Memorial Day Tribute - Soldiers and Military Working Dogs

This is a really great blog, that informs us about and honors our service dogs, most especially our military working dogs :

http://k9pride.wordpress.com/

Van Gogh's Ear Award

Blogpal Victoria, at Teachings of the Horse, has seen fit to bestow upon Detroit Dog (and select others) the Van Gogh's Ear Award.

“The Van Gogh's Ear Award is for blogs that are making a difference in the blogosphere," its creator said, "We are all artists in our own way, be it art, photography, writing, philosophy, comedy, or blogging, and we all go a little crazy sometimes.... Always remember you're unique. Just like everyone else."

So, in the spirit of artistic craziness, I'm going to pass the Van Gogh's Ear Award to my blogpal Henry The Dog, who is both a little crazy and hears much better than most humans, and has certainly made a difference in the lives of many humans and canines.

Remember, Henry, the Ear is not a play thing!

Flowers for My Blog Pals

Such a wonderful bouquet of flowers from my blog-pal Victoria at Teachings of The Horse. The flowers have helped to lift my spirits today. So, in the spirit of keeping a gift in motion, I'll pass on this bouquet to a few other blog-pals.

One bouquet is for Kat at Poetikat's Invisible Keepsakes, who very recently lost her beloved father. Hugs, Kat.

A second bouquet is for Linda at Linda and Her Twaddle, who recently underwent surgery, but is back sharing with us her contemplations on life as a wife, mom, and artist in Australia. Nothing keeps you down, Linda!

And, because we are all about animals here at The Dog House, a third bouquet goes to -- good grief, what is her name?! -- my blog-pal over at Strawberry Lane, who's generous spirit has put her through many trials and tribulations with her rescue horse Shadow, and who recently adopted a rescued golden retriever named Katie.

Ladies, I salute you.

Military & Working Dogs

Just came across an awesome blog, thanks to a reader comment by "War Dog Marine" on an earlier blog post.

This is copied from War Dog Marine's blog K9 Pride, which is "Dedicated to working dog teams protecting us worldwide":

My name is Sgt Mike Dowling. I was a military working dog handler in the Marine Corps from 2001-2005. In 2004 my dog Rex and I had the privilege of being a part of the first group of war dog teams sent into combat during OIF II (Operation Iraqi Freedom). We were based out of Camp Pendleton, Ca and operated with 2/2 in Mahmudiyah and Fallujah, Iraq. Together Rex and I earned many awards and had a lot of achievements that I am proud of and grateful for. I started this blog to honor dog teams worldwide and share the incredible value they bring. I am also asked many questions about the dogs so if you have any feel free to email them here k9prideblog@yahoo.com and I will try to respond as soon as I can. Please leave comments and share any thoughts you may have. Semper Fi

K9 Pride has lots of really wonderful photos, some videos, and lots of information. Some of the categories or labels on the blog:

• Air Force, Army, Navy and other military working dogs
• Police dogs
• Fallen handlers
• Dog poems
  

Please, check it out!


For still more links to working/service dog sites, read my July 4 post Working Dogs & The Helmsley Billions. For more about dogs in the military, visit the Military Working Dog Foundation.

Blogs of Excellence

Blogger-pal Victoria at Teachings of The Horse has seen fit to kindly award detroit dog an Excellent Blog award. Thank you! I couldn't have done it without my girldog..... Uh-oh, I hear the orchestra playing.... Well, perhaps the money will start rolling in now. (There's that student loan and a flooded basement, and perhaps some art supplies.)

Of course, all gifts are meant to be passed on. While only one of the following blogs is animal-specific, nonetheless in the spirit of gift-giving, I would like to share this award with:

• my hubby Alex at son of a guitarist's notebook, "the second edition: a repository for lighter topics and links," his musings on the world of jazz and music and whatnot. (If you are a hardcore guitarist and want to check out jazz/Brazilian music transcriptions, check out his mother of a guitarist's notebook - the original edition.)

