Today ended up taking a different turn than I had expected. I did not make it to the benching area. Instead I was assisting a co-worker with computer problems. As I headed over to his hotel to help out, I noticed that it had been snowing. As the street became blanketed in white, I realized how difficult it is to navigate in this type of weather. Being from California, I am not used to this at all. Luckily, I bought warm winter boots to wear during this trip.

I was not the only one wearing boots, though. I also saw a large dog wearing snow booties walking out into the cold snow. Clearly, he was not used to wearing these boots, as he was comically picking up each foot before replacing it and picking up another foot. People in the lobby stopped what they were doing to stare and laugh at this sight. Perhaps if it hadn’t been such a large dog (he looked something like a Saint Bernard) it would not have been such an amusing sight.

I just sat down in the press box to watch the Sporting Group. The Clumber Spaniel is directly in front of me and that is one cute dog. The spots on his nose are adorable and that face is precious, equally matching that low, stocky body. You don’t see many of these dogs, so it’s always a treat to see them at this show.

Although they rarely win the Sporting Group, the Golden and Labrador Retrievers are always crowd favorites. The Golden just received a roaring crowd response and the Lab was applauded just as much. It’s interesting how what the crowd likes so often differs from what the judges like.