Year of the Dog

Chinese New Year begins on Friday — the Year of the Dog!

As the author of the Down Girl and Sit series, it’s common knowledge that I love dogs. And I love living in a neighborhood that appreciates dogs as much as I do. So to celebrate the Year of the Dog, I’m going to feature a dog-related post here on the blog every Walkabout Wednesday.

This week, I’m kicking off the Year of the Dog early — on Valentine’s Day — with a picture of this neighborhood Scooby Doo flag.

Scooby Doo has always been one of my favorite fictional characters. In fact, I consider the classic Scooby Doo cartoon series to be one of my major literary influences. I loved Scooby Doo as a child…and I love him just as much as an adult.

I once sat in a hotel room deep in Siberia, watching Scooby’s antics on TV, and laughed as much then as I did when I was seven. I couldn’t understand a word he was saying, but, then again, I didn’t need to. The cartoons make just as much sense in Russian as they do in English.

Scooby Doo — like love — speaks a universal language.

So, with that being said, Happy Year of the Dog!

And also…Rappy Ralentine’s Ray!