Mr. Dogwood has a busy week!

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! It is Friday afternoon and Chloe and I are still singing rain songs! It has been raining all day. It has been a great day to stay inside and play. Chloe and I had a checker tournament. She beat me all four games! My sister is the greatest checker player!

Anyway, I thought I would take a break from checkers and tell you about the fantastic week we had. As usual, the Woody Bus was all over the state. On Tuesday, we spent the day and evening at Walton-Verona Elementary. Walton-Verona is in the northern part of the state. Our good friend, Andrew Smith, was responsible for our visit. Andrew is a 6th grader at WV. We met Andrew last year. He liked us so much that he persuaded his school to invite us! Isn't that cool? We posted a picture. (The first photo is of Mr. Williams - the principal. The second photo is of Andrew.) Thanks Andrew! You're the best!

On Thursday, we had the great pleasure of seeing all our friends at Johnson Elementary in Laurel County. We had been to Johnson several years ago, so it was great to see all our friends, as well as meet some new folks too - like Ms. Jones and also Mr. Ledger.

During the first assembly, we noticed one of the students had on a funny shirt. You can easily see what shirt I am talking about! This is our friend Noah - and his shirt is the exact reason Chloe and I don't eat hotdogs!!! The shirt made us laugh.

In addition to the shirt, we saw a cool haircut. This student had his hair spiked. I asked Mom if I could spike my hair like that. She explained it wasn't long enough. Oh well...

I better run. We are loading up the Woody Bus AGAIN. Tonight we will travel to Sturgis to sign books at the West Kentucky Book Expo! If you are anywhere in the area, come and see us!

Have a great day! Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

Mr. Dogwood Goes to Southwest

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! It is Monday afternoon and raining kitty cats and Wiener Dogs! It is so nice to see and hear the rain. Chloe and I have been singing our favorite songs about rain like Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head and Rain, Rain, Go Away. I say it all the time, but my sister really does have the prettiest singing voice!

I only have a minute because we are getting ready to leave for Walton-Verona Elementary, but I couldn't leave without talking about our great visit to Southwest this past Thursday. Southwest was the school Mom taught at when she lived in Murray. We got to see so many of Mom's friends. Everyone was so loving to Chloe and me - and Mom and Dad too, of course! When we were walking by Mrs. Robinson's room, I saw all kinds of things on her wall about us. I just had to snap a photo!

It was a perfect day that we will remember forever!!! A great big thanks to everyone - especially Ms. Bright for making our day so fantastic!

Dad is calling, so I better run! I will talk again soon! In the meantime, stay dry, and Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!
WOODY

Mr. Dogwood Goes to Washington

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! Hope this finds you in the beginning of a great Friday! We returned home late last night from Calloway County, KY. I can't wait to tell you more about that later. But first, let me share with you some more comments from our faithful readers at Holiday Elementary in Hopkinsville, KY.

Our 5th grade friends in Mrs. Robinson's homeroom were asked to write a sentence or two on one of the following:

1) Tell about something that you learned today in Chapter 4, or

2) Write about some of our freedoms and what your life would be like without them.

Here were their responses:



I learned that the Smithsonian Institution is the world's largest museum and there are 19 buildings of it. Courtney

Without our freedoms, everyone would be unhappy because they could not believe what they wanted to believe. Carolyn

I learned something new in the first paragraph. The Declaration of Independence is 230 years old. James

The thing that I learned today was that Woody was talking about the B.O.R. -- that stands for Bill of Rights. Damon

Today I have learned that at the National Mall there are many museums called the Smithsonian Institution. Jennifer

There is a document which was written 230 years ago called the Declaration of Independence that is in the National Archives building. That's what I learned in Chapter 4. Kyler

Today I learned that Woody's favorite museum was the National Air and the Space Museum. Chloe's was the Museum of American History. Cindy

I learned that all the citizens of America have so many rights. Jaqualis

In Chapter 4, I leaned that freedom of press means that people who write or broadcast news can tell whatever is happening in the world. Ta'Naisa

I learned that there are 10 amendments on the Constitution called the Bill of Rights. One of them is we have freedom of speech. Also freedom of religion, press and assembly. Larrin

I did not know there was a Bill of Rights which is 10 amendments. This is not the same as the 10 commandments in the Bible but it is the 10 amendments to the Constitution. Adrian

My life would be like if we did not have the freedoms is ..... it would feel like we were doing the wrong things and we would be punished just for nothing we've done wrong. Nick J.

I learned about the Smithsonian Institution. It is the largest museum with 19 museum and galleries. Nicholas H.

