A Place in Florida - Let us Cheer the Lowly Possum
A Place in Florida - Let us Cheer the Lowly Possum
Blog Article
There's a position in Florida that created a twelve-foot-higher monument in the course of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would any one might like to do that?
Nicely, to start with, heroes get time and effort to return by With this position in Florida - the Panhandle town of Wausau, residence of much less than 500 people in the center of Washington County about 10 miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an not likely hero as you should assume? No person else puts the possum about the pedestal. Why don't you Wausau?
Secondly, in 1982, Wausau got fed up with remaining left out from the Florida lists of enjoyable, fairs and festivals. Each spot in Florida desires a Pageant. Rather than one particular invest Florida features a Possum Festival. Why not Wausau?
If you've under no circumstances attended Washington County, you most likely will Consider I'm thus, making this up. When you've got visited Washington County, you may comprehend - and know that is a genuine Tale.
Wausau, it proved, had some rather impressive possum politicians in early '80s. Here i will discuss two things they achieved:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the 1st Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led into the making through the monument alongside Point out Highway 77 in Wausau.
They even bought The us Congress to market the possum. Congress joined the entertaining by providing the money for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau would've a place to assist its yearly Pleasurable Day and Possum Pageant. Featuring a queen contest and possum auction, amongst other factors, the Pageant attracts plenty of individuals Every single and each and every year, moreover they adore it.
Trip for some educating of Northerners right here. The South's possum is equivalent lowly animal you phone opossum, (Why use 7 letters when 6 can do?) It's a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and exhibits its unattractive body only during the night. That is why, when you end up during the ideal commit Florida, you may hear possum hunters' pet dogs baying and barking. Treed by puppies, the possum 'freezes', so it is not so tricky to hook (or shoot) a single.
An inscription with the monument in the middle of Wausau cites the possum's job in supplying 'the two fur and food items' with the hundreds of years. It goes onto say: 'Their existence in this article has delivered a supply of nutritious and more info flavorful meals in regular occasions and it has been an important guide to human survival in moments of distress and demanding have to have.'
Giggle if you like. The people today of Wausau will chuckle together - while downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.