Av and I used to have a…well…’pet’ possum. Before one of the hurricanes took our peach tree, “Jeeves” would come almost every night in the spring and summer and feast on whatever fruit was to his liking. At other times of the year, he would visit the backyard, snooping around for who knows what:
At one of our themed parties, we recognized Jeeves in cupcake (red velvet, of course!):
Back in April when we were on vacation, we drove through Wausau, Florida where they have erected a monument to the possum:
Kudzu, brought to this country from Asia as an ornamental, was developed near here in the early part of the Twentieth Century and given to the world as a soil-saving, high-protein forage plant by Mr. and Mrs. C.E. Pleas. The fast-growing, deep-rooted leguminous vine has been widely grown in the United States as a drought-resisting, erosion-controlling plant that compares with alfalfa in pasture and hay-making values.
In the nearby cemetery are Mr. and Mrs. C.E. Pleas, with ‘Kudzu Pioneers’ on their shared monument, and each of them have a bit about their role in popularizing kudzu on each of their stones:
More about them here.