Woody the Kentucky Wiener's Blog

2012

2012-01-05T09:35:00.006-05:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! Hope all my friends had a terRUFFic Christmas and New Year! Our family had a fun holiday season. As usual, Santa Paws was very good to us! He brought each of us a present. I got a new stuffed animal that squeaks when you bite it. I love carrying it around and sleeping with it every night!

Chloe, Frannie, Wally, Rudy, and I all tried really, really hard to stay up until midnight on New Year's Eve, but we couldn't do it. Mom said we made it until about 9:30. That's okay, we all gave our New Year kisses when we woke up!

We took our tree down and was very careful about putting all the ornaments away so they would be safe all year. We have a Charlie Brown tree. We love Charlie Brown and Snoopy. So many of our friends give us ornaments. It makes us happy to look at each one and think about the person who gave it to us.

Everyone has been asking us if we have any New Year resolutions. I didn't even know what a resolution was but Mom explained it was making a decision to improve on something. I'm going to try to be a better drummer and harmonica player. I'm also going to improve my table manners! No more talking with my mouth full of food! As our friends in Ms. Hisle and Ms. Logan's class reminded us, nobody wants to see our yucky chewed-up food!

Speaking of Ms. Hisle and Ms. Logan, we spent the day with them before Christmas break! It was incredible! They sang "The Yellow Rose of Texas" for us. It was beautiful! They gave Chloe a run for her money - and you know how pretty Chloe sings the song! We're going to put some pictures on the blog of our visit very soon!

As usual, we're behind. We have a long list of things to do today. We are shipping books, getting ready for school visits to start again, sending updates to Mr. Nathan so we can get our online doghouse up-to-date, writing thank you notes, the list is endless! Since we're behind on our website, we wanted to post our January dates. We just sent them to Mr. Nathan so they will be on the Tour Page soon. In the meantime, here you go:

Tuesday, Jan 24
Boston Elementary
Boston, KY
Woody’s 5 Ways to Be Successful
Woody's 5 Ways to Improve Writing
School Day

Wednesday, Jan 25
Boston Elementary
Boston, KY
Woody’s Writing Workshops & Classroom Visits
School Day

Thursday, Jan 26
Boston Elementary
Boston, KY
Woody’s Writing Workshops & Classroom Visits
School Day

Thursday, Jan 26
Boston Elementary
Boston, KY
An Evening with the Pups
TBA

Friday, Jan 27
Memphis Christian Church
Memphis, IN
An Evening with the Pups
7 pm

We are very excited about January! Dad went to Boston Elementary when he was a little boy! They have built a brand new school since then and we hear it's beautiful! Chloe and I keep wondering if they will have pictures of Dad in the hall! I wonder if the principal remembers Dad!

We're also looking forward to Memphis Christian Church. Our friend Zoe's uncle is the minister at MCC! We will be on our best behavior!

I better skee-daddle! The list keeps getting longer and the time keeps ticking!

Oh - before I forget - this was a picture our family had taken in our backyard several months ago. We thought you might enjoy! It's too cold to be outside today with no shoes or gloves on!

Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

And... Chapter 10

2011-12-07T11:42:00.002-05:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! If you've been following Doghouse Divided, you know it ended a few weeks ago! Our faithful followers from Simmons Elementary in Woodyford County, KY emailed us every week during the course of the story. Chloe, the entire Gang, and I can't wait to visit them next week! Anyway, we wanted to share with you their comments from Chapter 10 and answer some questions they had. Before we get to that, I have a question for you! If you look closely at the illustration of Chapter 10, you will notice it isn't the same illustration that "made the cut" - that's business talk that means "the final one that was approved." So, if you look at the original and look at the one on the blog, can you tell the difference? How many differences are there?

While you're looking, I'll post the comments:

Dear Woody,

We are SO excited about your upcoming visit!! We have a countdown on the board and it is just around the corner. We can't wait to meet you, Chloe, and the gang. We are planning a special surprise, along with Mrs. Hisle's class, for you!

We were excited, and a little sad, to finish Doghouse Divided. We are glad everything worked out with the drumset and being able to play with the band. It seems like Chloe had a great time too! Hopefully this experience has taught you to calm down and not jump to so many conclusions before getting the facts. It's okay though, we do it all the time ourselves!

We still have a couple questions after finishing the book.

1. Since the 'Brother Against Brother' room at the library is finished, do you and Chloe still work there?

2. Will you continue to play with The Barkstreet Boys?

Ms. Logan is going to check out some of your other books from the library so we can read more of your adventures. We are looking forward to that!

We will see you soon!

Sincerely,

Ms. Logan's Reading Class

Mindy Logan
3rd Grade Teacher
Simmons Elementary

A surprise? For me? Wow! I can't wait! Yes, Chloe and I still work at the library, but not every day. We go in a few hours a week and help out with any projects Ms. Grant needs us to do. And yes, I'm still playing drums with The Barkstreet Band and Chloe is still singing. Her voice is pretty! You should hear her sing, "Ain't Nothin' But a Hound Dog!"

Dear Woody,

We finished reading "Doghouse Divided" today, and we loved it! From your story, we learned that the North and the South had a fight over slavery the fact that the Southern states wanted to create their own country. We are so glad the North won, slavery ended, and we're still one country today. We also learned the word "reenact" and we would love to see one someday.

We were relieved to learn that you earned enough money to pay off your broken window - Bet mom was happy too! Do you still have your drums? Are you still playing with the band?

Our class can't WAIT to meet you in a couple of weeks. We all screamed when Mrs. Hisle told us you and your mom are coming! We're still saving up money for the Woodford County Humane Society, so we'll let you know how much we raised when we see you. Are you bringing Chloe with you? Is this rest of your family coming to Woodyford County?

We hope you are staying warm in this cold weather? We were wondering - what do you like to do when it snows? Do you make snowdogs and paw prints in the snow? Can't wait to hear back from you!

Be careful on the drive to Versailles. You never know, it could be snowing!

Love,

Mrs. Hisle's 3rd grade reading class

Megan Hisle
3rd grade teacher
Simmons Elementary

We can't wait until our visit either! We are counting the days! Yes, we are still with the band. In fact, we have band practice later today. It's funny you mention snow. It's snowing here today. When it snows, we go outside for a short walk, build snowdogs, make snowdog angels, throw snowballs at each other, and run as fast as we can without falling down! Then we come in and warm up in front of our fireplace with a warm glass of milk and try to go from chilly dogs to hot dogs! It hits the spot and makes us sleepy! We also play checkers, read books, do our chores, and take cat naps! Speaking of, I better skeedaddle! Chloe just put on her sweater and scarf which means it's time to go outside.

Have a great day and stay warm! Don't forget to Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

Doghouse Divided Chapter 9

2011-12-05T12:29:00.004-05:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! Our rain boots and rain coats are at the door! We are only going out for bathroom breaks. We are having inside recess today. We are playing Checkers, Connect Four, Memory, and of course reading lots of books. I have a stack of Curious George right beside me!

We are counting down the days until we can visit Simmons Elementary. Here are the fantastically, terRUFFic comments from our friends in WOODYford County!

Hi Woody!

We are so relieved that you found your drumset. Also, we are glad you didn't call the police since there wasn't really an emergency. Like you, we are wondering why your drums are in that garage. It seems like there are also a lot of items from the Civil War in the garage. At least your mom and dad know why they are there.

The battles that occurred in Lexington and Frankfort are both close to Versailles. One person in our class actually lives in Frankfort. Our teacher is looking for an atlas of Kentucky so we can find the sites of the other battles that occurred in our state.

We hope that the problem with the band is not serious. We are thinking that the problem is someone dropped out of the band or is hurt and won't be able to perform. A solution to these problems is that Chloe could fill in and be a member of the band as well. We think she would enjoy that!

We would be very excited if you were able to come visit our school. We would love to meet you! Hopefully that will be able to happen. We are very much looking forward to chapter 10 to find out how the story ends. We always listen to your stories on Wednesdays. Next week we will not be able to listen because we will be out of school for Thanksgiving. That means we have to wait two whole weeks to find out what happens!

We will email you as soon as we complete the book. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and don't eat too much!

Sincerely,

Ms. Logan's 3rd Grade Reading Class

Whoowee!!! Just remembering Thanksgiving makes my tummy growl! And here are the comments from our friends in Ms. Hisle's class:

Dear Woody,

What an exciting chapter! We loved hearing about you using your detective skills. If we had a detective kit, we would want a magnifying glass to inspect small things, a blacklight, and a notepad with a pen for recording our clues.

We researched the 11 battle sites in Kentucky and this is what we found:
Barbourville
Camp Wild Cat
Cynthiana
Ivy Mountain
Middle Creek
Mill Springs
Mundfordville
Paducah
Perryville
Richmond
Rowlett's Station

We think that the big problem Bark and Woody have is that one of the band member is sick and can't play. We also think that maybe Bark is coming to tell you that you're spending too much time at the library and not enought time with the band. Uh oh!

Thanks so much for sending the picture. Woody, you are SO HANDSOME! We think you are terRUFic!

Megan Hisle
3rd grade teacher
Simmons Elementary

A blacklight? I had to ask Mom what a blacklight was. I'm going to ask Santa for a blacklight for Christmas. I hope it's not too late! And did you say I was handsome??? Oh wow! I don't know what to say! Thank you very much. I bet all of you are handsome and pretty too. We can't wait to meet you!

Stay dry and Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

Chapters 6, 7, and 8 OH MY!

2011-12-02T06:58:00.004-05:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! All of the Thanksgiving leftovers have been eaten, our Charlie Brown Christmas tree decorated with our favorite wiener dog ornaments is on the mantle, we're checking off our list for Santa Paws, and we're making sure we are on our most terRUFFic behavior! Add that to my library job, band practice, school visits, and regular chores, and sometimes it doesn't seem like there are enough hours in the day. No worries - Chloe and I still have plenty of time to play and rest. You know the ol' saying, "All work and no play makes Woody a dull dog!"

Chloe and I had the most fantastic surprise last week! We found out that on Thursday, December 15th, we will be spending the day at Simmons Elementary. We are FINALLY going to meet Ms. Logan, Ms. Hisle, and all our faithful friends who have emailed us during Doghouse Divided.

As usual, I'm a weenie bit behind in posting their emails so I thought I would post 3 chapters this time. We love opening our mailbox on the computer and seeing the name Ms. Hisle and Ms. Logan! We have heard from many of our blog readers that you love reading their comments too. Well you are going to enjoy a triple dose today! Are you ready? Are you set? Here we go:

Chapter 6:

Hi Woody!!

We agree with your mom, you shouldn't jump to conclusions! We thought she may want something simple like you and Chloe running an errand. :) We bet you are relieved that it didn't have to do with the drumset...or the broken window. Is it fixed yet?

Our school library has a great book about Abraham Lincoln. We are going to check it out the next time we visit the library. We are sure it will have information about him being called 'Honest Abe' and the Civil War.

Your mom is right - just because something doesn't directly affect us doesn't mean we let it happen. Lots of students in our class have taken a stand against something. We all take a stand against bullying and stand up when people are being teased, even if we don't know the person. One student took a stand against people using bad language and other have taken a stand against animal abuse. We are sure you wouldn't sit back and let that happen!

Most of us think Bark is one of your and Chloe's dog friends who is coming over to ask them to play. A few think Bark may be a neighborhood bully or a dog who is going to give Woody drum lessons. One student thinks Bark may be a friend of yours who is a cat! Bark would be a funny name for a cat!

We hope to hear from you soon and are looking forward to chapter 7!

Thanks,

Ms. Logan's 3rd Grade Reading Class
Simmons Elementary

and...

Dear Woody,

We're so glad mom wasn't calling to ask you to sell your drums! What a relief! We predict Bark is your friend (who is a dog) that lives down the street. We think Bark may have come over to play with your drum set. Does Bark also have a drum set? Maybe you two could start a band together!

We are enjoying learning about the Civil War. We're learning lots of new things and we think it's awful that slavery existed. We never knew that people traded other people!

We can't wait to hear Chapter 7.

Megan Hisle
3rd grade teacher
Simmons Elementary

Chapter 7:

Hi Woody!

We are so excited about your opportunity to play in a band! That is going to be so much fun! We can't wait to read about your experience!! We think the perfect song for The Barkstreet Boys to play is Who Let the Dogs Out? We would love to hear that.

We are learning so much about the Civil War. We knew Abraham Lincoln was born in Kentucky but didn't know that Jefferson Davis was. We looked up Fairview and Hodgenville on the map. You would need to travel southwest to get from Fairview to Hodgenville. What city do you live in?

We think volunteering is so important and a way to be a good citizen. Some things that you and Chloe could do are pick up trash, plant trees, and grow a garden. We bet you like to dig so a garden would be so fun for you! You could give the vegetables to people in your community.

We are looking forward to chapter 8.

Thanks,

Ms. Logan's 3rd Grade Reading Class
Simmons Elementary

By the way, I was born in the city of Paducah, but I live in the city of Shepherdsville! I don't know what happened to the email Ms. Hisle's class sent regarding Chapter 7. Our cat Dolly must have been chasing the mouse again and deleted it!

and Chapter 8:

Hi Woody!

We were excited to hear from you! We understand about being busy, we get that way too sometimes. You sound like one busy dog! We're sure you get excited to crawl into your doggie bed every night.

Table manners are very important. We don't like eating lunch at a table where people have bad manners. We thought of some suggestions of how you and Chloe can improve your table manners.

1. Don't talk with your mouth full - Chew and swallow before you speak.

2. Don't talk about disgusting things - make sure the topics will not make anyone sick, or spit their food out!

3. Be polite

4. Take small bites - don't stuff your mouth full.

We are so worried about your drums! While we realize you panicked when they were not in the living room, we don't think you needed to call the police. We are thinking that your mom and dad may have placed them in the garage, the attic, or on the patio. Maybe they were getting in the way. Or, we are thinking that Bark came and took them for the band. We really hope you find them and nothing serious has happened to them. The best thing you can do is ask your mom and dad if they moved them.

We look forward to hearing from you and listening to chapter 9!

Sincerely,

Ms. Logan's 3rd Grade Reading Class
Simmons Elementary

Thanks! These are great suggestions on how to improve my table manners. I'm getting better. However, I got in a little bit of trouble at Thanksgiving for forgetting Rule #1 and Dad said, "Dogwood, we would hate to ask you to leave the table at Thanksgiving." I remembered your suggestions and didn't have any more problems!

and...

Dear Woody,

We were so glad to hear back from you. We figured the library job was keeping you pretty busy. We just finished listening to chapter 8 of Doghouse Divided. We have some suggestions on how you and Chloe can improve your table manners. First off, you should always say "please" and "thank you". It's also VERY important to not speak with your mouth full -- no one wants to see your chewed up dog food - YUCK! :) Also, you shouldn't talk about eating rats at the dinner table. That might make people lose their appetite.

We also know five rivers in Kentucky:
1. Ohio River
2. Kentucky River
3. Dix River
4. Green River
5. Barren River

Woody, if you think you were robbed you should first call the police. If something has really been stolen, they need to know. We also think that you're drumset is missing. Maybe it isn't stolen, maybe Bark borrowed it or mom moved it to the garage (if you have one).

We can't wait to listen to Chapter 9! AND we would love to meet you in person (and dog) too!!

Megan Hisle
3rd grade teacher
Simmons Elementary

Wow! You guys know your Kentucky Rivers - and your manners too! I think I've got "please" and "thank you" mastered, but those table manners are still getting me from time to time. I never knew people didn't want to see my chewed up dog food. I think seeing any kind of food is exciting and I thought everyone else did too! Thanks for pointing out my mistake!

Well, it's 7:30 in the morning. That means it's time for our morning walk and then breakfast! I just saw Chloe prance through the house with her sweater on (we don't want to be chilly dogs) so I better skee-daddle! By the way, we will be speaking and signing books tomorrow at the Ridgway Memorial Public Library tomorrow here in our hometown of Shepherdsville. If you are anywhere in the area, come see us! The program starts at 1:00, I think! If I find out I told you the wrong time, I will post a correction after breakfast. I'm starving and I've got to, well, let's just say I must go outside for my morning walk. (I'm trying to remember not to talk about disgusting things like going to the bathroom!)

Have a great day, stay warm, and Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

Catching Up with Chapter 5

2011-11-09T10:31:00.003-05:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! Where has time gone? I can't believe we are already in the month of November! We are looking forward to Thanksgiving! Mom always lets us help plan the menu. I can taste the gravy and pumpkin pie now!

The job at the library has kept us so busy. That's why I've been a weenie bit behind on the blog. Our faithful friends from Simmons Elementary in WOODYford County sent us there responses to Chapter 5. Chloe and I love opening our inbox and seeing Ms. Hisle's and Ms. Logan's name! They give such great advice! We must get to Simmons Elementary and meet our new best friends in person!

Dear Woody,

We're so glad you got to keep the job at the library. It's ok, we all have late fees at the library sometimes, but it's best to try to turn books in on time.

We have a couple of different ideas about why mom called you at the library. First, some of us think mom may be calling just to see when you're going to be home, so you might not have anything to be worried about. However, some of us agree with you and think mom may be calling about the drum set. Since you accidentally broke the window with your drumsticks, she might think other things are going to get broken - maybe another window! You already have to fix one window, so it may be best to not keep the drum set if you don't want to have to pay for something else that might break.

We researched who the president was during the Civil War and we learned that it was Abraham Lincoln. We also learned he was the sixteenth president!

We can't wait to hear what happens in Chapter 6!

Megan Hisle

3rd grade teacher

Simmons Elementary

Ms.Logan's Class sent this response to Chapter 5:

Hi Woody!

We missed you while we were on fall break! We all had a great break, but we were ready to get back to school.

We are so interested in learning more about the Civil War. We went on a field trip to the Lexington History Museum last week and there was a exhibit about Abraham Lincoln. We know he was the president during the Civil War. We came up with three reason why the states could be at war. The first was slavery, the second was the right to make their own laws, and the third was independence.

We often have arguments with our friends and siblings so we have lots of advice on what to do to solve a disagreement. Here is the list we made.

1. Walk away

2. Talk it out

3. Share and take turns

4. Ignore the person

5. Wait and cool off

Even though it isn't fun, disagreements happen and it is important to know the right way to solve an argument without more fighting.

We are also worried about what your mom has to say! We think she may want you to run an errand on the way home, let you know that she isn't going to be home when you get there, or to let her know when you leave the library so she will know when to expect you and not worry. We hope it isn't something serious...or that you aren't in trouble for something!

We are looking forward to hearing from you and listening to chapter 6.

Ms. Logan's Reading Class

Mindy Logan
3rd Grade Teacher
Simmons Elementary

Thanks again for the email and your comments! I have chores to do, drums to practice, and a library job to get ready for. Therefore, I better skee-daddle! Again, keep those comments coming! I will post your other comments in a day or two!

I'm off to work! Have a great day and Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

Three Cheers for Madison Payne!

2011-10-20T23:33:00.005-04:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! If you are a regular follower of our blog, you know Madison Payne. Madison is a 3rd grade student in Knox County who is one the smartest people we have ever met - and for a wiener dog, I've met thousands of people! A few months ago Madison had a school project where she had to spotlight an author. She chose Mom. She interviewed Mom via email and then put together this masterpiece! Isn't it incredible? We thought you might like to see the questions and answers from the interview. Here are a few just so you can get a sample of Madison's great work!

Where were you born?
Murray, KY. I actually grew up in a little town right outside of Murray called Kirksey. Murray is known for the World’s Best and Busiest Dairy Queen and also the National Boy Scout Museum.

What is your favorite book?
Too many to name. As a child, my favorite book was The Little Mommy by Sharon Kane and also The Pokey Little Puppy by Janette Lowrey. Both are Little Golden Books – and I still have both of those books on my bookshelf!

What is your favorite woody book?
Probably the very first book, The Adoption. I like that one because it is the story of Woody and me. It introduces Woody and everyday when I share the story with kids, it reminds me of meeting Woody for the very first time.

How many animals do you have? What are they? What are their names?
Chloe – 11 year old red, miniature dachshund (from Texas)
Woody – 10 year old black-and-tan miniature dachshund (from Kentucky)
Frannie – 8 year old red tweenie dachshund (from Alabama)
Wally – 2 year old black-and-tan standard dachshund (from Louisiana)
CeeCee – 8 month old red miniature dachshund (from Arkansas)
Boulder – 4 year old black Labrador Retriever
Santa Fe – 5 year old black Labrador Retriever
Moose – 1 year old beagle
Dolly – a cat
Crazy – a cat

Wow! I never knew there were so many of us until I saw our names listed! Anyway, once again we give 3 cheers for Madison - Hip, Hip Hooray! Hip, Hip Hooray, Hip, Hip Hooray!

Mom said that Madison and Taylor may be visiting their uncle soon. We can't wait for the girls to meet all our gang!

I better get to bed! I think I will have Mom pull out The Pokey Little Puppy for our bedtime story! Sweet Dreams, Everyone! Speaking of dreams, don't forget to Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

Chapter 4

2011-10-17T15:15:00.002-04:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! Hope you're enjoying this sunny day! The weather man says we will turn from hot dogs to chilly dogs tonight. Chloe and I have to find our sweaters for our morning walk! Our good friends from WOODYford County just sent us an email about Chapter 4. Here is the email from Mrs. Hisle's Class:

Dear Woody,

Here are some things we think you could have done at your job interview to make a good impression. First, it probably would have helped if you were quieter in the library. We understand though - sometimes it's hard to be quiet! We also think that using best manners makes a good impression. For example, you should say "Yes, ma'am, no ma'am, and no thank you". Finally, we think if you assure the librarian that you will work hard, that will make a good impression.

We wanted to let you know that we have saved around $26 for the Woody-ford County Humane Society. We're going to keep saving money during all the weeks that we read your story. We'll let you know how much we end up saving.

By the way, you won't hear from us next week because we have a week long fall break. Here are some things that kids in our class are going to be doing over the break: hunting, playing video games, GO THE Woody-ford LIBRARY, visiting grandparents, watching tv (but not too much), staying up late, visiting an aunt and family in Ohio, going on a cruise in Florida, visiting cousins, riding four-wheelers with cousins, sleeping in, staying with grandma, watching movies, and playing on the computer, watching scary movies, going to New York to visit grandpa, and we're going to be reading A LOT!

Thank you so much for putting our emails on your blog. We love reading them there!

We'll talk to you soon!

Mrs. Hisle's 3rd grade reading class

P.S. We have a George in our class and he likes Curious George books!

Megan Hisle
3rd grade teacher
Simmons Elementary

Great job on the money! That's terRUFFic! Tell George that he has great taste in books!

Here's an email from Ms. Logan's class:

Hello Woody!

We just finished chapter 4 and we are very excited that you got a job! We thought of ways you could have made a good impression for the job interview. First, we think you should keep in mind what the library rules are. When you go there, yelling is not okay and you should not do this if you want a job at the library. Second, you should tell why you would be perfect for the job. Third, we think you should mention that you love books since it is a job at the library.

Although our prediction about the job being a drummer for a band was incorrect, some students in our class had the prediciton that the job would have something to do with the library!!

We think you and Chloe will have a good time working on the Brother Against Brother room and will also learn a lot about the Civil War. We are so worried about your getting to keep the job since Mrs. Grant said she has a problem with hiring you. We predict that Mrs. Grant is unable to hire you because you are a dog or maybe because you were yelling in the library.

We have some questions while we are reading.