What I learned today is what the first amendment stands for. It is freedom of speech. I also didn't know that freedom of assembly means that we can join any political party without government involvement. Jessica

I think it is cool to see artifacts from history from more than 200 years ago. I am glad that Mr. Dogwood got to go to Washington. I learned a lot of important things like the Bill of Rights and all the other important documents were in a museum and not in the White House. Vanessa

The Declaration of Independence set us free. And the Bill of Rights is a document that gives us freedom of speech and religion. Jastasha

Today I learned all about the Bill of Rights. There are 4. They are freedom of press, religion, speech, and assembly. Carson

Something that I learned today in this article was that the Declaration of Independence was written more than 230 years ago. Emily

Aren't these great? It is funny that they are learning the exact same things that Chloe and I learned!

Once again, a great big puppy dog kiss to Mrs. Klingensmith and all of the teachers and students at Holiday! We love it when we get your emails each week! Keep em' coming!

I better run! We had a really bad storm last night and Chloe and I are going to help Dad pick up tree limbs from the yard! I will be sure to tell you all about our visit to Southwest very soon! I promise!

In the meantime, Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

TAILS from Oakview

Kentucky Greetings from the entire Wiener Dog Gang! We hope this finds all our faithful diary readers having a great Wednesday! Chloe and I couldn't wait to tell you about the PAWS-atively perfect day we had at Oakview yesterday. Oakview is located in Ashland, KY. (If you have never been to Ashland, you should go. It is a beautiful place on the edge of Kentucky.) We walked in and couldn't believe our eyes! The entire school was decorated for Chloe and me! We tried to show you a few photos. It seemed every wall in the school was dedicated to Chloe and me. It was so neat!

Ms. Sparks, the librarian, planned the perfect day for us! A great big thanks to Ms. Sparks and all the staff and students for giving us a day and evening we will remember forever! We will be sure to post photos at the end of the month. (By the way, we haven't forgotten about the photos from September. Our schedule has just been crazy! We will get that taken care of soon!!!)

We returned home early this morning - about 7:00. Dad, our official bus driver, had to pull over in Frankfort to go to bed. So, rather than coming home last night, we spent the night on the road and pulled back into our doghouse early this morning. We won't be here long though. We will be packing up in just a few hours to drive to Murray - Mom's birthplace. Tomorrow we will be at Southwest Elementary! This is the school Mom taught music at for 4 years! We are so excited!

By the way, did anyone see our CATS beat the #1 team in the nation this past Saturday? It was an exciting game - a nail biter!!! We have another big game this week! Chloe and I can't wait!

Have a great Wednesday! Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

Adventures and TAILS from Bath County

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! It is Friday afternoon and Chloe and I just finished a tasty lunch! It was dee-lish! Fridays are spent catching up from the busy week, playing outside, and taking cat naps! We love naps - especially Chloe! We both needed a nap today! We had one of the most exciting and eventful weeks! I will start at the beginning.

We left our doghouse in Shepherdsville on Monday afternoon to drive to Bath County. We were scheduled to be at Bethel Elementary on Tuesday and Tuesday evening, and then at Salt Lick on Thursday and Thursday evening. We were traveling along, singing our favorite travel songs like The Wheels on the Bus, How Much Is That Doggie in the Window, and B-I-N-G-O when Dad said the Woody Bus was acting funny. Rut-row (as Scooby would say)!!! We made it as far as Lexington before we had to pull over. Dad did manage to get the Woody Bus to the Kentucky Horse Park. Mom stayed with us while Dad took a cab to the airport to rent a car. Try putting an entire house into a car!!! Anyway, we spent the night in the Woody Bus and then drove the rental car to Bethel. We were crowded to say the least, but the great part was that we made it to Bethel without any problem.

Spending the day at Bethel was so fun. Mrs. Vivian Setters (the librarian at both Bethel and Salt Lick) made our visit so smooth! The students and teachers were so friendly. We made so many new friends! Bethel was celebrating their high test scores. They had really cool bright shirts. You can see from the first two photos!

On Wednesday, we spent the day getting the Woody Bus worked on. It was a minor problem and the mechanics had it running as good as new! We were so thankful to get back in the old trusty Woody Bus. Mom says it is our home-away-from-home, but we spend so much time in it, it really feels like home!!!

Thursday found us at Salt Lick Elementary. Like Bethel, Salt Lick is another small school in Bath County. The great part about small schools is that we feel like we know all the students by the time we leave. Everyone at Salt Lick was so nice to our family. We received so many rubs and hugs!

A great big thanks to everyone at Bethel and Salt Lick for making us feel at home - especially Mrs. Setters. Mrs. Setters gave the entire Dog Pound a gift at both schools! We received Beggin' Strips, dog bones, a frisbee, and cat nip. (The cat nip was for Dolly and Little Bit and the frisbee was for Rio and Cheyenne.) I told Mom that Mrs. Setters was like Santa Claus! It really felt like Christmas!

