A Place in Florida - Let's Cheer the Lowly Possum
A Place in Florida - Let's Cheer the Lowly Possum
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There's a set in position Florida that designed a 12-foot-large monument in the middle of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would any person need to do that?
Properly, to get started on, heroes are complicated to exploration on this invest Florida - the Panhandle money of scotland - Wausau, house of much less than 500 folks in the midst of Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an not likely hero as you would probably assume? No person else puts the possum in excess of a pedestal. Why don't you Wausau?
Secondly, very last 1982, Wausau bought Ill and tired with getting ignored Along with the Florida lists of entertaining, fairs and festivals. Each individual dedicate Florida desires a Competition. And not one particular dedicate Florida provides a Possum Festival. Why don't you Wausau?
If you have never frequented Washington County, you most likely will Assume I'm making this up. When you've got been to Washington County, you can fully grasp - and know It is just a legitimate Tale.
Wausau, it turned out, had some really impressive possum politicians through the early '80s. Allow me to share two matters they attained:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the extremely initially Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led into the creating in the monument alongside Condition Freeway 77 in Wausau.
They even bought The us Congress to market the possum. Congress joined the enjoyable by the funds for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau might have an area to help keep its once-a-year more info Exciting Day and Possum Festival. Featuring a queen contest and possum auction, among other things, the Competition appeals to Lots of individuals every year, and so they adore it.
Outing For a lot of educating of Northerners listed here. The South's possum may be the identical lowly animal you call opossum, (Why use 7 letters when 6 will do?) It's a smallish marsupial that life in trees and displays its hideous overall body only during the night time. This is why, If you're within appropriate location in Florida, you are able to hear possum hunters' dogs baying and barking. Treed by dogs, the possum 'freezes', hence it is actually not so complicated to hook (or shoot) one.
An inscription to the monument in the middle of Wausau cites the possum's job in giving 'equally fur and foods' in the whole hundreds of years. It goes on say: 'Their existence here has provided an origin of nutritious and flavorful food in regular occasions and possesses been an important guide to human survival far more distress and demanding need to have.'
Giggle if you want. The men and women of Wausau will laugh together - when downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.