In honor of National Dog Day yesterday, it got me thinking about how I can trace the stages of my life via all the dogs in my life. Here goes… Sheba: The early years Sheba was ultimate rescue dog. A shepherd/collie mix that we found in a shelter in KC right before moving to the hills of Arkansas in the early ’70s. Rumor has it she climbed to the top of the pile of the litter and my brother, Chris, picked her out. She meant something different to all four of us as kids. My brothers took her squirrel hunting; I loved the hikes in the woods she would lead me on. She tolerated--but my Dad did not-the occasional dress-up days. However, she was patient and never, ever said a peep. Moreover, Sheba was brilliantly smart. She once caught a rabbit and brought it home to a wounded stray dog I was caring for at the time. She actually had empathy for the stray dog! She also traveled with us on vacations to visit my Dad both in Chicago and California. She was a protector and nice to