Muskrat Susie, and Muskrat Sam

do the jitterbug down in Muskratland
and they shimmy
and Sam's so skinny.

I had no idea that I actually live in "Muskratland". Went to a muskrat skinning contest this weekend. The world championship to be specific. Of course they only do this in Dorchester County, MD and some parish in Louisianna that got flattened by Rita. It was definitely a colorful experience, and we didn't even stay the whole time. At the lab on friday, people kept asking if we thought PETA would be there. I said no. They can handle the family crowd at a circus, but rednecks with knives? It's not worth it to them. We got there just in time to sample the leftovers from the muskrat cooking contest. I can say with complete honesty that it was the best damn muskrat meatloaf I've ever eaten. Picked up a muskrat t-shirt, then went on to the competition. Miss Muskrat 2006 sang a song, and then there were a bunch of competitions for kids and an auction. A muskrat fur teddybear went for as much as I make in two weeks. Around 10 PM, when only two racoons had been skinned in the junior division, and we still had the senior division, junior and senior nutria skinning, and oyster shucking to go before the championship, we gave up and went home.