There's a position in Florida that created a twelve-foot-higher monument in the center of city to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would any person would like to perform that?
Very well, to get started with, heroes are challenging to analysis within just this invest Florida - the Panhandle town of Wausau, house of fewer than 500 folks in the guts of Washington County about 10 miles south of Chipley.
Why don't you the possum, an unlikely hero as you would probably assume? No one else places the possum around a pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Secondly, very last 1982, Wausau received fed up with getting left out Along with the Florida lists of pleasurable, fairs and festivals. Each place in position Florida requires a Pageant. Rather than a person devote Florida features a Possum Festival. Why not Wausau?
If you haven't attended Washington County, you probably will Feel I'm generating this up. In case you have frequented Washington County, you'll comprehend - and know This may be a genuine story.
Wausau, it ended up, experienced some rather strong possum politicians through the early '80s. Listed below are some things they accomplished:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the first Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led to the setting up on the monument together State Highway seventy seven in Wausau.
They even received The usa Congress to promote the possum. Congress joined the fun by supplying the resources for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau may need a area to help keep its once-a-year Enjoyable Day and Possum Festival. That includes a queen contest and possum auction, amid other points, the Competition appeals to loads of folks each and every year, moreover they like it.
Day out for many educating of Northerners below. The South's possum is identical lowly animal you call opossum, (Why use 7 letters when six will do?) It is a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and reveals its hideous physique only during the night time. This is exactly why, when you're within ideal set in place Florida, you may listen to possum hunters' canines baying and barking. Treed by canine, the possum 'freezes', so it truly is very simple sufficient to catch (or shoot) 1.
An inscription about the monument in the center of Wausau cites the possum's purpose in furnishing 'both of those fur and food' through the complete centuries. It goes to say: 'Their existence listed here has presented a source of nutritious and flavorful food stuff in ordinary periods and has been a crucial aid to human survival in times of distress and critical will need.'
Giggle if you read more like. The people of Wausau will giggle along with you - when downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.