I went to work at wee hours in the morning, and came back home at 3:00 pm to prepare BBQ to about 8 families who are coming over that evening. I was planning to do my grafting as a demo, but was not successful.

So I didn't graft yesterday....

My guests were interested in the Fruit Tasting when I gave them a short step tour of the yard. Shown them the 350 or more cultivars in just about 150 footsteps.

Limequats, Mandarinquats and Kumquats (Meiwa, Nagami, Nordmann) got different reactions. Then showed them how to eat properly and they loved it. You eat the rinds of these fruits. To make it excellent tasting, simply roll the fruits in between your palms as hard as you can but not bursting them. This is to bruise the skin and remove the oils (bletting), then bite unto them. It removes a lot of the rind's pungency and you are left with sweet tasting rinds that have a tart flesh, very interesting flavor battling it out in your tongue. Truly delightful.

We tasted the fruits of Yosemite Gold. I intentionally left these fruits for testing their keeping quality on the tree. These fruits were ready since last November. Was extremely surprised to find them very juicy, sweet with a little sprightness like they are supposed to. I think they could stay longer more than 5 months once they ripen. I would rate the Yosemite Gold mandarin as good keeper. The best place to store your fruits are on the tree.

Then the last to be tasted are my Sanguinelli blood orange. Was extremely surprised to find them very juicy and sweet that I would rank them better than the Moro Blood oranges this year.

Still waiting to be picked are Oro Blancos, Chironja, Valencias and the Melogold fruits from Benny's scionwood that I grafted some years ago.

Will try to attempt grafting this afternoon before the rains start to fall.

Never graft when it is raining, I can assure you that it will be one of the lowest success rates.