 10 days to 2 weeks before they can be eaten.
We have also seen so many kinds of fruits. Oranges, grapefruits, lemons and limes are the most common, but today, we tasted a fruit called LuJuan. It is a very small fruit and grows in clusters on the trees. You do have to peel it just like an orange, but it is a clear pulp and very very sweet.
This trip has reminded me so much of my grandparents orchard that they owned in the valley. We arrived at a farm today and as soon as the door opened I smelled the most beautiful smell of citrus trees blooming. My memories came back instantly and I was a very young girl then. I would say I was 10-12 years old the last time I visited them in their orchard. If you have ever smelled that odor---you will never forget it. I wanted to cut some blooms and bring them back to the room, but we are not allowed to accept anything from the farm owners. Conflict of interest, but before we come home--we plan to load up on fruit and avocados.
I will be keeping you up to date and on our where abouts---we plan to do some sight seeing this weekend and I will be posting again.
Until then...................