A location in Florida - Let's Cheer the Lowly Possum
A location in Florida - Let's Cheer the Lowly Possum
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There's a dedicate Florida that created a twelve-foot-superior monument throughout town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would any one wish to perform that?
Well, to begin with, heroes are really hard to acquire with this particular place in position Florida - the Panhandle funds of scotland - Wausau, home of fewer than 500 people through Washington County about 10 miles south of Chipley.
Why don't you the possum, an not likely hero as you'd assume? Nobody else places the possum which has a pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Next, in 1982, Wausau acquired Ill and tired with becoming neglected with the Florida lists of fun, fairs and festivals. Just about every place set up Florida demands a Pageant. And not 1 area in Florida incorporates a Possum Pageant. Why don't you Wausau?
If you have not attended Washington County, you probably will Imagine I'm building this up. Should you have absent to Washington County, you can expect to realize - and know It's really a genuine story.
Wausau, it wound up, experienced some fairly highly effective possum politicians from the early '80s. Allow me to share some things they achieved:
They persuaded the more info Florida Legislature to proclaim the pretty very first Saturday in August as Possum Working day in Florida. That led to the constructing from your monument along Condition Highway seventy seven in Wausau.
They even bought America Congress in selling the possum. Congress joined the enjoyable by providing the money for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau might need an area to help keep its yearly Enjoyment Day and Possum Pageant. Featuring a queen contest and possum auction, amid other points, the festival draws in Lots of individuals each and every year, and so they like it.
Outing for just a number of educating of Northerners in this article. The South's possum would be the identical lowly animal you call opossum, (Why use 7 letters when six can do?) It is a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and shows its hideous system only during the night. This is exactly why, when you are In the appropriate location in Florida, you'll be able to hear possum hunters' dogs baying and barking. Treed by dogs, the possum 'freezes', thus it can be easy enough seize (or shoot) one particular.
An inscription with the monument in the course of Wausau cites the possum's job in providing 'both fur and foodstuff' all through the generations. It goes on to say: 'Their existence here has delivered an origin of nutritious and flavorful food in ordinary situations and has been An important support to human survival throughout occasions of distress and important want.'
Giggle if you like. The people of Wausau will chortle alongside - even though downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.