An area in Florida - Let's Cheer the Lowly Possum
An area in Florida - Let's Cheer the Lowly Possum
Blog Article
There is a place in place Florida that constructed a twelve-foot-higher monument in the center of city to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would anybody want to do that?
Very well, initial off, heroes are tricky to come by using this type of devote Florida - the Panhandle town of Wausau, dwelling of less than five hundred persons throughout Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an not likely hero to put it mildly? Nobody else puts the possum about the pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Secondly, back in 1982, Wausau obtained sick and fatigued with being left out from your Florida lists of pleasurable, fairs and festivals. Just about every set in place Florida desires a Pageant. Rather than 1 set set up Florida includes a Possum Pageant. Why not Wausau?
If you have not been to Washington County, you probably will think I'm generating this up. When you have been to Washington County, you are going to have an understanding of - and know It's a correct Tale.
Wausau, it ended up, had some rather powerful possum politicians noisy . '80s. Listed here are two points they achieved:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the Preliminary Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led to the developing in the monument alongside Point out Highway 77 in Wausau.
They even received the United States Congress to advertise the possum. Congress joined the enjoyment by supplying the money for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau could have an area to hold its yearly Exciting Day and Possum Festival. Featuring a queen contest and possum auction, amid other matters, the festival attracts 1000s of men and women each year, and In addition they locate it irresistible.
Day out for plenty of educating of Northerners listed here. The South's possum may be the identical lowly animal you call opossum, (Why use seven letters when 6 can perform?) It is a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and shows its unsightly overall body only at night. This is why, if you find yourself inside the ideal place in position Florida, you may hear possum hunters' canines baying and barking. Treed by canines, the possum 'freezes', so It will likely be not complicated capture (or shoot) a person.
An inscription on the monument in the guts of Wausau cites the possum's function in providing 'equally fur and foods' through the centuries. It goes to say: 'Their presence here has supplied an origin of nutritious and flavorful foods in typical instances and it's been an important aid to click here human survival much more distress and demanding will need.'
Laugh If you prefer. The persons of Wausau will snicker alongside - even though downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.