Sunny and Bo

I'm really going to miss Sunny and Bo! They are pretty awesome dogs, and we spent some quality time together this week, but it's time to head home! It's been a real whirlwind. I hope you enjoyed sharing my adventure with me. You can continue to learn by clicking on the resource links on the right, and never forget our friends at Discovery Education!

Sunny, Bo, and Sweetie

Goodbye D.C.! Goodbye DEN Friends!

We will find a way in!

Cooper, Peter, Sweetie and Jan

Stars on the grounds

Aha! Finally at last, we ran into some stars wandering around the grounds. We couldn't get inside, but we did get to meet some new stars and mingle with some of our old buddies!

Anne, Whitney, Cecilia, Nicole and Sweetie

.

Karen, Cheryl, and Sweetie

Mark Case

Jan, Sweetie, and Mark

On our way back to the White House we ran into our buddy Mark Case hanging out by the Washington Monument! After a great day of making flubber, https://summerretatt.wordpress.com/2015/07/17/i-think-i-have-become-flubber/ at science camp he was resting, Mark was unable to come to DENSI because he was accepted to a special Science Academy this summer. Read all about it on his blog.

DENSI Resources

Sweetie and I are still unable to get inside the building at American University during sessions, but luckily our friends are great note-takers, bloggers, and video-recorders. Below are some of the resources we have gathered. By reading and viewing them, we almost feel like we are there! If you want to follow what is going on at home feel free to click on these resources. If you DENSI attendees have more blogs and video links, please send them to me via facebook or my email. See my old DEN friend, Judy U. if you need help. I will add to this list and I will add this list to a sidebar as I get them.

Coming Home to DENSI

Livestream Events

DENSI Podcast Channel

Hugh the Teacher's Blog

Edie Erikson's Blog

Searching for DEN Stars

After coffee and breakfast with RJ, Jan and I ran into some of our "Besties." We were so excited to see them. We spent the morning sneaking up on DEN Stars all over the city, photobombing some and artfully posing with others. It was so exciting to find friends old and new, and luckily most of them were wearing the same shirt, so they were easy to spot!

Howard, Judy, Liz and Sweetie

A new friend named Rodney

Nicole and Sweetie (How sweet, huh?)

Exhaused and hungry, Jan and I headed back to the White House for some lunch. While she ate with Michelle and the kids, I got some up close and personal time with the president

Sweetie hanging with the president

R. J. Stangherlin the famous blogger

Jan and I set out to look for DEN Stars on the Mall. Our first find, we would have known anywhere! Jan insisted on getting some coffee, despite the fact I was ready to roll. Seriously, who was doing the walking anyway? In this instance, I was glad she was addicted to caffeine, though. While Jan stood in the long line waiting for a Grande Mocha, I spotted the uber famous DEN blogger, R.J. Stangherlin! She called me over and I sat down. We had a grand old time talking about the good ole days. She's not just an amazing blogger, you know! She's a farmer, too. We talked about the hay dilemma in Pennsylvania and how we haven't been able to string together three days without rain to get a good bale of hay. (It's going to be a bleak winter!) We talked about R.J.'s battle with cancer and how brave she fought, and how amazing it was that she is here in DC with the DEN! Lastly, we talked about our love of the DEN. By then, Jan had gotten through the line and finally got her coffee. She barely had enough time to hug her, before R.J. was on her way. I told Jan I would fill her in on everything we talked about. If you want to learn more about this amazing lady,

Here is a link to her most recent blog post, but I am sure you will find many more now that our friend RJ is "back in the saddle!"  http://blog.discoveryeducation.com/blog/2015/07/11/coming-home-to-densi2015/

R. J. Stangherlin and Sweetie at Starbucks

American University

Jan and I woke up bright and early and hit the rode. We needed to find American University where the DEN Summer Institute was being held. Everywhere we turned, people recognized us, and they were all willing to help us on our way. Soon we were there!

Next, we needed to find the DEN Stars. We found a way in, much to our surprise. (This place doesn't seem to have very good security.) After looking around, I noticed all the rooms were empty.

Then I remembered! It was Monday! Monday is always outing day...the day the DEN goes out to explore the hosting city! Sweetie and I knew there was only one thing we could do. We needed to hit the road and go out and explore the city in search of DEN Stars.

