About 150 of them were at the Drawbridge this week for the annual convention of the International Guild of Taxidermy. A bunch of people also attended. When they weren't nervously combing the chin hairs of their contest entries, the taxidermists were learning new techniques from each other and attending seminars on fake-rock making and the like. Outside, someone had brought several live deer and fawns for people to observe, the better to recreate their behavior later. In the main room, rows of contest entries were followed by rows of animal parts.
Suppliers hawked ear cartilages, fish musculature, antlers and eyeballs.
New bird eyes. Goodness, I thought. Seizing the chance to work weather into my story, I diligently copied down the notes. Then somebody told me they were a joke. The new president of the guild is Northern Kentucky's own David Noem, whose shop is in Union.