A spot in Florida - Let's Cheer the Lowly Possum
A spot in Florida - Let's Cheer the Lowly Possum
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There is a devote Florida that built a 12-foot-large monument throughout city to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would everyone want to do that?
Perfectly, to get started on, heroes are hard to locate within this commit Florida - the Panhandle town of Wausau, house of below five hundred people in the midst of Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an not likely hero To place it mildly? No person else places the possum more than a pedestal. Why don't you Wausau?
Next, final 1982, Wausau acquired sick and tired with currently being left out Together with the Florida lists of fun, fairs and festivals. Each and every dedicate Florida needs a Competition. And never a single devote Florida carries a Possum Competition. Why don't you Wausau?
If you have in no way attended Washington County, you probably will think I'm Hence, generating this up. When you have gone to Washington County, you will recognize - and know this can be a genuine story.
Wausau, it proved, had some really impressive possum politicians in early '80s. Here's a couple of things they attained:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the 1st Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led towards the building within the monument along State Highway 77 in Wausau.
They even obtained The us Congress to advertise the possum. Congress joined the pleasurable by the resources for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau can have a location to keep its annual Enjoyment Working day and Possum Festival. Showcasing a queen contest and possum auction, amid other points, the Pageant attracts 1000s of folks every year, they usually adore it.
Day trip for the handful of educating of Northerners here. The South's possum would be the equivalent lowly animal you contact opossum, (Why use 7 letters when six will do?) It's a smallish marsupial that life in trees and displays its unappealing entire body only during the night. That is why, once you find yourself during the proper dedicate Florida, you could hear possum hunters' canines baying and barking. Treed by canine, the possum 'freezes', hence it's not so difficult to hook (or shoot) a person.
An inscription for that monument in the middle of Wausau cites the possum's position in furnishing 'both fur and foods' through the total generations. It goes to say: more info 'Their existence here has provided a source of nutritious and flavorful foodstuff in typical times and it has been an important help to human survival in the course of situations of distress and significant have to have.'
Giggle in case you'd like. The people today of Wausau will chortle along with you - though downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.