Kona’s Komments
	Senor Kona Sees All, Hears All, and Tells All – LOUDLY!
	Photo: Kona shares the grass with Serena

Some folks might think that just because I’m the shortest guy on hoofs at Dunrovin, I miss a few things, but the truth is my lack of stature gives me a unique perspective. I get right down in the action, and I get to feel what’s going on, even if I can’t quite see through all the other legs. Take the birth of Serena, our newest member of the herd, for instance.

Someone told me that April 15th is one of those days that people run around acting crazy, but for us, that day was full of anticipation. All eyes were on our lovely Lady Lonza. Everyone was jostling to get a peek at her over eachother’s shoulders, or in my case, through the fence rails. After the sun went down, everything went calm. The stars began to twinkle and I felt our herd blanketed in stillness. It was so still that we must have all been holding our breath. I think that Serena felt the stillness too, for she was born easily, beneath the clear night sky and she found her feet right away. A blissful twitter buzzed through the herd, and it hasn’t faded yet.

Serena is a dandy of a foal—a bay with two white socks. Her first days were spent under the close protective eye of Lonza, but now she is running with the geldings, frisky and playful.

Before she arrived, we were all still feeling the sleepiness of winter. Her birth brought the breath of spring to us and with all the changes that she goes through daily, we’ve journeyed right into summer. She and Lonza are a vivacious pair and now there is more than one apple of my eye.

Serena was given to Daniel, in appreciation of all that he has done for Dunrovin. I think they’re lucky to have eachother and already, they’ve got a special bond. He knows how much she likes to get scratches. If you come see us, maybe he’ll show you just the right spot.

    More Later,

    See you next time, Kona

	Jems from Jewel
	Osprey
	Photos: Jewel & Osprey

I’ve got a lot of friends at Dunrovin and I’m lucky, because most of them are here year-round. But some of my friends don’t like winters here, and they leave before the snow arrives. The first year they did this, I was so sad, because I thought they’d never come back. Imagine how joyful I was when I saw our Osprey friends return to their nest in April! Now, every spring, I look forward to their arrival. They mean a lot of things to a lot of folks here at Dunrovin: They tell us that summer is not far away. They show us how much work goes into raising chicks and teaching them how to fly. They add to the music of the nighttime when they cry and call to each other. They bring humor to our riders when they drop fish on them in the arena (or better yet, drop fish that I can find to eat).

The Osprey are an important part of life at Dunrovin. They make the summer more vibrant and teach us something new every year. On Mother’s Day, we had a visit from the Montana Natural History Center and they set up a telescope so that our visitors could watch the nest very closely. Now, I know that ladies really like jewelry, (that’s why I have such a special name), but I had no idea that lady osprey all wear a black necklace!

I wonder how many chicks we’ll get this year. When their little fluffy heads do pop up out of the nest, I will know that summer has truly arrived, and it’s time to play on the banks of the river and watch my friends fishing the clear water of the Bitterroot.

Thank you Vanesa Mason for beautiful pictures with osprey!!!

    Happy Trails and Wagging Tails,
    Jewel