Boogity, Boogity, Boogity!

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers and Boogity, Boogity, Boogity! Everyone knows how much I love Kentucky! Well, I wanted to tell you about a famous Kentucky man named Darrell Waltrip.

If you know anything about NASCAR racing, you will know Darrell Waltrip. NASCAR stands for National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. NASCAR is the second most popular professional sport. (Football is the first.) Anyway, Darrell Waltrip is a very famous and successful former NASCAR driver.

Mr. Waltrip is originally from Owensboro, KY. He started racing at Ellis track in Owensboro. He was so successful that he moved to Nashville, TN which eventually led him to NASCAR. He started with NASCAR in 1972 and drove until he retired in 2000. After he retired, he signed a contract with the FOX Broadcasting Company to broadcast the NASCAR races. After the cars start the race, Mr. Waltrip says, "Boogity, Boogity, Boogity! Let's Go Racing!" Chloe and I love hearing him say that!

Anyway, this past Saturday night, our family was in Nashville, TN for a wedding reception. Unfortunately, wiener dogs weren't allowed. Mom said it was for people only. So, while Mom and Dad were at the reception, Chloe, Frannie the Body Guard, and I stayed outside in the Woody Bus. Mom promised she and Dad would only be gone a little while. When they walked back in the bus, Mom said, "Woody, you won't believe who we saw!!!" "Was it Carrie Underwood?" Then Mom said, "Boogity, Boogity, Boogity!" I said, "YOU SAW DARRELL WALTRIP?" She and Dad were able to spend some time with Darrell Waltrip and his wife Stevie. Mom said Mr. Waltrip asked how we were doing. Chloe and I couldn't believe it!!! To think that Mr. Waltrip is a Kentucky boy like me! I think it would be so cool to drive a race car. Of course I would wear my seatbelt. Maybe Mr. Waltrip will let me drive around the track one day. I will keep you posted on my NASCAR career, but don't hold your breath!

Right now, the only race I am concerned about is racing off to dinner! Stay safe, wear your seatbelt, and Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

Boogity, Boogity, Boogity!!!

WOODY

An Exciting Ride Home

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! Whew! Last week was a fun week for our family with a few twists and turns. Let me fill you in!

On Thursday, we spent the day with Mrs. Cheryl Million and all the students at Mason Corinth Elementary in Grant County. We were no stranger to MCE. Not only had we had been there before, but we have become great friends with Mrs. Million, her family, and the students. The school rolled out the red carpet for our visit!

We presented our assemblies and the writing workshops, posed for pictures, signed scrapbooks, and even signed broken arms!!! The day flew by! After a tasty dinner, we spent the evening with students and parents at the Family Reading Night. The day was going as smooth as silk. About 8:00 that evening, the families had all gone home, the Woody Bus was loaded, and our family was ready to make the two hour trip back to our doghouse in Shepherdsville. Chloe, Frannie the Body Guard, and I had put on our jammies and were resting on the way home when we heard something that just didn't sound right. The hair on Frannie's back stood up. She thought she was going to have to take action. We all looked at each other. Dad said, "Don't worry. I think some equipment in the storage bin just moved around." Ahh, a sigh of relief. Close the eyes again and think about the great day! BANG, POP, SHAKE!!!!! Frannie jumped on top of Chloe and me to shield us from any harm. "TAKE COVER!" Frannie instructed. Dad calmed us by saying that one of our tires had blown. He guided the Woody Bus to the shoulder of the road.

It was scary at first, being stuck on the side of the dark interstate while cars and trucks passed by. Every time a big truck would pass by, the bus would shake. Mom closed the curtains in bus, turned on the television to block out some of the noise, and we sat on the bed and waited for help to come. (Since the Woody Bus is really big, Dad had to have help from a professional.) While we waited - and waited - and waited some more, we talked, told stories, played Go Fish, sang our favorite songs and read our favorite books. Finally, a truck came! The mechanic and Dad worked a really long time taking the bad tire off and replacing it with the new tire. It took a long time and we could tell that Dad and the mechanic were tired - I mean exhausted! Finally, the tire was changed, and we were back in business. Chloe, Frannie, Mom, and I all gave three cheers to Dad and the mechanic - and, of course, to Frannie the Body Guard! Hip, Hip Hooray! Hip, Hip Hooray! Hip, Hip Hooray!

We pulled into our driveway at 2:30 Friday morning!!! Mom and Dad had been awake since our Scooby alarm clock went off at 5:00 on Thursday morning - almost 22 hours!!! Needless to say, Friday was spent taking long naps - and putting new tires on the Woody Bus!!!

Since Friday was spent napping, we are still catching up on laundry and chores. Therefore, I have to go. Chloe is helping Mom fold the clothes and I am sure there are tasks on my To-Do list! Stay tuned to the blog. We have lots of stories and photos to post!

