A spot in Florida - Let's Cheer the Lowly Possum
A spot in Florida - Let's Cheer the Lowly Possum
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There's a spot in Florida that created a twelve-foot-substantial monument in the center of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would anyone have to do that?
Properly, to begin with, heroes get effort and time to exploration in this spot in Florida - the Panhandle city of Wausau, household of fewer than five hundred persons in the center of Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why don't you the possum, an unlikely hero to convey the least? No one else places the possum to the pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Secondly, back again 1982, Wausau received Unwell and Sick and tired of becoming omitted inside the Florida lists of exciting, fairs and festivals. Every devote Florida demands a festival. Instead of one dedicate Florida features a Possum Festival. Why not Wausau?
If you have not gone to Washington County, you almost certainly will Consider I am producing this up. If you have attended Washington County, you can comprehend - and know it is a real story.
Wausau, it turned out, had some very impressive possum politicians inside the early '80s. Here are a pair of matters they achieved:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the initial Saturday in August as Possum Working day in Florida. That led on the constructing in the monument alongside Point out Highway 77 in Wausau.
They even received The usa Congress to marketplace the possum. Congress joined the exciting by offering the cash for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau might have a locale to hold its once-a-year Enjoyment Working day and Possum Pageant. That includes a queen contest and possum auction, amid other points, the Pageant attracts Many men and women each and every year, and Additionally they adore it.
Day trip For numerous educating of Northerners listed here. The South's possum is the similar lowly animal you contact opossum, (Why use seven letters when six can do?) It is a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and shows its ugly human body only at night. That is why, In case you are within the suitable place in place Florida, you are able to here listen to possum hunters' pet dogs baying and barking. Treed by dogs, the possum 'freezes', so It really is quick to hook (or shoot) a person.
An inscription over the monument through Wausau cites the possum's purpose in delivering 'each fur and food stuff' in the hundreds of years. It goes onto say: 'Their presence here has supplied a source of nutritious and flavorful food items in regular occasions and it's got been a major support to human survival when in distress and critical require.'
Chortle when you'd want. The people of Wausau will snicker alongside - when downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.