A location in Florida - Let us Cheer the Lowly Possum
A location in Florida - Let us Cheer the Lowly Possum
Blog Article
There is a put in Florida that created a 12-foot-substantial monument in the course of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would everyone want to accomplish that?
Properly, to get started on, heroes choose effort and time to exploration Within this put in Florida - the Panhandle town of Wausau, house of much less than 500 individuals in the middle of Washington County about 10 miles south of Chipley.
Why don't you the possum, an not likely hero as you should be expecting? Nobody else puts the possum about the pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Secondly, in 1982, Wausau received fed up with staying neglected in the Florida lists of pleasurable, fairs and festivals. Every area in Florida needs a festival. Rather than a single make investments Florida includes a Possum Pageant. Why not Wausau?
If you've got in no way attended Washington County, you almost certainly will Consider I'm generating this up. If you have visited Washington County, you'll understand - and know this can be a accurate Tale.
Wausau, it proved, had some really powerful possum politicians in early '80s. Listed here are two items they accomplished:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the Preliminary Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led to the creating in the monument along Condition Highway 77 in Wausau.
They even obtained America Congress in advertising the possum. Congress joined the exciting by giving the money for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau might have a location to guidance its yearly Pleasurable Day and here Possum Competition. That includes a queen contest and possum auction, between other items, the festival appeals to 1000s of men and women each and each and every year, and they adore it.
Day trip for some educating of Northerners right here. The South's possum is identical lowly animal you phone opossum, (Why use 7 letters when 6 can perform?) It's a smallish marsupial that life in trees and displays its unsightly entire body only during the night. This is why, when you are inside the right commit Florida, you can hear possum hunters' dogs baying and barking. Treed by pet dogs, the possum 'freezes', so it's not so tough capture (or shoot) just one.
An inscription for your monument in the heart of Wausau cites the possum's part in offering 'both equally fur and food' all through the centuries. It goes on to say: 'Their existence right here has supplied a source of nutritious and flavorful foodstuff in usual instances and has been a very important assist to human survival in moments of distress and critical have to have.'
Laugh if you want. The people today of Wausau will snicker with you - while downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.