Camping at Rainbow Lakes

It was my first camping trip of the season and coincided nicely with the hottest day this year. So nice to be up at altitude, enjoying natures own air conditioning!

We joined our friends Kris and Charles, who got to the campsite a little earlier and did a great job setting up... and cooking the most delicious steak dinner! It's a good life :-)

The next morning, after a hearty breakfast we hiked the Arapahoe Glacier trail - or most of it.

The men went a little further along the trail as Kris and I hung out with our PB&J sandwiches, marmot friend and delicate wild flower carpet. I got to 12,200 feet... my highest ever. :-)

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The hills were alive with the sound of music! Birdsong, cricket chirps and marmot calls.

Mauled by a tiger!

The don't come any cuter than this tiger cub!

While his siblings yowled impatiently, awaiting their turns to be cuddled and photographed, this little one did his best to chew on my hand.

Those teeth certainly know what they are doing... but it was worth it!

This weekend was the last opportunity to handle the cubs. They have now retired from a life of public appearances and can be viewed safely from the other side of a cage. They are maturing rapidly under the close watch of staff and volunteers at Serenity Springs Wildlife Center.

Serenity was missing from my life...

I took the day off!

At 6:30am this morning, Heather and I stepped outside of Boulder.

After a later-than-planned start, a long and somewhat unusual detour off US36 and a stop for gas, we arrived at our destination. And for those of you still convinced that I drive like a grandma... we shaved at least a half hour off the estimated time by Google, even with the detour!

Destination: Serenity Springs Wildlife Center

A safe haven and retirement community for wild cats. Featuring tigers, lions, cougar, bobcat, leopard and so much more. Each animal rescued from a bad or illegal home, show biz or unfortunate circumstance. This non-profit provides great companionship, healthy food and veterinarian care for animals that otherwise have nowhere to go.

This tiger was ready to greet us before the 9am tour... one of many tigers who live here, but significantly more active than most of the others.

Sleeping in on the weekend.

And there were the tiger cubs... happy (and lively) little accidents. I couldn't wait to give one a cuddle!

This lioness was a movie star in a former life... you might recognize her from Second Hand Lions. Unlike actors and actresses of the human variety, big cats are retired fairly young - at least before they have a chance to grow bored or cranky!

As we walked around Serenity Springs, we were joined by the smallest cat resident here. A domesticated house cat with a passion for visitors and a hankering to taunt the larger residents with his black and white tail as we passed each cage.

This mountain lion perked up, big time. That little cat had "snack" written all over him!

A black leopard

last but not least ... some non-cat residents, to mix it up a bit. These are coutimundi. Kinda related to to raccoons.