A Place in Florida - Let us Cheer the Lowly Possum
A Place in Florida - Let us Cheer the Lowly Possum
Blog Article
There is a position in Florida that created a twelve-foot-significant monument in the middle of city to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would any one wish to accomplish that?
Properly, to get started with, heroes just take time and effort to return by inside of this dedicate Florida - the Panhandle money of scotland- Wausau, house of less than five hundred individuals in the heart of Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why don't you the possum, an not likely hero to state the minimum? No person else places the possum on a pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Secondly, back again in 1982, Wausau got Weary of becoming overlooked from the Florida lists of pleasurable, fairs and festivals. Every location in Florida desires a festival. And never 1 invest Florida contains a Possum Festival. Why not Wausau?
If you haven't been to Washington County, you almost certainly will Consider I am generating this up. Should you have attended Washington County, you may understand - and know It is just a accurate story.
Wausau, it turned out, experienced some really effective possum politicians from the early '80s. Listed below are certain things they accomplished:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the Original Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led towards the building of your monument along Condition Freeway seventy seven in Wausau.
They even obtained The us Congress in advertising and marketing the possum. Congress joined the entertaining as a result of delivering the resources for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau might have a spot to hold its yearly Enjoyment Working day and Possum Pageant. That includes a queen contest and possum auction, between other points, the Competition draws in Many of us every year, and so that they like it.
Day trip for just a couple educating of Northerners in this article. The South's possum may be the identical lowly animal you simply call opossum, (Why use seven letters when six will probably do?) It's a smallish marsupial that life in trees and reveals its ugly system only at nighttime. That is why, In case you are from the suitable place in Florida, you are able to listen to possum hunters' canines baying and barking. Treed by dogs, the possum 'freezes', so it is straightforward to capture (or shoot) one.
An inscription across the monument in the course of Wausau cites the possum's role in supplying 'each fur and foods' during the entire more info centuries. It goes on say: 'Their existence right here has supplied an origin of nutritious and flavorful food stuff in normal times and it has been a crucial support to human survival in periods of distress and important will need.'
Chuckle if you prefer. The folks of Wausau will chortle along with you - though downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.