• blogger-pal hardworking hippy at La Ferme de Sourrou, "An off grid, home built smallholding in France." Her topics are: home, food, water, animals, self-built, energy, wildlife, foraging, and gardens. I cannot tell you how wonderful this blog is; one post was about "meat for the table," which basically took you from the chicken in the yard to the chicken on the table, there are videos of goats being born, photos of sheep being shorn. She knits the wool from her own sheep (and sells the product). The photos are beautiful. It's truly a wonderful life.
  

• another favorite is The Walks of David Keates. Mr. Keates documents in words and pictures his walks around Britain, from the West Highland Way to the Lake District. Just wonderfully detailed musings about the walking, the land, the weather. Great photos, too.

• GPS Cycling Tours is a travelogue of Erasmo Perez's GPS bicycling/randonneuring throughout Mexico - from Acompay to Zoquiapan (thus far). Interesting photos and videos of cities, towns, and archaeological sites visited, GPS maps of his travels. He's been at it for years. It's amazing. (btw, he doesn't know detroit dog, though I check in on him frequently.)
  

• A "self-described eclectic," Sandy is a mom, wife, teacher, and lover of frogs. Her Frog Diaries has been on vacation for a while, but is still worth the read. What's it about? Frogs and photographs of them; she raises them from eggs to maturity. The photos are fascinating (evolution in progress). rib-bit.

• Woodland Shopper's Paradise is "A mini-mall of media, critique, and commentary" according to blogger Andrew Wood, a San Jose State University prof. He says it best, so I've lifted this paragraph from his blog: "Here's a collection of tentative musings (and occasional rants) related to a number of my interests that include popular culture, public life, urban design, and roadside Americana. I generally post Monday through Friday. Some of these posts may find their way into forthcoming efforts at academic scholarship or freelance journalism. Others are cheerfully abandoned here, just to get them out of my head." Check out links to his other sites while visiting him.

• Yet another favorite blog, and recent Google Blog of Note, is A Lucid Spoonful. New York City gal and raw foods chef, and writer for The Brooklyn Rail, blogger robotslingshot muses about all things culture related to food, posts wonderful recipes and appetizing photographs, and talks about her travels, interviews, and such. She's writing a book, and loves "extreme food cultures." bizzee, bizzee, bizzeeeee.

• Of course, long-time blogger pal (well, since last summer) Linda and Her Surroundings deserves a Blog of Excellence Award. Linda will tell you that she blabs, blabs, blabs. And she does. But her blabbings are thoughtful, thought-provoking, entertaining, and at times poetic; Linda muses on life. And she is a mother and a wife and an artist-in-progress. (Aren't all artists?) And being here in the States with fat chances of getting to Australia one day, it's wonderful to read Linda's take on life and learn about the world from outside this country.

• Poetikat's Invisible Keepsakes is also a Blog of Excellence. Canadian Poetikat writes topical verse for fun and for profit. A perfect match! Go over and partake of her poetic offerings.
  

• And lastly, but certainly not least, visit Visual Norway and say hi to blogger-pal RuneE. I can't read his profile since it's written in Norwegian, but suffice to say that there's just about a picture a day posted of Norway. (wow. that rhymes.) In English and Norwegian. Good photos, good words. (And he's been showered with all kinds of awards lately.)

detroit dog will not tag anyone to pass on this Blog of Excellence Award. But the gift has been given; feel free to pass it on.

Frog Diaries

OK, so I've already mentioned one blog that I really like, so it's only fair that I mention another one.

Frog Diaries

That's right. That's it. All things frog: tadpole eggs, tadpoles, frog eyes, tadpole feeding frenzy. How frogs are a part of (this woman's) life. Metamorphosis. It's awesome, it's cool, and it's very unique. The photographs are phenomenal. Not much else that I could say that explains the greatness of that blog - on so many levels.

To see listings of other noteworthy blogs, see the sidebar at right, and scroll down. Or, stay tuned for more blog, blog, blog.