Tigers and Leopards and Orchids, Oh My!

Hey everyone!

Can I do two back-to-back blogs?! Is it even possible?!

Well, Glenn and I had a rough week. He's been sick with a cold, and I had to have some injections in my knees (official diagnosis - old and busted). So between us, we've been a pathetic pair.

Still, we decided we better start doing some blog-worthy activities again, and today were feeling well enough to trek to the Big Cat Rescue over near Carrollwood.

This is a rescue for big cats who've been kept as exotic pets and had to be turned over, who've been bred for cub-petting places and then tossed aside when they get big, or who've been in circuses or illegal sanctuaries.

It's not a zoo, and you have to go on a tour and make reservations ahead of time. No kids under 10. And the animals all have hiding areas built into their areas, so they only come out and see people if they feel like it.

So that is all nice. The only annoying part is that they are all caged in so it's hard to get decent pics, but I did get a few, thanks to the superzoom. This is  very close up pic of a sleeping bobcat.

Mostly, there were tigers. Lots of tigers. And they were big and beautiful.

This one really liked me. She was my favorite.

They also had a couple lions. This one was a male, who was on a two-week vacation (they let them all vacation in a giant open yard for 2-weeks a year) with the love of his life who happens to be a white tiger that we did not see. He lost his mane, but they said he's okay with it. He was far away, and I was the only one who could see his little tongue sticking out.

Here's a lioness.

Sadly, the mountain lion was hiding, which brought us to the leopards, which were pretty awesome.

They say this guy loves to people-watch and pick out who in the crowd he would stalk and kill first. He was staring intently at the only child on the tour. This might be my favorite pic.

He was also kind of a ham.

There were some other leopard sisters hanging out in another vacation yard.

This is Jade.

And this is Armani. She is famous for being in some magazine ads, although they don't let her model anymore, because they don't want people wanting leopards for pets. She's laying under an awning, which is why she's in a greenish shadow.

They had a few other smaller types of cats there - some servals that I didn't really get great pics of, and a lynx that hid from us.

There was one more cat - a black leopard, the oldest cat in the place, and I thought this pic was particularly sad and haunting, even though they said he is a pretty happy guy.

Those eyes.

So that's it for the Big Cat Rescue.

Back here at home, all of the orchids are simultaneously in bloom, so here is your update.

And...drumroll, please. Here is Horatio!

Last night we STUPIDLY forgot it is still Spring Break for some folks and drove over to Clearwater Beach to sit in traffic. We ended up having a nice dinner at the marina, and then headed over to Jimmy's rooftop for a pre-sunset libation, and landed the best seat in the house.

Greetings from the beach!

Although you can't tell by looking at him, poor Glenn is still pretty sick and coughing up a storm. He started antibiotics today and has been taking it easy, so not much new to add to the blog today.

I did decide to put my knees to the test and take a walk this morning. It went pretty well, and I got to say good morning to Larry at Cooper's Hawk Bayou. (At least, I think it was Larry).

It's been heating up down here - I think we're going skip Spring and go straight into summer, which is fine with us.

Anyway, hope you all are doing well. Love you!