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's a place set up Florida that crafted a 12-foot-high monument in the center of city to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would anybody desire to perform that?
Well, to get started on, heroes consider time and effort to exploration Within this area in Florida - the Panhandle town of Wausau, house of fewer than 500 folks in the midst of Washington County about 10 miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an unlikely hero as you'll count on? No one else places the possum about the pedestal. Why don't you Wausau?
Secondly, in 1982, Wausau bought Bored with being disregarded from the Florida lists of enjoyable, fairs and festivals. Just about every set set up Florida needs a Competition. Rather than one particular commit Florida includes a Possum Festival. Why don't you Wausau?
If you have never absent to Washington County, you probably will think I'm developing this up. If you have frequented Washington County, you'll realize - and know this is a correct story.
Wausau, it wound up, experienced some pretty effective possum politicians in early '80s. Here are some things they completed:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the initial Saturday in August as Possum Working day in Florida. That led on the making of your monument alongside Point out Highway seventy seven in Wausau.
They even received America Congress in advertising the possum. Congress joined the fun by the resources for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau might have a place to keep its yearly Pleasurable Working day and Possum Pageant. Showcasing a queen contest and possum auction, among the other things, the festival appeals to Lots of people annually, and Additionally they love it.
Trip For a lot of educating of Northerners right here. The South's possum will be the similar lowly animal you call opossum, more info (Why use seven letters when six will do?) It's a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and exhibits its unattractive entire body only in the evening. This is why, if you are In the ideal devote Florida, you could listen to possum hunters' canines baying and barking. Treed by pet dogs, the possum 'freezes', so Will probably be not complicated to catch (or shoot) one particular.
An inscription within the monument all through Wausau cites the possum's function in delivering 'both of those fur and foods' through the complete generations. It goes to say: 'Their presence right here has presented a resource of nutritious and flavorful meals in regular occasions and consists of been a big enable to human survival when in distress and significant want.'
Snicker If you prefer. The men and women of Wausau will snicker along with you - though downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.