A location in Florida - Let's Cheer the Lowly Possum
A location in Florida - Let's Cheer the Lowly Possum
Blog Article
There's a put in place Florida that crafted a 12-foot-high monument in the middle of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would any individual wish to do that?
Nicely, to start with, heroes are really hard to analysis using this place set up Florida - the Panhandle capital of scotland - Wausau, dwelling of much less than five hundred folks all through Washington County about 10 miles south of Chipley.
Why don't you the possum, an not likely hero To place it mildly? No person else puts the possum about a pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Next, again in 1982, Wausau got fed up with becoming omitted Along with the Florida lists of enjoyment, fairs and festivals. Every single make investments Florida demands a festival. Rather than a single devote Florida contains a Possum Pageant. Why not Wausau?
If you have never ever attended Washington County, you most likely will Feel I am building this up. Should you have attended Washington County, you may fully grasp - and know this can be a accurate Tale.
Wausau, it proved, experienced some fairly strong possum politicians in early '80s. Listed below are certain things they attained:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the very 1st Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led to your creating Together with the monument together Condition Freeway 77 in Wausau.
They even obtained the United States Congress in marketing the possum. Congress joined the pleasurable by supplying the money for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau may need a location to carry its yearly Exciting Day and Possum Pageant. That includes a queen contest and possum auction, amid other items, the festival draws in many people annually, as well as they adore it.
Day trip for some educating of Northerners right here. The South's possum is comparable lowly animal you call opossum, (Why use seven letters when six will do?) It is a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and exhibits its unpleasant system only during the night. This is exactly why, Should you be within the proper spot in Florida, you are able here to hear possum hunters' dogs baying and barking. Treed by pet dogs, the possum 'freezes', as a result it really is not hard to hook (or shoot) 1.
An inscription about the monument in the middle of Wausau cites the possum's position in furnishing 'equally fur and food items' from the hundreds of years. It goes on say: 'Their existence right here has offered a useful resource of nutritious and flavorful foods in ordinary times and has been a vital support to human survival a great deal more distress and important will need.'
Chuckle in case you'd like. The people of Wausau will giggle alongside - while downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.