There's a set in place Florida that designed a twelve-foot-substantial monument in the guts of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would anyone wish to do that?
Properly, to start with, heroes are difficult to exploration with this set in position Florida - the Panhandle town of Wausau, house of much less than 500 folks in the middle of Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why don't you the possum, an unlikely hero as you'd probably anticipate? No person else places the possum around the pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Secondly, back again in 1982, Wausau got Weary of getting left out in the Florida lists of entertaining, fairs and festivals. Each individual commit Florida needs a festival. And never a single spot in Florida carries a Possum Competition. Why not Wausau?
If you have not visited Washington County, you most likely will Feel I am generating this up. If you have attended Washington County, you'll have an understanding of - and know This may be a correct Tale.
Wausau, it ended up, had some pretty strong possum politicians inside the early '80s. Allow me to share a set of matters they attained:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the quite to start with Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led for the developing Along with the monument alongside State Freeway 77 in Wausau.
They even got The usa Congress to publicize the possum. Congress joined the exciting by the money for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau might have a location to carry its yearly Pleasurable Working day and Possum Competition. That includes a queen contest read more and possum auction, between other issues, the festival attracts loads of people Every and each year, plus they adore it.
Outing for a lot of educating of Northerners listed here. The South's possum is similar lowly animal you call opossum, (Why use seven letters when six will do?) It's a smallish marsupial that life in trees and reveals its unpleasant system only during the night. That is why, When you are within proper area in Florida, you can listen to possum hunters' puppies baying and barking. Treed by puppies, the possum 'freezes', as a result it really is not so difficult capture (or shoot) one.
An inscription about the monument in the center of Wausau cites the possum's job in offering 'both equally fur and food' during the complete centuries. It goes on say: 'Their existence listed here has furnished an origin of nutritious and flavorful foods in typical instances and possesses been a big support to human survival when in distress and significant require.'
Chortle If you need. The folks of Wausau will chortle together with you - even though downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.