1. If you don't get hired for the library job, will you look for another job?

2. Do have trouble reaching the shelves in the library to get books?

3. Since you like going to the libary, why do you not follow the rules while you are there?

4. How much money have you earned to pay for the window?

We are looking forward to chapter 5. We will be on fall break next week, so we will have to listen to chapter 5 when we return.

Thanks, Woody!

Ms. Logan's 3rd Grade Reading Class

Mindy Logan
3rd Grade Teacher
Simmons Elementary

Great advice friends - especially the part about not yelling in the library! What was I thinking? In answer to your questions, if I don't get the job at the library, I will have to find another job. I have a broken window to pay for. The Dog and Suds Car Wash has an ad for car washer, so if the library doesn't work out, I will apply there! I will keep your advice in mind! Yes, it is very hard to reach the shelves. One time while visiting the library, I stacked lots of books on top of each other to reach a Curious George book. I won't tell you what happened, but if you think my yelling caused commotion, try watching a tower of books fall down with a wiener dog mid air!

It's not that I don't want or try to follow the rules - it's that my excitement gets the best of me! I'm really going to take your advice! So far, I've raised $2.78 so I've got a way to go!

Thanks everyone! Enjoy the last warm day and keep those emails coming!

Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

Your friend -

WOODY

Comments from Woodyford County

2011-10-04T04:55:00.002-04:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! Everyone at our doghouse is up early today. Our family is traveling to London - Kentucky, that is - for a school visit today. I finished my breakfast early so before we crawled in The Woody Bus, I wanted to share our comments from our good friends at Simmons Elementary in Woodyford County! The 3rd Graders from Ms. Logan's class and Ms. Hisle's class get the prize for being our faithful followers! Chloe and I love hearing from them each week!

Hi Woody!

We can't believe that you broke the kitchen window with the drum sticks! We know we would have to save up a lot of money to fix a window and our parents would not be very happy with us!! Did you get a punishment for breaking the window?

The name of our local library is the Woody...ooops - we almost did it this time! The Woodford Public Library. Almost all of the students in our class have a library card and lots of us go there to check out books. We searched our school catalog for Curious George and found that there are seventeen books and several videos. None of us were alive when the book we looked at was printed, but our teacher, Ms. Logan, was three years old.

Our prediction for the job advertisement is that Woody has seen an ad for a band. We think this band is looking for a drummer and Woody thinks he will be perfect for the job. We can't wait until next week to see what all the excitement is about.

Thanks for putting our email on the blog so our families can see it! We love listening to your story each week!

Thank you,

Ms. Logan's 3rd Grade Reading Class

Simmons Elementary

and...

Dear Woody,

We are excited to tell you that we've been collecting money for the Woodford County Human Society too - just like Ms. Logan's class. We're going to count how much we've raised on Friday, so we'll let you know next week how much we have so far!

We LOVED the Goober pea song...we thought it was pretty funny! We are so excited that our prediction was correct! We're sorry the kitchen window was broken and we hope you get it replaced soon.

By the way, most of us have a library card to the Woodyford County Library - hahaha!. We're working on having 100% of our class with a library card.

Our prediction for chapter 4 is that you saw an ad for a drumming job. We think this because we know how much you like drumming, plus you already have a drum set.

We love seeing our emails on your blog! We're going to look up the Curious George author and series, because a lot of us like reading those books to. Which Curious George book is your favorite? Also, we were wondering what your favorite band is, since you like drumming so much!

Your friend,

Mrs. Hisle's 3rd grade reading class

Megan Hisle
3rd grade teacher
Simmons Elementary

In case you're wondering the same thing, my favorite Curious George book is Curious George Goes to the Hospital. If you haven't read it, check it out. As far as my favorite band goes, stay tuned to the story and you will find out! I bet I'll be singing Goober Peas all the way to London now that the song is in my head!

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

WOODY

Three Cheers for Ms. Logan and Ms. Hisle

2011-09-27T09:07:00.002-04:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! Our family is getting ready to visit Anchorage Elementary. Dad is packing the Woody Bus, Mom is making sure all 5 of us have our collars and leashes, and my brother and sisters are packing their backpacks for the day. I wanted to write in my journal before I hopped in the Woody Bus.

If you're following Doghouse Divided, you know at the end of Chapter 1 I had a little trouble with my drumsticks. Ms. Logan's class and Ms. Hisle's class at Simmons Elementary in Woodford County have been reading faithfully and sending emails. We love opening our inbox and seeing emails from our friends. We wanted to share:

Hi Woody,

Our class started collecting money for the Woodford Humane Society. We thought it was funny that you called it the Woodyford Humane Society!! We are going to collect money the whole time we are reading your book. Then, we are going to invite someone from the Humane Society to our class to collect our donation. We will keep you posted on how we are doing with this.

Chapter 2 was great! We were suprised to see that it was a drumset. Our prediction was not correct! We talked about drumsets and instruments. Our music teacher will be happy that we knew all four families without having to look them up! Someone in our class wants a drum set but their parents said they were too noisy! We hope your drumset doesn't start a civil war in your neighborhood.

We think Woody is in the doghouse because his drum sticks came down and hit someone in the head. This will definitely cause him to get in trouble. Especially since his mom and dad are not happy with the new purchase.

Thank you for emailing us back. We are really excited about listening to chapter 3 next week. Also, we were excited to see our post on the blog!!!

Hope to hear from you soon,

Ms. Logan's 3rd grade reading class

Simmons Elementary

and

Dear Woody,

We love the story "Doghouse Divided"! Our favorite part was when Woody did the drum roll on his new drum set! Our class can't agree on what we think Woody's drumsticks hit, but our prediction is that they either broke a window or an overhead light. We know the drumsticks made a clanging noise, so we think something definitely broke. We can't wait to find out what happens next!

Your friends,

Mrs. Hisle's 3rd grade reading class

Simmons Elementary

We are hoping we can meet Ms. Logan and Ms. Hisle and their classes one day! In fact, if we were in the 3rd grade, we would hope we would have a teacher like one of them! Three cheers for them and their students for their hard work! Hip Hip Hooray, Hip Hip Hooray, Hip Hip Hooray!

Dad is calling me so I better skee-daddle! Stay tuned for Chapter 3. Enjoy the weather and Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

Doghouse Divided - Chapter 1

2011-09-20T14:37:00.004-04:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! Hopefully you have begun reading Doghouse Divided. If you haven't, it's not too late! This week is Chapter 2 - so there is plenty of time to catch up! If you read Chapter 1, you will know that Chloe and I came home from a yard sale, excited about our new purchase! As members of the work force, we work hard for our money. We save some, give some to charity, and spend some. It was sure fun spending some at the yard sale. The man at the yard sale talked about the Civil War. We asked our readers the following questions:

1. If you were giving money to charity, which charity would you choose and why?

2. What do you know about the Civil War?

3. What do you think Chloe and I have purchased?

Here are two responses from Simmons Elementary in Woodford, not to be confused with Woodyford, County:

Hi Woody!

We really liked chapter one of Doghouse Divided. We are looking forward to listening to the rest of the book. Our class decided that we would donate our money to the Woodford Humane Society. That is the animal shelter in our town, Versailles. We thought you would really like this since you are a dog. We didn't know much about the Civil War so we are excited to learn with you. What we do know is that wars are deadly, a civil war is a war against our own country, there were drummer boys in the civil war, and it was a fight between the north and south over slavery.

We are very curious to find out what you and Chloe purchased at the yard sale. Our prediction is that it is a cannon or maybe cannon balls.

We can't wait for chapter two!

Thank you,

Ms. Logan's 3rd Grade Reading Class
Simmons Elementary
Versailles, Kentucky

and also

Dear Woody,

If we were raising money for a charity, we would send money to an animal shelter. We would do this to save animals, so they can have food, shots, and water. While we're reading "Doghouse Divided" we're going to try to raise some money for the Woodford County animal shelter.

Here's what we know about the Civil War:

1. The Civil War was fought to free slaves.

2. African Americans were never treated well in the South.

3. Slaves tried to get to the North, because they were treated better.

Our prediction is that Woody bought a cannon or sword from the Civil War, since he was pulling it in a wagon.

We can't wait to hear back from you!

Mrs. Hisle's 3rd grade reading class

Megan Hisle
3rd grade teacher
Simmons Elementary

Chloe and I love reading your comments, so keep 'em coming! Study hard, stay tuned, and Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

Dee-lish Treat

2011-09-19T11:47:00.003-04:00

If you wonder why my tongue, as well my sister CeeCee's tongue, is hanging out in this picture, it's because we just ate the most delicious dog treat! Mom got a letter in the mail from one of our fans in Murray, KY. Murray is Mom's hometown, so we have lots of people we love in that town! Anyway, here is what Mom's letter from Paige said (typed just like Paige wrote it):

Hi, leigh ann florence

i'm your biggest fan. I know Woody probly likes dog treats so i got a recipet for some. 1 teaspoon corn starch, 3 cups flour, and Bacon bitts. Bake it a 350 for 20 min and let cool. I hope he likes them and Chloe too. Please write back.

Your biggest fan,

Paige

Well Paige, Chloe and I, along with the rest of our gang, can tell you that we didn't like them! No - we LOVED them! We scarfed them down with a cold glass of milk. Talk about yummy! If you have any other recipes, please send them our way! You made us - and our tummies - very happy!

Have a great day!

Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

My Upcoming Calendar

2011-08-29T17:19:00.003-04:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! Once again I was delayed in sending Mr. Nathan our Tour Dates. They keep coming in, but here is a good start for September and October! Hope to see you!

Saturday, September 10th
Calloway County Public Library
Murray, KY
A Morning with the Pups
10:30 CST

Tuesday, September 13th
Cumberland Trace Elementary
Bowling Green, Ky
Success/Writing/Family Reading
School Day and Eve CST

Thursday, September 22nd
Great Day Live
WHAS-11 TV
Television Interview
9:00 to 10:00

Friday, September 23rd
Taste of KY, Mall St. Matthews
Louisville, KY
Book Signing
4:00 to 6:00

Saturday, September 24th
Camp Butterfly
Madisonville, KY
Woody’s Five Ways to Be Successful
Private Event

Tuesday, September 27th
Anchorage Elementary
Anchorage, KY
Success/Family Reading Night
School Day and Eve

Saturday, October 1st
Okolona Christian Church
Louisville, KY
Chloe’s Five Ways to Be Beautiful
2:00

Tuesday, October 4th
Colony Elementary
London, KY
Success/Writing/Family Night
School Day and Eve

Tuesday, October 18th
Natcher Elementary
Bowling Green, KY
Woody’s Five Ways to Be Successful
6:00 CST

Friday, October 28th
Kentucky Reading Conference
Lexington, KY
Professional Development with Woody
1:45 to 3:00

See you soon! Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

Doghouse Divided

2011-08-25T10:37:00.005-04:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! Time is ticking until our new story, Doghouse Divided premieres in the newspapers across Kentucky. Chloe and I spent some time putting a list together for you. If you don't see your paper on the list, call your newspaper's publisher and say, "Hey Mr. or Mrs. Publisher. Why aren't you running the story Woody wrote?" Publishers love to hear from their readers so call, email, snail mail, send them a telegram, or even a message using a pigeon! Desperate times call for desperate measures! Here is the list:

Adair County Community Voice
Advocate Messenger
Ballard Weekly
Barren County Progress
Beattyville Enterprise
Bowling Green Daily News
Butler County Banner
Cadiz Record
Carlisle Mercury
Casey County News
Central Kentucky News Journal
Clay City Times
Dawson Springs Progress
Eagle Post
Edmonton Herald
Falmouth Outlook
Franklin Favorite
Garrard Central Record
The Gleaner
Georgetown News-Graphic
Harrodsburg Herald
Hart County News Herald
Henry County Local
Kentucky New Era
Kentucky Standard
Lake News
Lebanon Enterprise
Ledger Independent
Lexington Herald Leader
London Sentinel Echo
Lyon County Herald Ledger
Madisonville Messenger
Marshall County Tribune Courier
Mayfield Messenger
McCreary County Voice
Meade County Messenger
Messenger Inquirer
Mountain Advocate
Mt. Sterling Advocate
Mt. Vernon Signal
Murray Ledger & Times
News Democrat
News-Enterprise
Oldham Era
Paducah Sun
Pioneer News
The Record
Spencer Magnet
Times Journal
Times Leader
Times Tribune
Todd County Standard
Trimble Banner
Union County Advocate
Wayne County Outlook
Winchester Sun

Let's help this list grow!

Also, I will put my schedule on my blog soon as well as on the Tour Page so stay tuned! Have a great day and Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

Doghouse Divided

2011-08-19T15:42:00.002-04:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! No worries - our doghouse is not really divided! It's the name of our new serial story that will premiere in September. This year, Kentucky will commemorate (or remember) our state's role in the Civil War that occurred 150 years ago! Therefore, Chloe and I thought it was only fitting we wrote a story about The War Between the States. We couldn't believe all we learned about the Civil War and we barely scratched the surface! We're looking forward to learning more about our state's heritage!

Doghouse Divided will also debut the work of our new illustrator, Donnie Mather. Mr. Donnie is so talented! We were happy to cross paths with him after PBJ passed away. You are going to love Mr. Donnie's work!

I will list the names of the newspapers in the next few days. They are still signing up so it's not too late to get in on the game. "How much does it cost?" you ask. Nothing! It's completely free!!! So call your newspaper today and ask if they have signed up for the new story!

It's Friday afternoon and our family is going for a walk. I better grab my tennis shoes and water bottle and join them! Have a great weekend and Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

Home from New Hampshire

2011-07-25T14:55:00.004-04:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! Will we ever get caught up? That's the million dollar question here at our doghouse! Our family had an unbelievable time on our Mission Trip to Salem, New Hampshire! We met hundreds of new friends, learned about different states, got to see incredible sights, ate delicious seafood, heard people talk and bark with accents, and most importantly, we were able to tell hundreds of kids about how Jesus loves them! It's tough to put 10 days and 2400 miles into words. So, since everyone says a picture is worth a thousand words, we thought we would try that.

The first picture is of Mom and me standing at the coast of Lake Erie. Notice Mom has a jacket on. It was cold. Even though it was June at the time, we were chilly dogs! The next group of pictures show one class learning Bible stories. We taught the students about the birth of Jesus, about David and Goliath, about how Jesus is a friend that sticks closer than a brother, and about how God loves us and we can always call on Him for help.

The last picture is of Mom and me on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean at Kennebunkport, Maine. It was so wonderful to see so many different states, but it was equally as wonderful to come back home to our favorite state of Kentucky.

A great big thanks to our "Nana Diane" and "Cousin Gussie Lee" for taking care of everything here at our doghouse while we were away. As you know, our feet don't stay still for long. Our Woody Bus is heading out tomorrow for four presentations in Western KY! Gotta get the backpack ready again!

Stay cool, keep the sunscreen lathered on, and Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

Meet Donnie Mather

2011-06-19T23:06:00.002-04:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! It is late at our doghouse in Shepherdsville. I should be in the bed but since I had a long nap after church today, Mom and Dad said I could stay up later.

A few weeks ago, I told you how sad we were that our illustrator, Paul Brett Johnson, had passed away. We still miss talking to PBJ (that's what Chloe and I called him). Chloe and I are sure that PBJ is in heaven drawing fun pictures and making everyone happy! We were so lucky to have worked with PBJ. That man had talent!

We are very happy to announce that we have found another artist that is overflowing with talent. We want to introduce you to our brand new illustrator, Donnie Mather. Donnie Mather was born in Indiana, but was raised in Kentucky. He graduated from Elizabethtown High School. He attended Elizabethtown Community College as an art major before he joined the Air Force. After the Air Force, he received his Associates Degree in Commercial Art from Rocky Mountain School of Art in Denver. For the past 25 years, Mr.Donnie has worked as a technician for Cox Communications, while also freelancing in designs and illustrations. He married his wife Sally in 2008, has 2 step-sons and 3 grandchildren.

We asked Mr. Donnie what he liked to do for fun. He built this beautiful 1923 T-bucket car. Isn't it incredible? Can you imagine how cool I would look riding around in the T-Bucket with my blue shades? He also has a DJ business and provides music for weddings and parties. He loves country music. So do we! Chloe was listening to Loretta Lynn on her iBone today. She was singing You Ain't Woman Enough To Take My Man. My sister has the prettiest singing voice! Anyway, back to Mr. Donnie, he has a 14 year old Sheba Enu named Sammy. Mr. Donnie likes to eat Mac-and-Cheese, cheeseburgers, oranges, and grapes. When we read Mr. Donnie had a dog, liked country music and Mac-and-Cheese, we knew he was the man for the job!

We can't wait for you to see his illustrations! They are awesome, incredible, terrific, fantastic - I could go on listing adjectives all night! Anyway, you can see his illustrations the week of September 12th when our new serial story, Doghouse Divided premiers. We know you're going to love it! Who knows - we may give you a sneak peek here on our blog, so stay tuned!

Mom just said, "Woody, lights out in 5 minutes!" I better sign off, brush my teeth, and say my bedtime prayers. G'night, everyone! Sleep tight and don't let the bed bugs bite! Oh, and Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

Summertime

2011-06-06T09:38:00.003-04:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! We hope this finds you having a great day. It is blazing hot here at our doghouse in Shepherdsville. Chloe, Frannie, Wally, and I have to get up early to play outside before the temperatures soar so high in the afternoon. We keep sunscreen and water at all times! Even though school is out our calendar is still busy. I sent the updates to Mr. Nathan but wanted to post them here too. If you're anywhere close to where we will be, please come and see us!

Wednesday, June 1
Garrard County Public Library
Lancaster, KY
Summer Reading with Woody and Gang
9:30 to 3:30

Tuesday, June 7
WSJP Radio Station
Murray, KY
The Breakfast Show
8:00 am CST

Wednesday, June 8
Murray State University
Murray, KY
Young Author’s Camp
9:00 to 10:30 CST

Wednesday, June 8
Book and Bean
Murray, KY
Book Signing
1:00 to 3:00 CST

Saturday, June 11
Barnes and Noble
Florence, KY
Book Signing
Noon

Thursday, June 23
Lee County Public Library
Beattyville, KY
Summer Reading with Woody and Gang
10:30 and 2:30

Monday,June 27 through Friday, July 1
Camp Create
Salem, NH
All Week

Thursday, July 14
High StreetYMCA
Lexington, KY
An Afternoon with the Pups
1:30

Tuesday, July 19
Corbin Public Library
Corbin, KY
Summer Reading with Woody and Gang
11:00

Tuesday, July 19
Whitley County Public Library
Williamsburg, KY
Summer Reading with Woody and Gang
1:00

Thursday, July 28
Graves County Public Library
Mayfield, KY
Back to School Literacy Program
10:00 CST

I better skedaddle! We're getting ready to load The Woody Bus. Destination: Paducah, KY. We will stay with our Granny for a few days while we work in the area! I've got to finish getting my bag packed. As usual, I can only find 3 of my flip-flops!

By the way, Dad took this picture of Mom, Chloe, and me in our backyard a few days ago. The others were sniffing around and chasing butterflies!

Keep the sunscreen on and water bowl filled! Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

Our illustrator, Paul Brett Johnson

2011-06-04T08:14:00.002-04:00

Paul Brett Johnson, 1947-2011

Chloe and I, along with our entire Wiener Dog Gang, are so sad. On Thursday morning, Mom received a phone call saying that our illustrator, Paul Brett Johnson, had passed away at 10:00 the night before. PBJ, as Chloe and I called him, suffered a stroke on Sunday. Even though PBJ was still young and healthy, the stroke was too much for his body. We will definitely miss his artwork and his fun personality. Thankfully, he will live on through our previous stories, as well as his many, many books - our favorite being, On Top of Spaghetti.

We love you, PBJ!

Woody, Chloe, and all the Gang

Better than Will and Kate!

2011-05-20T16:14:00.003-04:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! I know I haven't written in my diary lately. I can't seem to stay caught up. Between school visits, writing the new story, preparing to spend a week doing mission work in New England in a few weeks, I've been more than a weenie bit behind!

Last night we loaded up The Woody Bus and went to Colony Elementary in London. I thought we were going to see Will and Kate - but Chloe reminded me Will and Kate were in London, England - not London, KY. Besides, they're probably still on their honeymoon. Anyway, what we got was better than Will and Kate - we got to meet Madison and Taylor. Madison is the very intelligent girl who wrote several book reports on our books. Our family was very impressed at how smart Madison and Taylor were. Wow - they knew tons of stuff - and were beautiful too. My heart went pitter patter when I met them! They don't attend Colony or even live in London but drove many miles just to meet us! We can't wait until our new book, CSI: Canine Secret Investigator comes out soon so Madison can write a review on it!

It's Friday afternoon at our doghouse in Shepherdsville and the sun is shining. It has been raining kitty cats and wiener dogs lately. We are looking forward to playing outside this evening. We've worked hard this week so I think it's time to rest.

Stay tuned as we give more details about our new book, new newspaper story, and our week in New England! Enjoy the weather and Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

TAILS from LaGrange

2011-04-14T17:20:00.002-04:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! We hope everyone is enjoying a beautiful spring day. Even though we've been swamped with school visits and story writing, our entire gang spent some time outside. Chloe caught a lizard and was so very proud of herself!

A few weeks ago we spent the morning at LaGrange Elementary in Oldham County. It was definitely a day we will never forget! Each year, the students read TAILS from the Bluegrass I and II. They have a suitcase with Big Red, maps, the monkey, and other items we talk about. I had so much fun digging through the items they collected. Here is a picture from our visit.

Mr. Nathan will be getting the updates on the website soon. We've been so busy writing our new story, Drum Roll, Please: Doghouse Divided that we've been behind. We know you're going to love it.

I better skedaddle. Supper time is almost here! Have a great day and Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

Another Raving Report from Madison

2011-03-25T11:25:00.003-04:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! It is Friday and Chloe and I, along with the rest of our gang, are at our doghouse in Shepherdsville catching up after an exciting week of travels. This week found us in Richmond, KY. Two days, eight presentations, hundreds of new friends, and thousands of hugs later, we are back home. I am going to put some new pictures on the blog soon. With our travels, trying to write a new story, and trying to watch the CATS play in the NCAA tournament, we've been quite the busy hotdogs!

Dr.Payne (Mom's vet, uh, I mean doctor) emailed us another stellar report from our #1 Fan, Madison. Seriously, this girl should be graduating from high school as great as her work is. Take a look:

Woody
The Kentucky Weiner
The Adoption
By Leigh Anne Florence

The Project I chose to do is write a letter to a character.

Dear Woody,

I heard you have a new family I am so happy for you. Family is so important. I love my family. We take vacations, watch movies, play outside, and take family picnics. It is a lot of fun spending time with your family. Your family makes you feel loved.

You will love your big sister Chloe. Did you know that I am the big sister in my family? It can be hard work sometimes by being the oldest; you have to be a leader and a good example. Take it easy on your sister Chloe, I am sure she is trying her best, and is still learning things too.

Lots of Hugs,

Madison Payne

Lot of hugs back at 'cha, Madison! I bet you are just as great of a big sister as Chloe is. Like you, my big sister is a great leader. She keeps me on the right path, helps me stay out of trouble, and even lets me finish her dinner. She's the best!

By the way, Madison, I finally put a little something in the mail to you, though a bigger package for you and your brother and sister is still to come!

I better skedaddle! We have lots of chores to do, emails to answer, and phone calls to return. It will soon be lunch time, then nap time, then time to start thinking about dinner. My Kentucky Wildcats have a big game tonight at 9:45. Mom says if we want to watch the game tonight that we will all have to take an extra long nap. Time is ticking!

