The Annual Winter Walk

Today was the Annual Winter Walk of the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of Nashoba Valley (www.BMDCNV.org). The .8 mile walk took place in Wamputuck State Park in Hingham. Berners and their people gathered at the visitor's center for breakfast, shopping, and raffle prizes. We arrived early, just as the closer parking lot was beginning to fill up. I walked in with a plate of potstickers to share (Happy Chinese New Year!) and a bag of three stuffed Berners for the raffle table. Jeffrey and I found the stuffed Berners at a Toys R Us that was going out of business. When I saw that they had stuffed Berners, I gathered up as many as I could find and took them home. I decided to only keep one and add it to our ever-growing stuffed Berner collection. The others would be going to new homes.

I perused the raffle table and the club store, Ways and Means, wanting one of this and two of that, maybe lots of those....*sigh*. Alas, I was good and only purchased a red bandana for Riley to wear. After fifteen minutes of meet and greet, people started arriving in droves. It was the biggest gathering for the Winter Walk I have ever seen! It is mind boggling to see dozens and dozens of Berners arriving, all with their owners in tow. I get so excited and giddy seeing so many beautiful tri-colored dogs all in one place. Each Berner looking distinctly different from the next. Some are petite, others giants, some thin and long legged, others short and stout, some are balls of poofed fur, others curly cues. Riley was estatic.

The walk was a crowded one. It seemed like there were at least 100 dogs and even more people. Although mostly Berners, I spotted one Swissie, one St. Bernard, one Husky, and one mix. Most dogs were off leash and mostly well behaved. Riley kept his eye on us and trotted along happily with his tail carried high and smiling the whole time. The weather was perfect. Sunny. Warm enough for us, cool enough for the dogs.

And of course I really couldn't leave without buying a Berner mug too. Thanks Hun for letting me go back and get that mug. *smiles*