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

WOODY

TAILS from Anchorage

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! It is a gorgeous afternoon at our doghouse in Shepherdsville. We finished our lunch - baked chicken in case you are wondering - and had our afternoon walk. I thought I would take the time to write in my diary. I couldn't wait to tell you about the fantastic time we had yesterday in Anchorage, KY!

Our family spent the day and evening with the elementary students of Anchorage School. It was our first time at the school but you wouldn't know it! Everyone treated us like we were family! We felt right at home! The students were so friendly. I bet every student in the school came up and said, "Thanks for coming, Woody!" "No, THANK YOU!" I would say! "It was our pleasure!"

A great big thanks to Mrs. Robin Gomez and Mrs. Julie for planning the perfect day and evening. We spent the entire day in the library. It had state-of-the-art equipment. As impressive as all of that was, it still didn't top the way everyone made us feel! We also were showered with gifts - goodies bags with our favorite dog treats, a gift certificate to Feeder's Supply, cards, letters, and a lunch that was DEE-LISH!!!

By the way, the superintendent came by to see me. I asked him about changing the mascot from the Anchorage Anchors to the Anchorage Wiener Dogs. He said he would discuss it with the Board of Education. He thought it might be too tough to change the shirts, the letterhead, the sign out front, but again, he would do his best!

Dad took 175 photos at the school. We posted about 5! We will put the rest on the Picture Page soon so stay tuned!

Since it is Friday afternoon, I think I will call it a week! The CATS have a big football game tomorrow night against the Arkansas Razorbacks! In case you are wondering what a razorback is, well it's a pig or a hog! Surely the CATS can win! Can't wait to tell you all about it!

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

WOODY

TAILS from Sandersville

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! It is Wednesday evening and we are not in the Woody Bus!!! Before you worry, nothing is wrong. We are just close to home on Thursday. Because of that, Dad said we could leave early in the morning! In fact, Dad said we would have to be in the Woody Bus ready to leave home at 6:20 pronto. As you can imagine, I have to go to bed even earlier than usual!

Yesterday, our family spent the day at a brand new school in Lexington, KY called Sandersville. Sandersville Elementary just opened up this school year! It used to be Linlee Elementary. We visited Linlee two years ago and couldn't wait to return! The building at Sandersville was much different than Linlee but the teachers and the students were the same friendly bunch we remembered from a few years ago! A great big hug to Mrs. Lisa Spaulding for making Tuesday, October 14th, Woody, The Kentucky Wiener Day!

The new school was gorgeous! Chloe and I made sure we minded our manners. Dad reminded me several times that I couldn't have accidents of any kind! Mission accomplished - no accidents!

I posted a picture of the building for you to see. If you look closely, you can see that it says 2008. I also posted a picture of Frances P. Florence, or Frannie as we call her. She is our official body guard on the Woody Tour. You can see by the photo that she is scanning the crowd making sure that Chloe and I are safe! She's the best!

By the way, we have some new photos on the Photo Page so be sure to take a minute to sniff around!

Off to bed! Tomorrow we will be in Anchorage! We can't wait! I will tell you all about it! Sweet dreams and Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

By the way, that's Anchorage, Kentucky not Anchorage, Alaska! If it had been Anchorage, Alaska we would have had to have left home before now!

Happy Columbus Day!

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! Hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful October day! My apologies for not blogging sooner! Our family was gone the entire week last week! I know the wheels on the Woody Bus must be tired! Ha Ha (Get it? Wheels? Tired? Nevermind...)

Our family left home on Monday to travel to Southside Elementary in Belfry, KY. Belfry is three miles from Williamson, West Virginia. In fact, after school on Tuesday, Dad took us to West Virginia for dinner. It was funny to tell eveyone we were going to West Virginia for dinner! (The food is just as tasty in West Virginia as it is in KY!) Anyway, our time at Southside was terrific! Unfortunately, we don't have any pictures. Dad accidentally dropped the camera at school that morning and the rest, as they say, is history...

Our very first priority on Wednesday morning was to find a Wal-Mart and buy a new camera! While we were shopping, we realized we needed a few other necessities like toothpaste, soap, and a new tennis ball. Chloe and I helped Mom scan the items at the check out! I think I may have a future as a check-out canine!

We left Wal-Mart and drove to Grant County, KY to speak to teachers at Mason-Corinth Elementary. We were with Kriss Johnson (Newspapers in Education Manager at the Herald Leader). We talked about how students and teachers could use newspapers in their classrooms. In other words, we paper-trained them!

We left Grant County and headed to Jessamine County - Nicholasville to be exact. On Thursday, were with the students at Warner Elementary! (Don't you love the sign they made us???) Mrs. Lawson did a terrific job in planning the perfect day and evening! She even put a pawprint on her face!

Friday meant a day off! It was nice to be home at our doghouse in Shepherdsville. Saturday meant another trip to Lexington to watch our Kentucky Wildcats take on the South Carolina Gamecocks. Unfortunately, our CATS came in second! Dad says you can't win them all. So, we just try harder next week!