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

WOODY

My Calendar

2011-03-03T09:48:00.004-05:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! What is it they say about March coming in like a lion? It certainly has at our doghouse in Shepherdsville. It's only March 3rd, and we have been to Lexington and Bedford this month! We just emailed Mr. Nathan, the man who keeps our online doghouse looking so good, the updates for March. Since we were a teenie weenie behind on getting the updates to Mr. Nathan, I thought I would list them on my diary. Mr. Nathan will have the deTAILS in the Tour Section soon! Have a great day and Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

Tuesday, March 1st Southern Elementary Lexington, KY

Wednesday, March 2nd Bedford Elementary Bedford, KY

Tuesday, March 8th Garth Elementary Georgetown, KY

Tuesday, March 15th Sacred Heart Elementary Louisville, KY

Thursday, March 17th T.C. Cherry Bowling Green, KY

Monday, March 21st Richmond Model School Richmond, KY

Monday, March 21st EKU Education Students Richmond, KY

Tuesday, March 22nd Kit Carson Elementary Richmond, KY

Thursday, March 31st LaGrange Elementary LaGrange, KY

Madison Payne's Brilliant Book Report

2011-02-20T15:31:00.002-05:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! Hope this finds you having a great Sunday. Chloe, Frannie, Wally, Mom, Dad, and I went to Sunday School, had a big lunch, and were settling down for a cat nap when my email barked signaling I had mail. I almost waited until after my nap to open it, but decided it could be urgent. What if Coach Cal needed my help on developing plays for Wednesday's game - or what if the governor had a question? Therefore, I decided to open my mail before the snooze. Thank Goodness I did! It was better than the governor or Coach Cal - it was from my friend Madison.

Madison Payne is in the second grade in Knox County, Kentucky. Madison's uncle, Dr. Steven Payne, is my mom's doctor. (Mom doesn't see the vet like Chloe and I do, even though I tell Mom it's scary to see a doctor with the last name Payne - even if it is spelled differently.) Anyway, Madison wrote a book report on Dog Gone Wild and shared it with her class. She even used props when she presented it. Dr. Payne emailed the report so we could read it. Spectacular! Brilliant! TerRUFFic!

With Madison's permission, we wanted to share it with you. We know you will enjoy it as much as we did!

The book I chose to share is, “Dog Gone Wild”, by Leigh Anne Florence. I chose this book because it was a gift to me from the author. She is a friend of my Uncle and knows that I enjoy reading. She & Woody signed it for me.

This book is about two dogs going camping in the Daniel Boone National Forest.
Let me introduce Woody, he is a black and tan miniature wiener dog who lives in the great state where he was born- Kentucky. Woody has a big sister who is a redheaded miniature wiener dog. They have human parents who they call mom and dad. (Show Dogs)

Mom and Dad tell Chloe and Woody everyday that they can achieve all our goals and dreams.
“It doesn’t matter that you are little, just think Big”.

In Chapter 1 & 2 – Chloe and Woody are getting excited for the trip, they begin talking about what they are going to pack, Woody decides he is going to pack an electric blanket to camp in, and then forgets that you need electricity to make it work. He packs all other sorts of things that you don’t take camping either. (Show the Flash Light)

Chapter 3 & 4 – Chloe & Woody are asking are we there yet? So Dad hands them a map and asks them to navigate. Chloe & Woody are trying to figure out how to read the map. (Show the Map & Compass) Mom explained that navigate meant to direct, to guide, or to plot the course of the trip. There second problem was where were they going? They were headed to the Daniel Boone Campground.
When they arrive Woody closes his eyes and imagines he is Daniel Boone blazing a trail or Davey Crockett fighting off a bear. (Show the Coon Skin Cap)

Chapter 5 & 6- Chloe and Woody take an adventure stroll around the camp sight, and run into the snake. Woody tells a fib about the size of the snake. (Show the snake)

Chloe & Woody go fishing but they catch more than fish, they catch a sock, turtle, a few fish and an old boot. (Show fish)

Chapter 7, 8 & 9- Woody discovers he lost his favorite harmonica; he wanders off from the campsite without telling anyone and gets lost. His family searches for him in the rain, and they find him playing his harmonica. (Show harmonica)

Chapter 10- Everyone makes it back to the campground safely and tucks in for the night in their sleeping bags.

Madison Payne
2nd Grade
Book Report

We asked Madison to send us a picture of herself so we can put it on the blog. I wonder if Madison actually used a real snake for a prop? Can't wait to find out. I also can't wait to find out if Madison's teacher immediately promoted her to the 5th grade after she turned in her stellar report! We hope so!

Keep up the good work, Madison - and keep your eyes open for some thank you treats from Chloe and me! I'm going to walk to the Post Office and put them in the mail myself!

Enjoy your Sunday, get some rest, and Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

Checking In

2011-02-17T08:30:00.002-05:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! Yes - I know. I've been so very behind. I could give you a lengthy list of excuses as to where I have been since my last post on December 9th, but I will give you the wiener dog version:

1. Laptop crashed - had to shop for a new computer which required breaking open our Scooby Doo bank. It cost a pretty penny but was well worth it!

2. School visits - as usual, we've been traveling around inThe Woody Bus, hanging out in schools all day, having a terRUFFic time.

3. Writing a new story - our new story is due in just a few short months. Chloe, Mom, Dad, the rest of the gang, and I have been researching. I can't wait to tell you more about that!

4. SNOW DAYS - our calendar has been a jumbled mess because of all the snow we've had. Our first four school visits after Christmas were postponed because the schools were closed. Chloe and I had tons of fun sledding down our hill. The snow is gone and our family is in Make-Up mode. (Not make-up like lipstick and perfume but the other kind of make-up.)

5. So much to keep up with - emails, Facebook, twitter... What's a dog to do?

I better scoot! We have a school visit at Lakewood Elementary in Hardin County tomorrow. I have to make sure we have the directions. That's my job. Chloe has to make sure we have the schedule. We can't wait!

Chloe, Frannie the Bodyguard, Wally the Puppy and I all hope you have a wonderful day! Enjoy the weather and Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

Slowly Catching Up

2010-12-09T12:34:00.002-05:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! For the past month, I have had a long To-Do list. It seems like our schedule gets busier and busier - school visits, working on a new story, answering emails, making our list for Santa Paws, and on and on. We aren't complaining - we love being busy.

Chloe and I love all the comments from CSI! We've received so many comments about CSI that it's taken me a while to put them on the blog. At the end of Chapter 6, our raft had capsized and Grady had fallen in. We asked you for ideas on how to help Grady. Here's one comment from our friends in Monticello:

Woody-we think you should hand an oar to Grady and pull him in. If this doesn't work---tell him to "doggy paddle" until the water becomes calmer and then he can climb back in. Have fun in the Grand Canyon.
Mrs. Gregory's 5th grade class at Monticello Elementary School.

The Grand Canyon??? Hmmm... looks like they will have to keep on reading. Speaking of keeping on, I have to keep on working down my list so I better skee-daddle. Have a great day! Stay warm and Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

Cards, Letters, Emails, and Gifts

2010-11-07T15:49:00.003-05:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! I have the best friends in the entire world. Everyone is always showering us with cards, emails, letters, treats, and gifts. Last week, our family spent the day and evening at Prestonsburg Elementary. We love being with Ms. Damron and all the students and teachers. They gave us this beautiful quilt. We were speechless. I couldn't wait to bring it home and sleep on it. Mom said it was too special to sleep on, so are having a frame made to hang it in our room. That's even better. We will treasure it forever. A great big thanks to Ms. Damron and everyone at PES for making us feel at home. We are going to post more pictures in the next few days. It just seems like we have had so many things to blog about that it's been tough to keep up.

Here are just a few fun emails Mom and I have received lately:

Leigh Anne,

My family has a long haired dachshund, Piper. She was a pound puppy from the Hardin County pound. My children love Woody and Chloe and have several of your books. We were thrilled yesterday to read Chapter 3 in our local newspaper, The Morehead News. My daughter said, "Mom, Dad is in a Woody book", after I read it, I understood. My husband is the chief pilot for the Ky State Police and has achieved the rank of Captain. He flies the governor and other important officials and I have often asked if he says,"This is Captain Carlisle and I will be your pilot today,"....he laughs and says he DOES NOT. We all got a good laugh over Captain Carlisle flying Woody and Chloe. Just wondering why you chose "my husband" to pilot your plane????

Thanks for the Woody books!

Anissa Carlisle

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Hi Woody, my name is Nicholas Porter. You came to my school this week. I was so happy and I love you J. I enjoy reading about your place in Tinytown, Kentucky. I also would like for you to tell Chloe that I like her too. I would love for you to come and visit me someday. Do you like airplanes? I do maybe you could come and ride in my dad’s airplane.Thank you and God bless.

Nicholas

We also received two very special cards this past week from our friends at Holiday Elementary in Hopkinsville, KY. The fifth graders sent us a sympathy card telling us how sorry they were about our Papaw dying. A great big thanks to Ms. Lentz, Ms. Klingensmith, and all the students for the very thoughtful card. It meant so much to our entire family!

Chloe and I are two lucky and fortunate hot dogs to have so many friends!

We love each of you!

Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

CSI: Chapter 5

2010-11-07T15:41:00.002-05:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! Our faithful readers in Ms. Rish's 4th grade class at Meadowthorpe sent me their answer to the following question regarding Chapter 5:

When the hot air balloon landed, Andy told Woody that the family had landed in four different states. How is this possible? Email Woody at woody@thewoodybooks.com and explain what might have happened.

1. They could have landed in the middle of 4 different states.

2. Different people could be standing in 4 different states.

3. One person could be standing on the border of 4 different states.

4. They were at the edge of all 4 different states.

Staci R. Rish
4th Grade Teacher
Meadowthorpe Elementary

We love hearing from our faithful readers! Keep those emails coming and Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

CSI: Canine Secret Investigator Chapter 4

2010-10-27T12:01:00.002-04:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! If you are keeping up with CSI, at the end of Chapter 4 I saw something flying through the air. I was quite the scaredy cat! I asked readers to email me and give me their predictions on what I could have seen. Take a look at all the answers:

We think the object is a flying saucer since Roswell is known for flying saucers in the past.

Ms. Gregory’s 5th Graders at Monticello Elementary

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We think that Woody saw a Hot Air balloon at the end of chapter 4.

Your third grade friends from Picadome.

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My class had a few ideas...

1. Sky

2. Birds

3. Wings of the airplane

4. Helicopter

5. Turkey Vulture

6. Hawk or an eagle

7. Army jet

8. A different plane

9. Someone sky diving with a jet pack!

10. Someone with a parachute??

Staci R. Rish
4th Grade Teacher
Meadowthorpe Elementary

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Here were some answers from several students in Fayette County:

I think the object is a smaller plane guiding the plane into the runway. I am also very happy that my answer for the time zones was right! :) – Christopher

I think the thing in the sky was another airplane. – Joseph

Maybe it was a piece of luggage? – Andrew

I think it was a bird. A bird might not be strange but they can go up to 37,900 feet alttitude. – Anna

Hey woody I think the thing you saw flying was another airplane because an airport is where airplanes land and take of so it might have been a really close plane so it might of scared you. It could have looked like it was about to crash into you so you panicked. - Amaya

I think it was either a U.F.O or a bird. – Joshua

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Mrs Michelle Lentz' fifth grade reading classes at Holiday School had the following comments when asked "What do you think Woody saw"?

I think Woody saw a helicopter pass by the plane. Mollie Grace

A spaceship was flying in the air. Zachary

A space shuttle. Vance

Birds flying together. Kalaysia

I think Woody saw a jet or helicopter flying through the air. Sydney

I think Woody saw a spaceship or another plain. Morgan

A bird flying in the sky or an unidentified flying object. Jalen

Spaceship. Emilee

A jet plane. Ke'ala

I think it was a bird. Edward Lee

I think Woody saw maybe another airplane or somebody parachuting out of a plane. Abigail

A bird. Zack

A spaceship is what I think he saw. LaQuire

I think Woody saw a flag waving and he thought it was something flying in the air. Bailey

Jet plane. Deavion

I think Woody saw another plane or the wing of the plane. Logan

I think it could be a jet, helicopter, or another plane... Gracie

I think Woody saw a bird, or another plane. MacKenzie

I think Woody saw an airplane. Sincerely, Asyah

Woody saw a building but he must have thought it was moving with him. A'nya

I think it was another airplane taking off or the airport going past them as they were landing. Ethan

I think what was in the sky was a jet. Kassidy

Mrs Lentz' Fifth Grade Reading Class
Holiday Elementary School, Hopkinsville

We love hearing from you! Keep those emails coming and keep reading CSI!

Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

Bonfires, Wiener Roasts, and Girls - Oh My!

2010-10-27T11:47:00.004-04:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! Several weeks ago, Mom and I were invited to speak at a Bonfire Wiener Roast. Imagine my fright when I learned there was going to be an open fire with hot dogs, buns, mustard, and ketchup! Mom assured me it would all be fine! She explained that it was an event hosted by our church, Okolona Christian. I breathed a sigh of relief - and then Mom dropped another bomb. She explained it was an event for ladies and girls and that I would be the only boy in attendance. Gulp! This was not the news I was expecting, but I always trust Mom and Dad. As promised, it was a great night. The campfire was lots of fun, there was music, and the s'mores were doglicious! The best part was all the hugs and kisses I received from all the girls. My heart went pitter patter quite a few times!

I better skeedaddle! I have so much work to do today!

Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

Our Precious Papaw

2010-10-11T10:50:00.002-04:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! Many of you sent emails asking where Chloe and I were from September 25th to October 3rd. One emailer wanted to know if we had been captured by a flying saucer while we were in Roswell. Thankfully, we were not!

On September 25th, our Papaw (Dad's dad) had a stroke. We didn't know what a stroke was, but Mom said it was when the blood doesn't get to the brain. The ambulance picked up Papaw at his house and took him to the hospital where the doctors and nurses took great care of him. Six days later, Papaw went to Heaven. Mom and Dad were with Papaw and got to hold his hand. The interesting thing was that we were getting ready to throw Papaw a huge 90th birthday party, but he passed away 3 days before his birthday. We had a different kind of party - a celebration of his life. The church was packed with his family and friends - and true to Papaw there was lots of laughter. Mom even spoke at the funeral. She said it was a huge honor! Papaw served in the Army during WWII. (He had a military funeral with TAPS and a 21 gun salute.) He was a master trim carpenter, loved God, his family - especially Mamaw - his wife of 70 years, fried chicken, and checkers - and believe me, he was the King of Checkers!

A great big thanks to all of you who knew about Papaw and sent cards, letters, and emails. Also, a huge thanks to our "NANA Diane" and Gussie Lee and Sadie. They came and stayed with us for 9 days to help take care of us while Mom and Dad were with Papaw, Mamaw, and the rest of the family.

Chloe and I are carrying on Papaw's legacy by being the best checker player we can be!

We love you, Papaw!

Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

CSI: Canine Secret Investigator

2010-10-11T10:04:00.003-04:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! Here are more comments from Chapters 1 and 2 of CSI! We love reading your mail so keep those cards and letters coming!

Mrs. Stamper's class thinks that the ROW in the story stands for the row that the person will be sitting in on the plane.

We think that Chloe was taken away because she set off the metal detector and the airport security wanted to make sure that she didn't have any weapons. We think that she WILL make it back in time for the flight because after the police check her bag and see that she doesn't have any weapons they will send her back to her family.

Jamie Stamper
Cluster Leader
4th Grade Teacher
Meadowthorpe Elementary School

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I think it stands for what plane they will be taking and what seats they will be sitting in.

MacKinsey

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Mrs Lentz' 5th Grade reading classes from her homeroom and Mrs Molly Campbell's homeroom had these comments on Chapter Two:

Dear Woody, I think they took Chloe away because her collar triggered the alarm or maybe it was your harmonica. I think they took her to an office to talk to her. MacKenzie

They took her to a room to ask her all about the items she put in her bag. Sydney A.

I think the officers pulled Chloe away because she is a dog and she has to be in a kennel. Abigail

Woody, I think your identification would be your tag on your neck because it has your name and where you live. Sydney C.

I think Woody went shopping in the airport and bought a new dog collar. Logan

I think Woody bought a soft pillow and a blanket at the airport. Ethan

Woody had no metal in his bag but his harmonica was in Chloe's bag and that's why Chloe got caught. Jalen

I think he bought a pillow, glasses, and oars for the boat. What does SDF-ROW mean. Deovion

I think Woody would have bought a mug. Edward Lee

I think he bought a detective book. Shane

Woody would have bought candy from the airport store because he's funny and he talks like he wants some candy. Kalaysia

I think they took Chloe because her collar had a metal tag on it. Bailey

I think they are taking Chloe on into the plane. Tyler B.

They took her to see if there is anything bad in the collar on her. Cody

I think they took Chloe to the line for her plane because her parents were waiting for her. Ashley

They took Chloe on into the airport so they could all get on the plane. Avery

I predict that they took Chloe to the airport jail because when she went through the security point the alarm sounded. Alex

I think they took Chloe to jail or put her in a cage because she did not take her collar off and the monitor went off. Angel

They took Chloe to the outside of the airport because they thought she had something like a sharp knife or prohibited item. K.T.

I think the security guards took Chloe to a place where they take people if the alarm goes off. Catherine

Because Chloe set off the alarm with her collar. Tyler H.

They took her to a private room so they can ask her questions and see if she has any weapons. Ra'Lexus

They took Chloe to their office because she had something sharp in her bag. McKenna

They took Chloe away because of the alarm and how she kept on walking. So they just picked her up and left. Larissa

I predict: They took Chloe away because she had her collar on and they thought she had something metal. Madison

I think they took Chloe away because they thought that she had a weapon. Taylor

Chloe had a collar that was metal and it activated the alarm which caused the security guards to come. Braden

They took Chloe away because of her collar. Morgan D.

I think Chloe got taken by the TSA and her mom and dad had to go get her from the TSA. Megan

They took her to check for sharp items that could hurt people. Katie

I think that they took Chloe away because she tried to hide something in her fur. Emily A.

They took Chloe to s security room and asked her some questions. Mary Ann

Because Chloe got into trouble because of the harmonica and plus they had to catch a plane. CeCe

I think that Chloe got on the airplane and then she went to a different place. Tyree

I think the cops whisked her away because she went through the metal detector and it went off. Brandon A.

I think Woody bought a mug from the airport. Ke'ala

I think Chloe got taken away because she had a bone phone that connects to the internet. (no name)

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I better scoot! Barney the Basset Hound is digging and Chloe and I are still trying to figure out why! Interesting, very interesting...

Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

CSI: Canine Secret Investigator

2010-09-21T10:27:00.003-04:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! We hope this finds you having a great day. Hopefully you are following our new story, CSI: Canine Secret Investigator. If not, it's not too late! Sixty-three newspapers are running it this year and we have already had lots of emails!

At the end of Chapter 1, Chloe and I saw a code that read SDF-ROW. I assumed since it said ROW that Chloe and I would need our oars for the trip. Several of you emailed me and told me what you thought ROW stood for. Here are some of the answers:

Woody, I think ROW stands for Roswell, New Mexico.

Genny

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Dear Woody:

We read Chapter one and glued it in our scrapbooks. The story is very interesting and we are anxious to see what SDF-ROW on the airline ticket means. We think it is the airport that you are leaving from (SDF) and the airport where you and your family are going (ROW). We do not think you will need oars to row a boat.

Anxiously Awaiting Chapter Two,

Mrs Michelle Lentz' Fifth Grade Reading Class
Mrs Molly Campbell's Fifth Grade Reading Class
Holiday Elementary School, Hopkinsville, KY

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This message is from Hannah at Providence Elementary. I think that SDF stands for Standiford Field in Louisville. This is where Woody and Chloe would take off. The ROW stands for Roswell, New Mexico which is where they would land. Is this right?

Thanks,
Hannah

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After Googling airport codes, I think ROW stands for Roswell.

Chris (Woody's vet)

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Dear Woody,

I think R.O.W. means Ride Over West. Thank you for looking at my message!

Sincerely,
Katrina

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Row Out West - Eli

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San Diego Fair Run Over Water - Andrew

----------------------------------------

Dear Woody,

I think the word row means, you are in a row, for example my best friend is sitting in the row in the front.

-----------------------------------------

I think row means route to west

JACOB from CLAYSMILL

-----------------------------------

I think ROW means… Route to west.

Lucy from Clays Mill Elementry
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I think row means Route-out-west

Nathaniel from Clays mill

--------------------------------------

I think ROW means ride out west is that correct?

Mackenzie from Clays mill elementary

Lexington Kentucky

----------------------------

Thanks for the emails! Keep 'em coming! Stay tuned and Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

Back in the Saddle Again

2010-09-13T17:15:00.003-04:00

Back in the Saddle Again
Out where a friend is a friend...

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! Hope this finds you having a great day! Why am I singing that old Gene Autry tune? No, I didn't buy a horse. It's just now that Labor Day is over, our school visits are in full swing again. We kicked off the 2010-11 Woody Tour in Bardstown, KY at St. Joseph's School. It was the perfect day and evening! I posted a few pictures of our afternoon sessions. The first picture looks like Mom and me are singing a duet. Maybe we should add that to our show. The third picture is of a student that has the coolest name on the planet. You guessed it - his name is Woody too! The last picture is of the preschoolers and myself. Chloe and Mom were with the older kids while Dad and I had some fun in Preschool!

Last night we spoke at the First Baptist Church in Sebree, KY. I will post pictures soon. Tomorrow finds us in Lexington, KY at Sandersville. Can't wait to see our friends!

Better scoot. The dinner bell is getting ready to ring at our doghouse and I definitely don't want to be late!

Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

Wiener Dog Days of Summer

2010-08-29T12:29:00.004-04:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! Hope this finds you having a terRUFFic Sunday! Our day has already been busy. Breakfast, a walk, a treat, Sunday School, lunch, a walk, a treat...

I had an email this morning that said, "Where are you Woody? You haven't written in your diary?" Our gang has been busy this summer. I mean, just look at what we've done today and you can see what a crazy schedule we have! Throw in traveling around in The Woody Bus, a Scooby Doo calendar full of speaking engagements, newspaper articles and books to write, as well as chasing the cat, barking at the mailman, digging in the yard, and taking naps on Mom and Dad's bed, and you can only imagine how swamped we are!

A few weeks ago we did a radio interview for Hometown Spirit, featured on Salem Radio Communications. Mom and I handled all the questions. Dad, Chloe, Wally, and Frannie were behind the scenes making sure we covered everything. I wanted to play a song on my harmonica for the interview, but Mom said it was for a talk radio station - not a music radio station. I was bummed - especially since I had practiced Camptown Races for days! If you are around the radio next weekend, tune in. I will post the specific times this week.

We are also gearing up for a busy year in the schools. We will kick off our 2010-11 Woody Tour on September 9th! We can't wait!

I better go. Dad is reaching for our leashes. I guess that means one more walk before our afternoon nap. Gotta scoot!

Have a great day! Keep a bowl full of water, wear your sunscreen, and Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

PS - Can you see where I am in the picture when the four of us are on the bed. That's my brother Wally that you see by Frannie. I'm in my favorite spot! Do you see me? Do you see me?

Hip, Hip Hooray!

2010-08-05T10:27:00.003-04:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! Chloe, Frannie, Wally, and I can say we are truly hot dogs! Yesterday, our wiener dog thermometer said it was 103 degrees! Needless to say, we've been staying in, reading books and newspapers, playing checkers, Monopoly, UNO, and working puzzles! We had a busy summer traveling and speaking, as well as finishing up our new story, CSI: Canine Secret Investigator. Call your newspaper today and ask them to sign up!

