We visited the Vulture Gold Mine near Wickenburg, AZ today. Once one of the best producing mines in Arizona, it lies as a relic of those days in the beautiful hills near Vulture Peak. This is the building where the bars of gold and silver were stored before shipping to town. Click on the image to enlarge.
When we move to Arizona, we can have one of these beautiful ocotillo succulents growing as a part of our landscape. Photo taken in Wickenburg, AZ today. Click on the image to enlarge.
This is a short blog – we’re on the road tonight. I’ll have pictures from the road tomorrow. Meanwhile, enjoy this beautiful red amaryllis that just opened in the patio this morning. Click on the image to enlarge.
Where are we? Hint: our Utah CCW permits are valid here.
This echinopsis cactus flower appeared in the wee hours during the night. By the time we wake up in the morning it will have wilted. Given such a short open period, it’s a good thing I managed to capture this photo today on the patio.
Click on the image to enlarge.
According to Wikipedia:
Echinopsis is a large genus of cacti native to South America, sometimes known as hedgehog, sea-urchin or Easter lily cactus. One small species, E. chamaecereus, is known as the peanut cactus. The 128 species range from large and treelike types to small globose cacti. The name derives from echinos hedgehog or sea urchin, and opsis appearance, a reference to these plants’ dense coverings of spines.
This particular variety of echinopsis only grows to a height of six inches (15 cm).
We woke up this morning and when we took the dog outside, we saw that this beautiful epiphyllum flower opened to the rays of the morning sun. You can see why I quickly went for my Canon XTi.
It is no coincidence, but the Epiphyllum Society were having their show and sale at the Botanic Gardens today. We went and were overwhelmed with many, many other beautiful cactus orchid flowers. More about that later.
Click on the image to enlarge.
Although our move to the Grand Canyon State is not imminent, we have been thinking about the logistics to facilitate our relocation. One relocation requirement is that we register our vehicles with the Arizona Department of Transportation.
Out of curiosity, I went on-line to the AZDOT website to check on the availability of the special plate that I currently have on my SUV here in the Golden State. I entered “CAPNBOB” and voila – it seems to be available. Now, all I have to do is choose which of the many plate formats that AZDOT offers. It boils down to these three: Arizona Highways ($25 annual fee plus personalization), Regular (no annual fee plus personalization) and military support/freedom ($25 annual fee plus personalization).
Personalized plates in Arizona are considerably less expensive in Arizona than in California. I guess that goes without saying since everything here is taxed, inflated and overcharged. The special plate fees for the Arizona Highways includes a $17 donation to their outstanding magazine. The military/freedom fee includes a $17 donation to a special fund to benefit veterans in Arizona.
According to AZDOT, the personalization rules are as follows:
Where indicated, plates may be personalized with a letter/number combination of your choice. Requires Special Plate Application. The fee for personalization is $25 initial application fee/ $25 annual renewal, in addition to regular registration fees and any other special plate fee. The maximum number of characters allowed (letters and/or numbers) varies with plate type. All choices must be approved. Available by special order only.
I like all three of my choices. I still have plenty of time to decide, so I’ll defer the final decision until we actually get into our new home.
