Fielder's Choice

Pam and I made a weekend trip to visit our daughter Emma and the girls.

The girls are her dog Betty and our dog Lady, who had moved to Little Rock, Ark., a couple of weeks before.

Actually, Lady is Erin's dog. I had a big hand in picking her out about two and a half years ago at the Collierville (Tenn.) Animal Shelter, but she quickly became Erin's dog.

Lady is a rescue, and so is Betty. Both are the best.

When Pam, Erin and I saw Lady that day at the shelter, she quickly melted our hearts.

And then we were told that this was her second stay at the shelter and the previous owners had kept her chained up to a shed, there were no doubts. She had to become a part of the Burleson family.

When I rubbed her the first time, she was so soft. And it was very obvious that she just wanted to be loved.

She adapted well to the Burleson home in Holly Springs. And she quickly found her favorite ­ Erin.

Every night, Lady either slept in her bed, positioned near Erin's bed, or in Erin's bed if it was stormy outside, or on the floor just outside Erin's room.

She often stayed upstairs with me, while I watched TV late at night, and then when I turned out the lights she'd go downstairs to be with Erin.

For several weeks leading up to Erin's departure for the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, we had been talking about letting Lady go stay with Emma and Betty for a few years. That's at least until Erin moves from a dorm to possibly an apartment or a house where she could have a pet.

We thought it best for Lady. She needed a fenced-in back yard, and she needed another dog to play with. Emma had both of those.

Plus, she and Betty had gotten to know each other the past couple of years, due to some regular visits, and they really enjoyed being together. They have become the best of friends, like sisters.

Pam and I started talking this past Thursday about possibly making the trip to Little Rock. It had been about six weeks or so since we'd seen Emma. And we also wanted to check out for ourselves just how well Betty and Lady were getting along.

As soon as we pulled into Emma's driveway Saturday, we heard barking. The two girls were at the corner of the fence welcoming us.

When we got to them, they wanted immediate attention. And we were certainly more than ready to give it to them.

The short weekend visit was just what we all needed.

When not enjoying our time with Betty and Lady, we added some first-time restaurant experiences, thanks to Emma's recommendations.

We had lunch at Fassler Hall, which features some really, really good German food in a great atmosphere.

We enjoyed carryout for dinner from Mockingbird Tacos. It was a family meal for four. It was fabulous, particularly the guacamole.

And we picked up breakfast Sunday morning at Paul's Donuts. The cinnamon rolls were out of this world.

Pam and I left Emma's house Sunday afternoon with Betty and Lady basking in the sunshine in the back yard.

It's where Lady needs to be. She's happy. We're happy.