A Place in Florida - Let's Cheer the Lowly Possum
A Place in Florida - Let's Cheer the Lowly Possum
Blog Article
There's a devote Florida that built a twelve-foot-significant monument in the guts of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would any person wish to perform that?
Perfectly, to begin, heroes are complicated to investigation with this particular place in Florida - the Panhandle city of Wausau, home of much less than five hundred individuals in the center of Washington County about 10 miles south of Chipley.
Why don't you the possum, an not likely hero to put it mildly? No person else puts the possum to the pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Next, last 1982, Wausau bought sick and fatigued with getting ignored Along with the Florida lists of enjoyable, fairs and festivals. Each and every devote Florida demands a festival. And not one set in place Florida carries a Possum Competition. Why not Wausau?
If you haven't gone to Washington County, you most likely will Feel I'm Therefore, building this up. When you've got gone to Washington County, you can comprehend - and know This may be a correct Tale.
Wausau, it proved, had some rather impressive possum politicians in the course of the early '80s. Here i will discuss a pair of matters they achieved:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the initial Saturday in August as Possum Working day in Florida. That led on the creating with the monument along Condition Freeway seventy seven in Wausau.
They even acquired America Congress to current market the possum. Congress joined the fun by giving the resources for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau might have an area to keep its annual Exciting Day and Possum Festival. Featuring a queen contest and possum auction, among other items, the festival appeals to thousands of individuals on a yearly basis, and In addition they like it.
Outing for some educating of Northerners here. The South's possum may be the similar lowly animal you call opossum, (Why use seven letters when six will conduct?) It is a smallish marsupial that life in trees and reveals its unsightly overall body only at night. That's why, if you find yourself inside correct dedicate Florida, you'll be able to listen to possum hunters' canine baying and barking. Treed by puppies, the possum 'freezes', as a result it's not complicated to trap (or shoot) 1.
An inscription over the more info monument in the center of Wausau cites the possum's role in offering 'both equally fur and food' all through the hundreds of years. It goes on say: 'Their existence below has delivered a resource of nutritious and flavorful foods in typical instances and it's been an essential support to human survival when in distress and critical will need.'
Chuckle If you would like. The people today of Wausau will chuckle together with you - although downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.