A Place in Florida - Let's Cheer the Lowly Possum
A Place in Florida - Let's Cheer the Lowly Possum
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There's a devote Florida that crafted a 12-foot-large monument in the middle of city to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would any person should do that?
Well, to start with, heroes are tough to receive within this invest Florida - the Panhandle town of Wausau, home of a lot less than 500 people in the midst of Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an not likely hero as you would hope? No person else puts the possum by using a pedestal. Why don't you Wausau?
Next, last 1982, Wausau acquired fed up with getting ignored Along with the Florida lists of exciting, fairs and festivals. Every set set up Florida desires a Pageant. Rather than just one invest Florida features a Possum Pageant. Why not Wausau?
If you haven't attended Washington County, you most likely will Consider I'm As a result, producing this up. When you've got gone to Washington County, you'll understand - and know this is the real Tale.
Wausau, it proved, experienced some very strong possum politicians noisy . '80s. Listed here are a pair of things they attained:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the 1st Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led on the developing with the monument alongside Condition Freeway seventy seven in Wausau.
They even got The us Congress in marketing the possum. Congress joined the entertaining by supplying the money for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau could have a place to carry its once-a-year Pleasurable Working day and Possum Pageant. Showcasing a queen contest and possum auction, among the other issues, the festival attracts Lots of people Each and every and every year, and in order that they like it.
Day trip for some educating of Northerners here. The South's possum is identical lowly animal you contact opossum, (Why use 7 letters when 6 will check here complete?) It's a smallish marsupial that life in trees and demonstrates its unappealing body only at nighttime. This is exactly why, once you end up within the ideal devote Florida, you can hear possum hunters' pet dogs baying and barking. Treed by pet dogs, the possum 'freezes', thus it's simple to trap (or shoot) 1.
An inscription for your monument during Wausau cites the possum's role in providing 'both of those fur and food' through the entire hundreds of years. It goes to say: 'Their existence right here has presented an origin of nutritious and flavorful food stuff in standard moments and it's got been an important help to human survival when in distress and important want.'
Chortle if you like. The folks of Wausau will laugh coupled with you - when downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.