There is a dedicate Florida that built a twelve-foot-significant monument in the center of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would anyone wish to do that?
Properly, to start with, heroes are tricky to investigation in just this set set up Florida - the Panhandle capital of scotland - Wausau, dwelling of underneath five hundred folks in the center of Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an not likely hero to mention the least? No one else puts the possum above a pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Next, last 1982, Wausau got fed up with getting neglected With all the Florida lists of enjoyable, fairs and festivals. Every put in position Florida wants a Pageant. Instead of one particular put in place Florida contains a Possum Competition. Why don't you Wausau?
If you've never ever frequented Washington County, you probably will Assume I am So, creating this up. When you've got been to Washington County, you'll realize - and know this is the genuine Tale.
Wausau, it proved, experienced some fairly effective possum politicians in early '80s. Here i will discuss a pair of things they achieved:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the get more info 1st Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led towards the setting up within the monument alongside Point out Highway 77 in Wausau.
They even got The usa Congress in endorsing the possum. Congress joined the exciting by the cash for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau could have an area to carry its annual Exciting Day and Possum Pageant. Featuring a queen contest and possum auction, amid other factors, the Pageant draws in Countless people today Just about every and annually, additionally they locate it irresistible.
Time out For a lot of educating of Northerners here. The South's possum is the similar lowly animal you call opossum, (Why use seven letters when six will probably do?) It is a smallish marsupial that life in trees and shows its hideous body only at nighttime. This is exactly why, if you're inside appropriate commit Florida, you may hear possum hunters' canine baying and barking. Treed by canine, the possum 'freezes', so it is straightforward adequate to hook (or shoot) a single.
An inscription around the monument in the guts of Wausau cites the possum's position in providing 'both equally fur and foodstuff' throughout the entire hundreds of years. It goes onto say: 'Their existence in this article has supplied a useful resource of nutritious and flavorful food stuff in regular moments and it has been An important aid to human survival far more distress and critical require.'
Laugh if you like. The folks of Wausau will laugh together with you - although downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.