Kona’s Komments
	Senor Kona Sees All, Hears All, and Tells All – LOUDLY!
	Photo: Kona looking at the new Shetland Ponies

    It was a lazy afternoon in early August, and I was dozing along with the rest of the herd in the haze of summer heat. I heard the main gate creak and opened one eye to see who was coming for a visit and if they had any apples. At first, I thought I was dreaming and I had to open and close both of my eyes a couple of times, but sure enough, there were two faces looking back at me, through the slats of the fence, across the stable yard. I mean they were at EYE LEVEL! I wasn’t looking at knees. I was looking at eyes and wispy manes.

    I’d heard SuzAnne talking and she had been saying something about making more fun for the families who visit Dunrovin. Now, when SuzAnne gets an idea, she sticks with it—just like me—and I just knew that more family fun means more kids. So, I thought that I’d better come up with some more jokes and do a few more laps in the ring, because the way I see it, more kids means more work for me and Cool Dude. I had no idea she was going to call in some reinforcements.

    As it turns out, those wispy manes belong to Shetland Ponies, a mother and son pair. The mare is 12 years old, and her son is 8. For a while, they didn’t have their Dunrovin names, because we needed some kids (who we see eye-to-eye with) to help us name them.

    At first, I was content to call them “Hay, You!” because I felt a little hurt. I mean, don’t I have a grand personality, suited to entertaining the masses? I thought Cool Dude and I had it covered. But, I realize now, that these ponies needed a new home and the four of us together can really reign in a crowd (especially the pint-size kind).

    This pair is pretty sweet, so they balance out my salty side well. And now they are putting on some weight, and their coats are starting to shine with all the love they get around here. I found out that they came to Dunrovin through Willing Servants, which is a great organization that helps horses and the like (that’s why people like me so much, because I am in “the like” category) find good healthy homes, when they need them.

Thanks to the Dunrovin kids, our Shetland beauties have been named Bonnie and Clyde. Long story short (critters), you should come and meet our new friends, and bring your small family members along.

    More Later,

    See you next time, Kona

Jems from Jewel

     What’s with the shorties around here? Kona went on and on about the Shetland Ponies who came to live with us, and didn’t say a word about the fawns in our pasture. They’re awfully cute. We’ve been watching them all summer. When I first saw them, I was a little annoyed that they wouldn’t bark back at me. I thought they were being snobby, but then I realized that they can’t bark. Silly Jewel, I forget that barking isn’t the only way to communicate around here (or anywhere for that matter).

    I know that I am supposed to have predator instincts, but really all the baby animals around here just keep me entertained. The osprey had two chicks this year and sometimes I catch glimpses of them along the river, learning how to fish. The fawns in the pasture run around on their clumsy legs, and they remind me of our own Serena, and her little knobby knees, learning all the things a horse must learn to understand humans.

    The other horses must be reminded of Serena too, when they see the fawns and their mother, because they all get along, sharing the grass, and the water and the big blue sky. I think I must be a lucky dog, because even when I am not running around in the woods, exploring all the wild smells and textures, the wild is coming to me, along this wide river that feeds Dunrovin with daily changes, heavenly aromas, all sorts of animals and lots of fun. There’s a lot to bark about.

    Happy Trails and Wagging Tails,

    Jewel