There's a put in position Florida that developed a 12-foot-higher monument in the course of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would anybody must do that?
Properly, to begin with, heroes get time and effort to seek out on this location in Florida - the Panhandle town of Wausau, property of underneath 500 people in the center of Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why don't you the possum, an not likely hero to mention the minimum? No one else puts the possum within the pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Secondly, very last 1982, Wausau got fed up with currently being ignored while in the Florida lists of pleasurable, fairs and festivals. Each individual place in Florida demands a festival. Rather than one particular spend Florida carries a Possum Festival. Why not Wausau?
If you've got never ever frequented Washington County, you probably will Assume I am developing this up. Should you have attended Washington County, you'll recognize - and know Here is the real Tale.
Wausau, it proved, experienced some fairly effective possum politicians from the early '80s. Allow me to share a couple of matters they accomplished:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the extremely initial Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led for the constructing through the monument along Condition Freeway 77 in Wausau.
They even obtained the United States Congress to publicize the possum. Congress joined the enjoyment by supplying the funds for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau may need a location to aid its yearly Exciting Working day and Possum Pageant. That website includes a queen contest and possum auction, amid other points, the Pageant attracts Lots of individuals annually, and in order that they like it.
Time out for lots of educating of Northerners in this article. The South's possum is definitely the identical lowly animal you phone opossum, (Why use 7 letters when six can perform?) It's a smallish marsupial that life in trees and shows its unpleasant system only at night. That's why, when you find yourself inside of ideal dedicate Florida, it is possible to hear possum hunters' pet dogs baying and barking. Treed by canine, the possum 'freezes', so It will probably be not so tricky to hook (or shoot) just one.
An inscription round the monument in the guts of Wausau cites the possum's job in supplying 'equally fur and food stuff' throughout the hundreds of years. It goes on say: 'Their presence right here has offered a source of nutritious and flavorful food items in usual periods and it's got been a vital support to human survival when in distress and critical will need.'
Chuckle for those who'd choose. The people of Wausau will giggle along - although downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.