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About Cottage Grove sentinel. (Cottage Grove, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 1, 2018)
COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL • AUGUST 1, 2018 • It was 'Chili' in The Grove A 5 Pet tips ‘N’ tales By Mary Ellen “Angel Scribe” ‘Fast’ food to crow about C PHOTOS BY GREG LEE rows circle above Glen’s SUV, loudly cawing as they escort him to the pond. A huge black cloud of them quickly join the excited group. Th ey perch on his sun roof and the cars parked next to him. One crazy crow, Mini-Cooper, sits on his side mirror crowing, demanding breakfast. For decades, Glen has driven to the pond to feed “his” birds healthy, organic seed. He knows that birds consuming well-meaning people’s junk food and bread is deadly for the birds and their babies. “Last week something exceptional happened,” laughed Glen. “As routine, I left my two dogs in the car, lift ed the hatch back gate, scooped seed out of the 21/2-foot deep bucket, and tossed it to the water fowl.” He then drove home, parked in the garage, put the dogs in the house and remembered he needed groceries. Back to the car he went and drove to the mall. As soon as he turned the car off he heard an alarming swishing noise. “I was confused. My radio was off ,” said Glenn. Th en he saw a freeloading Cooper “IN” his car! Th e large black bird had ridden, unseen, in the fast lane home and then to the mall nestled down in the half empty bucket with his head happily buried in seed. He’d been joyfully stuffi ng his little feathery head. Cracked corn dust shrouded his head like a white hood. Glen’s dogs weren‘t aware of Cooper be-caws he was quietly taking advantage of the situa-tion eating “fast” food as they sped home. Finally full, Cooper jumped up onto the vehicle’s back seat. “I couldn‘t let this stuff ed bird fl y free, miles as the crow fl ies, back to the pond,” admitted Glen. “So, I drove him back. It was the craziest ride. He sat on the seat’s rim, crowing to the radio’s rhythm. It was as if he had been riding in cars his Pet Cremation Dignifi ed Options for Our Faithful Friends At Smith Lund Mills we believe that pets are an important member of any family. When a pet dies it can be very diffi cult time for everybody involved. We understand the feelings of losing a pet and our professional, caring staff will be ready to assist you during this time of loss. Cooper loves peanuts and car rides O (541) 942-0185 123 S. 7th St., Cottage Grove Visit smithlundmills.com for more information. 6 -day weather forecast THURSDAY FRIDAY 80° | 51° 81° | 51° Mostly Sunny Mostly Sunny SATURDAY SUNDAY 83° | 52° 81° | 54° n Saturday, July 28, nine contestants fought it out for $100 and bragging rights during the Cottage Grove Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual chili cook-off contest. A panel of community judges made the choice while attendees also got to sample the diff erent recipes just a block away from the Rock, Roll and Rumble classic car show as temperatures soared into the 90s. Blazing Saddles was awarded fi rst place in the people’s choice contest while Grill and Chill took home fi rst place from the judges. Transmissions Plus & AUTOMOTIVE SPECIALTIES PRACTICING THE ART OF TRANSMISSION REPAIR SERVICE SINCE 1991 Partly Cloudy Mostly Sunny MONDAY TUESDAY 80° | 54° 74° | 53° Mostly Sunny Mostly sunny Manual & Automatic Transmission Repair Tune ups 30-60-90K Services Brakes, belts, hoses and cooling system services Muffl ers & Custom Exhaust All makes and models. MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE AFFORDABLY When you need insurance, you need people too. Call today (541) 942-0555. WE LIVE IN THE SAME TOWN WE WORK IN “WE MAKE SHIFT HAPPEN!” www.automotivespecialties.biz PayneWest.com/Cottage-Grove DUSTIN TULLAR & RUSS OWENS 541-942-8022 • COTTAGE GROVE entire life, and he acted like I was his Uber driver!” At the pond, I opened the door, and he just sat there crow- ing at me. He was like my dogs. He loved car rides and did not want to get out. Finally frustrated, I said,“Times up! Free ride is over!” He fl ew out and hopped up on the vehicle’s roof cawing. Usually, when I arrive at the pond, Cooper hops on the SUV’s roof forcing me to slow down. How does he know my vehicle? Hundreds of white SUV's visit the park. On my drive out of the park, this crazy bird escorts me by sitting proudly, like a Jaguar ornament, on the car's hood. “People stare and laugh,” said Glen. “Cooper rides this way for half a mile before returning to the pond, probably wait- ing for another sucker. Crows live to be 50 years old, so he is going to outlive me. I worry about that and on the days I can't go be-caws of illness. I feel guilty if he is waiting, watch- ing and scanning all the white SUVs for his breakfast. I never thought that a bird would make me feel guilty — or ride in my vehicle!” Alaskan Tips ‘n’ Tales reader Charlie adds, “Crows recog- nize people’s faces and cars. Th ere is another green RAV4 like mine here in town. Once, the fl ock of crows that I feed regu- larly freaked out the mechanic while he was test driving my car.” TIPS: Debbie at Old Mill Farm store advises, “Don‘t feed birds processed human food! Most are full of sugar and chemicals foreign to ducks’ digestive systems. Bread dough has plasti- cizers and preservatives. Moldy products and sugars harm birds. Birds who eat bread/chips/popcorn have disfi gured babies with an incurable debilitating dis-ease, ending in an early death be-caws they are rendered fl ightless with useless ‘Angel Wings.’ Feed and bird stores sell inexpensive nutritious grains for birds. Treat them to this and help keep our precious wild fowl healthy. “Tired of snails in your yard? Use an upside-down pot to capture them and feed them to the ducks. Ducks love slugs, chickweed, shredded carrots and dark green lettuce (not ice- berg).” (Share your fun, amazing or crazing pet tips and tales at an- gelscribe@msn.com or Follow Pet Tips ‘n’ Tales on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PetTipsandTales. Adopt loving pets online at www.PetFinder.com. For spay or neutering, call the Humane So- ciety at 541-942-2789.)
