There is a dedicate Florida that developed a 12-foot-high monument in the middle of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would anyone wish to do that?
Well, to start with, heroes get time and effort to get within just this commit Florida - the Panhandle town of Wausau, house of underneath five hundred folks during Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why don't you the possum, an unlikely hero as you'd probably count on? No person else puts the possum on a pedestal. Why don't you Wausau?
Secondly, previous 1982, Wausau acquired Unwell and Weary of remaining neglected through the Florida lists of fun, fairs and festivals. Each spot in Florida requires a Competition. And never 1 dedicate Florida includes a Possum Festival. Why not Wausau?
If you have by no means long gone to Washington County, you probably will Imagine I'm creating this up. When you have attended Washington County, you'll fully grasp - and know this can be a true story.
Wausau, it proved, experienced some pretty effective possum politicians in early '80s. Here's some things they attained:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the pretty to start with Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led into the making With all the monument alongside Point out Highway 77 in Wausau.
They even bought The us Congress to here market the possum. Congress joined the enjoyable by way of providing the money for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau might have a spot to carry its once-a-year Enjoyment Working day and Possum Competition. That includes a queen contest and possum auction, between other matters, the Competition draws in Many individuals yearly, and so that they adore it.
Day out For a lot of educating of Northerners in this article. The South's possum is analogous lowly animal you phone opossum, (Why use seven letters when six will conduct?) It is a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and reveals its unattractive body only during the night. This is exactly why, when you are throughout the right dedicate Florida, you may listen to possum hunters' canine baying and barking. Treed by canine, the possum 'freezes', so Will probably be quick to capture (or shoot) one particular.
An inscription about the monument in the center of Wausau cites the possum's position in offering 'both fur and food items' throughout the entire hundreds of years. It goes to say: 'Their presence listed here has delivered an origin of nutritious and flavorful food stuff in typical periods and includes been a substantial assist to human survival when in distress and critical want.'
Giggle If you need. The people today of Wausau will snicker in conjunction with you - whilst downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.