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 area in Florida that designed a twelve-foot-large monument for the duration of city to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would any person should do that?
Perfectly, very first off, heroes are tough to uncover in just this devote Florida - the Panhandle funds of scotland - Wausau, household of below five hundred folks in the center of Washington County about 10 miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an not likely hero To place it mildly? Nobody else puts the possum in excess of a pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Secondly, in 1982, Wausau got fed up with currently being ignored of the Florida lists of fun, fairs and festivals. Each and every area in Florida desires a Competition. And never a single invest Florida includes a Possum Pageant. Why don't you Wausau?
If you've hardly ever gone to Washington County, you most likely will Believe I'm making this up. For those who have been to Washington County, you will fully grasp - and know this can be a correct story.
Wausau, it proved, experienced some pretty effective possum politicians in the early '80s. Listed here are two items they website achieved:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the Original Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led towards the building with the monument alongside Point out Highway 77 in Wausau.
They even obtained The us Congress in advertising the possum. Congress joined the pleasurable by offering the resources for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau might have an area to hold its yearly Enjoyment Working day and Possum Pageant. Featuring a queen contest and possum auction, amongst other issues, the festival appeals to many people each year, and in order that they adore it.
Day out For a lot of educating of Northerners in this article. The South's possum is comparable lowly animal you simply call opossum, (Why use 7 letters when 6 will carry out?) It's a smallish marsupial that life in trees and shows its unpleasant overall body only during the night time. That's why, when you're throughout the correct commit Florida, you could hear possum hunters' dogs baying and barking. Treed by canine, the possum 'freezes', so it truly is straightforward to capture (or shoot) one particular.
An inscription within the monument in the center of Wausau cites the possum's position in furnishing 'each fur and foods' in the entire centuries. It goes on to say: 'Their presence right here has offered a useful resource of nutritious and flavorful food items in usual periods and it's got been An important aid to human survival in occasions of distress and important want.'
Snicker if you like. The folks of Wausau will chortle along with you - although downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.