Canis Vulgaris

When I am walking Lucy and we meet someone new, that person invariably asks, "What kind of dog is it?"

I'm never sure how to answer the question. A couple of times I have responded, "A naughty one," because Lucy at that point in time was dancing on her hind legs, straining to hug her new friend and hoping for a treat. That was cute at six months, not so cute at 70+ pounds.

Now I usually answer, "A mutt. The vet thinks maybe shepherd and Akita."

The reason for their curiosity puzzles me. Since Lucy doesn't really look like any particular breed I've seen, I assume that she looks like a mutt to others as well. However, everyone who has met her claims that she is a beautiful dog, which of course she is. She is gorgeous in her muttiness. I wonder if people assume that such an attractive animal must necessarily come with a pedigree.

The Holiday Season

My neighborhood conducts a contest at this time of the year, awarding prizes to the properties most beautifully decorated for the holidays. Some of my neighbors really go all out, covering every available inch of their homes and shrubbery with lights and garlands. I love to walk around the streets these evenings, because there is so much color and sparkle. I've found myself wondering what motivates people to decorate at Christmas time.

Some people, I suppose, see the decorations as evidence of their holiday spirit. Many of the yards feature creches, a few even complete with Magi and plywood farm animals. Other yards contain lighted mechanical wire reindeer which bob their heads. Still other neighbors have simply draped everything with tiny lights. Do some see their handiwork as a challenge to their neighbors? How many folks simply want to win the contest?

My real question is, how do my neighbors' religious views figure into this flurry of decorating- or do they? It's not something I could ask them, of course; they would surely be offended that I even posed the question.