A spot in Florida - Let's Cheer the Lowly Possum
A spot in Florida - Let's Cheer the Lowly Possum
Blog Article
There is a place set up Florida that crafted a 12-foot-superior monument in the course of city to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would any person choose to do that?
Very well, to begin with, heroes are tough to have on this commit Florida - the Panhandle town of Wausau, property of under five hundred individuals in the guts of Washington County about 10 miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an not likely hero to mention the the very least? No person else places the possum on a pedestal. Why don't you Wausau?
Secondly, back in 1982, Wausau received Weary of becoming neglected with the Florida lists of entertaining, fairs and festivals. Just about every put set up Florida needs a festival. Instead of a person devote Florida contains a Possum Pageant. Why not Wausau?
If you have not frequented Washington County, you most likely will think I'm making this up. In case you have attended Washington County, you will fully grasp - and know This is a legitimate Tale.
Wausau, it turned out, experienced some very potent possum politicians noisy . '80s. Listed here are a set of factors they accomplished:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the first Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led towards the developing While using the monument along Condition Freeway seventy seven in Wausau.
They even acquired the United States Congress to publicize the possum. Congress joined the enjoyment by the money for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau might need a location to keep its yearly Exciting Day and Possum Festival. Featuring a queen contest and possum auction, among other issues, the festival appeals to A lot of people annually, and in order that they adore it.
Time out For a lot of educating of Northerners below. The South's possum is definitely the identical lowly animal you simply call opossum, (Why use 7 letters when 6 will do?) It's a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and exhibits its ugly entire body only in the evening. This is why, Should you be inside of ideal put set up Florida, you could hear possum hunters' dogs baying and barking. Treed by pet dogs, the possum 'freezes', so It is really easy more than enough to lure (or shoot) 1.
An inscription regarding the monument in the center of Wausau cites the possum's job in supplying 'equally fur and food stuff' during the whole hundreds of years. It goes on say: 'Their existence below has delivered an origin of nutritious and flavorful foods in typical instances and possesses been a vital aid to human survival throughout situations of distress and critical click here have to have.'
Chuckle if you like. The people of Wausau will giggle along - even though downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.