After some research, I found a really great guy here on BYC who also has the old garnet strain of RIR that I'm been working to restore. By "reaching out" for some remedial stock to help what I have, this step is ideal. I'm not a fan of mixing strains, but reaching out someone who has your strain or a strain that forked way back when? It's ideal, I think. There are things my birds can bring to this "marriage" and things like wide tails that the outcross will bring to the equation.