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 set in position Florida that constructed a 12-foot-superior monument in the course of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would any person could possibly love to do that?
Nicely, to start, heroes are tricky to obtain In this particular area in Florida - the Panhandle capital of scotland - Wausau, home of under 500 folks in the center of Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why don't you the possum, an not likely hero to mention the minimum? Nobody else puts the possum with a pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Next, back in 1982, Wausau obtained fed up with being neglected Along with the Florida lists of entertaining, fairs and festivals. Every single invest Florida requires a Pageant. And not one invest Florida encompasses a Possum Festival. Why not Wausau?
If you have not been to Washington County, you probably will Assume I am generating this up. When you have absent to Washington County, you can expect to realize - and know It is just a accurate story.
Wausau, it proved, experienced some really strong possum politicians in the early '80s. Listed here are a handful of items they accomplished:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the quite to start with Saturday in August as Possum Working day in Florida. That led to the developing with the monument along State Freeway 77 in Wausau.
They even received The us Congress to sector the possum. Congress joined the fun by the cash for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau might need a location to keep its annual Fun Working day and Possum Festival. Showcasing a queen contest and possum auction, between other points, the Competition draws in Lots of individuals each and every year, and more info so they adore it.
Trip For most educating of Northerners here. The South's possum is equivalent lowly animal you connect with opossum, (Why use 7 letters when six is going to do?) It is a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and displays its ugly overall body only during the night. That's why, whenever you end up inside ideal commit Florida, you could listen to possum hunters' canine baying and barking. Treed by canine, the possum 'freezes', so it is not complicated to lure (or shoot) one particular.
An inscription with regards to the monument in the guts of Wausau cites the possum's purpose in providing 'the two fur and foodstuff' throughout the centuries. It goes on to say: 'Their existence right here has furnished a supply of nutritious and flavorful food stuff in ordinary times and it's been A necessary help to human survival when in distress and important have to have.'
Snicker should you'd prefer. The people today of Wausau will giggle together with you - while downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.