There's a area in Florida that designed a 12-foot-high monument in the middle of city to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would any person may like to do that?
Very well, to begin with, heroes are tough for getting on this set in place Florida - the Panhandle cash of scotland - Wausau, property of below five hundred folks in the center of Washington County about 10 miles south of Chipley.
Why don't you the possum, an unlikely hero to put it mildly? No person else puts the possum over a pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Secondly, in 1982, Wausau got Unwell and exhausted with getting disregarded with the Florida lists of exciting, fairs and festivals. Every single devote Florida desires a festival. And never just one place in Florida contains a Possum Festival. Why don't you Wausau?
If you haven't attended Washington County, you most likely will Imagine I am producing this up. When you have absent to Washington County, you may understand - and know This is a correct Tale.
Wausau, it turned out, experienced some pretty impressive possum politicians throughout the early '80s. Allow me to share certain things they attained:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the very first Saturday in August as Possum Working day in Florida. That led for the making inside the monument together State Highway seventy seven in Wausau.
They even bought The usa Congress to market the possum. Congress read more joined the pleasurable by offering the cash for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau could have an area to help keep its annual Fun Working day and Possum Festival. Showcasing a queen contest and possum auction, among other issues, the festival draws in Countless people today yearly, they usually locate it irresistible.
Day out for some educating of Northerners below. The South's possum is analogous lowly animal you call opossum, (Why use 7 letters when six will do?) It is a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and shows its ugly body only at night. This is exactly why, if you end up inside the correct invest Florida, you could listen to possum hunters' dogs baying and barking. Treed by puppies, the possum 'freezes', so Will probably be not so tough to capture (or shoot) 1.
An inscription across the monument throughout Wausau cites the possum's purpose in supplying 'both fur and foodstuff' over the overall generations. It goes on to say: 'Their existence below has supplied a useful resource of nutritious and flavorful food in regular occasions and it's been an important assist to human survival a great deal more distress and significant need to have.'
Snicker if you want. The persons of Wausau will laugh along with you - though downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.