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 invest Florida that created a twelve-foot-large monument in the middle of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would anyone desire to do that?
Nicely, to begin, heroes are difficult to search out During this put set up Florida - the Panhandle town of Wausau, household of fewer than 500 persons in the guts of Washington County about 10 miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an not likely hero to put it mildly? No person else places the possum on the pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Secondly, in 1982, Wausau acquired fed up with getting disregarded of the Florida lists of fun, fairs and festivals. Each and every area in Florida needs a festival. Instead of a person dedicate Florida carries a Possum Festival. Why don't you Wausau?
If you have not long gone to Washington County, you most likely will Believe I'm building this up. For those who have long gone to Washington County, you are going to understand - and know It's a true story.
Wausau, it ended up, had some quite highly effective possum politicians in early '80s. Listed here are two or three issues they completed:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the Original Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led on the constructing Together with the monument alongside State Highway seventy seven in Wausau.
check here They even acquired America Congress to industry the possum. Congress joined the pleasurable by giving the funds for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau could have an area to hold its yearly Fun Working day and Possum Pageant. Showcasing a queen contest and possum auction, amongst other issues, the Competition attracts heaps of folks annually, moreover they find it irresistible.
Time out for your few educating of Northerners in this article. The South's possum is similar lowly animal you simply call opossum, (Why use seven letters when 6 will do?) It's a smallish marsupial that life in trees and exhibits its hideous system only during the night. This is exactly why, any time you find yourself within the correct place set up Florida, you may hear possum hunters' canine baying and barking. Treed by pet dogs, the possum 'freezes', so it's not challenging seize (or shoot) a single.
An inscription around the monument throughout Wausau cites the possum's purpose in giving 'both fur and food stuff' with the hundreds of years. It goes to say: 'Their presence here has provided an origin of nutritious and flavorful food items in usual occasions and has been A necessary aid to human survival when in distress and significant require.'
Snicker if you want. The people of Wausau will snicker alongside - although downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.