Speaking of newspapers, we found out yesterday that our story, Dog Gone Wild, won 3rd place in the Newspapers Association of America Newspapers in Education contest. A great big congrats to the Kentucky Press Association, Mom, our illustrator - Paul Brett Johnson, and all the newspapers who ran the story! We love awards!

I better scoot. Chloe and I are thinking of setting up a lemonade stand today. As hot as it is, I bet people will be standing in line!

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

WOODY

Catching up with Photos

2010-07-12T13:31:00.003-04:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! It's a busy day at our doghouse in Shepherdsville. We are getting ready to load the Woody Bus and drive to Dixon, KY for An Evening with the Pups. If you are anywhere in the area, come out and join us!

In the past month, we have spoken 16 different places - including Paris and London! As you can imagine, we have kept the highway hot. We've been burning rubber. We've had the pedal to the metal. You get the idea!

Anyway, I just thought I'd share some pics. As you can see, we've had packed crowds. It's been standing room only! We have seen some of our very favorite friends and met some new ones too. We have even expanded our show! In London, we had an opening act. Chloe Young sang at both of our presentations. She has a voice like an angel. Chloe and I (my sister Chloe, that is) would love to be her back up singers - or better yet, I would love to play harmonica in her band. We can't wait until she releases her first CD.

The past month hasn't been all work. This past Thursday I had my teeth cleaned. They sparkle and shine. I now have breath that is fresh as daisies. Up until last week my breath had smelled like dead daisies. Or dead animals. Puuu-weee!

We also added two new additions to our family. We welcomed Moose. No - he's not a Moose. He's a beagle pup. We also gave a kitten a home. Her name is Molly. I put a picture of Molly. This was taken the minute we brought her home. Wally was checking her out. I will post a picture of Moose soon! Someone asked the other day what the names of everyone is. Here you go: Boulder, Santa Fe, Moose, Chloe, Frannie, Wally, Dolly, Molly, and yours truly - Woody!

Better scoot! I hear Dad firing up the Woody Bus! Have a great day! Drink plenty of fluids, wear your sunscreen, and Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

Summer Tour in Full Swing

2010-06-15T08:03:00.003-04:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! We are up early! Mom has been waking us up early for our morning walk since it's so hot outside. We've stocked up on plenty of sunscreen and our water bowl is always filled with fresh water and a slice of lemon. It keeps our whistles wet!

We started our Summer Woody Tour last week. We kicked it off in Garrard County - as always. We love those folks. This year, Ms. D. gave me my very own library card!!! We saw lots of our friends - like Steven, Lauren, and their mom. Steven told us he just won a National Art Award. He had drawn the branches of the military. We asked how he was at drawing wiener dogs. He said he would practice and let us know.

Last week also found us at the Woodford County Public Library in Midway. Midway is one of our favorite towns. Chloe and I love looking out the window at all the horses and the farms. We saw some old friends like the Woods Family and met some new folks too! Ms. Woods is getting ready to write an article on us for Kentucky Living magazine. I will keep you posted.

I better scoot. Today the Woody Bus is heading to Mayfield, KY. Everyone knows how much we love Western KY! While there, we are going to stop by Granny's house for a home cooked meal. I know it's hot - but I sure hope she has a big pot of chicken and dumplings on the stove! DEE-LISH!

Have a great day! Keep that sunscreen on and keep plenty of water in your water bowl! Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

Gearing Up for Summer Woody Tour

2010-06-01T08:59:00.002-04:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! We hope everyone had a great Memorial Day! Our family had a terRUFFic time! We grilled burgers, ate PUPscicles, and played lots of cornhole. I don't want to brag, but I am a mean cornhole machine!

We had a week of rest last week. The school year has come to an end but the library visits are right around the corner. We have a very full calendar for June and July. The boxes in Scooby's datebook are covered with notes! Since we've had a week of rest, that's exactly what we've been doing. We've taken naps, read books, chased the geese in our yard, played checkers, played cornhole, played cards, you get the picture. Of course we still have our chores to do every day!

Our new book, Dog Gone Wild is selling like rawhide! It's flying off the shelf. Our new story, CSI: Canine Secret Investigator is being illustrated now. Lots of exciting events so stay tuned!

I better scoot! I have to finish my chores! Stay tuned to the blog as we will be updating it during the Summer Woody Tour! You can also follow us on Facebook! ARFF!

Have a great day! Wear plenty of sunscreen, keep lots of water in your bowl, and Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

Where have we been???

2010-05-12T19:31:00.003-04:00

Hey WoodyWatchers! Sorry I haven't written in a while. My Scooby Doo calendar has been packed with activities. I can't seem to catch up! Chloe and I have been busy selling our brand new book, Dog Gone Wild, finishing up our school visits for this year (we have LOTS of pictures to show you) and writing our new story. We know you are going to love our new story. It's called - are you ready for the title - CSI: Canine Secret Investigator. So, between writing, selling, speaking, and traveling, we have been busy little hot dogs! Don't worry about us though - we've had lots of play time too! The weather has been perfect for romping outside. Our sister, Frannie the Bodyguard, caught a live snake in her mouth last week. Mom is still trying to get over that. Can you say SCAREDY CAT???

If you aren't following us on Facebook, have your parents check it out. It's a fun way to keep up with our family!

I better go. It's dinnertime and I'm starved! Have a great night and Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

It's here! It's FINALLY here!

2010-04-13T11:33:00.003-04:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! Our new book, DOG GONE WILD, is finally here! I had a board meeting with Chloe, Frannie, and Wally. We decided to offer a special to our faithful WoodyWatchers. Signed, personalized copies w/FREE SHIPPING! If you're interested, see info below. Chloe went to the post office to buy stamps. She's ready for orders!

Books are $12.95 plus 6% tax (KY residents only). Mail payment to Woody @ PO BOX 747 Shepherdsville, KY 40165. Include a note saying who we should sign book to and where we should mail. Make checks payable to HotDiggetyDog Press.

Wish I had more time to talk! We have lots to do. We are also putting our finishing touches on our new story, CSI: Canine Secret Investigator. We know you're going to love it!

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

WOODY

March Madness

2010-03-27T12:37:00.002-04:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! It is a gorgeous day at our doghouse in Shepherdsville! We have been chasing our tennis ball outside and walking around the lake. Wally the Puppy loves dropping the tennis ball in the lake and then trying to fish it out! It's been quite the fun morning! We want to get our playing out of the way because tonight we've got some serious business to take care of - a UK Basketball Game! That's right - our CATS are playing West Virginia. We've made it to the Elite 8 and if we win tonight we will go to the FINAL FOUR! We just love March Madness! Go CATS!

A few weeks ago we spent the day and evening at Rineyville Elementary in Hardin County, KY. We had visited Rineyville years ago and were so excited to be invited back. Talk about surprise!!! The school had totally been renovated and it was gorgeous - beautiful - divine! Chloe thinks HGTV should do a special on Rineyville Elementary. I agree. I was on my best behavior and in case you're wondering, I didn't have one single accident of any kind! It was terrific seeing all our friends - especially Mr. Coffee, the principal!

One of my favorite pictures from the day was the one Dad took of the 2 UK fans giving the UofL fan a hard time. It was all in good fun!

I better scoot. Chloe and I still have chores to do before the games begin! In other news, our new book is being shipped! I will keep you posted! In the meantime, have a great day, enjoy the sun, GO CATS, and Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

School Visits, Newspaper Stories, New Book, Oh My!

2010-03-16T13:31:00.002-04:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! I can't believe it's been several weeks since I have written in my online diary. Our days have been filled with school visits, writing our new newspaper serial story, getting our brand new book ready to come out, playing, and watching our Kentucky Wildcats win basketball games! The game this past Sunday was a real nail biter. My paws were sore after it was over!

On March 2nd, our family spent the day at Clear Creek Elementary in Shelbyville, Ky. We had been to Clear Creek several years ago and everyone was just as friendly as we remembered them. Here are several photos from our day and evening. My favorite is of the Cat in the Hat, Mom, and me! I remembered my manners and didn't chase the cat down the hall!

I have plenty more pictures to post and stories to tell - not just from Clear Creek but from our other schools we've visited this month. I have to skee-daddle though. We are scheduled to be in Georgetown, KY this evening. It is time to brush my teeth, comb my hair, and help Mom, Dad, and Chloe gather our things for the trip.

The new book should be out next week! We will keep you posted. In the meantime, have a great day and Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

Snow, snow, and more snow!!!

2010-02-25T13:26:00.003-05:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! Ol' Man Winter must love Kentucky as much as we love Kentucky! He has certainly been hanging out around here lately. Our school for today was canceled due to snow. That makes 4 schools canceled in the last 3 weeks! As you can imagine, my Scooby Doo calendar is one confusing mess right now. I have erased, written new dates, erased - you get the picture! Thankfully, we will be making up all those dates, so if we are scheduled to come to your school, no worries! We look forward to seeing you soon! The weather man says that spring will arrive one day!

These were some pictures we took during one of our last big snows. There was definitely a couple of inches of snow this morning, but nothing like a few weeks ago. Here are some pictures of Chloe and me playing. Wally is in one of the pictures. Frannie, our Body Guard, was taking the picture and making sure we were staying safe!

Hope you are staying warm today! Mom is making us some warm milk for our afternoon snack. I better scoot!

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

WOODY

Our Cousin Alex

2010-02-17T19:22:00.004-05:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers. Once again, our yard is covered with snow. Every day we watch the news and see all the schools that have been canceled. Our schools last week and this week were postponed due to Ol' Man Winter. We are using our time to read, play checkers, and work on our brand new newspaper story. Speaking of newspapers, this was in The Athens Review today. It's an article about our cousin Alex. The picture was taken a few weeks ago when she scored her 3000th point. We are so proud of Alex. We wanted to share the news! Extra, Extra, Read All About It!

After 4 Spectacular Years, Furr Takes a Bow

Prep career may be over for AHS’s all-time scoring leader, but Fresno State awaits

Jayson Larson The Athens Review

FAIRFIELD — Alex Furr says she can remember her first varsity basketball game like it was yesterday.

It was against Highland Park her freshman year. Her memory? Throwing up about seven airballs.

“I was convinced I had to step up my game,” Furr said.

Boy, did she.

Furr’s high school basketball career officially ended Tuesday night in Fairfield, as the Lady Hornets dropped their bi-district basketball game to defending Class 3A state champion Waco Robinson, 37-30. Furr scored 18 points.

She hangs up her No. 11 jersey at Athens High School as the school’s career scoring leader. In 123 games, Furr scored 3,169 points, an average of 25.7 per game.

Time and again, the 5-6 guard has managed to find a way to top herself. She entered her senior season having scored a career high 51 points as a junior.

As her senior season began, it became clear that mark was in serious danger. She began the season by scoring 40 or more points in nine of the Lady Hornets’ first 12 games. She netted 49 against Mount Pleasant in the third game of the season, and then 48 in a win over Martins Mill a week and a half later.

The best was yet to come, as she topped her career high with a 54- point performance against Class 5A Tyler John Tyler just a few weeks after that. She went for 51 once more, this time against Crockett in the District 20-3A opener on Jan. 9.

She was named All Henderson County Girls Player of the Year as a junior, when she led the state of Texas in three-pointers made with 146. She has been named all-state two years running and seems to be a lock for a third selection.

Earlier this season, she signed a National Letter of Intent to continue her basketball career at Fresno State University in California.

“I got a lot of lucky breaks,” Furr said, “but I’ve practiced really hard to get where I am.”

Every single time I read it, I get goose bumps! We can't wait to see Alex play at Fresno!

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

WOODY

Showered with Attention

2010-02-09T14:34:00.006-05:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! Our family should be in a school today, but guess what? That's right - more snow! Dad said we had about 6 inches this morning! I didn't know how many inches, but I did know that the snow was almost taller than me. It made our morning walk very interesting, if you know what I mean! The snow looks like it will be here for several days! Hopefully we will build a snowdog later. I will try to post a picture. Anyway, because we are home today, it's the perfect chance to catch up!

A few weeks ago, The Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning in Lexington, KY invited us to spend a morning at Liberty Elementary and then spend the evening at the Carnegie Center downtown. It was a very exciting day! We met lots of new folks. We noticed during the morning assembly at Liberty there was a group of nurses seated in the back. I was scared for a while. I was so afraid one of them was going to pull out the nail clippers - or WORSE! After the assembly, the nurses came and introduced themselves. Their instructor, Ms. Judi Dunn, assured me they would not be clipping nails or giving rabies shots! Yesterday, Ms. Dunn sent us the nicest email. I thought I would share just a line or two -

I’m the UK College of Nursing Instructor that met you with the nursing students at Liberty Elementary in Lexington last month. I loved your program! The nursing students are learning how to promote health and wellness and teach “healthy” lessons to elementary school students as well as mentor a child that needs a little extra attention. You were a perfect role model on “how to teach elementary school children”! Thank you! We all enjoyed the lesson in more ways than one!

That made us feel so great! Chloe has talked about being a nurse. She would make a great nurse, if you ask me. Anyway, this email inspired her even more!

A great big thanks to all the nurses who take care of people and animals! You are the greatest!

Have a great day, stay safe in the snow, and Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

TAILS from Southside

2010-01-30T13:30:00.002-05:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! It is Saturday afternoon and we are looking out the window at 4 inches of snow! We went outside early this morning and made snow dogs - our own version of snow angels! We couldn't stay out long because it was so cold! It was only about 17 degrees. Chilly dogs for sure! And you know what would be perfect with chilly dogs? Snow cream!

Last week we spent two days and one evening at Southside Elementary in Shelbyville, KY. It was so wonderful to be at the same school for more than just a day. We had the opportunity to learn lots of names, hear funny stories, and make new friends. Mrs. Jennifer Slaughter planned the most perfect visit for us. Our entire gang is still barking about it! Dad took about 195 pictures but my blog will only let me post a few. Here are a few pictures from Southside. It was terRUFFic!

Chloe and I have received so many emails from our Southside friends! It's fun to open up our inbox and see your emails! Keep 'em coming!

I better go! Chloe is putting on her scarf to go outside again. Our Kentucky Wildcats play basketball this afternoon and I still have chores to do before the game starts!

Stay warm, enjoy the snow, and Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

Miss Kentucky and Yours Truly

2010-01-25T07:55:00.005-05:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatcher! Each time I look at this picture, my heart goes pitter patter! This is a picture of Miss Kentucky USA 2010, Kindra Clark. Kindra lives in Bullitt County - the same county we live in! It's easy to see that Kindra is so pretty - but she is so much more than that! She is kind and smart and a hard worker! Kindra is a student at Eastern Kentucky University. This spring she will compete in the Miss USA pageant! Lots of people saw this picture of Kindra and me and thought I was going to be her date for the Miss USA pageant. Hmmm... you never know! Date or not, we will be cheering for our own Kindra Clark! You can do it, Kindra! You know my motto - Anything is possible but you have to Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

From West to East

2010-01-18T12:56:00.006-05:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! It's a typical Monday at our doghouse in Shepherdsville. We're blogging, writing thank-you notes, folding laundry, playing with our chew toys, and looking forward to another great week in the schools.

Last week was so fun. Tuesday we spent the day and evening in the western part of Kentucky at Muhlenberg South Elementary in Beechmont, KY. It was a gorgeous school with lots of students. We saw everyone from Pre-School to the 5th grade. After school we ate lunch at this really neat place called The Buggy Shed. Their food was dee-lish - chicken and gravy like my grandmommy makes. That evening we had a Family Reading Night with everyone. We had a really large crowd - which was a little surprising since it was the first day the students had been to school in over a week for snow. Snow, rain, hail, or sleet couldn't keep the people away - and it was tons of fun!

We arrived back in Shepherdsville late Tuesday night and then on Wednesday, we loaded up the trusty ol' Woody Bus again and this time headed the opposite direction to Pinsonfork, KY. Pinsonfork is in Pike County - the very eastern part of the Bluegrass. From our house, it's about a 5 hour trip. (Of course we are in the Woody Bus and Dad is a careful driver over all those mountains.) Anyway, we spent the day and evening at Runyon Elementary. Like Muhlenberg, Runyon is a gorgeous school with friendly people. Runyon was a older school, but had incredible, state-of-the-art equipment. One thing you can say about Kentucky is that east or west - the people are friendly - and treat us just like family!

The principal of Runyon, Ms. Wolfe (4th picture), has been in education for 59 years! Isn't that incredible? It was easy to see that the staff and students love and respect her. Chloe and I fell in love with her too!

We also presented a Family Reading Night at Runyon and once again, the people came out in droves - and that was impressive too - especially since Thursday was the very first day Pike County had gone to school since before Christmas! Wow! And yes, there was still lots of snow and ice on the ground.

The last picture is of the Conley Family. David and Mary (the mom and dad in the picture) participated in the CBS reality show called The Amazing Race. They were on Season 10 and finished 6th - which is incredible. After the show ended, David and Mary were invited to be guests on various shows such as The View. While on The View, they received some incredible gifts. I looked them up on the Internet this week and the hosts of The View said The Conley's were "so unbelievably kind and giving." Well that was 2006 and guess what? They haven't changed a bit! We loved talking to them! It sparked my interest even more to try out for The Amazing Race. I think Chloe and I would make a terrific brother/sister team!

If all that traveling wasn't enough, on Saturday we headed back to western KY - this time Glasgow for an event at the library. I don't have photos yet, but will post them soon. It was the perfect way to end a busy week!

Speaking of, I think I need a nap. I had some turkey for lunch and it is making my eyes oh so very heavy! I can't nap for too long because I have chores to do. Maybe I'll just close my eyes for a minute!

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

WOODY

Catching Up - Again

2010-01-13T15:35:00.002-05:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! Already, 2010 has been so very busy. Chloe and I have had trouble keeping up with our chores, emails, thank-you notes, and blogging. We just returned home late last night from Muhlenberg County. We had a terrific day at Muhlenberg South. I can't wait to show you some pictures and tell you all about it. I would should you pictures now - but our camera is still in the Woody Bus. We left it there last night when we returned home. We are getting ready to crawl back in the Woody Bus and head to Pike County - Pinsonfork to be exact! Western Kentucky yesterday, Eastern Kentucky tomorrow! I love traveling the Bluegrass!

Speaking of the Bluegrass, what about our Kentucky Wildcats? We are 17-0. Undefeated! We listened to the UK-Florida game on the way home from school last night. It was a paw-biter. Down, up, down, up, tied - but in the end the CATS survived!

While we're on the subject of survival, I received this email from Mrs. Buckler's First Graders at New Castle, Kentucky. Take a look:

Dear Woody,

My students and I have just finished with the tenth week of, “Dog Gone Wild”. We enjoyed it very much, looking forward to each Wednesday, when the Henry County Local came to our school!

We made a short list of things that you could do with your harmonica. This is what we think:

*Play Chloe songs

*Play Christmas carols

*Be a harmonica soloist

*Since you were “in a pickle”, you could play the song that people play in jail (Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen), because they are in a pickle, too.

Those are the suggestions that my first graders came up with for you!

Following this letter, there are letters from my students for you to enjoy.

Thanks for another great series! Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Buckler

Dear Chloe,

I just finished week ten of Dog Gone Wild. It was super. My favorite part was week 5, because of the snake.

Your friend,

Sean

Dear Woody,

I just finished week 10 of Dog Gone Wild. It was extraordinary. My favorite part was when you were a survivor!

Your friend,

Kassidy

Dear Woody,

I just finished week 10 of Dog Gone Wild. It was cool. My favorite part was when you thought the snake was real.

Your friend,

Dannie

Dear Woody,

I just finished week 10 of Dog Gone Wild. It was cool. My favorite part was when you put the popsicle in the backpack.

Your friend,

Melvin

Dear Woody,

I just finished week 10 of Dog Gone Wild. It was great, and I liked it when you got scared of the snake.

Your friend,

Elijah

Dear Woody,

I just finished week 10 of Dog Gone Wild. It was super. My favorite part was Chloe gave you the money to take harmonica lessons.

Your friend,

Bridgette

Dear Woody,

I just finished week 10 of Dog Gone Wild. It was so funny. My favorite part was when Chloe saved you.

Your friend,

Jacob

Dear Woody,

I just finished week 10 of Dog Gone Wild. It was extraordinary. My favorite part was week 10, where you survived.

Your friend,

Logan

Dear Chloe and the Gang,

I just finished week 10 of Dog Gone Wild. It was extraordinary. My favorite part was when you played a trick on Woody.

Your friend,

Kennedy

Dear Woody,

I just finished week 10 of Dog Gone Wild. It was good. My favorite part was when your Mommy wrapped you with the blanket.

Your friend,

Abby

Dear Woody,

I just finished week 10 of Dog Gone Wild. It was perfect. My favorite part was when you went fishing.

Your friend,

Jason

Dear Woody,

I just finished week 10 of Dog Gone Wild. It was awesome. My favorite part was when you went gone wild, when you lost your harmonica.

Your friend,

Austin

Dear Woody,

I just finished Dog Gone Wild. I liked the part when you got lost.

Your friend,

Briahna

Dear Woody and Chloe,

I just finished week 10 of Dog Gone Wild. It was extraordinary. My favorite part was when Woody lost his harmonica.

Your friend,

Rosie

Dear Woody,

I just finished week ten of Dog Gone Wild. It was fun. My favorite part was your sister nice.

Love,

Miranda

Dear Woody,

I just finished week 10 of Dog Gone Wild. It was fun. My favorite part was when you went camping.

Your friend,

David

Dear Woody,

I just finished week 10 of Dog Gone Wild. It was awesome. My favorite part was when Chloe put a toy snake in your bed.

Your friend,

Tommy

Dear Woody,

I just finished week 10 of Dog Gone Wild. It was extraordinary, and I mean it! My favorite part was when Chloe scared you with a toy snake, ha, ha, ha, that was so, so, so funny.

Your friend,

Isabella Marie Bates

PS Tell Chloe that I said, “hi”, and I like you, too, Woody!

Dear Woody,

I just finished week 10 of Dog Gone Wild. It was funny. My favorite part was shen you talked about food.

Love,

Emarie

Dear Woody,

I just finished week 10 of Dog Gone Wild. It was awesome. My favorite part was the week when you lost your harmonica. I thought you were sad, when you first lost it.

Your friend,

Sarah

Dear Woody,

I just finished week 10 of Dog Gone Wild. It was fun. My favorite part was the snake.

Your friend,

Hunter

Dear Woody,

I just finished week 10 of Dog Gone Wild. It was super. My favorite part was the group of family.

Your friend,

Savannah

Dear Woody and Chloe,

I just finished week 10 of Dog Gone Wild. It was cool. My favorite part was when Chloe found you.

Your friend,

Jamall

Dear Woody,

I just finished week 10 of Dog Gone Wild. It was perfect. My favorite part was when you were a survivor.

Your friend,

Cameron

I love the idea about being a harmonica soloist. Maybe my opening number could be Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen.

I better scoot. If I don't get my backpack ready, I will be living the words to that song real soon!!!

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

WOODY

Happy New Year!

2010-01-03T14:34:00.005-05:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers and Happy New Year! It is so cold outside! We aren't chilly dogs - we are frozen dogs! Thank Goodness for the blazing fire Dad has going in the fireplace! Chloe snapped this photo of me a few minutes ago. I was wrapped up in my UK Wildcat blanket!

Speaking of the Wildcats, did you see the CATS win the big game yesterday? Chloe and I were biting our paws wondering if we were going to pull it out! The CATS are undefeated at 15-0! WOW!