I was so afraid that since we were in Bath County that Mom would make us take a bath every day. Thankfully, we didn't have to take one every day, but we still had to brush our teeth!

I better run! The sun is shining and Chloe wants to play hide-and-go seek. She is hiding and I am seeking. She always hides in the best places!!!

Have a great weekend! Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

TAILS from Henry and Todd

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! It is Monday afternoon and I won't even tell you what Chloe and I are doing. I am sure if you are a faithful reader of our diary, that you know exactly how we are spending our Monday. Yes, it does include washing and packing!

Before we crawl in the Woody Bus to leave for Bethel Elementary, I wanted to tell you about a few different events we did last week. Since our newspaper story, Mr. Dogwood Goes to Washington is running in the papers throughout Kentucky, several newspapers have invited Chloe and me to visit their town for a Meet-the-Pups event. Last Wednesday found us in Henry County, KY with The Henry County Local. So many faithful readers came to say ARFF, have their scrapbooks signed, and snap a photo. We even met another wiener dog named Harley. Harley and I looked just alike!

On Saturday, we traveled to Elkton, KY for a visit with the folks of Todd County. The Todd County Standard invited us to be part of the town's Harvest Fest. We saw so many of our friends, as well as met new ones. We included a photo of our new friend, Aaron. Aaron and I had so much in common. He loves to read, loves music, and is a huge UK fan like me!!! (See his hat!) Unlike me, Aaron is a great banjo player. In fact, he has won several major competitions. (He won the talent competition of the Harvest Fest too!) Aaron and Mom talked about how when you have a talent (and everybody has a talent) that you have a responsibility to use it. Aaron is definitely using his talent! Way to go, Aaron! (I can't wait until we can buy his album! Maybe he will have a song about wiener dogs on it!)

Okay, I better run! Our day is flying by and I still have so much to do before we head to Bethel Elementary in Bath County - including taking a BATH!!!

Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

"Mr. Dogwood Goes to Washington" - Chapter 3

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! It is Sunday morning and Chloe and I have just finished a delicious breakfast of our favorite vittles! We are getting ready to brush our teeth and comb our hair for Sunday School. We had a few extra minutes so Mom said I could write in my diary.

We had another very exciting few days since I last blogged with travels to Henry County and Todd County! I can't wait to tell you all about them and show you some neat photos.

I wanted to show you the email I received from our friends at Holiday Elementary. As I have told you before, they are faithful readers of Mr. Dogwood Goes to Washington. Not only are they faithful readers, they also participate in the activities. Mrs. Wanda Klingensmith (a grandmother of one of the fifth graders) gives up her time to read the stories to the entire 5th grade. Isn't that an awesome grandmother!!! (If you are a student at Holiday, give Mrs. Klingensmith a hug from Chloe and me!)

Anyway, the activity this week was after the students read chapter three they had to write a paragraph of what they learned. They also needed to use one of the vocabulary words from the chapter. Here are the responses from Mrs. Toliver's homeroom. They were fantastic!!! We know you will love reading them. (By the way, see if you can determine what the vocabulary words were.)

Today Woody went to the National Mall and saw the Declaration of Independence. Woody thought it was fantastic and he learned that colonists lived in the 13 colonies. Woody also concentrated on the guard. He learned that Ben Franklin and Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence so America could have freedom forever. Jacob

I learned about where the Declaration of Independence is kept at and I think it is a fantastic place to go and see. I also wonder does the colonist still live in there. I really think it is a great place. Tatyana

Today, in Chapter 3, I found out that the colonists didn't like the taxes the Kind of Britain put out. I also learned that there were important documents kept there like the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration of Independence says that the colonists should have freedom and pursuit of happiness. Aric

Today I learned that they have a mall but not the kind you shop at. That is fantastic but it's true. And they concentrate on it. DeNayia

I learned that Tomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence and the colonists had freedom after the war. The National Archives building has the Bill of Rights, Constitution, and the Declaration of Independence. Cliff

When I read Chapter 3, I learned about the mall and the Archives building. It is where they keep our documents. Jordan

Today I heard the most fantastic thing ever. The Britain's ruled America in 1775. Wow! I also learned that the National Mall is not exactly where you go shopping (That's strange). Emileigh

In Chapter 3, I learned that the freedom document is kept at the National Mall in the Archives building. Also that colonists, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin wrote the Declaration of Independence. Kristen

Today I learned that long ago colonists lived here and people from part of Europe tried to take over. Kayla

In Chapter 3, I learned that there is a National Mall, except that you don't shop there. I learned a lot about the colonists too. They had a war that led them to freedom from Great Britain. I also learned the Declaration of Independence is located in the National Archives. T.J.

