I really like Tigers.

Love them. They are the epitome of beauty, grace, and strength.

I love just watching them walk and move.

My father adopted one of the new tigers at the Cougar Mountain Zoo in Issaquah as a gift for me last February and I got a chance to see behind the scenes – including where they sleep, what they’re fed.

And I got to go into the “tiger tunnel”. This is a hallways that runs along the smaller “Phase One” tiger area. The walls are glass, so taking pictures is easier.

And then they have this:

This is the steel screen where the tigers, if in the mood, will come up and rub against the screen and sniff your hands. So you feel them breathing on you and feel their fur as the rub,

This is one of my happiest places – as it might be the closest I ever get to being able to pet a tiger. Just looking at the picture makes me all warm and fuzzy happy.

This one, too:

*happy sigh*