COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2019 | 5A
Pet Tips
‘n’ Tales
Holiday Classic takes center stage
By Mary Ellen
“Angel Scribe”
Heavenly Heart gifts and giggle
Sonja’s dog, Ben, likes to play possum
PHOTOS COURTESY EMILY BLY
From left: Oliver (Audriahna Jones – on table), Artful Dodger (Matthew Michaels – rear with top
hat) and Fagin’s boys (Zoe Goings, Quinn Branstetter, Jayshing Goolsby, Elizabeth Blakely, Jayling
Goolsby, Mariah Bailey); bottom: Bet (Ashlee Winkler) and Fagin (Tony Rust)
‘Oliver’ opens tomorrow at Cottage Theatre
The Cottage Theatre’s pro-
duction of the holiday classic
“Oliver” opens tomorrow, Dec.
6, and continues through Dec.
22. Performances are Thursday,
Friday and Saturday evenings
at 8 p.m., and Sunday after-
noons at 2:30 p.m.
Tickets are available online
at www.cottagetheatre.org, by
phone at 541-942-8001 or in
person at the Cottage Theatre
Box Office, 700 Village Drive,
Cottage Grove.
Tickets are $25 for adults
and $15 for youth (age 18 and
under). Box office hours are
Wednesday through Friday, 10
a.m. to 2 p.m., and one hour be-
fore performances.
All seating is reserved, so ad-
vance purchase is recommend-
ed.
Preserving
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Pet’s
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We off er a full line of aftercare services
to honor the life of your beloved pet.
Cremation Services • Burials • Memorials • Urns • Keepsakes • Grief Support
123 S. 7th St. Cottage Grove
541.942.0185
smithlundmills.com
6-day
weather forecast
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
51° | 45°
51° | 43°
Rain
Rain
SUNDAY
MONDAY
51° | 36°
52° | 34°
Rain
Sunny
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
50° | 49°
Cloudy
49° | 39°
Rain
You have a benefits
budget. We have a
way to make it work.
Call today (541) 942-0555.
PayneWest.com/Cottage-Grove
LORANE NEWS
Contributed by
Lil Thompson
for The Sentinel
• Tonight, Dec. 5, Lorane
Grange meets at 7 p.m. Af-
ter the meeting, member
will plan preparations for
their Christmas Dinner
and Open House on Sun-
day, Dec. 8.
• Come out on Sunday
and enjoy the Christmas
Dinner and Open House
beginning at 1 p.m. The
Grange will be open from
9:30 a.m. and on, so people
can drop off dishes before
church. Grangers provide
the turkey, dressing, gra-
vy, ham and potatoes. Ev-
eryone should bring a side
dish and/or dessert. The
community is invited to
enjoy this wonderful tra-
dition. Also, bring a white
elephant gift for the ev-
er-popular exchange. This
is a delightful event for all
to enjoy.
• Christmas boxes are
up in the Grange and
other organizations to ac-
cept non-perishables and
canned goods for those
less fortunate in our com-
munity. Marissa has put up
Angel Trees in the Lorne
Family Store and Crow
High School gym. Find an
angel on the tree for a boy
or girl and their need. Let’s
all help families and chil-
dren have a Merry Christ-
mas. If you know of a child
let Marissa know or of a
family in Lorane, call Jim
Bailor, Asst. Fire Chief for
Lorane.
• School is back in full
swing. Be sure to listen to
the news for any inclement
weather.
• Many events are com-
ing up to celebrate during
the holidays. Please be safe
and allow plenty of time
for driving.
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H
ere are three interesting pet stories:
“As the veterinarian released our dog, So-
phie, into Heaven, I held her and whispered,
‘Please send me signs from Heaven that you are still
with me,’” said Suzka. “A few weeks later, while clear-
ing up after dinner, my husband and I were sharing
the joy and love that Sophie gave us. He said, ‘You
were a good mom to her and she loved you.’ Just then,
I accidentally spilled leftover red sauce. My being up-
set instantly turned into tears of happiness!”
Sophie’s favorite food had spilled into a perfectly
shaped red heart, confirming her husband’s words.
“Never doubt that our pets are truly forever,” said
Suzka. “They send us signs to calm our hearts and let
us know they will always be with us.”
Now, Sonja has two stories to share:
“On my 15th birthday, which is also Christmas, my
father and uncle caught a two-year-old mustang, we
named ‘Stormy,’ near Death Valley,” said Sonja. “They
chose the horse because of the white heart on his fore-
head. I love horses. So, when I went out to the cor-
ral and saw him, I was thrilled. I named him Stormy
because he was caught during a rare desert snowfall.
That horse was the best birthday/Christmas present I
ever had.
“He was the go-to ride for my mother when she
and my father went into the back-country hunting for
venison. Stormy could pack out a deer with no trouble
and was willing to do whatever was asked of him. His
only drawback, as far as my dad was concerned, was
that he never let men ride him, tossing any guy right
off! A discerning horse.”
Another one of Sonja’s pet stories is about her dog
Ben who spotted a young opossum making its way to-
wards the fence line bordering a stream.
“This was odd behavior for a opossum,” said Son-
ja. “What was it doing out in broad daylight? Upon
seeing Ben, naturally the opossum fainted dead away.
Ben sniffed it and looked at me with a puzzled ex-
pression. Of course, Ben knows how to play dead so
maybe he would make the connection?”
As the opossum stayed still and Ben sniffed it, Sonja
went to the carport and grabbed a clean heavy rag and
hurried back.
“The opossum was no fool, it was still ‘dead.’” said
Sonja. “I covered it, carried it and then, as far as I
could reach, gently placed it through the fence and
covered it with the rag. Ben did not want to leave the
opossum but, being a good boy, he came. Once home,
I gave him his favorite treat of chicken for not hurting
the little critter. I like opossums. They are related to
the koala and kangaroo and are useful to have around.
These furry marsupials are not dangerous to humans
and are nature’s sanitation engineers keeping the en-
vironment clean by eating roaches, rats, snails, mice,
small rats, moles and dead animals.
“Opossums must be nature’s most dedicated opti-
mists! After all, they are betting their lives that what-
ever scared them into a catatonic state will not hurt
them as they lay there vulnerable and helpless. Appar-
ently, an opossum cannot move once it’s fainted, even
if it wanted to. Hormones flood their mind keeping
them motionless. I wonder if I could do that if a griz-
zly bear walked up and sniffed me? Food for thought
— no pun intended!
“A little while later, Ben and I walked back to see if
Miss Opossum was still there, but she had recovered
and waddled away. I hope she sticks around to help in
my garden this spring!”
TIPS:
“When you find a fainted or fatally injured female
opossum, check the pouch for babies. They can be
raised by hand with advice from an experienced re-
habber. They are adorable and will ride on your shoul-
der and chirp like baby birds when hungry,” suggests
Sonja.
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WE LIVE IN THE SAME TOWN WE WORK IN
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DUSTIN TULLAR & RUSS OWENS
541-942-8022 • COTTAGE GROVE
Share your fur-avorite pet memory or adventure at
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Humane Society for Neuter/Spay Assistance Program.
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