There's a put in position Florida that constructed a 12-foot-high monument during town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would everyone would like to perform that?
Very well, initial off, heroes take effort and time to obtain within just this place set up Florida - the Panhandle funds of scotland- Wausau, house of much less than five hundred persons in the center of Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why don't you the possum, an unlikely hero To place it mildly? Nobody else puts the possum on the pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Secondly, in 1982, Wausau bought Sick and tired of becoming neglected from the Florida lists of fun, fairs and festivals. Each and every set in position Florida wants a Pageant. And never just one devote Florida includes a Possum Competition. Why not Wausau?
If you haven't long gone to Washington County, you most likely will think I'm causeing this for being up. If you have visited Washington County, you can comprehend - and know It is just a accurate Tale.
Wausau, it wound up, experienced some really potent possum politicians noisy . '80s. Here are certain things they accomplished:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the first Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led for the constructing in the monument along Condition Freeway seventy seven in Wausau.
They even acquired America Congress to promote the possum. Congress joined the entertaining by supplying the cash for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau could have an area to assistance its annual Enjoyable Working day and Possum Competition. That includes a queen contest and possum auction, between other points, the Pageant appeals to Many individuals Just about every and each year, and so they like it.
Time out for a lot of educating of Northerners right here. The South's possum will here be the equivalent lowly animal you call opossum, (Why use seven letters when 6 will almost certainly do?) It's a smallish marsupial that life in trees and reveals its unsightly system only during the night time. That's why, For anyone who is from the appropriate devote Florida, you are able to listen to possum hunters' puppies baying and barking. Treed by dogs, the possum 'freezes', as a result it is actually not hard capture (or shoot) one particular.
An inscription for the monument in the center of Wausau cites the possum's position in giving 'both equally fur and foods' in the full generations. It goes onto say: 'Their existence here has delivered an origin of nutritious and flavorful food stuff in typical times and includes been A necessary assist to human survival when in distress and significant need to have.'
Laugh If you'd like. The folks of Wausau will chuckle along with you - while downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.