Remarkably, not being exactly in "mudcat territory," we have met a few 'catters, and the experience has been uniformly positive.

I have "met" a few mudcatters online that frankly "irritate the hell out of me," but with the exception of a few who were obviously 'outsiders' looking to SPAM us, there are none I can think of who would not be welcome in my home.

Being a rather mediocre musician, I value perhaps too little whether those who might appear at my doorstep are musically talented; and knowing as little as I do about "folklore" I grant only slight significance to how knowledgeable someone might be along those lines. Education is great, but the company of alive and aware persons is something of a treasure.

The thing that is meaningful to me is that those who have participated in the "mudcat experience" have been willing to share what they think, and how they feel, about issues worth discussion. These people are welcome in my home, and in the community in which I participate.

Should we happen to find ourselves not compatible in the longer term, I would offer that I have a large boot, which I have experience in applying, gently and otherwise, in the forcible eviction of three of my own children, when they "overstayed" their dependence. But I can think of no introduction that would immediately open my front door more quickly than "HI, I'M A MUDCATTER."

Come in, and WELCOME!

John