Today, I learned about the way Great Britain ruled America and we had to pay lots of taxes to the King. Marqualis

In Chapter 3, I learned that the Declaration of Independence is kept in the Archives at the National Mall and it is not a regular mall. Austin

Today I learned that they went to the National Mall. Next they might go to the White House to see the President of the United States. Dylan

When I read Chapter 3, I really concentrated on it and I learned that the National mall is at not a place you shop. It is a National mall where they have documents. I also learned that on July 4 of 1776, representatives of the 13 colonies approved the Declaration and the United States was born. TaJae

In Chapter 3, I learned about the National Mall. The colonists was something else I learned about. Also I found out about the Archives and I learned about Washington D.C. Tat'ianna

When I read Chapter 3 and I learned where the Declaration of Independence is now. I also learned about Ben Franklin. Eric

In Chapter 3, I learned what the National Mall is. It is an open area in National Park. And I learned that the Great Britain ruled America and that on July the 4 of 1776 representatives of the 13 colonies got freedom. George

Today, when I read Chapter 3, I learned that there is a National Mall in D.C. At first I thought it was a mall kike where you go shopping but it's not. Also I did not know it took years to win the peoples freedom. I learned a lot today. Breanna P.S. I love Woody books!


Aren't they great? Chloe and I really concentrated on each one!!! The amazing part was that the students seemed to learn the exact same things that Chloe and I learned - especially about the colonists, freedom, the Declaration of Independence, the list goes on and on...

Thanks Mrs. Klingensmith and all the 5th graders at Holiday! We love your responses, so keep 'em coming!!!

I better go. Mom says the clock is ticking away! We don't want to be late so I will say ARFF for now! Have a great day! Try to learn a new vocabulary word, give your own grandmother a hug, and Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!


WOODY

Mr. Dogwood Goes to EASTSIDE

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! It is a beautiful and sunny afternoon here at our doghouse in Shepherdsville! Chloe and I have been peering out the window watching our squirrel friends scamper around! Mom said we could go on an afternoon walk soon, but before we did we wanted to tell you about the most fantastic day we had on Tuesday!

This past Tuesday, we spent the day and evening at Eastside Elementary in Cynthiana, KY. Though we had visited the Cynthiana-Harrison County Public Library before, we had never been to any of the schools. To say the day was perfect is an understatement! It was one of the most terrific days we have had. The principal, the teachers, and all the students made us feel like we had been friends forever. Ms. Hoskins, the librarian, (see the second photo) planned a great visit for us. The students came up with a petition to change the mascot to the wiener dogs. I don't know if they persuaded Mr. Dycus or not! I guess we will have to wait and see. He may not be a fan of changing the mascot, but we did learn he was a Kentucky Wildcat fan just like us! We knew we liked him from the start!!!

The students have been reading "Mr. Dogwood Goes to Washington." It was fun to sign their scrapbooks and hear their favorite parts of the story. Speaking of, I think my walk on the moon during Chapter 4 was a hit!!!

We can't wait to visit Northside, Southside, and Westside! We will be sure to post photos of all the schools, so stay tuned!

I see Mom getting my leash from the hanger, so I better scamper myself! Enjoy the sun, take time to watch the squirrels, and Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

Hometown Hot Dogs!

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! It is Monday morning and the schedule is the same - washing, drying, packing, loading, and getting ready to leave our doghouse for school visits.

Before we left, I had to tell you about our time in Paducah and Murray this past Thursday. Thursday was spent in McCracken County at Lone Oak Elementary. Everyone knows that McCracken County holds a very special place in my heart since that is my birthplace. We saw so many of our friends - like Mrs. Keeling, the librarian at the Lone Oak Elementary. Mrs. Keeling and Mom knew each other from Murray. Mrs. Keeling has a wiener dog named Sherlock Holmes! Isn't that a cool name? Anyway, it was a terrific day!

We left the school around 3:30 and drove to Mom's birthplace of Murray. The Murray Ledger and Times invited us to a "Meet the Pups" night. Talk about a homecoming! It was a full house. Mom saw so many of her friends. We signed lots of scrapbooks and books, and posed for plenty of photos! My mouth was tired from smiling! Our illustrator, Mr. Asher, was with us. All the kids loved meeting him! A special thanks to Ms. Rouse and Ms. Thompson for arranging the perfect evening!

I better go! I still have to pack my jammies and my Scooby Snacks! I told Chloe I would help her zip her suitcase. She always packs so much that it is hard to close! Tomorrow we will be in Harrison County at Eastside Elementary! We can't wait! I will be sure to post lots of photos and tell you all about it. Speaking of photos, we have new pictures on the Photo page. Be sure to take a look!

Have a great day! Remember to read the story and listen to the podcast! Oh, and don't forget to Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY