Dog Gone Wild - Predictions and the Purple Socks

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WHAT A TRIP!

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! We hope you are already enjoying this holiday! We love holidays! Any excuse for grilled hamburgers and homeade ice cream makes us happy!

What a trip last week! We left our Shepherdsville doghouse on Wednesday to drive to our school visits. We were scheduled to be in Hamilton, Ohio on Thursday and then Booneville, KY on Friday. We decided to take the scenic route on our trip to Ohio. Dad actually drove through Madison, Indiana. (At first we thought it was odd that Dad wanted to drive through Indiana to get to Ohio, but like the holiday theory, any excuse for a scenic drive works for us. It really wasn't out of the way!) Anyway, when we got to Madison, Indiana, the entire downtown was blocked off. The Madison, Indiana Courthouse was on fire. The building was 154 years old! We have heard that the city will rebuild the courthouse. Thankfully, there were only two minor injuries! A great big thanks to firefighters for all the work they do!

Well, we made it Lincoln Elementary in Hamilton, Ohio. What a cool place! The school openened in 1909. The building was still gorgeous to be 100 years old! It could have been called Dachshund Elementary! There were so many teachers and students who owned wiener dogs. We felt right at home! Like Monroe Elementary, nobody laughed or made fun of my heavily accented, Kentucky bark!

We left Hamilton, Ohio to drive to Booneville, KY. We were headed up the mountains on Highway 52. The Woody Bus just rolled over 100,000 miles!!! We cheered for the Woody Bus! That's a lot of miles! About ten minutes later, we heard a noise - then the Woody Bus wouldn't go any further! Dad said the transmission went out. In wiener dog terms - the Woody Bus broke!

I'll try to make this very long story short! We were stuck on the road for a couple of hours,but 14 cars stopped to help us. One family called a tow truck (our cell phones didn't have service), stayed with us, and even helped the tow truck get to the garage. We made it to the garage about 11:00 that night. We couldn't rent a car since it was so late, so we had to reschedule our school. We were so disappointed!!! Thankfully, the school rescheduled for Tuesday! Another reason to say Hip Hip Hooray!

We spent the night at Conrad's Garage. Mr. Conrad gave us a van to drive home. We said goodbye to the Woody Bus and came home late Friday night. Mr. Conrad ordered a new transmission for the Woody Bus. He will hopefully fix the bus while we are at our school visit on Tuesday. So today, we will drive the van back to Conrad's Garage in Estill County, spend the night in our trusted friend, then drive to Owsley County Elementary for a school visit on Tuesday. While we are having a great time at the school, Mr. Conrad will be working on the Woody Bus. Hopefully, the Woody Bus will get a clean bill or health and be discharged from the hospital on Tuesday afternoon so we can bring it back home with us Tuesday evening!

A great big thanks to everyone in Estill County who helped us through that ordeal!!! Mom took a picture of Dad early Friday morning. He was outside the Woody Bus waiting for the garage to open. The last photo is of Frannie, Nat the Bear, and me hanging out Friday afternoon waiting for Mr. Conrad to get us the rental van.

In addition to everyone in Estill County who took care of us, a great big thanks to Owsley County Elementary for being so understanding! And a great big thanks to our friend Cleo and her mom. After we had a tire blow up several months ago, Ms. Diane fixed us an Emergency Roadside Assistance Bag filled with snacks and treats in case we are ever stuck on the side of the road and can't get food! Isn't that great! So, we were without wheels, but not without snacks!!! We sure hope today's trip is well, boring, compared to last week!

Our family hopes you and your family enjoy Memorial Day! Make sure you pause to give thanks for all the men and women who sacrificed their lives for our freedom! We live in the greatest country on the planet!

Have a great day! Be sure to keep up with our family on Mom's facebook page and my facebook fan page under Dogwoody "Woody" Furr! Enjoy! Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

TAILS from the Buckeye State

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! We hope this finds you enjoying the sunshine! It is a sunny day at our doghouse in Shepherdsville! We have been outside chasing tennis balls and butterflies, but now we are back in the house, packing for a two day trip. We will be in Hamilton, Ohio on Thursday and then Booneville, Kentucky on Friday. We are excited about both visits! In fact, this is our second trip to Hamilton, Ohio in ten days!

Last Tuesday, we spent the day at Monroe Elementary in Hamilton, Ohio. Hamilton is in Butler County and is north of Cincinnati and south of Dayton. The drive to Hamilton was so pretty - and yes, Chloe and I saw lots of Buckeye trees! We had visited Monroe several years ago so it was a treat to see all the friends we had made. Tuesday was Mismatch Day. We laughed at the fun combinations of stripes and plaids and polkadots and zigzags! Just like before, everyone treated us like family - and nobody laughed at my heavily accented Kentucky bark!

Well, today we will drive once again to Hamilton, Ohio. This time we will spend our day at Lincoln Elementary! I can't wait to tell you all about it, so stay tuned! And stay tuned as we start revealing some fun information about our brand new newspaper serial story that will premiere in September!