An evening with the First Family

The First Family took Jan and me to their private quarters and made us feel right at home. Jan and I washed up, put our things away in our rooms (and yes they are letting me stay (IN THE WHITE HOUSE!) and then we settled in the living room to eat some dinner and watch the news. Guess what was the hot topic! ME! Looks like I will be dodging paparazzi again!

After dinner, the President, Jan, the girls, and I hung out in the living room, talking and laughing and having a great time. I think Michelle was doing the dishes.

Later in the evening, the First Lady told us she had a surprise. She took Jan and me downstairs where there was a reception in our honor, but that wasn't the surprise. The surprise was a special guest. It was none other than our great friend, the one, the only, RAFRANZ DAVIS!!!! We were so excited! Jan asked if Rafranz could stay overnight and Michelle said, "Of course! Rafranz stays with us all the time. She can stay in her usual room." We just looked at Rafranz and laughed, because it didn't surprise us at all!

Sweetie has arrived!

Today was a big day! First, one of the President's helicopters arrived at Abernethy Acres to pick up Jan and me. They flew us to Pittsburgh airport. There was such a crowd! I don't know how they knew about the president flying in, but the paparazzi were everywhere. They seemed to be as excited to see me as they were to see the President. I could hear people shouting all around me, "Sweetie, Sweetie, Sweetie!" Some even seemed to know it was my birthday, because they were wishing me a happy birthday! My guess is that the white house PR crew was looking at this as some kind of good ratings boost for the democratic party. Politics! I don't care! Just so I get to Washington D.C. to see all my DEN friends, old and new!!!! I hope you like this video. Jan put it together from some of the TV footage she found. When we got to the white house, everybody from back home was calling to tell us how we had become local celebrities and that we were all over the news. We didn't tell them, it wasn't just local. We were on the news right here in D.C., too. Of course, I don't let that stuff go to my head too much anymore. Like I told you before. I was born famous!

A Letter from Sweetie

Dear DEN Friends:

I am very sad to inform you Jan and I were waitlisted this year. When Jan told me, I told her we better saddle up and get going anyway, because I am sure we are going to get off that wait list and we need plenty of time to get to Washington D.C. what with that terrible traffic on the highways and beltways. She said not to worry about it, because she was going to some conference called ISTE and that she would see all of her old DEN friends there. She said it was time to give some newbies a chance to go to DENSI.

Needless to say, I was devastated. I cried and I cried. That took care of her needs, but it did nothing for me. That had nothing to do with why I went to DENSI. I went to DENSI to meet and greet those newbies. I went to DENSI so they could get a chance to know the famous Chincoteague’s Sweetheart! I am famous, you know. They put me in a book called Girls and Their Horses and I was in American Girl magazine when I made my swim from Assateague Island to Chincoteague Island where the Abernethy family bought me twenty years ago this month. Well, enough about me. I was just so sad I wouldn’t get a chance to see all my old friends to celebrate my birthday and DEN’s birthday and welcome in all the newbies.

Yesterday as Jan walked out to get the mail, I continued to pretend not to eat like I have been so she would feel sorry for me. Suddenly, she was running back to the pasture waving a piece of paper in the air and shouting gleefully. “We’re going to Washington! We’re going to D.C.!” I, of course thought, she meant we were going to DENSI, so I started doing laps around the pasture with my tail held high, whinnying and snorting. My friends, Spuds Mackenzie and Sophia did the same and being much younger and thinking it was a competition soon had me panting so I ran back to Jan to get the details.

She told me the letter was from none other than the President and first lady of the United States of America! They had heard about MY dilemma! They heard that there was a very famous and very sad horse with a birthday coming up and a birthday wish to meet the DEN newbies. They offered to pick Jan and me up in Air Force One and put us up IN THE WHITE HOUSE for the whole week of DENSI!

So guess what? We are coming! I’m not sure we will get into American University where the learning is happening, but we will be in the city. Keep your eyes open, Newbies, for a palomino with a DEN Star on her back wearing a tribe shirt. If you don’t recognize us, I am sure there will be plenty of old DEN Stars to point us out.

Don’t be shy! Come up and introduce yourself and get your picture taken with the famous DEN Chincoteague’s Sweetheart!

Sincerely and Always,

DEN’s Chincoteague’s Sweetheart (Sweetie)

 

The DENSI 2015 Application