We have one more week before we start our school visits for the Spring Semester. We will spend this week catching up. We are putting the finishing touches on our new book, Dog Gone Wild, and we are working on our new serial story that will come out in the fall of 2010. We don't have a name for the story yet, but we have some great ideas! We know you will love it!

I better scoot! Mom is making us a snack of Vanilla Woofers and warm milk! That will help thaw us out!

Have a great day and a successful 2010. Stay warm and Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

Catching Up on Christmas Eve

2009-12-24T10:27:00.003-05:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! It is an important day around our house as we get ready for Santa Claus to visit. We love this time of year! We've been singing Christmas songs, listening to our favorite Christmas album by Alvin and Chipmunks, watching A Charlie Brown Christmas Special, perfecting our wish lists, and visiting our friends. Here are a few photos from our book signing at Cumberland Falls State Resort Park a few weeks ago and then also from our school visit at Whitesville Elementary in Daviess County. Just looking at the pictures puts you in the Christmas spirit!

I better scoot! A Christmas Story is coming on TV and even though I've seen it a thousand times, I still love watching Ralphie! I have much more to bark about - like our visit with Austin this past week so stay tuned!

Merry Christmas and Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

TAILS from Estes

2009-12-16T11:43:00.004-05:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! We are inching closer to Christmas every single day! Our family has been so busy with school visits and book signings. We can only imagine how Santa Claus feels!

Last Wednesday,we spent the day and evening at Estes Elementary in Owensboro, KY. Mrs. Kristy Lovett, the Media Specialist, (see Photo 1) worked oh so very hard at planning the perfect day and evening for us! It is always exciting to walk in a school and see the walls decorated with our faces! The students had colored pictures of us. This one particular picture immediately caught our eye. I had to find out who colored that masterpiece! After doing some investigating, I learned that Shane had produced that work of art! We knew our illustrator, Paul Brett Johnson, would love Shane's interpretation! Shane definitely has a future in art!

Many of the classes had been following Dog Gone Wild. We signed their scrapbooks, answered their questions, and loved hearing their favorite parts. It seems everyone got a kick out of what I had packed in my backpack for the camping trip. Who knew packing pupscicles could be so funny???

I better scoot. We returned home late last night from Liberty, KY and are leaving again for Owensboro again. We have been there so much lately that I think we need a post office box! Tomorrow will be our last school visit until January. Maybe during the Christmas break I can get my list for Santa perfected!

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

WOODY

TAILS from Taste of Kentucky

2009-12-15T22:35:00.003-05:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! We just got home from a terRUFFic school visit in Liberty, KY. It is way past my bedtime, but I wanted to show you a picture that my friends Jackson and Julia sent me. A few weeks ago, we were at a book signing at Taste of Kentucky in the St. Matthews Mall when Jackson and Julia came to visit. We had met Jackson a few years ago at his school. They had been making a Gingerbread house but stopped what they were doing to come see us! I wish I had asked Jackson and Julia if they seen the Gingerbread Man. He is always so fast - and very tough to catch! A great big thanks to Jackson, Julia, and all the folks that came to see us at the mall that day! It is always scary to get Mom and Chloe in the mall together. You know how girls are!

Speaking of Gingerbread, it is time for my bedtime snack. We had a very busy day today and I am dog tired! I will write more later about all our travels and adventures. We have tons of stuff to bark about so stay tuned!

Have a great night, sleep tight, and don't let the bed bugs bite! Oh - and Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

Book Signing with Santa Claus tomorrow night!

2009-12-11T17:58:00.002-05:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! Like I said on my earlier post, we love this time of year! Everyone has been asking about our Christmas tree. I posted some photos. The first picture is of our Charlie Brown Christmas Tree. It is always the first decoration we put up. The next three photos are of our bigger Christmas tree. This was the day we were putting the tree up. It doesn't have all the ornaments on and you can see it doesn't have any presents - like the one that says, "WOODY" that's now under the tree. Don't worry - there is one for Chloe, Frannie, Wally the Puppy, Rio, Santa Fe, Boulder, and Dolly the Cat. We can't wait until Christmas morning!

Speaking of Christmas, tomorrow night we will be at the Cumberland Falls State Park from 6:00 to 9:00 pm signing books. Santa Claus will be there too. Come see us! Bring your camera! I already have my camera packed so I can get a picture with Santa! We hope to see you there!

Better scoot! Have a great night! Enjoy the season! Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

TAILS from Clinton County

2009-12-11T09:23:00.003-05:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! I guess because of the Christmas season, I have been so very behind on writing in my diary. I love looking at the ornaments on the tree, trying to guess what is in the package with the name "WOODY" written on it, and practicing all the Christmas songs on my harmonica! I love this time of year!

Last week, we spent one day and evening at Clinton County Middle School and then we spent the next morning with the Early Childhood Center. It was so fun being with middle school students one day and then pre-school and Kindergarten students the next! Here are some photos from our time. Take a look...

A big thanks to everyone who made our time in Clinton County so enjoyable. We are already looking forward to seeing everyone again next year - if not before!

Better scoot. Mom is baking Christmas cookies and Chloe and I get to put the sprinkles on them when they come out of the oven.

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

WOODY

TAILS from South Green Elementary

2009-12-03T19:09:00.003-05:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! Our sweaters officially came out of the coat closet this morning. It was freezing for our morning walk. Chloe, Frannie, Wally, and I didn't play around this morning. It was all business if you know what I mean!

I have been so behind in my Journal. I guess it's because we have been so busy. Slowly but surely I am getting caught up!

The Thursday before Thanksgiving, our family spent the day and evening at South Green Elementary School in Glasgow, KY. Ms. Mary Elliott, the media specialist, did a wonderful job planning the most perfect day and evening. It was smooth as silk! Everyone welcomed us with open arms. We learned something very important that day - it never hurts to be in a school the day they serve Thanksgiving lunch. Talk about yummy! Dee-lish! The cafeteria ladies were so generous. They had some turkey left over and treated me after everyone had left the lunchroom. That was the best school lunch ever!!! The turkey melted in my mouth and the gravy was scrumptious!

Because the school was so generous to feed me, I tried to help the custodial staff clean up. I tried to use the broom but realized it was easier if I just ate the crumbs off the floor. Not to worry - floor was mopped after the crumbs were gone!

Speaking of crumbs, it is 7:30 and that means our bedtime snack is right around the corner. Tonight our snack is Vanilla Woofers! Chloe doesn't like it when I eat the cookies in the bed. She says I am too messy. I guess it's because girls are usually more particular than boys when it comes to things like that!

Have a great night, don't get crumbs in the bed, and Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

Dog Gone Wild

2009-12-03T10:13:00.003-05:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! Well, for most everybody, Dog Gone Wild has come to an end. It's always a bit sad for us when the series concludes but we love hearing the responses from our faithful readers! (We are also hard at work on the next series too!) Anyway, our readers were asked the following question: What did you enjoy most about the Dog Gone Wild series? Here are the responses from our faithful readers in Ms. Lentz's Class at Holiday Elementary:

The part I liked the best was the end because it is nice to see what good brothers and sisters do. Just to let you know - my sister and I always fight. Katie

The part I liked best is when the pupcicles melted in his backpack because it was hilarious. Jaxon

I liked the last chapter at the end when she told Woody to get harmonica lessons. Claire

What I liked in the series was that it taught us lessons about life. Talaisia

I liked when Woody and Chloe wrapped their paws around each other. B.J.

Hey Chloe, hey Woody, What I liked the most about the Dog Gone Wild series is that they all had a good humor in them. Michaela

It was very entertaining and fun to read. Faith

I enjoyed Chapter 9 when Chloe found Woody because she could hear him playing his harmonica. Josiah

I enjoyed when Chloe gave Woody the prize money for harmonica lessons. Jack

I enjoyed when Woody packed all of the stuff he did not need. Cody

I liked the last Chapter of the Dog Gone Wild because Chloe and Woody both are so funny. Chloe gave Woody good information about the money and harmonica lessons. Also they are so cute laying side by side. Karson

I liked the one where Chloe saves Woody in the woods. Brittney

I liked chapter 10 because Chloe was generous to give Woody the prize money. Makenzie

I enjoyed the chapter when Woody packed the pupcicles, electric blanket and other electronic items when they were first going on the camping trip. "LOL" that was hilarious. P.S. Ha Ha Ha. See you next time. Peace. Katyvin

I liked everything about the Woody series and how funny Woody is. Anneshia

What I enjoyed the most was when the writer put in the story that Woody was a chili dog. Kiara

The thing in the story that I liked was at the very end when Woody got the prize money from Chloe! Madison

It was all good because it was funny and all; and that was one of the funniest stories I have ever read. Wade

What I liked best is when Woody learned all about the wild and there was a always a lesson for him to learn. Derik

My favorite part of the Dog Gone Wild was the fact that they were talking dogs. Sydney

What I liked most about Dog Gone Wild was that Woody had exciting moments and he survived the part where he got lost. Emily

My most favorite part in the story Dog Gone Wild is when Chloe found Woody. I thought Woody would be a goner. A.J.

The part I liked the most in Dog Gone Wild was when they were on the way there and Woody and Chloe said let's go on a short cut so they did; and it was really a long cut. Koby

The best part in Dog Gone Wild is when Woody was lost and he kept playing that song about food. Hunter

The part that I liked the most was at the end because Woody was lost but Chloe found him and then Chloe said you should have the prize money. Then Woody told everybody what he learned then they lived happily ever after. Lataviya

My favorite part about Dog Gone Wild is when they were doing the challenges and they both won one challenge. Kirsten

My most favorite part about Dog Gone Wild is that it about dogs because I like dogs. Mary Catherine

The part that I liked the most was at the end of the story. I thought that was a really dear "brother-sister" moment. Logan

The part I liked the most is the end because it reminds me of my brother, but he is the oldest - not me. Hannah

What I liked most about Dog Gone Wild is when Woody and Chloe had their very first challenge, which was to see who could pack their backpack properly. Dominique

My favorite part about Dog Gone Wild was when Woody packed a plug-in blanket. Cameron

What I liked most about Dog Gone Wild is the pictures and exploration. Keiora

My favorite part of Dog Gone Wild was when they were on the road trip. Brandyn

My favorite part of Dog Gone Wild was when Woody packed an electric blanket, an art set, a Woof system, microwave popcorn, and pupsicles. Emma

What I liked most about Dog Gone Wild is ... That Woody packed his book bag up with junk, especially the pupsicles HA HA! Donnie

Sniff, sniff! These comments make Chloe and me feel warm and fuzzy! Thanks! Keep your eyes out because Dog Gone Wild will be out in book form in early 2010!

I better scoot! We have lots to do today! I am also hoping to catch up my blog entries. I have so much to tell you! ARFF!

Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

That's What I Call a Hero!

2009-11-29T19:12:00.007-05:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! We hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are still enjoying leftovers! Our Thanksgiving was terRUFFic! We kept the road hot, saw lots of cousins, had our cheeks pinched and heard how cute we were more times than we could count! And of course, we ate! Our favorite part of the meal is the gravy. (The candied yams are hard to beat!) The great thing about the gravy is that Mom will let us put a little over our dry dog food to add some flavor. Chloe is convinced that gravy is her beauty secret. She claims it keeps her coat healthy and shiny looking. She has looked stunning this week!

We started our Thanksgiving week off with the best treat ever! We drove to Hopkinsville, KY to meet our friend Austin. Austin has been following the Woody stories in The Kentucky New Era. In fact, he knew tons of information about us! He even knew that Mom had a pet squirrel named Sammy when she was growing up! Anyway, Austin had asked if we were ever in the area if we could come see him. Austin, his family, and his teacher welcomed us into their home. It felt like Christmas! They had baked delicious treats for us, had gifts for all of us, and even made us a poster! Austin asked me several questions about our latest story, Dog Gone Wild. He even wanted me to play the harmonica for him. Since I have been practicing my Christmas music, I asked Mom if I could play some holiday tunes for Austin and his family. I hate to brag, but I do play a pretty mean rendition of The Twelve Days of Christmas. Mom said it would take too long. She was right. Besides, I wanted to learn more about Austin. Here's what I learned:

Austin is 13 years old. He lives in Hopkinsville. He loves his family, his church, animals, and sports! He's a Wildcat Fan! (See his shirt!) He also loves the Tennessee Titans and the Nashville Predators. The Predators are a hockey team. We don't know too much about hockey so Austin gave us the low-down. He should know since he has even been in the Predator's locker room!

In addition to all that, Austin could be on Broadway! He loves to dress up in constumes. In fact, he has a list of about 30 different costumes he likes to wear. I asked if he had a wiener dog costume. He didn't but was hoping to run across one. I told him we would keep our eyes open!

Austin is very much like any other 13 year old guy. He is funny, smart, and likes all the things that we all like - yet there is something extra special about Austin. At 13 years old, Austin has already had surgery 29 times! He has had 3 open heart surgeries, 25 heart catheterizations, and even has a pacemaker. We weren't familiar with all those procedures so Austin explained them. He said a heart catheterization, or heart cath as it is called, is a procedure where the doctor inserts a small plastic tube into a vessel of the heart to see how the heart is working. A pacemaker is a device that helps the heart beat regularly. Austin, being the entertaining guy he is, pulled up his UK shirt and said, "Look! I have a zipper in my chest!" He had undergone so many procedures that it looked as if he had been unzipped and zipped back up lots of times. We learned so much about Austin that day, but here is what was totally impressive. He never complained. Not once. He never said, "I wish..." or "I hate..." or "This stinks..." He didn't complain that because of his heart issues he has a teacher who comes to his house. (He said it had some advantages. If he wanted a longer lunch or recess, he could talk Ms. Andrews into it!) He didn't mind that his love of sports is fairly limited to be a spectator. (He has become an expert arm chair quarterback and hey, how many of us have been in the Predator's locker room?) Austin had a huge bright smile on his face and made us giggle the entire afternoon. He was an inspiration to our entire family and when we left, we felt like Austin was our new brother! Speaking of, Austin had some suggestions on what Chloe and I should do for the next story. He also gave me a little lecture on minding my manners and not wandering off in the rainy wilderness to find my harmonica. I listened and promised I would take his advice.

I also promised we would visit Austin the second week of December when we were back in his area. We may even have some surprises worked up for Austin. (By the way Austin, Mom has worn her MSU cap nearly every day this week, the snackes are delicious, and the poster is being framed.)

When we left, we hugged Austin, promised to return in a few weeks, and thanked him for all the treats. Most of all, we thanked Austin for being our hero and being an inspiration to us all! Stay tuned as we blog about our next visit with Austin in several weeks. I also have lots of other news and stories to tell you about so visit us here often!

I better go! I want to practice my harmonica before bed. I practiced last night before bed and Chloe said she dreamed about pipers piping, french hens, and turtle doves all night!

Have a great night! Enjoy the rest of your gravy and Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

Dog Gone Wild Chapter 9

2009-11-24T14:09:00.002-05:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! If you have been reading Dog Gone Wild, you will know that I was lost and scared but Chloe came along and saved my life! I asked Chloe what I could do for her in return. Many of you have sent in suggestions on what you think it is Chloe will want me to do. Here are responses from our faithful readers in Mrs. Lentz's class at Holiday:

I think Chloe would want Woody to give her his treats because Mom gives them treats every day. Josiah

I think Chloe wanted Woody to get some rest and stay healthy. Derik

Chloe probably wants Woody to do her chores, give her his treats, and take care of her. Talaisia

Chloe wants him to go find her some fish at the lake. B.J.

I don't know how I know it but she wants him to get better and make her some hot chocolate. Michaela

To be fun like he usually is, and be his sweet self. Faith

I think that Chloe will want him to sing the "puh-sketti" song. Annie

I think she will want Woody to be her servant. Jaxon

To play his harmonica for her. Claire

I think what Chloe wants Woody to do is have another challenge so she can win the whole competition. Katie

I think Chloe wants Woody to sing a song or play her a song. Makenzie

I think that Woody would make Chloe a present and thank her for saving his life. Madison

I think Chloe wants him to play a song for her. Cody

I think Chloe wants Woody to go with Mom and buy her a gift. Or maybe play a song for her. Or maybe ask Woody to play as Chloe's Prince and carry her away. Or does whatever she tells him to for a day. Katyvin

I think she wants him to sing to her. Brittney

I think Chloe wants him to find a big leaf and fan her and treat her like a pretty princess. Karson

I think Chloe wants Woody to serve her for a day. Kiara

I think she wants Woody to never leave again. Jack

I think she wants him to kill all the snakes. McCaela

I think Chloe will take her brother out to dinner. Wade

She wants him to sing. Dylan

Chloe wants Woody not to go missing again and to believe that she loves him and know that she will always look for him when he gets lost. Anneshia

I think what Chloe wants her brother to do is always tell them where he is going all the time. Also to never wander off somewhere. Logan

To get him to teach her how to be just like him (Woody). Jessie

The thing Chloe wants Woody to do is give her a big hug and say"I Love You!"

I think Chloe would ask him to do something fun with her. Keiona

Chloe might want Woody to stay with them and not leave. Cameron

I think that Chloe wants Woody to do favors for her for one day to repay Chloe for saving Woody's life. (Happy Face) Dominique

I think Chloe wants Woody to save her life someday. Kirsten

Something that Chloe wants Woody to do is play tag with her around the tent on any day she wants him to since Chloe saved Woody's life. Mary Catherine

The thing that Chloe wants Woody to do is to be her servant for one week, or maybe two weeks. Or just clean her room. Lataviya

I think Chloe wants her brother to never go hunt his instrument again, if he lost it again, since she saved his life. Koby

Chloe wants Woody to say he will let me play his woof system for two weeks when we get home. Hunter

The thing that Chloe wants Woody to do is give her pupsicles because Chloe was hungry. A.J.

I think Chloe is going to ask Woody to share the broth with her since she saved his life. Sydney

What Chloe wants Woody to do is to give her a pupcycle since she saved him. Emily

I think Chloe wants Woody to try to survive. Also they could turn it into a "survivor" game since she saved his life. Jakayia

These are all great suggestions! Stay tuned and Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

TAILS from Perryville

2009-11-22T10:10:00.004-05:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! We hope this finds you in the beginning of a great week! Chloe and I just got home from Sunday school. We could hardly even sing because our voice was so horse, I mean, hoarse! We cheered so hard for our KY Wildcats yesterday. We won the basketball game and the football game! It was the first time in over 30 years that our CATS had beaten the Georgia Bulldogs in Georgia! It was a happy night for us CATS! We were sad for the Bulldogs however. They lost their beloved, real-life bulldog mascot, UGA. He passed away unexpectedly on Thursday. Our hearts go out to all UGA's fans and friends. We were sad when we heard the news.

On much happier note, this past week found us hopping all over the state. Tuesday we spent the day and evening at Perryville Elementary in Boyle County. We hadn't visted Perryville Elementary before. Within 15 minutes of walking in the school, we felt like PES was our home. There were signs in the building, hugs, kisses, letters, and dog treats! A big thanks to Ms. Best for suggesting we visit and to Ms. Mason for planning the perfect day and evening. I spent a good bit of time with the principal and I wasn't even in trouble!!! We had lots of things in common. He is a CAT fan too - so being the CAT fans and athletic individuals that we are, we talked football and basketball! Mr. Ronnie, the custodian, was also in the conversation. That school was sparkling clean! It was a terrific day we will never forget!

In fact, I better scoot for now. I have a box of goodies to get ready to mail to Perryville Elementary. I want to get it ready and take it to the Post Office first thing in the morning!

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

WOODY

Chloe Looks for Woody

2009-11-21T10:14:00.002-05:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! It's Chloe again! If you are following Dog Gone Wild, you will know that Woody is lost and we are looking for him. Thankfully, we have had lots of suggestions on where to find my brother. I just received this email from Mrs. Upton's Second Grade Class at Eminence Elementary. These are great suggestions! Take a look:

Isaak-under a tree

Gracie-listening to his harmonica

Destiny-marking a trail to see if he can find his footprints

Matthew-maybe he is in the bushes

Shelbie-trying to climb a tree

Emily-maybe he is hiding

Kaleb-maybe he is shaking with fear

Dakadrian-to see if he can find his way to the tent or beside a bush

Stephen-maybe he is by a stream

Brianna-look in the bookbag

Micayla-down by the lake

Autumn-down the river

Mary-under a tree

Bryndan-by a stream drinking water

I never even thought about checking a book bag! Thanks Brianna! Knowing my brother, anything is a possibility! I will check it out and let you know! In the meantime, keep the faith, keep reading, and in the words of Woody, "Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!"

Chloe

Cousin Alex

2009-11-18T10:02:00.003-05:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! I have to brag on my Cousin Alex Furr. She is a mega star basketball player in Texas who has broken all kinds of records. Alex is smart, talented, unbelievably athletic, funny, and gorgeous. It's no surprise we are cousins! (My mom and Alex's dad are brother and sister.) Anyway, this article was in the Tyler Morning News (Tyler, TX) today:

Athens’ Furr Signs With Fresno State
By PHIL HICKS
Sports Editor

ATHENS - Alex Furr has rained 3s on East Texas basketball teams the last three years.

Now, she's going national.

The Athens High School senior signed a national letter of intent with Fresno State University Tuesday before family, friends and teammates at the AHS Gymnasium.

She picked Fresno State over Mississippi State, Houston, Southern Mississippi and Alabama-Birmingham.

"I really liked the coaches and players when I visited there," Furr said of picking FSU as her college. "It was an automatic fit."

Furr is a three-time All-East Texas member as well as a two-time all-state guard who averaged 30.1 points per game as a junior. She also led the state in 3-pointers made with 146 during the 2008-09 season. That total ranked fifth nationally. She has 324 career 3s.

"Alex is the best 3-point shooter in the state of Texas," Fresno State coach Adrian Wiggins said in a press release. "She is a competitive guard. We expect her skills to fit into our system and for her to be an impact player in our program."

Furr should fit right in to the Bulldog program as Fresno State has ranked among the top three NCAA teams in 3-point shooting the past two years.

Wiggins has averaged 22 wins a season in his four years as head coach of the Fresno, Calif., school.

The Bulldogs have won two straight Western Athletic Conference championships and earned two consecutive NCAA berths.

Furr noted one of the attractions of playing in the WAC was the travel.

Other schools in the conference include Hawaii, Boise State, Idaho, Louisiana Tech, Nevada, Utah State, New Mexico State and San Jose State.

Furr is a four-year starter for the Lady Hornets who has scored 2,138 points in 94 games entering this season. She also has scored in double figures in 87 of the 94 games.

In the season opener against Rusk last week, Furr scored 42 points with 11 assists. She had seven 3-pointers in the 72-32 win.

Furr's career high is 51 points and 11 3-pointers in a game.

"It's nice to see a situation like this where a kid is rewarded," first-year Lady Hornets coach Austin Durrett said. "She puts in so much time. She is one of those kids who is the first one (to the gym) and the last one to leave. She deserves everything she gets."

Later on Tuesday, Furr hit 48 points in the Lady Hornets' 71-59 win over Mineral Wells. Among her buckets were five three-pointers.
WOW! We are already studying the map to see how far it is from Kentucky to California! We have never visited The Golden State but hopefully that will change in the next 4 years!

Cousin Alex definitely Works and Dreams like a BIG DOG!

Woody

TAILS from Picadome

2009-11-18T08:14:00.004-05:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! It is early Wednesday morning and Chloe and I are up and at 'em as the old saying goes! We have been busy little pups lately with our travels. Friday, we spent the day and evening at one of our very favorite schools in the state - no wait - COUNTRY! We were at Picadome Elementary School in Lexington, KY. We had visited Picadome several years ago and couldn't wait to return. Our friends welcomed us with open paws, uh, arms!