Sunday found us at church and then leading the walk at the Bullitt County Second Sunday event. Preston Highway was closed so folks could come out and exercise. The last picture is of Mom and me with one of the Bullitt County Sheriffs. He made sure everyone was safe! It was nice to see so many people walking, skating, roller blading, running, and just getting physically fit!

As you can see, the week flew by! Time always flies when you are having fun!

There are so many other things I need to tell you about - like the latest predictions for the story, some new friends we have met, and other exciting things we have done. But, this is Monday so you know what that means - yes, another trip. The Woody Bus is ready to go, so I need to go too!

By the way, Happy Columbus Day! On October 12th in 1492, Christopher Columbus arrived in the New World. Can you imagine what Columbus thought as he set foot on this great land? I wonder if any wiener dogs were on that voyage? I need to research that!

Off to Lexington for a school visit! Have a great day! Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

And more predictions...

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! It is a very busy Monday here at our doghouse! Our family is loading up the Woody Bus for our school in Belfry, KY. It takes about five hours to get to Belfry. Therefore we are leaving early so we can make sure we get a good night's sleep for our school day tomorrow.

We had a few more predictions regarding HEADS AND TAILS. We lover reading the predictions. Take a look:



We are thinking that Woody will end up in 1929. My guys pointed out that this was the year of The Great Depression. People will lose jobs and have difficulty finding work.

Later,

Ms. Smith
C.A.
T.B.
K.K
J.L.
J.W
Spring Meadows School




This was a prediction from Todd County, KY:


We think Woody will dig up the potatoes and get paid for his work. He could never get a penny from today for working, but he could trade his old penny to Chloe for a new penny. Then they will go back to the real time in the 21st century. But if Woody messes up the potatoes he might not get paid and then he and his family be stuck in 1909.



From: Mrs. Tammy Sharp’s third graders at

South Todd Elementary School

Keep those emails coming! We love reading them! Stay tuned, save your pennies, and Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

Guess What Happens Next...

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! My inbox is overflowing with people guessing what will happen in Chapter 4 of Heads and Tails. When Chapter 3 ended, I had just been hired as a potato digger. Students from Madison Southern High School in Madison County emailed me guessing what would happen next. Take a look:


Hi Woody!

We are students at Madison Southern High School. We are enjoying reading about you and your family every week. Here is what we think will happen to you next . . .



"I think Woody will earn enough money digging potatoes to buy a car.
Then he will use the car to drive around."
Michael



"I think Woody will work hard and get paid."
Nichole



"I think he hurts himself while digging potatoes. He cuts his paw on a sharp rock. Then he meets the town veterinarian who fixes his paw and he makes a new friend."
Mindy



"I think he digs potatoes and gets really dirty. Because he doesn't have any money for food, he has to eat potatoes when he gets hungry."
Ms. Kuhn



"I think Woody works really hard to be the best potato digger he can be.
While he is working, he meets some new friends. He finds it hard to leave his new friends when it is time for him to come "back" to 2008."
Mrs. Hudson



We can't wait to see what happens next week. If you are ever in Berea, Kentucky, please stop by and see us. We would love to meet you in person.



Sincerely,



Melissa Hudson and Class
Madison Southern High School
Madison County, KY

I love hearing everyone's predictions. I love the prediction about the car. Michael, I am curious, what kind of car would I drive? Let me know what you think and I will post it here for everyone to see.

Keep those emails coming! Stay tuned, save your pennies, and Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

Close to our Doghouse

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! It is Wednesday morning and Chloe, Frannie, and I just returned from our mid-morning walk. We were three chilly dogs outside. It won't be long before we will have to wear our sweaters. Brrrr....

You know the old saying, "There's no place like home?" Well, it's true! Yesterday, we were at home in Bullitt County. We spent the day and evening at Pleasant Grove Elementary. Typically, on Monday evenings we load the Woody Bus, leave our doghouse in Shepherdsville, and travel a few hours for our school on Tuesday. This Monday was different. We slept in our own bed at home, left home Tuesday morning, and made it to school in about 10 minutes! Everytime we drive to a school I say, "Are we there yet? Are we there yet?" I asked Dad yesterday and he said, "YES! We're here!" That was quick!

We had a terrific day! Ms. Weihe, the media specialist, planned the perfect day! The walls were decorated with wiener dogs! That's always fun! We had an extra-special treat at the Family Reading Night - a cake with my doghouse, my face, and my name! It was so pretty that I didn't want to cut it, but I figured everyone was hungry - and I knew Mom would never let me take an entire cake home to keep forever! Boy was I glad we cut it! It was dee-lish! The cake had three flavors - strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate! I had a taste of the strawberry. YUM-MEEEEEE! I am still licking my lips! A great big thanks to Ms. Dorane and Mr. Eddie for the cake!

I better sign off for now! We have chores to do before we pack the Woody Bus for the rest of the week. Have a great day! Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY