This was my first Cardigan National Specialty. I’d been to the German Shepherd Nationals a number of times, but this was the first one for Cardis. I’ve already blogged about how the dog did, and Chase blogged about how I did, but I haven’t blogged about the best thing.
The best thing was that I knew people there. Without all our CWC blogs, I would have known only Carolyn and Shelley, Sherri and Lauren, Sarah, Kim and Leo, and a few people from the Southwestern part of the U.S. I’m sure I would have met the folks from the Bulletin staff and the people involved in the DM Seminar. However, because of the blogs, I already had friends — I didn’t know their faces yet, but we all milled around and put faces with the tales, trials, and tribulations about which each of us had written. It was so much fun to sit at ringside, turn to my right and find Russ and Sherilyn, and Cindy. Garrett was there, Laura M and Laura P, Janet, Katrina, Emily F and Emily R. I met Sherilyn C in person (can you believe there are two Sherilyns?). I met Holly, Joanne Rogers. Because we all read one another’s blogs, the meeting spread to the circles of friends surrounding the blogging friends. Lots of people came to visit us under the rainbow canopy. We met each others dogs and families — what a great time!
I felt there were so many people to call on for help with extra dogs or to ask where they found a neat shirt. I would say that the blogging community enriched the National experience ten fold. Thanks everyone! I’m going to write an article for the Bulletin about “My First Cardi National” and the advice with which I’ll end that article is START BLOGGING before the Pennsylvania Nationals.