Here are a few pictures! The first picture is of Ms.Pam Sims - the librarian. She is a great librarian! She loves books and children and animals. She held me so tightly that Mom said I smelled just like Ms. Sims for two whole days! Mom said that was a huge compliment! Maybe I should start wearing perfume. Wait - boys don't wear perfume.

The second photo is of Ms. Darla Simms - the principal. (Yes, same last name as the librarian but spelled differently.) Ms. Simms also loves animals - and books and kids too, of course! I love this picture of Principal Simms and me - but Helloooo can somebody please straighten my sunglasses???

The third photo is of me walking down the hall. I can't remember if I was going to the bathroom or trying to sniff my way to the cafeteria when Chloe snapped this shot.

The fourth photo shows Mom and me signing Ms. Sim's Author Chair. We signed next to our illustrator, Paul Brett Johnson. PBJ (as we affectionately call him) visited Picadome last year. Anyway, he wrote something on the chair that caught my eye. It said, "The difference between writing and good writing is RE-WRITING!" He's correct! No wonder we love his books so much - especially that spaghetti book. It's my favorite!

The last shot is a group picture. If you look real closely, you can see me in the back! I was surrounded by my buddies - the Dog Pound!

We had a great day and evening! For the Family Reading Night, we had almost 300 people! We couldn't believe it - especially since the CATS had a home game. I was almost late because I was over at Rupp Arena trying to catch a glimpse of Coach Cal. I didn't see him, but maybe next time! By the way, in case you didn't hear, the CATS won that night!

I better scoot. We returned home from Perryville last night and leaving again this evening for a school visit tomorrow. Destination: Glasgow! I will tell you all about Perryville and Glasgow soon. I will also tell you about the fun day we had in Somerset on Saturday!

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

WOODY

Looking for Woody

2009-11-16T10:30:00.003-05:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! It's Chloe! If you are following the story Dog Gone Wild, you will know my brother is lost and the family is looking for him. We asked our faithful readers to give us ideas on where we should look for Woody. Here were responses from our faithful readers in Mrs. Lentz's Class at Holiday Elementay in Hopkinsville:

To find Woody, I would suggest to Chloe to look under all of the bushes in the woods and look at the tree trunks on the ground. Emily

To find Woody, I would suggest to Chloe to look everywhere she thinks he would be and maybe call for Woody and see if he would answer and listen for where his voice is coming from. Mary Catherine

To find Woody I would suggest to Chloe to go by bushes and listen for Woody crying or playing his harmonica. Dominique

To find Woody I would suggest to Chloe to use her cell phone for like a GPS if she has one on it. Or she could use voice microphone that you can use if you are a director (like “Cut!”). Lataviya

That she should keep yelling his name until she finds him, or to try recalling the office when they open. Logan

Maybe if she had GPS on her phone she might be able to find him. Kirsten

Blow the whistle very loud! Donnie

Look under bushes and call his name.

Look under the bushes next to the fishing sign with his harmonica. Cameron

Look at the fishing pond and listen for his harmonica. Emma

Go into the woods and be brave. Keiona

I would go back to where they went fishing and see if there was any paw prints and put Chloe’s foot on the right one and follow them. Hunter

Listen for Woody’s harmonica. Ryoya

Look for little doggy footprints and follow that trail. Kaci

Look for muddy footprints and to look in the driest areas. Emily

Listen to his harmonica and follow the noise. Hayden

Go down by the lake or where it is wet. Steven

Use her camp map to look at all the places and also at the Daniel Boone camp and look at all the trees and see if he’s behind one. Jakoyia

She should look at the bushes where Woody lost his instrument and look in the bushes close to that spot. Koby

Hey Chloe, I think you should look for Woody in bushes and caves because he might be sleeping in them. Also you should look by the location where he lost his harmonica. Michaela

Chloe could back track where she and Woody were earlier in the day. Chloe could find Woody when he plays his harmonica. Derik

I would tell her to look under every single bush and tree. B.J.

I would tell her that she could make smoke signals so Woody could see it, and to look by rivers because Woody might be there to get water. Faith

I would tell Chloe to think about what Woody might do, see, say and look at the clues around you to find Woody. Talaisia

If I could talk to Chloe, I would tell her to don’t worry and keep looking. She could look for Woody where he lost his harmonica. Josiah

One place she should look is the Daniel Boone Campground Office in case Woody went there looking for help. Another place is the lake in case Woody went there looking for Ranger Ralph. Katie

Chloe, look under bushes, trees, anything a wiener dog could or would hide. Blow your whistle and see if he hears you. Good luck! Claire

If I had to give Chloe advice to where to look for Woody, I would say to look under trees where rain doesn’t get. Jaxon

Chloe, you should look for Woody in a cave. That’s where I saw him last! Good luck! Annie

Chloe should look by the lake because Woody lost his harmonica while he was fishing. Makenzie

Chloe you need to look where Woody could eat something. For example, a berry bush. Also, look where you think Woody would make himself comfortable/relaxed. Look where Woody would get in trouble. P.s. I know me, and I know Woody! Ka’Tyvin

You could look around the lake or somewhere that Woody would eat. Brittney

Woody could be at the river and in bushes and look where he could get in trouble. Cody

Chloe could find Woody in a bush, or along the trail walking-alone. Chloe also can find him in the river or by the river. Karson

Hey Chloe, maybe you should look in the usual places he might be in. And maybe look in the unusual spots. Hope this helps! Madison

I would go on top of the tallest tree that you can find and yell out and see if you can see him. Wade

Hi Chloe. It’s one of Woody’s dearest friends. Maybe try looking in a cave or at the lake try looking for clues. Dylan

Well, Chloe, if I were you, I would check every cave in the area. Then I would check all around the area because I don’t think he’d go very far. Jack

I would tell her to think like him. McCaela

Chloe could look for him in bushes, trees, or even caves. Think like Woody and go where he would go. Kiara

These are all great answers! Dylan - that is so nice of you to be one of Woody's dearest friends! All of the suggestions are so helpful! Therefore, I better hop to it and get going to find my brother! Stay tuned to find out how the search goes!

Keep the faith and in the words of Woody, "Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!"

CHLOE

Predictions for Chapter 8

2009-11-04T19:13:00.004-05:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! It's Chloe! I am writing in Woody's diary for him. He can't come to the computer at the moment! We hope you are enjoying Dog Gone Wild. At the end of Chapter 7, Woody heard rustling in the woods. We asked our readers what they thought would happen next. Here are answers from our faithful readers in Mrs. Lentz's Class at Holiday Elementary:

I think Woody’s family has discovered that they couldn’t see him in the tent, so they went looking for him in the woods. Jakoyia

I think it’s his mom and dad getting closer. He just does not know it because it’s raining. Hunter

I think Ranger Ralph will come with Woody’s family and that’s what I think was rustling in the woods. Emma

I think Chloe and Woody’s parents are rustling around in the woods. Brandyn

I think Ranger Ralph is coming and Woody will say that I need help. Help! Help!! I need help please help! Keiona

I think that Woody hears a bear, or a cute chipmunk rustling in the woods and it might pop out and starting singing “I lost my meatball, toooo!”. Cameron

I think Woody hears his dad or a bear rustling in the woods. Donnie

I think what is coming closer and closer is Woody’s mom and dad, and Chloe. I think Woody wants to be safe and calm on the way home. Jessie

I think what will happen next is maybe a wild animal is coming up behind him. Kaci

I think an animal came and gave him food. Ryoya

At the end of the story I think Chloe or Ranger Ralph is coming. Hayden

I think Woody’s family or Ranger Ralf are coming to rescue him next. Emily W.

I think what will happen next is Chloe will pop out on him and scare him and then Chloe and he will get lost. Emily H.

I think it will be his sister and his dad wrestling in the woods after hearing Woody singing. Sydney

I think the rustling in the woods can be Woody’s mom and dad and Chloe coming to rescue him. A.J.

I think that the rustling in the woods are his family coming closer and closer. Koby

Another dog like Woody will come out walking in the woods whistling and start talking to Woody. Mary Catherine

I think the rustling in the woods are Woody’s mom, dad, and Chloe searching for him. Dominique

I think that Woody hears his mom, Dad and Chloe. Then I think Woody will get in trouble but he will be safe in the tent. Logan

I think the reason why Woody hears rustling is because there could be another dog coming to see if he needs help. Lataviya

I think it is Ranger Ralph coming through the woods. I think this because I think Woody’s parents sent him to find Woody. Hannah

I think it will be Chloe, mom and dad rustling in the woods and they will save Woody. Kirsten

I think that Woody hears a bear then the bear wants to eat him. After all he is a “wiener” dog! Katie

His parents and Chloe will come and rescue him. Claire

I think it might be the Ranger Ralph, but that’s not going to help much. Annie

Chloe and Woody’s parent out. Faith

I think Woody will get brave and stand up for himself. Stay strong, Woody! B.J.

One thing it could e is a wild animal. Secondly, it could be his family or Ranger Ralph. Derik

Woody was probably just getting scared and no one is there because it happens to me all the time when I am alone. Josiah

It will probably be his parents and Chloe. Talaisia

Someone comes looking for him. They find him because he is singing. Dylan

Either his parents will find him or the Ranger will help him. Jack

I think that he will find Chloe. Wade

I think it will be Chloe, mom and dad trying to find him or someone that works there. McCaela

What I think will happen next is Ranger Ralph will find Woody in the bushes singing. Kiara

I think that it’s a big bear. Or a raccoon. Or a squirrel. Or Chloe. Or a snake. Who knows? Madison

I think it is Chloe or maybe it is a snake, or a bear, or the park ranger or his parents. Karson

I think it is Chloe, Park Ranger Ralph, a bear, a snake or his parents. Cody

I think it is Chloe. Also, I think it could be a snake, or even a bear, or his parents. The world will never know until the next chapter! Katyvin

A bear will come out and eat his leg off. Jaxon

I think that the family will come looking for him and will take him home and it stops raining so they sit around the campfire and sing songs. Anneshia

I think that a bear cub is walking out from a blueberry bush to share some berries with Woody. Michaela

Mrs. Lentz and her wonderful two reading classes!

Whew! Just reading those answers gave me goosebumps - scary, scary goosebumps - especially the comment about a bear eating my brother's leg off! I hope I don't dream about snakes, bears, or raccoons!

Thanks for reading the story! Keep in touch and in the words of my brother, Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

Chloe

TAILS from Arnett Elementary

2009-11-04T18:24:00.004-05:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! We hope this finds you having a great day! We spent so much time at outside today! The weather was gorgeous! We didn't need our coats, rainboots, gloves, scarves, or anything. PURR-fect - as our sister Dolly the Cat says!

Last week, we spent the day and evening at Arnett Elementary. Arnett is in Northern KY - Erlanger to be exact. We were at Arnett several years ago and it was so much fun to go back and see our friends! During the day, Dad took hundreds of photos. We thought we would show you a few! You know what they say, "A picture is worth a thousand words." Well here are six thousand words for you!

Our day at Arnett was terrific! We laughed and barked and played - and of course we studied too!

I better scoot. It is 6:35 and that means time for a bath and then a bedtime snack! I think tonight's snack is some PUPcorn!

Have a great week, enjoy the weather, and Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

Happy Hallowiener!

2009-10-31T12:25:00.006-04:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers and Trick-or-Treators! We hope you are having a great Hallowiener! We are making sure we have enough candy for the Trick-or-Treators who will visit tonight. Mom caught my little brother Wally sneaking of piece of Candy Corn in his mouth. Mom reminded us the candy was for the people who ring our doorbell and say, "Trick-or-Treat!"

We have received lots of photos and cards from our friends. We wanted to show you two! The first photo is of our friend, Cleo. Cleo lives in Evansville with her mom, Ms. Diane. If you are a regular follower of our diary, you are no stranger to Cleo. Cleo goes into the Nursing Homes and makes the residents smile and laugh! For the Halloween Party this year, Cleo dressed up as, well, a hotdog! It really wasn't a big stretch at all since Cleo is a hotdog! We saw Cleo last week when we spoke at a Foster Dinner in Evansville. Cleo didn't have her costume on which made it a bit easier for her to run and play - and run and play we did! In fact, we ran and played so much that my siblings and I had to go to the Time-Out Dog House, but I won't bore you with those deTAILS!

The next photo is of our good friend, Abby. Abby is a Corgi and lives in Bowling Green, KY with her family, The Marcums. We met Abby's mom last year. She is the librarian at Natcher Elementary. Ms. Marcum sent me this picture. She said Abby put on her hotdog costume early this morning and was looking out the window hoping Chloe and I would be Trick-or-Treating. We have asked Mom if we can go to Abby's house tonight. Mom said Bowling Green is a bit too far to go Trick-or-Treating. Abby - save a rawhide for us just in case we make it!

Cleo's hotdog looks like plain wiener with mustard. Abby's hotdog looks like it's a loaded frankfurter - complete with mustard, catsup, and even relish! WOW!

One of our favorite Halloween traditions is reading the book The Hallo-Wiener by Dav Pilkey. It's the story of a wiener dog named Oscar. It's scary and funny! If you haven't read it, check it out. Years ago, Dr. Rhonda Caudill, a Vet in Paducah who took care of me when I had back trouble sent us the book. It's our favorite.

Everyone has been asking what we are going to be for Halloween. I think we have finally narrowed it down:

Chloe is going to be the same thing she is every year - a BalleWiener.

Frannie is going to wear a grass skirt and be a HulaWiener.

Wally is dressing up like a cow. He is going to be an All-Beef Wiener.

In honor of the World Series, I am dressing up as a Baseball Player. I am going to be a Ballpark Frank!

We hope everyone enjoys the day and is SAFE! Remember to have an adult with you, only visit the houses of the people you know, don't go out after dark, and don't eat too much candy!!! Oh, and don't forget to Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

Woody, The Kentucky Wiener's World Famous First-Class Puh-Sketti

2009-10-28T13:51:00.004-04:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! If you are reading Dog Gone Wild, you know I how much I love the book On Top of Spaghetti. It is written and illustrated by Kentucky native Paul Brett Johnson - who happens to be our illustrator!

www.paulbrettjohnson.com.

Anyway, in Chapter 7 of DGW, I am thinking about that book, singing that song, and craving a big dish of pasta. If you are keeping up with the activities in your classroom, we challenged you to make my very own, Woody, The Kentucky Wiener's World Famous First-Class Puh-Sketti. Here is the recipe:

Woody, The Kentucky Wiener's World Famous First-Class Puh-Sketti

Ingredients (the things you will need):

1 pound hamburger (not a hamburger with the bun, mustard, or pickles – just the meat)
1 onion, chopped (be prepared to cry)
1 6 ounce can tomato paste (not to be confused with tooth paste or glue paste)
3 small cans tomato sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Puh-Sketti noodles

Directions:

Make sure you have an adult who actually knows his or her way around the kitchen. A good test is whether they know the difference between a stove and an oven. If so, you are in business!

In a pan on the stove, brown hamburger and onions. (Brown means "to cook" - not "to color with a crayon.") Pour off all the fat. (We thought the fat looked delicious, but Mom said we couldn’t eat the fat.) Add remaining ingredients to the hamburger and onions . Simmer 2-3 hours. (Simmer means to keep it hot but don’t let it boil.) Serve over Puh-Sketti noodles. Make sure you cook the spaghetti noodles - especially if you don't like crunchy Puh-Sketti.

It taste great with a salad on the side, maybe a stick or two of beef jerky, and a fresh bowl of water to keep the whistle wet! Top it off with Vanilla WOOFERS and a small dish of ice cream for dessert! Talk about a meal fit for a King!

Take a picture of you making or eating our Puh-Sketti and we will send you a surprise in the mail! Make sure you wear an apron. It can get pretty messy!

Enjoy!

Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

TAILS from Evansville, IN

2009-10-26T18:36:00.004-04:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! Hope this finds each of you having a great Monday! It was beautiful here at our doghouse in Shepherdsville today. The sun was shining, the leaves were so colorful, and it was warm enough to play outside. My little brother Wally thought it would be fun to wade in the shallow part of the lake. He didn't think it was fun when he had to get a bath later! We have a school visit tomorrow in Erlanger, KY. Mom didn't want Wally to smell like he did when he came out of the lake. He smelled like a combination of a wet dog and a fish. Pee-uuu!

Anyway, this past Saturday night we spent the evening in Evansville, Indiana. We spoke at the Foster Parent Recognition Banquet. In case you don't know what a foster parent is, they provide a safe and loving home for kids who can't live with their birth parents or haven't yet been adopted. These parents are the most unselfish people in the world. Chloe and I were so happy we could spend an evening with them! Hip Hip Hooray for all the foster parents! We posted a few pics.

I better go. My Scooby Doo clock is set for 4:30 in the morning! That is early! The Woody Bus will be leaving in the morning. Destination: Arnett Elementary in Erlanger. I better go to bed right now - or as soon as I have a bedtime snack and brush my teeth!

Have a great night. Enjoy the leaves, give your parents a kiss (whether they are your biological parents, your adopted parents, or your foster parents), and Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

SMILE! You're On Candid Camera!

2009-10-23T14:44:00.002-04:00

Kentucky Greetings from the Gang! Not too long ago our family was watching television and we saw the funniest show called Candid Camera. It's a show where people play practical jokes. If you are keeping up with Dog Gone Wild, you know that Chloe played a practical joke on me. We asked our readers to tell us about practical jokes they had been involved in. Our faithful readers from Holiday sent us their responses. They are too funny!

Hello again from Holiday! Here are Mrs. Lentz’ responses from the question:

Have you ever played a practical joke on somebody – or has someone played a joke on you?

I have played a joke on my mom. One I ate the rest of her cereal after she told me not to, so I switched my cereal with my mom’s box. Talaisa

I have been on the other side of playing a joke. My sister played a joke on me. I was playing my PS2 one day and she put a fake spider on me. BJ

Yes!! I got a joke played on me by my brother and my dad. They put whipped cream on my hand and I whipped my face! Josiah

Once me and my friend were down by the river jumping on the trampoline. Simon was right next to the river playing around with his cell phone. The he ran crying, “Oh my gosh! I dropped my phone!” We told him no he didn’t, but we went to the river and looked down and could see a phone with lilly on the screen. Oh, no…… Annie

I have played a practical joke on my brother by hanging a scary mask on the bed where he couldn’t see it and whenever he got up it would make a scary sound. Jaxon

As I was walking to my room, I didn’t know my older brother was hiding behind the door. As I walked by he jumped out and scared me. Madison

One time I was in the shower and my dad went to the bathroom, but I thought it was my sister, Kelsey, playing a joke on me. So to get her back, when she was in the shower, I flushed the toilet 7 times and she screamed the shower was so hot! Later I found out it wasn’t Kelsey who went to the bathroom, it was my dad playing a joke on me, so I got in trouble and Kelsey was so red she looked like she had a sunburn. Katie

Yo! Woody! I played a joke on someone. I got a balloon filled with mud and worms and made a spring trigger and SPLAT! I got my friend. See you later. Dylan

A practical joke has been played on me: A boy in my class tricked me into letting him push me into the pod at my birthday party. Brittany

My sister put a rubber band on the sink sprayer and when I cut on the water it sprayed me. But then, when I got out the shower before a game, Cody and my teammates scared me and I fell back in the shower and they turned the water on. Ka’Tyvin

I scared my friend in the basketball game and he fell in the shower and we turned the water on. Cody

One day my friends birthday party, my friends told me they were going to put whipped cream on my face at 5 am. I woke up and scared them. Karson

At my friends birthday, she was in the bathroom and when she came out we all hid, jumped out, and hit her with pillows. She fell down and we tackled her. Claire

I’ve played a joke on my friend when we were running away from her, and then we started chasing her instead. It was really funny. Kiara

When I was absent when I was 8 years old, I saw this practical joke on TV so I wanted to try it. I went in my sisters room and put shaving cream all over her hand. Then I tickled her nose and BAM! She had shaving cream all over her face! Jack

Yes, my brother played a joke on me. I was walking in the garage with the light out. He jumped out and scared me. Makenzie

Yes, I have played a practical joke on my brother. I put on a fake mask and went into his bathroom and he screamed like a girl. Derik

My cousin would always take my chips, so I set a fake mouse trap in the bag and the plastic snapper caught his finger (but it didn’t hurt too bad). Dominique

I’ve played a joke on my friend my putting a “kick me” sign and then kicked him. Brandyn

Yes, I have played a practical joke on somebody. When my sister and I and cousins went back to the Trail of Tears Saturday, we took pictures where the three chiefs died. I told her someone was behind her, but there wasn’t. Jakoyia

I put a whoopy cushion under my dad after he farted! It was hilarious! Cameron

I have pulled prank on somebody by putting shaving cream on somebody’s hand and tickled his nose and he got it all over his face. Koby

Yes, somebody played a joke on me when it was my sleepover and when I went to sleep they put catsup in my ear and I they told me it was blood. I believed them! Kaci

When I was in the shower my mom and brother’s put ice and cold water on me. Emma

Someone jumped out of the closet with a mask on and scared me! Ryoya

Once we had a fake baseball sticker. My dad and I and my brother was throwing it and then my dad put the sticker on my mom’s back window of her car. My dad yelled at us (fake yell) to go inside and then we told my mom that we broke her car window. She went outside and yelled and then my dad said it was fake. Hunter

Once my mom told me to come downstairs. When I did, my dad scared me at the bottom of the stairs. Kirsten

I’ve played a joke on my friend. We were coming in for recess and I sneaked in behind her and said, “Boo!”. Lataviya

One time when I was 8 my dad put a fake spider in my bed. When I woke up it scared me half to death. Logan

Someone has played a joke on me. My dad built a haunted house at Halloween. He told me to go and get the costumes, and when I opened the box a huge spider landed in my face. Sydney

THANK YOU SO MUCH WOODY FOR MAKING IT FUN TO READ THE NEWSPAPER!!!!

Mrs. Lentz’ class

We always love to get comments from our readers. All I can say is that Chloe's joke was mild compared to some of these practical jokes - especially Dominique's!!! I must confess that I got some ideas too. I think Chloe may have a payback coming - and I know how she is scared of spiders! Hmmmm....

Keep reading, keep surviving, and Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

TAILS from St. Agnes

2009-10-20T11:14:00.004-04:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! Hope you are having a great Tuesday! The sun is shining at our doghouse in Shepherdsville today. We are playing outside, taking longs walks, and also packing for a busy rest of the week. Lots of travel and lots of presentations - which is our cup of tea - or our bowl of dog food - you get the picture! I only had a minute but I wanted to post some pics from our day and evening at St. Agnes. St. Agnes is located in Ft. Wright, KY, which is in the very northern part of the state. We always enjoy our travels to Northern KY. The people are friendly, and sites are beautiful, and they have a Skyline Chili on every corner! YUM-EEE! You can tell by looking at these photos that we had a blast!

A great big thanks to Ms. Kelly Sparks and Ms. Monica Namyar for making our day so smooth! It was, as I love to say, terRUFFic!

I better scoot. Mom just told me I have to have my suitcase packed ASAP and I can't find my Scooby pajamas. I better start looking!

Have a great day! Enjoy the sunshine and Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

Spiders, Snakes, and Raccoons - Oh My!

2009-10-16T12:20:00.002-04:00

Here is an email I received from Ms. Thayer's 4th grade classroom at Tollesboro Elementary School in Lewis County. They are predicting why I need help at the end of Chapter 5.

