I haven’t written anything recently but that’s because Ms. Mar and Mr. C haven’t taken me on any adventures lately . . . that is until last Sunday. I initially knew something was wrong when I was carried and cuddled in the wee morning hours. This is unusual and I’m not accustomed to unusual. When they took me to the car I really knew something was up. My first thought was we were going to the vet. Oh, no!!! Why, what did I do to warrant this?”
But when we got out of the car we were somewhere else. 
The symphony overture played as we took front seats (actually we were standing) to a chilling moment. Quiet moments rolled to a crescendo as human voices roared to gleeful shouting. The first Bend, Oregon Marathon started with a countdown.
Did I mention it was bone-chilling cold out there at 7:00 in the morning? I heard someone say it was 27° F. Even with a layer or two of fat and a coat of fur, I was freezing. I couldn’t understand why all these people were jumping around in shorts and t-shirts and they looked happy and excited. I just wanted to go home and crawl back into my warm bed.
I know both Ms. Mar and Mr. C used to run marathons and I think they wanted to recapture their youth, but enough is enough. I was confused and thought, “then and now”, has its limits. Their past is looooooong gone and I think they’re way too late for that.
We waited for the race to start and Ms. Mar and Mr. C waved at someone they knew and cheered them on. Then it was back to the car and home again . . . thank goodness.
But . . . a few hours later we were back in the car to go watch these idiots (I don’t know what else to call them) cross the finish line. 
They didn’t look quite as excited as when they started, but they did have a look about them that I couldn’t quite figure out. Ms. Mar said it was something that you can’t put into words – only someone who has finished a marathon could understand that.
I flashed her a look that reflected my thoughts. It was my “ARE YOU KIDDING ME?” look. As I took my index claw to move my blanket over my ears, my purr box kicked in, while leaving me with a brief thought; “I guess that’s something I will NEVER understand. I would much rather poke my eye with my pointed claw than to run 26.2 miles for no other reason than to say, “I did it.”
I think Ms. Mar is confusing Burr with purr. “Home! I want to go HOME!”
Ciao for now, Tux
love love the first picture.
Nice set of photographs. I love the third one with the happy woman waiving her phone around.
Fantastic group of photos. I enjoy running, but I don’t think I could come anywhere near a whole marathon. 🙂
These are terrific shots!
I think it may take a human being to understanding the stupid things they do (say I who do exactly that thing). Great captures of the event – you’ll have to agree to that, no!?
Ha! Love this post, Maralee. The first runner portrait is terrific. Since I am in the midst of training for a half, I can relate. Hope I’m not looking like that one exhausted guy… 🙂
Ha, guess it is kind of crazy, but braving the cold seems worthwhile for this fantastic gallery!
☺☺ awesome images!