COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 2019 | 5A
Pet Tips
‘n’ Tales
Poetry
in Motion
Oregon Poet Laureate Kim Staff ord came
to London School on Tuesday, April 16.
He said he enjoyed seeing all the stu-
dents’ poems. During his visit, Staff ord
sang, told stories and recited poems. One
London fi rst-grader said, “That was so
good, I had tears in my eye.”
By Mary Ellen
“Angel Scribe”
Murphy’s Home!
Courtesy Photo
LORANE NEWS
By Lil Thompson
for The Sentinel
• Grandparents Tea at Ap-
plegate Elementary is sched-
uled for tomorrow, April
25, beginning at 1 p.m. Stu-
dents have been working
very hard on this and it is al-
ways an exciting event, espe-
cially auctioning the class-
room baskets. There will be
performances by the entire
school. Students have been
working with Artist in Res-
idence Linda Burden-Wil-
liams.
• Come to a “meet and
greet” with Crystal Nevins
who is running for a school
board position. She will be at
Lorane Grange this Friday,
April 26, at 6:30 p.m. Snacks
will be provided. Meet Nev-
ins and get to know who she
is and what her goals are as a
school board candidate. The
Grange is opening this for
the community to be fair to
all.
• Lorane Grange meets
next on Thursday, May
2. Ladies, the men are serv-
ing in honor of Mother’s
Day in May.
• The Grange is still
collecting new socks and
T-shirts for our veter-
ans. Contact any Lorane
granger or stop by on meet-
ing night.
• CAL School Board meet-
ing is this Thursday, April
25, at Applegate Elemen-
tary, beginning at 6 p.m.,
with budget meeting first
in Applegate Elementary.
• Kindergarten Roundup is
May 7, at 3:15 p.m. Come see
the classroom and meet the
teacher. For more informa-
tion, call 641-935-2100.
• Applegate Booster Club
is sponsoring a dinner and
bingo on May 10, beginning
with dinner at 5 p.m. fol-
lowed by bingo at 6 p. m.
SENIOR LIVING
FREE ARBOR DAY EVENT!
Bikes to Blooms
wildfl ower event to
blossom in May
Th e event will be held at
Bake Stewart Park, Row Riv-
er Rd., in Dorena
Discover spring wild-
fl owers in bloom at Bikes to
Blooms on Saturday, May
11, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at
Bake Stewart Park. With a
local expert as a guide, par-
ticipants will explore a rare,
remnant prairie and oak
habitat along Dorena Lake.
Bikes to Blooms is a free,
educational event featuring
activities for families and
nature enthusiasts, includ-
ing a morning bird walk,
stewardship opportunities,
educational booths hosted by
local organizations and guid-
ed wildfl ower walks. Travel
southeast of Cottage Grove
and experience this ecolog-
ically valuable and scenic
landscape and to see the
southern Willamette Valley
in bloom.
Booths will be open from 9
a.m. to 3 p.m. with naturalists
available to lead additional
walks. All activities are acces-
sible by car and carpooling
is encouraged as parking is
limited. Participants should
bring a picnic lunch, water,
weather-appropriate cloth-
ing and weed-free shoes. If
cycling, wear a helmet and
be cautious of variable trail
conditions. Please leave dogs
at home.
Bikes to Blooms is host-
ed in partnership with the
Coast Fork Willamette Wa-
tershed Council (CFWWC),
U.S. Army Corps of Engi-
neers, Bureau of Land Man-
agement, U.S. Forest Service
Cottage Grove Ranger Dis-
trict, Native Plant Society of
Oregon, Walama Restoration
Project, Kennedy High
School and Cottage Grove
Historical Society.
For more information, vis-
it www.coastfork.org or call
the CFWWC offi ce at 541-
767-9717.
EVENT
SCHEDULE:
• 8 a.m.
Bird Walk
• 10:30 a.m.
Wildfl ower Walk
• 1 p.m.
Pollinator Walk.
Special Guest
Beth Pool, Master Gardener
Sharing Expert Advice
Learn what plants and trees
grow and thrive best in Cottage Grove
FREE Lemonade and Cookies
Join us for a Magnolia tree planting
Friday, April 26 • 1:30 – 2:30 p.m.
