There's a put in Florida that constructed a twelve-foot-substantial monument in the midst of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would any person may well love to do that?
Very well, to get started on, heroes get time and effort to return by in this commit Florida - the Panhandle city of Wausau, property of less than 500 folks in the guts of Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an unlikely hero to say the minimum? Nobody else puts the possum on the pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Next, back again in 1982, Wausau obtained Ill and worn out with remaining overlooked from the Florida lists of pleasurable, fairs and festivals. Every single place set up Florida requires a festival. And never one devote Florida has a Possum Competition. Why don't you Wausau?
If you haven't frequented Washington County, you almost certainly will think I am causeing this for being up. When you've got attended Washington County, you may recognize - and know It is just a accurate Tale.
Wausau, it turned out, had some really strong possum politicians during the early '80s. Allow me to share two or three items they attained:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the 1st Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led for the making from the monument along Point out Highway seventy seven in Wausau.
They even obtained The us Congress in advertising and marketing the possum. Congress joined the exciting by giving the resources for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau may have a location to carry its annual Exciting Working day and Possum get more info Pageant. That includes a queen contest and possum auction, among the other issues, the festival attracts lots of people annually, plus they adore it.
Time out For most educating of Northerners below. The South's possum is similar lowly animal you connect with opossum, (Why use 7 letters when six can perform?) It's a smallish marsupial that life in trees and reveals its unsightly physique only during the night. That is why, Should you be Within the proper commit Florida, you may listen to possum hunters' puppies baying and barking. Treed by pet dogs, the possum 'freezes', so it is actually not so tough to trap (or shoot) one.
An inscription within the monument in the midst of Wausau cites the possum's function in supplying 'each fur and food' over the entire hundreds of years. It goes to say: 'Their presence listed here has delivered a source of nutritious and flavorful foods in usual situations and possesses been a substantial support to human survival a great deal more distress and significant want.'
Laugh in the event you'd like. The people today of Wausau will chuckle along with you - while downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.