In addition to keeping up with us on our blog, be sure to follow me on facebook! (Make sure you have an adult with you! Mom only lets us get on the internet with her or Dad.)

Have a great day! Enjoy the sunshine! Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

TAILS from Valor

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! Hope this finds you having a great day! I can't believe it is already May. I feel like I haven't caught up on all my chores from January!

As usual, our family has been busy. We have been writing the new story, working on a calendar, and visiting schools! This past week we spent the morning at Valor Academy in Louisville, KY. We were so excited to visit Valor. For one thing, their building is beautiful! It looks like a castle on the outside. On the inside, it's just as pretty - and is filled with beautiful people! Their mascot was the Valor Knights. We proposed they change the mascot to the Valor Wiener Dogs! We thought it had a great ring to it! You know, we suggest that to every school, but so far, nobody has done it! I guess it would be too expensive to change the signs out front!

This week, our family will head to Western KY to visit our friends at Pride Elementary! We are looking forward to it! Be sure to check back and see photos from Pride.

Also, in addition to our online doghouse, you can keep up with me on my facebook page. I am under Dogwood "Woody" Furr. Make sure that you always have permission from an adult to be on the internet and don't ever give out personal information about yourself. Mom reminds Chloe and me about that daily! She also tells us that we can only write positive things - nothing negative. "Woody, we want to build our friends up - NOT tear them down!" Great advice from Mom!

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

WOODY

Fish, Turtles, and Snakes! Oh my!

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! Please don't look at the photos and panic! I haven't had reconstructive surgery or anything. The photos aren't of me, Chloe, or any of our siblings! This is a snapping turtle that was in our backyard! Yes, the backyard that we play in every day! The backyard that we spend hours in fetching tennis balls, tormenting the cat, or just relaxing in the sunshine! Thankfully, Mom and Dad never let us play outside alone. Now we know why!

Last Saturday we were at our lake watching the fish swim near the bank when we came face to face with a huge snake! Mom, Chloe, and I were sure it was an anaconda! Dad assured us it was a garter snake. No, we didn't kill it. Even though snakes give us the willies, they are good for the environment. However I did dream of the slithering creatures for three nights straight! I was so scared that I had to sleep with Mom and Dad! Wait - I always sleep with Mom and Dad!

Well, if the snake wasn't enough, tonight Dad came in and grabbed Mom. He said, "Come quickly! You have to see this!" I was sure he was going to point out the big hole I accidentally dug in the yard. Instead, he showed Mom the biggest snapping turtle we had ever seen. It was honestly bigger than we were. We had to see it from the window because Dad said it could latch on and be dangerous. When I saw it from the window, my heart skipped a beat! Borrowing a line from That's So Raven, I said, "O Snap!" (A very appropriate phrase to use when encountering a snapping turtle.) We figure it was just coming out from the lake to say hi - or whatever it is turtles say! Maybe it wanted to play ball! Of course I can't imagine the turtle fetching the ball!

It's only April and we have already had so many creatures visiting us! I wonder who will be next!

I better go! It is almost bedtime! I have lots of things to tell you, photos to post, and some really exciting news regarding our newest stories! In fact, we have been burning up the computer writing our new story! We can't wait for you to read it!

Have a great night! Stay safe, watch for snakes and snapping turtles, and Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY

TAILS from the Courthouse

Kentucky Greetings, WoodyWatchers! When you read I was at the courthouse did it scare you? Did you think I was in some kind of trouble? Did you think I was getting my driver's license? Getting a marriage license? Well, none of the above! We spent some time with our friends Hannah and Lilly Mooney and their parents Kevin and Melissa. Hannah and Lilly's dad (Kevin Mooney) is the County Clerk in Bullitt County. We weren't exactly for sure what a county clerk did so we asked Hannah and Lilly. The said the clerk's office is responsible for keeping real estate deeds, running the election, and other important services. The county clerk also issues marriage licenses. I thought about getting a marriage license, but there was one big problem - I am not 18. You have to be 18 years old to get a marriage license. I guess another problem might be that I don't have a girlfriend, but I thought I would be prepared and get a marriage license just in case the right girl came along.

It was such a fun day! Hannah and Lilly love to read. We talked about books, story ideas, and of course animals. I asked Hannah and Lilly if they thought I could ever run for public office. They looked a little hesitant, but I think I would make a great mayor. Maybe I could start by running for city councildog. I bet I would have a great shot at being the dog catcher. I think I will start working on my campaign slogan now!

I better go. It is 4:30 and the day has flown by. I still have work to do. It is my night to set the table for dinner. I can't remember - is it forks on the left and knives on the right or the other way around? If I am going to run for office, I need to know these things. Maybe I should master table manners before I start writing my campaign speech!

Have a great night! Vote for Woody and Work and Dream like a BIG DOG!

WOODY