Cottage Grove Carousel
Tea Party
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Tickets available at:
The Book Mine & Dirt Cheap Copies
6-day
weather forecast
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
73° | 46°
66° | 42°
Partly Sunny
Sunny
For more information
call Linda 541-913-9586
Transmissions Plus &
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SATURDAY
SUNDAY
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MONDAY
TUESDAY
64° | 41°
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63° | 42°
Partly Cloudy
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emergency plan.
Call today (541) 942-0555.
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DUSTIN TULLAR & RUSS OWENS
541-942-8022 • COTTAGE GROVE
Cathy and Murphy are happy to be reunited.
“I
love my pets to the moon and back,” said
Cathy. “When my 10-year-old Red Setter, Mur-
phy, went missing, I knew that I would never be
a whole person again if I did not find him.”
She had followed her dream of moving to Cottage Grove
and bought a home next to a great hiking area. Her dogs
knew the hiking rule: “Stay within sight!” In years of ex-
ploring the logging roads, her dogs knew the area like the
back of their paws. But one sunny day, at the end of winter,
they were excited to stretch out their muscles on the trails.
Almost immediately, the day took a dark turn.
“As we began the hike, all three of my dogs simultane-
ously jumped down into a steep ravine, ran after some-
thing and disappeared. When called, only Molly and Daisy
returned. But not Murphy,” said Cathy. “It was like he had
disappeared into thin air. There was no barking, no noise,
just silence. It was alarming.”
Cathy phoned her neighbors and said, “Murphy may
funnel down the ravine and come out at your ranch.” They
told Cathy they would keep an eye out for him as their
20-year-old son (who wishes to remain anonymous) began
searching. He searched from morning to night, described
by his parents as being “on a mission and going to find
Murphy if it killed him.”
After searching for hours, feelings of dread swirled with-
in Cathy with visions of Murphy frozen in the dropping
temperatures, injured and being surrounded by preda-
tors. I’m almost 70 years old and I couldn’t eat or sleep. I
was exhausted from the hiking miles in the forest, in rain.
Cathy reported his disappearance to the police station,
KNND radio, vet clinics and the local humane society. In
addition, her granddaughter put up flyers around town and
Cathy’s yoga friends, Judy and Terry, listed Murphy’s disap-
pearance on Cottage Grove’s “What’s Going on in Cottage
Grove” Facebook page. Cathy was offering a $500 reward.
“During the next three days, I could not eat or sleep. On
the third day, I asked on Facebook for search party vol-
unteers. Twelve people arrived; some I knew, some were
total strangers — and one man came with a scent dog,” said
Cathy. Just as we were about to set out, my neighbor’s son
approached saying, ‘Are you looking for a dog?’ He then led
me to Murphy curled up in a car!”
Murphy was exhausted and soaked to the bone, but
alive. It was evident that he could not have made it another
night.
“I collapsed to the ground crying, thanking and hug-
ging everyone,” recalled Cathy. “My neighbor’s son kept his
word. He found Murphy camouflaged up next to a cedar
tree. The dog did not bark because he was nearly frozen.
The young man had to carry my 71-pound-dog up a steep
ravine where, luckily, he met the man whose car the dog
was in. He then put Murphy in my vehicle for the trip to
the vet clinic for a check-up and hydration.”
Both Murphy and Cathy are recovering. Her dog couldn’t
walk for a few days but is slowly rebuilding his stamina. He
also suffers with reoccurring bad dreams.
Cathy was not expecting this happy ending, so she want-
ed to say, “Thank you Cottage Grove! I love this town and
am so glad we moved here. I am grateful for its awesome
people! Thank you to a great community who came togeth-
er when someone needed help. Your kindness brings tears
to my eyes. I will be forever grateful and so will Murphy.”
The reward? Her neighbor’s brave and determined son
refused it, insisting “This is what neighbors do for each
other.”
TIPS:
Cathy massaged Murphy’s leg muscles, hamstrings and
stretched his legs to help facilitate his healing.
Adopt Loving Pets www.PetFinder.com
Share your fur-avorite pet memory or adventure at
angelscribe@msn.com. Visit Pet Tips ‘n’ Tales on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/PetTipsandTales
Humane Society for Neuter/Spay Assistance Program.
541-942-2789
