A Place in Florida - Let's Cheer the Lowly Possum
A Place in Florida - Let's Cheer the Lowly Possum
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There is a set in place Florida that designed a twelve-foot-higher monument in the course of city to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would anyone desire to perform that?
Properly, to begin with, heroes take time and effort to obtain on this set in position Florida - the Panhandle cash of scotland- Wausau, property of fewer than 500 people in the midst of Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an not likely hero to state the least? No person else puts the possum over a pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Secondly, again in 1982, Wausau got Weary of being omitted through the Florida lists of entertaining, fairs and festivals. Each individual spot in Florida desires a Pageant. And never just one place in Florida carries a Possum Competition. Why don't you Wausau?
If you have not visited Washington County, you most likely will Consider I am building this up. When you have absent to Washington County, you are going to fully grasp - and know this can be a correct Tale.
Wausau, it turned out, experienced some really impressive possum politicians noisy . '80s. Listed here are two things they accomplished:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the initial Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led to your developing in the monument along Condition Highway 77 in Wausau.
They read more even obtained America Congress to industry the possum. Congress joined the fun by the resources for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau might have a site to help keep its annual Fun Working day and Possum Pageant. Featuring a queen contest and possum auction, among other things, the Competition draws in plenty of people each year, and In addition they like it.
Outing for many educating of Northerners below. The South's possum is the same lowly animal you simply call opossum, (Why use 7 letters when 6 will do?) It is a smallish marsupial that life in trees and shows its hideous system only during the night. That is why, In case you are inside of ideal set in position Florida, you may hear possum hunters' puppies baying and barking. Treed by canines, the possum 'freezes', so it truly is simple to entice (or shoot) 1.
An inscription around the monument in the course of Wausau cites the possum's position in furnishing 'the two fur and food' through the entire hundreds of years. It goes on to say: 'Their existence right here has furnished a source of nutritious and flavorful food items in ordinary instances and it has been a crucial assist to human survival a great deal more distress and significant need to have.'
Chuckle if you'd prefer. The folks of Wausau will chuckle with you - though downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.