There's a place set up Florida that built a 12-foot-high monument in the middle of city to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would anybody want to perform that?
Properly, to start out, heroes are hard to find within this invest Florida - the Panhandle money of scotland- Wausau, home of much less than five hundred individuals in the middle of Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why don't you the possum, an unlikely hero to say the least? No one else places the possum by using a pedestal. Why don't you Wausau?
Secondly, again 1982, Wausau bought fed up with remaining overlooked with the Florida lists of exciting, fairs and festivals. Each individual put in place Florida requirements a festival. And not 1 make investments Florida incorporates a Possum Competition. Why not Wausau?
If you haven't attended Washington County, you most likely will Believe I am producing this up. Should you have gone to Washington County, you'll recognize - and know This is actually the genuine Tale.
Wausau, it turned out, experienced some pretty effective possum politicians over the early '80s. Here are some things they achieved:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the primary Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led towards the creating Using the monument together Condition Freeway 77 in Wausau.
They even bought The usa Congress to marketplace the possum. Congress check here joined the pleasurable as a result of supplying the resources for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau could have a place to assist its annual Pleasurable Working day and Possum Festival. That includes a queen contest and possum auction, among the other factors, the festival attracts thousands of men and women on a yearly basis, they usually adore it.
Day out for many educating of Northerners in this article. The South's possum is comparable lowly animal you phone opossum, (Why use 7 letters when six can do?) It's a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and reveals its unpleasant overall body only at nighttime. That's why, If you're In the proper position in Florida, it is possible to listen to possum hunters' pet dogs baying and barking. Treed by dogs, the possum 'freezes', so It is effortless seize (or shoot) a person.
An inscription round the monument in the midst of Wausau cites the possum's function in offering 'both fur and food stuff' all through the generations. It goes on say: 'Their existence right here has delivered a source of nutritious and flavorful food items in normal occasions and possesses been an essential help to human survival way more distress and important will need.'
Laugh if you like. The people today of Wausau will chuckle along with you - even though downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.