Woody saw the snake in his sleeping bag.

Woody was scared of the dark.

There might have been a raccoon in the sleeping bag.

Woody saw a squirrel (spider, bug, or other animal) in his sleeping bag.

He might have seen a poisonous snake in the bag.

Woody saw a bear.

Chloe had a flashlight and shined it up on the side of the tent and then held up a worm in front of it so the shadow looked like a snake.

I love all these answers! I just hope I don't have bad dreams tonight thinking about snakes and raccoons and spiders and such! ARFF!

Keep the emails coming, Ms. Thayer's Class! We love hearing from you! Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

Chapter 5 Comments from Hopkinsville, KY

2009-10-16T11:59:00.003-04:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! Our faithful readers at Holiday Elementary in Hopkinsville, KY just sent me this email.

At the end of Chapter 5, I am calling for Mom and Dad’s help. I asked readers to comment on why they think I need help. Here are the answers from Mrs. Lentz's class:

I think Woody needs their help because there’s a snake and he is screaming a lot. Brandyn

Woody is calling for Mom and Dad because he could have seen a snake and from the story, Woody is afraid of snakes or he visualized a floor. I think what is happening is the snake is in the tent crawling and Woody is scared. Lataviya

I think Woody needs his parents help because there could be a huge bug or a very small animal. I think the animal is looking for food or shelter.

I think Woody found a snake. I think he needs their help because the snake is in the tent slithering around. Donnie

At the end of the story Woody is calling for Mom and Dad’s help because there might be a snake there. The reason he needed help is the snake might be coming towards him. Hayden

At the end of the story Woody is calling Mom and Dad because of a snake in the sleeping bag. Ryoya

I think Woody pulled back his sleeping bag and he saw a snake laying right there. He needed his mom and dad’s help because the snake is coming towards him. Kaci

I think Woody is calling for help because there is a venomous snake under his sleeping bag and the snake is about to bite him. Emily W.

I think Woody is calling for help because he might of saw something. I think a bug is in his tent because I’m very scared of bugs. Sydney

Woody is calling for Mom and Dad because there is going to be a snake or a spider. He needs their help because he wants them to get it out. Koby

Woody is calling for help because something is in his tent and it’s trying to bite him. I think a bat is in there. Hunter

Woody is calling for mom and dad’s help because he probably will find a snake in the tent. He’s scared of snakes and so am I. Jakoyia

Woody is calling mom and dad because Woody saw a snake and he thought he was about to get hurt and he couldn’t handle it. A.J.

I think he needs his mom and dad because there is a snake in the tent and he could not get it out. He was yelling for his mom and dad to they can get it out. Emily H.

When Woody is yelling for help I think thee is the same snake in there and he was about to jump at Woody and Chloe. Logan

There is a snake in Woody’s sleeping bad. Woody is scared of the snake in his sleeping bag. Emma

I think that Woody was needing their help because there might be a snake in the tent. I think that the snake might have been hissing at Woody and Chloe. Cameron

I think that he was calling because a snake was under his pillow. He needs their help to take it out from under his pillow and kill it. Michaela

Woody was having a bad dream. Woody also saw a spider or a snake. Woody would need their help because maybe he would need a first aid kit if he got bit.

Well, I think that a snake was on his sleeping bag and it surprised him and he needs their help getting it off. Faith

I think Woody was calling them because he might have seen the snake again. Woody might need help getting rid of the snake. Josiah

I think that Woody has found the snake in his sleeping bag and it was trying to bite him. Also I think Woody needs his parents help because he might need them to get the snake out of his room. Talaisia

I think he needs help because there was a raccoon eating his food in his tent. I think that Chloe put the raccoon in Woody’s sleeping bag because I would do it to my sister if we went camping. Katie

Woody sees a spider in the sleeping bag. He is a little freaked out so he wanted their help. Annie

I think that there was a bear in his marshmallow bag eating his marshmallows. Madison

I think Woody needs Mom and Dad’s help because the tent broke and it fell on them. Jaxon

There is a snake in his sleeping bag and the snake is trying to bite Woody, and Woody is freaking out! Dylan

I think Woody needs their help because there is something in there. I think there is a snake in there that Chloe put in there. Brittany

I think that there is a small little bug. A bug hole was in the ground then the bugs got out and went into his bag for the icepops. Katyvin

Woody probably got mad and needed their help because a snake was in there and his Mom and Dad had to move it. Cody

I think he needs their help because an animal was in there (snake) that Chloe put in there. Claire

I think that the snake that Chloe and Woody saw when they were getting firewood was in Woody’s sleeping bag. I think that the snake was sitting there trying to eat him alive. Karson

I think Woody needs Mom and Dad’s help because he is scared. I think there is a snake in Woody’s tent. Jack

I think it was that the snake was in the tent. He needs their help because he needs help getting the snake out. Makenzie

Maybe the tent had a hole in it and the snake got in and in his sleeping bag. McCaela

I think that Woody needs his help because there’s a spider or snake or even a poisonous caterpillar. He wants his dad to come and kill it. Kiara

Thank you again for the stories!! We are surely enjoying them!

Mrs. Lentz

A great big thanks to Mrs. Lentz's Class! You will have to wait and see why I needed help! Tune back in next week! In the meantime, be a survivor and Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

Getting Fit at Second Sunday

2009-10-15T13:43:00.002-04:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! Everybody these days talks about getting fit, pumping iron, and being at the ideal weight! We Bullitt Countians are no exception! This past Sunday was the Second Annual 2nd Sunday Event where the Bullitt County residents come together and exercise. Last year, 2nd Sunday was blazing hot. This past year was windy and cool. Both years we had a blast and met so many people. Here is a photo of Mom and me with Cheyanne and Cierra. Cheyanne and Cierra are both students at Overdale. We had so much fun walking and talking with these girls as well as all the other participants!

I better scoot. I think I am going to go to the gym and pump iron! Sniff, sniff!

Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

Dog Gone Wild Chapter 3

2009-10-12T14:55:00.002-04:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! We are in Chapter 3 of Dog Gone Wild. So many students are participating in the activities. Here is an email I just received:

After Mrs Lentz' 5th grade classes at Holiday Elementary School read Chapter 3 and pasted it into their scrapbooks, we talked about the "reindeer crossing" road sign that Woody saw along the road. The students were asked to complete this sentence:

"Other road signs that Woody could have seen while traveling are: ...

Watch out for children, Speed limit 25, Exit sign, Entering sign, highway crossing, construction. Keora

Speed limits, signs that tell you what is there at this exit, miles away from destination.

Stop signs, Yield signs, train signs, and a lot more. Cody

Directions to a shortcut, or a sign that says raccoons at the campground. Makenzie

One way sign, a U turn sign, and turn right/left sign. Love (drew a heart) Claire

Stop signs, Watch for Children at play signs, speed limit signs, and Do not park here anytime signs. Kiara

All kinds of highway signs and highway number signs. Karson

Mile signs that say how many miles. McCaela

Speed limit or a Railroad Ahead or even stop light ahead; also he could see highway exits and gas stations or food stops that are ahead. Katyn

Stop sign, railroad crossing and a yield sign. Jack

Exit sign, stop sign, cross walk sign, curve sign. Brandyn

Max weight 50 lbs, highway crossing, people crossing, Gatlilnburg next right, railroad crossing. Cameron

U turns sign, arrow signs, cross road signs, stop sign, animal signs, construction road signs, highway signs. Jessie

Deer, Direction signs, speed signs, stop signs, railroad signs, walk slow signs, watch for kids signs, railroad track signs. Emily

Watch for children, city signs, yield, one way, stop, seat belt, speed limit, exit signs, state signs. Hunter

Wrong way, stop signs, slow down. Kirsten

Stop signs, watch for children signs, exit signs. A.J

Speed limit, stop signs, railroad signs, exit signs, welcome signs. Koby

Construction signs, speed limit signs, watch for children signs, stop signs, city signs, state line signs. Jakoyia

Stop sign, yield, railroad, Exit #, enter, caution, construction signs, sped limit, watch for children, city lines, state signs. Sydney

Stop, yield, exit, enter. Steven

Stop. Rioya

Signs that say the exits, how fast you could go, or caution signs. Kaci

Exit signs, caution signs, stop signs, and speed limit signs. Emily

Men at work, stop, speed limit, Hwy 80. Hayden

Speed limit; they could also tell you to watch for deer and moose and other animals that could come out of the woods. B.J.

Signs like stop signs, speed limit signs, and many others. Madison

Some of the students in Mrs Lentz' classes chose to write a short story that includes the six new words Woody used in Chapter 3: Navigate, Destination, Coonskin cap, Reindeer, Shortcut, and Highway

Chloe and Woody challenged each other. They navigated and took shortcuts to the highway. They finally reached their destination, Daniel Boone Campground. Faith

We can't take the shortcut. I know how to navigate and that is not a shortcut. Ooh no, a reindeer. We need to be careful because if not we will get lost before we reach our destination. Annie

As we went through the shortcut, Woody's Dad said "I don't think we're going the right way. I said "Don't worry, Dad, I think we are going the right way and then we crossed a bridge, and the sign said Death Valley. Was that our destination? Jaxon

As we drove, the navigation system said "Turn right". As we turned, my brother found a shortcut. "Turn here" he said. A loud boom and "POW!" we've got a flat." Dad said "You have reached your destination" . The GPS said ..... Dylan

Moma, Ginny said, "If you tell me where our destination is, I can navigate". Well, Ginny, we are going to Highway 92 to see Uncle Beb's reindeer Mama replied. Doesn't Uncle Beb always wear the coonskin cap and take shortcuts everywhere?" Yes and we are here." Katie

Moma, I said. Where's our destination. Can I navigate the map? Yes said mom. A few minutes later, Mama took this shortcut on the highway. Is this is a challenge said Moma, No I said. An hour later, I said I want .... Talaisia

These are great answers! We love reading the sentences. Katie, Chloe and I would love to see Uncle Beb's reindeer one day! ARFF!

Keep the emails coming! Be a survivor and Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

Animal Hall of Fame

2009-10-12T10:51:00.003-04:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! If I have barked it once, I have barked it a thousand times - I have the best life! I get to travel around in the Woody Bus with my family, meet new friends, and experience exciting things! This past Saturday was a day I will never forget! I was inducted into the Kentucky Veterinary Medical Association's 2009 Animal Hall of Fame! There were four animals inducted. We had a fancy lunch at The Galt House in Louisville. They gave me a brand new collar and a shiny plaque to hang up in our doghouse. Dr. James Cecil nominated me for the Hall of Fame. He and Dr. Chris Albert of the Mt. Washington Animal Clinic take care of my siblings and me - and they even take care of Mom and Dad too! Dr. Cecil couldn't be at the lunch, but Dr. Albert was there. She fed me treats. The best part was that Dr. Albert didn't cut my nails or give me any shots at lunch!

I posted some photos for you to see. You can see Mom and me sitting at the table after a delicious lunch. The second picture is of Dr. Albert, Mom and me, along with Dr. Grimes and the President of the Kentucky Veterinary Medical Association. The next picture is of Mom, me, Dr. Albert, Ms. Sharon, and her service dog Yeager. Dr. Albert trained Yeager. Yeager helps Ms. Sharon. Ms. Sharon has Multiple Sclerosis just like Mom does. Yeager helps Ms. Sharon pick up things she drops, help her keep her balance, and assist her with daily task that can be difficult to do with MS. Yeager also won the National Humane Society Award. He has done some incredible things. It was an honor to be in the same category with Yeager and the other dogs that were inducted.

Since you may not can read the plaque, here is what it says:

Kentucky Animal Hall of Fame
October 10, 2009
Presented to Woody
For Being an Ambassador of the Human-Animal Bond
And the Commonwealth of Kentucky
Kentucky Veterinary Medical Association

It was a day we will never forget! A special thanks to Dr. Cecil, Dr. Albert, and the members of the KVMA. (I feel like I am acception an Oscar or something.) And I would like to thank the Academy... Okay, enough I know!

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

WOODY

TAILS from St. Ann's

2009-10-08T09:50:00.004-04:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! We hope everyone is enjoying the day. We are chilly dogs today. It is rainy and gloomy and cool. Dad just built a fire in the fireplace so hopefully we will go from chilly dogs to hot dogs soon!

This past Tuesday our family spent the day at St. Ann's School in Howardstown, KY. It was one of the neatest places we had ever been. St. Ann's school is grades 1-8 and has 26 students, 3 rooms, and 3 teachers. When there are only 26 students, 3 rooms, and 3 teachers, there aren't many secrets. We found out who was the class clown, who was the most serious, who was the most athletic, and the list goes on and on. We spent a great deal of time learning from each other but we also spent lots of time laughing. Those students are funny! Chloe and I were howling with laughter!

Even though the student were funny, they were extrememly respectful. Mom and Dad heard "Yes Ma'am" and "Yes Sir" all day. When we walked in their classrooms, they all stood up to show respect. We are still talking about how impressive that was! WOW!

Guess what we did for lunch? The entire school pulled out their umbrellas and we walked to the country store to have our lunch. They had pizza, hamburgers, sandwiches, and yes, dog food! It was dee-lish!

St. Ann's made us feel right at home. In fact, they invited us back to their Thanksgiving meal and also for Creek Day in May. Both of those sound right up our alley!

A great big thanks to all the staff and students for giving us a day we will never forget! ARFF!

I better scoot. Since I have been typing, the cabin has warmed up. I have to get a drink of water before I become a burnt hot dog!

Have a great day! Take a walk in the rain, stop at a country store for lunch every now and then, and Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

TAILS and Photos from Owsley County

2009-10-07T12:37:00.003-04:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! We are having so much fun sharing our comments from Dog Gone Wild that I haven't had the opportunity to tell you about our schools. I wanted to post some photos from Owsley County Elementary. We spent the day and evening with the Owsley County Owls several weeks ago. As they did before, everyone treated us like family - and our doghouse was still there!!! This time, the Woody Bus held up perfectly. We didn't have to be towed!

Stay tuned as I blog about the other schools. It's tough getting behind! Arff!

More photos in a bit! Stay tuned, stay safe, and Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

Still Laughing and Giggling Out Loud

2009-10-05T15:31:00.003-04:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! I wanted to share a few more random emails from my friends in Meade County, KY telling me what they have liked the best about Dog Gone Wild.

Dear Woody,

I liked your storys a lot they make me happy a lot keep up the work.

From Cameron

Dear Woody,

I like the part when you brought an electric blanket when there was no electrity or out lit

your #1 fan
J.M

Dear Woody,

There are a lot of funny things in your stories. Like the Dogface. Your stories are hilarious. I love them.

Jacob

Hi, I love chapter two actually they all have been good so far. I think that the Woody stories are so funny and exciting. I think Woody and Chloe are so cool. Bye

This week’s Chapter 2 was very funny because woody kept getting in trouble because he had bring his electircly bed or blanket.

pupsicles melted in his backpack
LOL!!! HA-Ha

Funny I liked when woody brought all the electric stuff and the snacks that melt easy.

Ethan

Chloe and I love opening our email and seeing the words "You've Got Mail!" Arff!

Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

The Alphabet Game

2009-10-05T14:05:00.002-04:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! We just love that so many of you are following Dog Gone Wild! Here is an email from a class that just completed The Alphabet Game.

Dear Woody,

Our 4th grade class loves your book in the newspaper. We are reading it
from the Falmouth Outlook.

We played the Alphabet Game last week and we finished in less than three
minutes!!

We would like to share with you the items that we thought of.

A: apple

B: banana

C: chocolate chip cookies

D: donuts

E: eggs

F: fish

G: graham crackers

H: hamburgers

I: ice cream

J: jelly

K: Ketchup

L: lemons

M: mustard

N: nachos

O: oatmeal cookies

P: pineapple

Q: quart of apple juice

R: radishes

S: sandwiches

T: tacos

U: umbrella-- to shade us from the sun

V: V8 juice

W: watermelon

X: "X-tra" large pizza

Z: Zebra cakes ( Little Debbies)

We are looking forward to reading more chapters in Dog Gone Wild.

Your friends in Mrs. Beagle's 4th grade class,

Mrs. Beagle, Ramey, Junior, Seth, Alexandra, Myles, Donaven, Kaitlyn,
Savanna, Breanna, Cheyenne, Dalton, Samuel, Christopher, Alex, Autumn,
Lanisha, Gaven, Nikki, Drevon, Tyler, Elvis, Nikyta, Brian, Mackenzie,
Wesley

Michelle Beagle
4th Grade teacher
A. D. Owens Elem.
Newport Independent Schools

Not only did they have a terRUFFic time, they had super answers. Chloe and I have already asked Mom if we can have an X-tra large pizza with oatmeal cookies and Zebra cakes for dessert! YUM-MEE!

Keep those emails coming! Keep being a survivor and Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

And the Predictions Keep Coming...

2009-10-01T08:19:00.002-04:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! We just finished breakfast and are getting ready to drive to downtown Louisville to be with librarians from all across Kentucky. Chloe and I love going downtown and seeing all the tall buildings. Dad always lets us walk by the Louisville Slugger Baseball Museum and see that huge bat! (A baseball bat, NOT a bat that lives in a cave!) Anyway, before we left, we wanted to share an email we received from Ms. Mann's class predicting what we would take on our camping trip. Take a look:

Our class came up with 2 lists for Woody and his human friends. Woody would need to have dog food, water, first aid kit, flea product, and leash. His human friends would need water, food, clothes, first aid kit, and sleeping bags. Thanks for the first chapter in this adventure. We are looking forward to more of the story. Say hi to Chloe and Woody for us.

Elaine Mann's Class
North Warren Elementary

TerRUFFic ideas! Everyone thinks I should take flea product. Hmmmm.... are my friends trying to tell me something? Arff! We can't wait until you see the next chapter to find out if your predictions were correct!

Better scoot. Time to load up The Woody Bus. Have a great day! Be a survivor and Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

Laughing Out Loud

2009-09-28T09:05:00.001-04:00

The 5th grade students in Mrs Lentz' reading classes were asked to "Tell Woody what you liked most about the story. Were there any parts that you thought were funny or made you laugh out loud?" Here are their comments:

I liked the part when Woody brought the electric blanket. Brittney

I thought it was funny when Woody said he brought an electric blanket and when he tried to bring pupsicles in his backpack.
Kativen

The best part was when Woody's family sat there and stared at him. I laughed out loud when his pupsicles were melted in his bag. Karson.

I liked it when Woody said he wanted to bring an electric blanket but there was no electricity. Makenzie

I think the funniest part was when Woody packed stuff that would melt or had to have electricity, and when Mom said: An Electric Blanket! And screamed "PUPSICLES? "IN YOUR BACKPACK?" Derik

When Woody was wanting to take an electric blanket and he found out there isn't any electricity. Kiara

I loved the part when Woody said he has his pupsicles in the bag and his Dad pulls over and everyone stares at him. Talaisia

I laughed out loud about the electric blanket and dog face page. ha ha! I liked when you and Chloe had the competition to pack a bag of what you need, or want. Dylan

What I liked best was when Woody packed all the wrong things and the pupsicles melted and got everywhere in his backpack. And when Chloe laughed so hard. Cody

When Woody wanted to take an electric blanket and was saying things that would not work without electricity. McCaela

I liked the part when Woody's Mom opened up Woody's book bag and the popsicles were all melted. Madison

What I liked most in the story is when you all played games. I thought it was funny when you said you packed pupsicles. Jaxon

The funniest part was when Chloe started shaking because she was laughing so hard and trying to hold it in at the same time. Katie

My favorite part was when he told his family he had popsicles in his back pack. Michaela

When he thought they wanted the electric blanket he had. Wade

I liked when he put the pupsicles in his backpack. Woody should not have brought an electric blanket because there was no plug. B.J.

My favorite part about the story was when Woody said what was in his backpack. I LOL when Woody said about a "Dog Face". Annie

Because Woody wanted to bring an electric blanket and he has a Dog Face page. Jack

I thought the funniest part was him telling his parents about all the stuff that was in his back pack. Faith

I liked the part when Chloe was going through her backpack and proving that girls are smarter then boys. Claire

What I liked is Woody because of the way he thought there was electricity out there and the way he brought pupsicles and they melted. Hunter

I liked most about the story was when you said everybody looked at you and Dad pulled over. The funniest parts was when you said "No Dog Face Page" and about the pupsicles. Donnie

I liked the part where Woody asked to eat the melted pupsicles. Brandyn

I liked when they did the Alphabet Game and said something to match each letter. What made me laugh was when he thought he needed to eat. Steven

When they played the I spy game. The part that made me laugh was when you said "Electric Blanket"because when you were going camping, you couldn't plug in an electric blanket when you got to the camping place. Mary Catherine

I liked when Woody had packed the electric blanket. I laughed about the pupsicles. Cameron

What I liked most about the story was when Woody showed what was in his back pack and the pupsicles were melting. Kody

The part in the story I liked the most was when Woody had to empty out his back pack. He had some funny things inside it. Logan

What I like most about the story is when Chloe was laughing at Woody for what he brought camping. Sydney

The part I liked in the story the most is when Chloe won the first challenge and Woody failed. Dominique

The part I liked in the story was when Woody and Chloe were talking about what they packed in their back packs. The part that made me laugh was when they talked about Dog Face Page. Kaci

What I liked most of the story is when they did the Alphabet Game for everything they need for camping. A.J.

The part I liked in the story was when Woody dumped all his stuff out in the bus. I thought Woody would have packed different things like what Chloe packed, and I thought Chloe would pack what Woody packed. Well ... I was WRONG! Hannah

The thing that I liked the most was about the Dog Face Page. The thing that made me laugh out loud was that Woody and Chloe were in the survivor game. Hayden

What I liked in the story was how Woody packed things he didn't need and how Chloe packed everything she needed. But Woody said "I'm going to win this". What made me laugh was when he talked about updating his Dogface page. Emily

When Woody and Chloe played the Alphabet Game. Ryoya

Thanks for the comments! Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

The Alphabet Game

2009-09-28T07:56:00.002-04:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! We hope you are enjoying Dog Gone Wild. Each day, our inbox is filled with comments from readers. Chloe and I love waking up every morning and reading your emails. We even read them before we eat our breakfast!

In the activities for Chapter 2, we challenged everyone to play The Alphabet Game - trying to name items one would pack for a camping trip. Several classes played. Here are some emails:

Dear Woody,

We called out items that we would take on a picnic from A-Z in less than 3 minutes. (2 minutes and 27seconds to be exact!)

Mrs. Sylvia West
Trigg County Intermediate School
205 Main Street
Cadiz, Ky. 42211

Dear Woody,

Mrs. Hudgins’ 3rd graders did the Alphabet Game is 1 minute and 41 seconds.

Mrs. Hudgins
Burgin Elementary
Burgin, KY

Dear Woody,

Both of Mrs Lentz' 5th grade reading classes at Holiday School completed the Alphabet Game in under 3 minutes: One class did it in 2 min and 25 seconds and the other class completed it in 2 min and 47 seconds. Yeeeah!!!!!!!!! We had a lot of fun and really liked doing it.

Mrs Michelle Lentz
Holiday Elementary School

Congratulations to all the classes! Those times are fast! WOW! Check your school mailbox and keep those cards and letters coming!

Better scoot! It's time for breakfast. Today it's bacon, PUPtarts, and Orange Juice! YUM!

Be a survivor and Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

And the emails and the letters keep coming...

2009-09-23T11:18:00.002-04:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! We just returned home last night from a terrific trip to Owsley County Elementary! I can't wait to show you photos and tell you all about it! But first, I wanted to post some more emails I received.

