There is a position in Florida that built a 12-foot-significant monument in the middle of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would any individual really need to do that?
Nicely, to get started on, heroes choose effort and time to analysis inside this location in Florida - the Panhandle city of Wausau, home of underneath 500 persons in the heart of Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why don't you the possum, an unlikely hero to say the minimum? Nobody else places the possum on a pedestal. Why don't you Wausau?
Next, in 1982, Wausau bought fed up with becoming neglected of the Florida lists of pleasurable, fairs and festivals. Just about every spend Florida needs a Competition. Rather than 1 dedicate Florida features a Possum Pageant. Why don't you Wausau?
If you haven't gone to Washington County, you almost certainly will Believe I'm generating this up. For those who have been to Washington County, you'll comprehend - and know this is a true Tale.
Wausau, it turned out, experienced some really impressive possum politicians in the early '80s. Here's two matters they completed:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the extremely initial Saturday in August as Possum Working day in Florida. That led on the constructing of the monument together Condition Highway 77 in Wausau.
They even obtained the United States Congress in endorsing the possum. Congress joined the entertaining by giving the resources for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau would have a place to carry its yearly Fun Day and Possum Competition. That includes a queen contest and possum auction, among other issues, the festival attracts plenty of individuals each year, in addition they like it.
Day trip for many educating of Northerners in this article. The South's possum is analogous lowly animal you call opossum, (Why use seven letters when 6 can do?) It is a smallish marsupial that life in trees and shows its unappealing entire body only at nighttime. That's why, when you are within appropriate devote Florida, you could hear possum hunters' dogs baying and barking. Treed by dogs, the possum 'freezes', so It can be easy enough to lure (or shoot) one particular.
An inscription concerning the monument in the heart of Wausau cites the possum's position in giving 'equally fur and food' throughout the hundreds of years. It goes on to check here say: 'Their presence here has furnished a resource of nutritious and flavorful foods in regular instances and it has been a significant aid to human survival when in distress and important need to have.'
Chortle in the event you'd prefer. The people today of Wausau will chortle along with you - when downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.