My best friend Peaches loves to ride with me in the car. I arranged an old blanket to cover the rear seat so she could be comfortable on our jaunts. Our various quests became so frequent that I found reason to carry food and bowls along just in case the circumstances required it.

She knows the drill. If no one else is accompanying us, she rides in front. She prefers to ride in front where I can scratch behind her ears and pet her. She’s getting old, hard of hearing, and joints full of arthritis, a whole lot like her master. Friends tell me she understands every word I say and I believe it, even though she chooses to ignore some of those words. She’s wise beyond my years.

Early the next morning I ran a short errand in town. Of course Peaches wanted to come along. I helped her into the car, hoisting her rear end as she mustered a leap. After she was safely seated she gazed at me smiling with her best doggie grin. Sometimes it takes teamwork to accomplish your goals.

Returning home, I wanted to get back to work. I usually only drive to town when necessary and sometimes it’s days before it’s needed. I try to consolidate errands so I can do as little driving as possible. For some reason Peaches didn’t want to get out of the car.

"Come on, let’s go for a walk," I said trying to coax her out of the car. Walks are some of her most favorite past times.

She just looked at me as if to say, "I’ll just stay here until you’re ready to go somewhere else."

"We’re home now," I said, "I’m not going to go anywhere else today."

"Naw, I’ll just stay here," she said without picking up her head from her rest, "you’ll be going somewhere again before long.

"You’re not sick are you," I asked, "I’ll leave the door open so you can come in if you want."

"I’m not sick Daddy," she said, "I’ll just take a nap and be ready when we go somewhere else."

"Okay, I’m gonna work for awhile," I said, grasping at last straws to get her to come inside the house. She had never done this before and I was concerned.

"All right then, but you’ll know where I’ll be," I said.

"I’ll just nap here till you’re ready to go," she said.

"But we’re not going anywhere," I said with exasperation.

I went inside the house and resumed my work; but I couldn’t concentrate. I kept worrying about leaving Peaches in the car. I checked several times and she was always there. Finally I closed the door to the car and rolled down the windows slightly to allow ventilation so I wouldn’t worry about her.

I had just started back to work when I got a phone call. I had to pick up some things in town. I jumped in the car and we sped off. I looked back at Peaches lying down in the rear seat.

"Who would have thought we’d be driving to town twice on one day," I said.

She smiled as I petted her neck. "I could have told you that," she said.

We got our things from town without incident and returned home. Peaches still didn’t want to get out of the car.

"But we’re not going anywhere else," I said angrily rolling down the windows, "Okay, it’s a nice day, stay in the car then if you want to."

"I’ll just take a nap and be ready when we go somewhere else," she said.

"Silly dog," I said, retiring to the house, "we’re not going anywhere else."

Another hour went by before I received another phone call. You guessed correctly, I needed to pick up some things in town. Again the trip went without incident and I parked the car as close to the front door as I could to give Peaches easy access to the house.

She got out of the car almost as soon as I opened the door. "Gosh it’s nice to be home," she said.

"Wow, three times into town in one day," I exclaimed opening the house’s front door.