Dear Woody,

I think you will have clothes, food, and bug spary in your backpack.

I did a swimming competition, and I won a first place ribbon.

Tabitha

This was another email:

Dear Woody,

I have been in a spelling bee competition. It was when I was in second grade. I was the youngest and I was up against third, fourth, fifth, and sixth graders and I won. My two winning words were wrinkle and enough. I felt proud of myself and my teacher was proud too. I won a medal and a trophy and a certificate.
Good luck with your stories. I hope you make more.

Your friend,

Payton
Crabbe Elementary

Payton also listed his backpack predictions:

Backpack prediction:
1. blanket
2. bone
3. chew toy
4. flea collar
5. frisbee

It is so exciting opening my inbox and seeing all the emails! We love reading each one, so keep 'em coming!

I better scoot! We are packing up again - this time for a trip to Sutton Elementary in Owensboro, KY.

Be a survivor and Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

More Predictions!

2009-09-21T12:43:00.007-04:00

Kentucky Greetings WoodyWatchers!
We are getting ready to go on the road, but I couldn't leave without sharing the latest predictions for Chapter 2 of Dog Gone Wild!

First, here are the questions:
1. If you were going camping and could only take 5 things, what would they be?

2. What do you predict that Woody will pack in his backpack to take camping?

3. Woody is looking forward to the competition. Have you ever been in a competition? If so, tell what happened.

Here are the answers from Ms. Hudgins class:

What we think Woody will bring in his backpack.

James- his WOOF system
Jordan-teddy bear
Millie-water bottle
Cameron-dog bowl
Mary-bone
Cheyenne-food

All very good ideas! And yes, the "Woof system" is the same as a Wii.

Ms. Lentz' class had the following answers:

Five things I would take on a camping trip are clothes, medicine, a phone, four wheeler, and a friend. Makenzie

I think Woody would take clothes, one game, things for personal hygiene, and at least things to do. Also 2 or 3 pair of shoes. Talaisia

I was in a competition and it was in basketball. We won by 2 points. Derik

If I were going camping, I would bring these 5 things: a rope, clothes, blanket, food and water, and sunscreen. I was in a competition: When I was 8 yrs old, I was playing soft ball. I predict that Woody will win the competition. Faith

I think Woody will pack these following items in his backpack: dog food, bones, water, his little dog clothes, toys, dog collar, dog house, and a dog chain. Kiara

Yes, I have been in a competition with my cousin to see who could be quiet the longest. We called the game "quiet mouse". Donnie

I think Woody will bring a dog treat, a bed, light, lighter, knife. Jack

The 5 things I would take camping: food, blanket, pillow, tent, extra food.

I think Woody would take some food, a blanket, and some clothes. B.J.

The 5 things I would take camping: food and snacks, camera, cell phone, walkie talkie, extra shoes. Takoyia M.

Yes, I have been in a competition: Me and my friends played like we had to survive and if you could not do it, you would blow a whistle. Koby

The five things I would take camping: tent, water, food, sleeping bag, and bug spray. Hannah

I think Woody would take his small bed, his lease and his dog food and water. I would take my clothes, shoes, swim suit, DVD player and a fishing pole. Michaela

Yes I have been in a cheer leading competition. I went out there and did a cheer in front of a lot of people. Then I got off of the stage and then they called us back for trophies. Mary Catherine

I would take: food, bugspray, tent, water, and backpack (with blanket, pillow, and extra food in it). A.J.

I predict that Woody will take: food, water, food bowl/water bowl and blanket. Emma

I would take a tent, food, water, blanket, and bug spray. Lataviya

The five things I would take camping: blankets, pillow, marshmallows, bug spray, ticks of my own (for the marshmallows). Kirsten

I predict Woody will take his Woof video game system, a life jacket, candy, and a fishing pole. Cameron

The five things I would take camping are: tent, sleeping bag, food, water, fire pit. Dominique

I predict Woody will take a rope, blankets, food, and water when he goes camping. Brandyn

The 5 things I would take camping are: Water bottle, tent, sleeping bag, food, and bug spray. Logan

Yes, I have been in a competition: I played in a soccer game at the YMCA. But we lost. Jessie

The 5 things I would take camping are: snacks, rope (50 foot), matches, pocket knife, shelter. Hunter

Yes, I have been in a cheerleading competition. I cheered for MLK (Martin Luther King School). Kedna K.

The 5 things I would pack to take are a D.S. to play, a change of clothes, something to eat, 2 bikes.

These are all great predictions. You will find out for sure in Chapter 2 when we...uh oh! I hear Mom and Dad calling me to get in the Woody Bus. Don't forget to follow the activities and podcasts, and Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

Dog Gone Wild - Predictions and the Purple Socks

2009-09-17T10:37:00.003-04:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! What an exciting week for us! Chapter 1 of our brand new story, Dog Gone Wild, is appearing in newspapers across the state. Already, we have received emails, comments, questions, and predictions. If you have read Chapter 1, you know our family is preparing to go on a camping trip. We asked students to predict what I would pack for the trip. This was one email I received yesterday:

We would like to make a prediction about what you will pack on your camping challenge.
We believe you will pack water, pupcorn, tent, doggy bed, and matches to start a fire.

Mrs. Harper's Third Grade Class
Star Elementary, Rush, KY

Awesome predictions. I will give you a little bitty hint - one of your predictions is true. Which one??? You will have to wait and see.

Mom received an email too regarding the story. Take a look:

Just finished Chapter 1. Love it! Can't wait until next week. Do you really have those striped socks?

K.T.

The answer is YES! Mom really does have the purple striped fuzzy socks. Chloe and I love when Mom wears them. They are so soft and warm - and fun to try to chew - until we hit a toe.

Keep the letters and emails coming. We love hearing from you!

Make sure you listen to the podcast and participate in the activities. You can click on the Dog Gone Wild banner on our homepage and it will take you to the activities and podcast. If you haven't listened to the podcast in the past, you won't want to miss it!

Have a great day! It's only 10:30 but Mrs. Harper's email made me hungry for some pupcorn!

Always be a survivor and Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

Don't forget you can follow me on Facebook by clicking on the link to the right. Make sure you have an adult with you!

The List Keeps Growing!

2009-08-25T13:33:00.005-04:00

Adair County Community Voice
The Advocate Messenger
The Appalachian News Express
Beattyville Enterprise
Breckinridge Herald-News
Cadiz Record
Casey County News
Carlisle Mercury
Central KY News Journal
Citizen Voice and Times
Clay City Times
Courier Journal
Cumberland County News
Cynthiana Democrat
Daily News
Dawsons Springs Progress
The Eagle Post
The Falmouth Outlook
Flemingsburg Gazette
Franklin Favorite
Georgetown News-Graphic
The Gleaner
Grayson Journal-Enquirer
Green River Republican
Harrodsburg Herald
Hart County News Herald
Henry County Local
The Independent
Jessamine Journal
Kentucky New Era
The Kentucky Standard
The Lakes News
LaRue County Herald News
Lebanon Enterprise
Ledger Independent
Lexington Herald-Leader
Lyon County Herald Ledger
Marshall County Tribune Courier
McCreary County Record
McCreary County Voice
Meade County Messenger
Messenger (Madisonville)
Messenger-Inquirer
The Morehead News
Mt. Sterling Advocate
Murray Ledger and Times
The News-Democrat
The News-Enterprise
The Ohio County Times
The Oldham Era
Olive Hill Times
Pioneer News
Paducah Sun
The Record
The Richmond Register
The Russell Register
The Sentinel-Echo
Sentinel-News
Spencer Magnet
Times Leader
Times Tribune
Todd County Standard
The Union County Advocate
The Wayne County Outlook
The Winchester Sun

If you don't see your newspaper, give them a call and say, "Hey! Aren't you going to run Woody and Chloe's story? It's FREE!"

Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

TAILS from Wayland

2009-08-24T09:09:00.006-04:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! Boy was it great to be back in the schools this past week! We kicked off the 2009-10 Woody Tour in Hartford, KY at Wayland Elementary. Wayland is a gorgeous school - and a big school! (I almost got lost going to the water fountain!) Mrs. Harris, the media specialist, pulled out the red carpet for our visit! Everything was PAWS-atively perfect - overlooking the fact the cafeteria served corndogs for lunch. Scary, very scary! Oh well...

Here are a few photos from our visit. The last photo is of our new friend Wyatt. Wyatt made me this wiener dog made from these toys like Legos. I can't remember what the toys were called. I searched the toy department at PetSmart on Saturday, but couldn't find them anywhere. I wanted to buy some with my allowance. Anyway, Wyatt, please email me and tell me what they are called! I have been playing with the Waylon every day! (I named him Waylon after Wayland Elementary.) He can sit, he can lay down, he can stand, he can dance - he can do lots of fun things!

A great big thanks to Mrs. Harris, all the staff, teachers, parents, and students for making our first school visit of the year a huge success!

My chores are waiting for me so I better go! Have a great day! Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

P.S. - Don't forget to follow me on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dogwood-Woody-Furr/54170552419

Remember - you must have a parent or an adult!

Dog Gone Wild

2009-08-04T09:04:00.004-04:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! We are so excited about our brand new story that will be coming out in the newspapers in September! So far, 61 papers have signed up and the good news is there is still time! The even better news - it's FREE! YES, FREE to your newspaper. So, if you don't see your newspaper on the list below, call them and say, "Aren't you going to run Woody's story this fall?" If they say, "We need more details," then just give them the following information from Kentucky Press Association:

Woody and Chloe present their newest serial story, "Dog Gone Wild" by Kentucky author Leigh Anne Florence and a new illustrator, Kentucky's Paul Brett Johnson. The theme this year is camping, the environment and how to be a survivor.

Never run a serial story? It's real easy and free. All it takes is just one weekly quarter page or larger to publish the serial story and illustration. Some newspapers find a business or two to help pay for the space.
The first chapter must publish the week of Sept. 14. Get started by submitting the application for the CD at www.kypress.com. Newspapers can link their subscribers to a podcast (Woody reading the story) at www.kypress.com.
This year's statewide sponsors are LG&E/KU, Secretary of States Office and KPA.

Okay, here' the list of newspapers so far:

Adair County Community Voice
The Advocate Messenger
Beattyville Enterprise
Breckinridge Herald-News
The Casey County News
The Carlisle Mercury
Central KY News Journal
Citizen Voice and Times
Clay City Times
Courier Journal
Cumberland County News
Cynthiana Democrat
Daily News
Dawsons Springs Progress
The Eagle Post
The Falmouth Outlook
Flemingsburg Gazette
Franklin Favorite
Georgetown News-Graphic
The Gleaner
Grayson Journal-Enquirer
Green River Republican
Harrodsburg Herald
Hart County News Herald
Henry County Local
The Independent
Jessamine Journal
Kentucky New Era
The Kentucky Standard
The Lakes News
LaRue County Herald News
The Lebanon Enterprise
The Ledger Independent
Lexington Herald-Leader
Lyon County Herald Ledger
Marshall County Tribune Courier
McCreary County Record
McCreary County Voice
The Meade County Messenger
The Messenger (Madisonville)
Messenger-Inquirer
The Morehead News
Mt. Sterling Advocate
Murray Ledger and Times
The News-Democrat
The News-Enterprise
The Oldham Era
Olive Hill Times
Pioneer News
Paducah Sun
The Record
The Richmond Register
The Russell Register
The Sentinel-Echo
Sentinel-News
Spencer Magnet
Times Leader
Times Tribune
Todd County Standard
The Wayne County Outlook
The Winchester Sun

We know you are going to love the new illustrations. Everyone that has seen them says, "Wow! These are terrific! A masterpiece!" We would agree! And, if you want to be entertained, spend ten chapters with us as we learn how to survive in the wilderness. I giggle every time I think about our time camping.

Good Luck with your newspaper! You can do it! Remember, anything is possible if you Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

Lots of Catching up to Do

2009-08-01T14:12:00.003-04:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! What an unbelievably busy month! If I have barked it before, I will bark it again, where did the month go? July is always a busy month for us. Between library visits (we had 11 of them this month), romping in the grass, and celebrating Mom's birthday, the month flew by! So, I will give you a run-down of the last few weeks. I am going to bark fast, so here you go:

Our Gang saw some of our favorite people in the world! At the Lee County Public Library, they were wearing our shirts! How cool to see the library staff with my pawprint on their back! In Grant County, the library was filled to the brim - overflowing in fact! In London (KY as you have guessed by now), they came out in droves. In fact, The Sentinel Echo said, "Fans Flock to See Woody." If that wasn't exciting enough, we spent some time on Broadway - at the Broadway United Methodist Church on Broadway Street in Paducah - my birthplace! We finished up the month in Mayfield and saw so many of our good friends at the Graves County Public Library. We had so many hugs, kisses, and puppy dog treats this month. I wish I could rewind the month like I do my Scooby Doo videos and go through it all again!

I have other things to tell you too - like our great visit to Jeffersonville, IN. I can't wait to give you an update on the newspaper list for our new story, "Dog Gone Wild." I will catch you up in the next day or two. For now, the only catching I hope to do involves a fish. Dad said he would take us to the lake to see if we can catch a fish. The last time I went fishing, the only thing I caught was a shoe.

Have a great day! Stay cool, stay tuned, and Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

TAILS and TWEETS

2009-07-06T17:38:00.005-04:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! Our Gang hopes all of you had a terrific Fourth of July! The 4th is one of our favorite holidays! We love to celebrate freedom - and of course we love any excuse for a cookout! Speaking of cooking out, did you see the results of the annual Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest? The wiener of the contest ate 68 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes! Wrong, I tell you! That's just wrong - and scary too! I was glad I wasn't anywhere around. As fast as the champ was scarfing down those dogs, he may have eaten any hot dog he could find - including yours truly! I do think it would be fun to have an eating contest. I think I'll challenge Chloe to a bacon eating contest - or maybe chicken and dumplings. I'll let you know how it turns out.

This past Friday, our family spent the morning at the Scott County Public Library in Georgetown, KY. That particular library is one of our favorites in the entire state. For one thing, we have made so many special friends that hold a large place in our heart! We met several of those families at the library in 2003 which was our first summer on the road. Those families returned on Friday. Of course we saw The Favorite Butts Boys. We met them in Georgetown in 2003. We keep in touch with them. Even though Anthony is practically grown, he still comes to visit. It's funny - he was little when we met him and now he is almost as tall as MOM!!! (Photo 1) Gracie and her siblings were another family we met at the Georgetown Library in '03. They even brought the book I signed to them 6 years ago. There was a new brother with them this time!!! (Photo 2) When the program was over, many people left, but we had so many that stayed around to talk. We shared stories and giggles and even dog treats! (Photo 3)

It wasn't only people that came. We had some wiener dogs friends too! The black and tan wiener dog in the fourth photo came from Frankfort to see me! Her parents follow the stories in the newspaper. I believe her name was Gretchen. I was too nervous when I met her to pay attention. My heart was going pitter patter. I saw stars and hearts. She was bee-u-tiful!

The Scott County Public Library has some of the neatest features. For instance, you can check out fishing poles and tackle boxes. Isn't that cool? And, there is a wall dedicated to our new illustrator, Paul Brett Johnson. www.paulbrettjohnson.com
The wall features his book The Cow Who Wouldn't Come Down . (Photo 5) I tried to climb up and help Miss Rosemary get Gertrude down, but Mom saw me make the first move and stopped me in my tracks! Probably best anyway. Miss Rosemary and Gertrude must not have the same fear of heights that I have!

As you can see, it was a terRUFFic day! Tomorrow our family will be at the Grayson County Public Library in Leitchfield, KY. If any of you are in the area, come on out. They are having the event at their city park. We'd love to see you!

By the way, I know several of you are following me on my FaceBook page under Dogwood "Woody" Furr. Well, I have finally learned to twitter, or tweet ,as it is called. (I prefer to call it a bark rather than a tweet.) Anyway, you can follow me at www.twitter.com/woodykywiener.
I just started it on Saturday and only have a few followers. Hopefully I will get the hang of it!

Whew! That's alot of info! Stay tuned as I will start telling you about the new newspaper series! We know you are going to love it! ARFF!

I better go! I hear the sound of a can opener. It's music to my ears! Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

TAILS from New Haven

2009-07-02T08:28:00.003-04:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! It is Thursday morning and we are at our doghouse in Shepherdsville. We love summer! There's nothing better than wearing flip-flops, running through the sprinkler, and eating ice cream! We also love our Summer Library Tour. It's always exciting to see our friends each summer.

Our past three library visits found us in Nelson County, KY. Lots of terrific things have come from Nelson County, KY - such as My Old Kentucky Home, The Railway Museum, and best of all - our DAD! That's right - Dad was born and raised in Nelsonville, KY, which is a little community between Boston and New Haven. Dad's parents and siblings and nieces and nephews still live in that area. Dad was the quarterback on the football team at My Old Kentucky Home High School. I don't know if it's true or not, but Dad says if you drive by the old football field, he can still hear them chanting his name! We didn't have time to drive by and listen for his name though. We were having a grand time at the library.

One of the neat things from visiting the New Haven Library was ice cream! There is a place called The Cream Station and it is right down the street from the library. You know how I give paw print stamps out at our visits? Well, Mr. Bob at The Cream Station told everyone who went to Summer Reading to come in The Cream Station, show him the paw print and get a FREE ice cream cone! Yes - you heard it right - FREE! That was the tastiest ice cream ever! Dewishush! I wondered since I had four original paw prints if I could get four ice cream cones! Mom said, "Dogwood, don't even think about it!" Oh well, never hurts to dream!

A great big thanks to Ms. Linda at the New Haven Branch and Mr. Bob at The Cream Station! And, a great big thanks to Ms. Stephanie at the Main Branch of the Nelson County Library in Bardstown. Every single visit was perfect! TerRUFFic to be exact!

Flip flops, sprinklers, and ice cream aren't the only great parts of our summer. Cousin Macey has been a great part of our Summer Library Tour! Cousin Macey has gone to the library visits with us. She helps carry the bags, sort the tee shirts and stack the books. She also likes to play ball with us and read us stories when we are in The Woody Bus. It's going to be hard to do the school visits without her. I asked Mom if Cousin Macey could continue to travel with us during the school year. Mom said that second grade was very important and Macey couldn't afford to miss it. I'm sure Mom is right!

I better get going. We are getting ready to start packing for an overnight trip! We will be traveling to Georgetown, KY to see our friends at the Scott County Public Library. Gotta get my bag together!

Have a great day! Enjoy the sprinklers and the ice cream! Oh, and Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

TAILS from Garrard County

2009-06-24T14:33:00.003-04:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! Can you say HOT? It has been a scorcher of a summer - and the summer has just started! We have to play outside really early in the morning and really late in the evening to try to beat the heat! Of course we are working several days a week!

Last week we were in Garrard County, KY. Garrard is pronounced Gar-ed as-in rhymes with Jared. No matter how you pronounce it, it's one of our favorite places in the state! We started going to the Garrard County Public Library in 2003. Now, 6 years later, we are still seeing some of our favorite friends on earth!

Ms. D. is the Children's Librarian. The kids love her. We love her too! Take a look at the first photo. This is our friend Roger. Roger was just a little guy in 2003. Now he is going to High School! He still comes to visit us every year! We hope he comes even when he is freshman in college!!!

The next photo is of our friend Lauren and her mom. If look closely, you will see my mom holding a photo of Steven. Like Roger, Steven and Lauren have been coming to the Garrard County Library for years! This year, Steven was away at camp and couldn't make it. He asked his mom to videotape the program so he wouldn't miss it. Isn't that cool?

I have so many more stories to tell you about Garrard County - and our visit to Bardstown yesterday, but my To-Do list is pretty long. I better sign off for now!

Make sure you keep your water bowl full and drink lots of liquids, wear your sunscreen, and Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

A Day in Paris

2009-06-15T07:58:00.005-04:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! We just finished our breakfast and are digesting a bit before we go for a walk. I thought it was the perfect time to tell you what we have been doing lately!

Last week, we kicked off our Summer Library Tour in Paris! Paris really is beautiful in the spring, the summer, the winter, and the fall! Everytime Mom says we are going to Paris, I immediately think, "Paris, France." I imagine myself in a beret standing in front of the Eiffel Tower. Then I remember it's Paris, KY! And I must say that I am glad! While Paris, France may have the Eiffel Tower, the Champs-Elysees, and the Arc de Triomphe; Paris, KY is known for horses, history, and hospitality - and it has our friends! We love seeing all our buddies each year at the Paris Libary like Ms. Dawn, Mr. Mark, Jackson, Alex, and the list goes on and on! In fact, we met Jackson and Alex in 2003 during our first visit to the library! They have grown to be quite the fans! See them in our Woody shirts! In addition, we met lots of new friends we have already received emails from! We love your emails so keep 'em coming!

This week, we will return to my stomping ground of Paducah. We will see our Granny and Cousins tonight and tomorrow spend the day at the Graves County Public Library. We will then travel back and head to Garrard County. Lots of traveling this week. We are hoping the Woody Bus feels up to it!

I think I have digested breakfast so I will take a walk. I wonder what's for lunch!

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

WOODY

And Yet ANOTHER Interesting Trip

2009-06-02T11:01:00.004-04:00

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! Boy is it ever hot at our doghouse in Shepherdsville! We have been drinking plenty of water, wearing lots of sunscreen, and enjoying a nice cold pupscicle from time to time! Someone sent an email yesterday that said, "Woody, you haven't updated your blog this week!" I'm sorry. It seems we have either been really busy - or stuck on the side of the road somewhere!

You know the old saying, "Good things come to those who wait?" Well, it's true! As I told you in my last post, we had to reschedule Owsley County because our Woody Bus was sick and in the hospital. We were so upset to have to postpone our visit by a whole 5 days, but let me just say that it was definitely worth the wait! We were treated like superstars! They even had made a doghouse for us, complete with a stuffed dog bone. I carried the dog bone with me ALL day long! Puppy dog kisses to Ms. Campbell and Mr. Smith for giving us an unforgettable day!

If you have never visited Owsley County, you should. The county is named after William Owsley. Mr. Owsley was the Governor of Kentucky from 1844 to 1848. Booneville is the county seat. There's a little place in Owsley County called Mistletoe. Isn't that cool?

Well, we left Owsley County and traveled back home to Shepherdsville in the van that Mr. Conrad provided for us. A few days later, our friends at Conrad's called and said that the Woody Bus was ready. So, we loaded up in the van and headed back to Estill County to pick up the trusted Woody Bus. We were traveling along having a grand time. We were singing our favorite songs and playing I Spy. We had almost made it back to Louisville. In fact, we had just taken an exit ramp when guess what? The Bus died! Again! Exactly 1 week after the first time it died. So, making a long story short, we were towed again! Thankfully we were close enough to home that Lynne (my Chief of Staff) could pick us up and take us home after the bus was towed.

Here's the good news - the last breakdown had NOTHING to do with Mr. Conrad's work. It was a different problem! Thankfully, a problem that was under warranty. I asked Mom what a warranty was. She said it meant Dad would be in a much better mood. Hmmm...

By the way, the last photo is of Mom and me with Mr. Conrad, his son, and his sister Dana. I think they are going to use this for their Christmas card! Oh, while we were on the side of the road, Mom and I wrote a song about the breakdown. We are going to try to video the song and put it on the blog. We will keep you posted!

Hopefully, the Woody Bus is good to go! We have a week off before our library visits begin. We are going to pamper the bus and make it feel real special!!!

I better go. It is 11:20 which means ten more minutes until lunch time! It's my turn to fill the water bowl.

Have a great day! Stay cool, wear your sunscreen, and Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY