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 is a devote Florida that built a twelve-foot-substantial monument in the center of city to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would any person would like to do that?
Nicely, to get started on, heroes are tough to have using this type of spend Florida - the Panhandle city of Wausau, home of much less than 500 folks throughout Washington County about 10 miles south of Chipley.
Why don't you the possum, an unlikely hero to state the least? No person else puts the possum within the pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Next, back again 1982, Wausau acquired Ill and tired with staying overlooked of your Florida lists of enjoyable, fairs and festivals. Just about every location in Florida requires a festival. And never just one commit Florida features a Possum Competition. Why don't you Wausau?
If you haven't visited Washington County, you almost certainly will think I am creating this up. In case you have long gone to Washington County, you can understand - and know This can be the accurate Tale.
Wausau, it wound up, had some pretty strong possum politicians in the course of the early '80s. Here are a set of matters they achieved:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the quite first Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led into the constructing from the monument together Point out Highway seventy seven in Wausau.
They even got the United States Congress to market the possum. Congress joined the fun by providing the cash for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau might have a place to maintain its yearly Enjoyable Working day and Possum Competition. That includes a queen contest and possum auction, among other points, the Pageant attracts Countless folks Each and every and each year, and so they find it irresistible.
Day trip for plenty of educating of Northerners below. The South's possum is equivalent website lowly animal you simply call opossum, (Why use seven letters when six will execute?) It is a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and demonstrates its ugly system only at nighttime. This is why, when you are inside the suitable position in Florida, you could hear possum hunters' puppies baying and barking. Treed by canines, the possum 'freezes', so it is quick capture (or shoot) one particular.
An inscription over the monument through Wausau cites the possum's job in delivering 'both equally fur and meals' through the full centuries. It goes on to say: 'Their presence below has supplied a source of nutritious and flavorful food stuff in regular instances and includes been a crucial help to human survival a great deal more distress and important will need.'
Snicker if you prefer. The men and women of Wausau will chuckle in addition to you - even though downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.