I readily admit I'm a dog person. There's no better companion than a well- trained canine: loyal, nonjudgmental, and eager to be with you. I love all things dog, except for dog idioms, which bemuse me. Take, for example, the idiom- dog tired. Seldom tired, my golden retrievers walked me until I yelped sit. Dog tired? Never, with my four footed friends.

 Another head scratcher is dog-eared, a phrase I only know in a sentence about book pages. The page was dog-eared. Does it signify that page was highlighted by one reader, or is a dog-eared book one with lots of readers and many turned down pages? Um….

Dog-eat-dog, sicker than a dog, junkyard dog. Doing a quick Google count of dog idioms, I counted over 30. How many can you name?

 If you were downtown March 1, you were a lucky dog indeed to experience the annual dog parade. Costumed dogs paraded down the Boulevard, lined with thousands of spectators leashed to their best friends. Small dogs, large dogs, dogs in wagons, dogs in baby strollers, dogs in packs, passed the spectators who laughed, pointed and cheered at the creativity of the costumed canines. This year's theme, Derby Dogs, a takeoff of the Kentucky Derby, produced over one hundred horse-looking dogs, complete with horse ears and tails. 

 The parade of dogs was followed by floats bearing the royalty of the Krewe of Amalee, a DeLand philanthropic women's organization. The Krewe works like a dog to throw this annual fundraising party. Proceeds go to the local charities, including arts organizations and animal shelters. 

 It's a fun day for the entire family, including the family's furry friend. Dog gone it, don't miss the dog parade next year.