For The Love Of Mongrels

I have always, my entire life, loved mixed things. Even people. When an African American man marries a white woman their children have beautiful skin tones. Not dark brown. Nope!! Not a fair white, either. But mixed flawlessly together like Hershey's chocolate syrup and milk!! Beautiful.... I always enjoyed blending together certain colors, too. As a girl growing up, we owned these cheap, freebie fast-food toys. They had stained glass-like colors. Such as red, green, yellow, blue. If memory serves me right, you could twist your two colors of choice, blend them together, and, like magic, see its result!! I loved those toys!! My two favorite colors to mix together were red and blue. I would twist the toy.... Then see purple!! So it does not surprise me to realize, as I glance back several years, that I've always loved mixed breed canines!! Yep. Always!! My favorite animated Walt Disney dog movie was not "101 Dalmatians". True, I watched that film, and enjoyed it. Several times. "The Fox and the Hound" broke my heart over its story of dishonest friendship. Literally. Broke. My. Heart!! Once I was old enough to understand that concept, anyway!! (Tod: "Copper, you're my best friend." Copper: "And you're mine, too, Tod." Tod: "And we'll always be friends forever. Won't we?" Copper: "Yeah, forever.") What can I say? It was so sad!! Even though, sharing my existence with Rose has given newfound meaning to Copper's line: "I'm a hound dog. Aroo-oo-oo-oo!" That's my girl!! The "Beagle bay" is her "happy sound", definitely!! My favorite animated Walt Disney dog movie growing up, a film that I watched so many times our tape began to wear out, was "Lady and the Tramp"!! Honestly!! "Lady and the Tramp"!! Disney's animated film that paints a positive picture of mongrels!! The lowly, misunderstood mixed breed!! In it, you meet Tramp, its story's wanderlust "Mystery Dog". There are humans and purebred canines alike who "misjudged" him.... Initially. After all, Tramp is not a "pedigree". He's grey. Shaggy. Not the prettiest dog ever born. But Tramp was a good boy that had heart!! Like every single mongrel on this planet!! Such as Rose!! When owners adopt mixed breeds, they are not living with one dog. Nope!! They are living with two or more morphed into one existing, breathing body!! Rose is a Beagle/German Shepherd cross. Which are twain very different breeds!! Rose has the Beagle face, floppy Beagle ears, Beagle legs, medium Beagle size. Yet.... She also has the German Shepherd body, and German Shepherd markings!! Rose is beautifully unique!! Completely irreplaceable!! She is like an individual snowflake which falls from the sky!! She's different!! Rose is special.... In more ways than one!! And, best of all, she's mine!! I would not ask for anything more....