A location in Florida - Let us Cheer the Lowly Possum
A location in Florida - Let us Cheer the Lowly Possum
Blog Article
There's a position in Florida that constructed a 12-foot-high monument in the center of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would anybody wish to perform that?
Perfectly, to begin, heroes are tricky to discover within this devote Florida - the Panhandle cash of scotland - Wausau, home of fewer than 500 folks in the center of Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an not likely hero To place it mildly? Nobody else places the possum over a pedestal. Why don't you Wausau?
Next, in 1982, Wausau acquired Sick and tired of becoming ignored within the Florida lists of exciting, fairs and festivals. Each and every devote Florida desires a festival. And not a single spend Florida features a Possum Competition. Why don't you Wausau?
If you have not visited Washington County, you probably will Believe I am making this up. When you have attended Washington County, you can realize - and know this can be a accurate Tale.
Wausau, it turned out, experienced some quite effective possum politicians in early '80s. Allow me to share a couple of items they attained:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the 1st Saturday in August as Possum Working day in Florida. That led on the developing with the monument together Condition Freeway 77 in Wausau.
They even bought America Congress to current market the possum. Congress joined the entertaining by way of supplying the money for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau may have an area to hold its yearly Exciting Day and Possum Pageant. Featuring a queen contest and possum website auction, among other issues, the festival draws in Lots of people yearly, and so that they adore it.
Day trip for many educating of Northerners right here. The South's possum could be the identical lowly animal you phone opossum, (Why use 7 letters when six will probably do?) It's a smallish marsupial that life in trees and shows its unsightly human body only in the evening. This is exactly why, if you are throughout the correct dedicate Florida, you could hear possum hunters' canines baying and barking. Treed by puppies, the possum 'freezes', so it really is not so tough seize (or shoot) just one.
An inscription on the monument in the center of Wausau cites the possum's purpose in supplying 'both fur and food items' in the whole centuries. It goes on to say: 'Their presence listed here has presented an origin of nutritious and flavorful food in regular instances and possesses been A necessary support to human survival when in distress and demanding will need.'
Laugh if you like. The individuals of Wausau will chuckle together with you - when downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.