There is a location in Florida that constructed a twelve-foot-high monument in the heart of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would any one would like to perform that?
Properly, to start, heroes are hard for getting on this commit Florida - the Panhandle funds of scotland- Wausau, home of under 500 folks for the duration of Washington County about 10 miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an not likely hero understandably? No person else puts the possum that has a pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Secondly, final 1982, Wausau acquired Unwell and exhausted with currently being ignored Using the Florida lists of exciting, fairs and festivals. Each commit Florida demands a festival. And never just one place set up Florida carries a Possum Competition. Why not Wausau?
If you have not been to Washington County, you probably will Believe I'm making this up. In case you have gone to Washington County, you may recognize - and know this can be a legitimate Tale.
Wausau, it proved, had some really potent possum politicians in the early '80s. Listed here are two or three things they achieved:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the primary Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led for the constructing While using the monument along Condition Freeway seventy seven in Wausau.
They even obtained The us Congress to market the possum. Congress joined the enjoyment by the money for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau could have a location to carry its annual Enjoyment Day and Possum Competition. Featuring a queen contest and possum auction, between other factors, the Pageant draws in tons of folks Every and every year, moreover they adore it.
Day out for many educating of Northerners in this article. The South's possum is identical lowly animal you simply call opossum, (Why use 7 letters when 6 will execute?) It's a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and exhibits its hideous system only during the night. That is why, when you're throughout the appropriate devote Florida, you could hear possum hunters' dogs baying and barking. Treed by pet dogs, the possum 'freezes', so It will likely be effortless to capture (or shoot) one particular.
An inscription on the monument in the center of Wausau cites the possum's purpose in supplying 'equally fur and food items' with the total hundreds of years. It goes to say: 'Their existence below has click here furnished a resource of nutritious and flavorful food in normal situations and incorporates been a substantial assistance to human survival when in distress and important need to have.'
Laugh If you prefer. The men and women of Wausau will snicker with you - even though downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.