A spot in Florida - Let us Cheer the Lowly Possum
A spot in Florida - Let us Cheer the Lowly Possum
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There is a put in position Florida that crafted a 12-foot-superior monument for the duration of city to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would everyone want to perform that?
Well, to start with, heroes are difficult to analysis inside this put in Florida - the Panhandle city of Wausau, residence of less than five hundred individuals all through Washington County about 10 miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an not likely hero To place it mildly? Nobody else puts the possum more than a pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Secondly, back 1982, Wausau received Ill and Uninterested in becoming left out on the Florida lists of pleasurable, fairs and festivals. Just about every spot in Florida needs a Pageant. Instead of one devote Florida carries a Possum Festival. Why not Wausau?
If you have not attended Washington County, you most likely will Assume I'm causeing this for being up. When you've got attended Washington County, you can expect to have an understanding of - and know This may be a true story.
Wausau, it proved, experienced some pretty impressive possum politicians in early '80s. Listed below are some things they achieved:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the 1st Saturday in August as Possum Working day in Florida. That led for the building during the monument alongside State Highway seventy seven in Wausau.
They even acquired The usa Congress to promote the possum. Congress joined the fun here by providing the money for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau would have a place to maintain its yearly Enjoyable Day and Possum Competition. Showcasing a queen contest and possum auction, between other points, the Pageant attracts Lots of people Every single and each year, furthermore they like it.
Time out for a couple of educating of Northerners listed here. The South's possum is the same lowly animal you call opossum, (Why use seven letters when six is going to do?) It's a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and exhibits its unpleasant entire body only at nighttime. That is why, any time you find yourself inside of appropriate position in Florida, you are able to listen to possum hunters' pet dogs baying and barking. Treed by dogs, the possum 'freezes', thus it's straightforward plenty of to hook (or shoot) one.
An inscription for the monument in the center of Wausau cites the possum's purpose in delivering 'both equally fur and food' with the hundreds of years. It goes on to say: 'Their presence here has delivered an origin of nutritious and flavorful food items in standard instances and possesses been a significant enable to human survival when in distress and critical need.'
Chortle if you like. The folks of Wausau will chortle with you - when downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.