There's a area in Florida that created a twelve-foot-substantial monument in the course of city to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would everyone want to accomplish that?
Well, to begin, heroes are really hard to find on this devote Florida - the Panhandle metropolis of Wausau, home of less than five hundred persons during Washington County about 10 miles south of Chipley.
Why don't you the possum, an unlikely hero understandably? Nobody else places the possum using a pedestal. Why don't you Wausau?
Secondly, back 1982, Wausau obtained Ill and fatigued with staying overlooked Together with the Florida lists of enjoyable, fairs and festivals. Each individual invest Florida requires a Pageant. And not 1 location in Florida carries a Possum Pageant. Why don't you Wausau?
If you haven't visited Washington County, you probably will think I'm causeing this being up. In case you have been to Washington County, you are going to understand - and know This can be the true Tale.
Wausau, it wound up, experienced some pretty effective possum politicians from the early '80s. Allow me to share certain things they accomplished:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the extremely initial Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led towards the developing from the monument along Point out Freeway 77 in Wausau.
They even obtained The usa Congress to industry the possum. Congress joined the pleasurable by supplying the funds for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau would've a location to carry its yearly Exciting Day and Possum Festival. Featuring a queen contest and possum auction, amongst other items, the festival appeals to A large number of folks per year, and they like it.
Time out for plenty of educating of Northerners below. The South's possum is similar lowly animal you get in more info touch with opossum, (Why use seven letters when six can perform?) It's a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and exhibits its ugly system only in the evening. That is why, any time you end up while in the right devote Florida, you may hear possum hunters' pet dogs baying and barking. Treed by puppies, the possum 'freezes', so it can be easy to hook (or shoot) just one.
An inscription within the monument in the middle of Wausau cites the possum's job in offering 'both of those fur and food' in the hundreds of years. It goes onto say: 'Their existence here has provided a resource of nutritious and flavorful food stuff in ordinary times and it has been an essential aid to human survival when in distress and demanding need.'
Chortle If you need. The men and women of Wausau will snicker with you - while downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.