Oyster shots explained

Tide pool target practice? Shellfish pickled in vodka and then chugged? Expressing displeasure with a public speaker or performance by hurling slimy invertebrates at the stage?

None of the above, as it turns out.

No, it is a slimy marine invertebrate, but plopped into a little plastic cup and then smothered in lemon juice, horseradish and cocktail sauce. Prior to...well, one of the above was right, as chugging is involved.

I apologize that the critter itself is out of focus in favor of the bowl of horseradish in the photo on the right, but I include it to give you an idea, however fuzzy, of how this delicacy looks.

As someone who fervently believes that the first person to eat an oyster must have been hungry to the point of hallucinatory madness, I opted not to sample the signature food of St. Mary's Oyster Bake yesterday. But, as I'd finally convinced all the kids to join me at the food/music fest this year, I was able to watch and document as they poured the shots down.

We were terribly unlucky with Bake weather this year, at least for the early going when we were there. It was chilly and had rained so much over the previous night and through mid-morning that many areas of the fair were pretty puddly. Regular readers know I don't complain about having too much rain too often, but we could have used a little less the past few days.

However, the rain stopped long enough Saturday for us to eat and drink ourselves silly with—in addition to the shots—fajitas, roasted corn, sausage on a stick, churros, a variety of beers, and, of course, some of the choir booth's scrumptious chocolate-dipped strawberries. (I spent a very soggy hour earlier at that booth cleaning and skewering strawberries, dodging the regular dumping of accumulated water off the top of the booth, and generally earning my gold star for choir fundraising—with a hardship cluster.)

In spite of the poor conditions, a good time was had by all, not the least because of the—as far as the kids were concerned—delicious shots. So I think they'll be ready for next year, when the weather will hopefully cooperate and we'll get to stay longer, hear more music, and enjoy more walking-around food.