Kona’s Komments
	Senor Kona Sees All, Hears All, and Tells All – LOUDLY!
	Photo: Kona happily keeps Lonza company as she patiently awaits the birth of her foal.

HOWDY – it’s me again, Senor Kona, ready to give you the low down on life in the pastures at Dunrovin

          Now the pastures are all free of ice and safe once more. But that’s not helping us out much. Every year around mid March, the humans close the gates behind us and won’t let us back in the pastures until they have been harrowed, fertilized with last year’s manure, reseeded, and the grass is mature. It ain’t fair – just when we all start feeling happy and frisky in the spring sun and  a few little snippets of green start to show, they lock us away in the dry lot – BORING! It’s no wonder there are teeth marks on the fence rails. Just what do they expect?

     Enough complaining from me – the one who really has the right to complain is the Lovely Lady Lonza. She is VERY HEAVY with a foal and looks more and more uncomfortable every day. All of us who gather around the watering hole every morning have been placing bets on when it will happen and what it will be. The odds are that it will come just when SuzAnne and her family head out for spring break, leaving Daniel and Jessie in charge. I sure hope everything goes well - I am just a little worried since she is my very best friend. I’ll bet you didn’t know that Lonza and I are the same age and our friendship goes way back to when we were foals ourselves. She is, in fact, the love of my life – and it makes me really, really mad when I hear folks refer to us as the Beauty and the Beast! We have spent many, many wonderful days hanging out together. So I’m keeping my eye out on her and the whole world will hear me bellowing if I see anything going wrong. I know I will be the very best uncle to the new little one.

     One thing for sure, she is eating like a queen, as are the rest of us. Our caregivers made a big effort this winter to check out all the different feeds available in our neck of the woods. They read all about the ingredients and nutrients, brought samples home to let us test them for flavor, and compared prices. Well they really struck pay dirt by buying fresh feeds from LakeLand Feed and Supply in Hamilton. So now, our morning feeds are better than ever – and ok, it’s causing all of us to be just a tad bit rude about running through the gates to get our stalls and begin to chow down. But hey, it’s just our way of showing how much we love the new food. Not only that, but we all saw the LakeLand sign on the side of the truck that recently came out to spread seeds on the pasture – it seems that Daniel bought all the phosphorus and seeds from them.

      Yes indeed, we’re all doing very well out here and getting ready for the new life that spring brings to our pastures and our stalls. What an exciting time of year! Enjoy that spring sunshine and I will definitely good notes to report to you all the details of the pending birth.

    More Later,

    See you next time, Kona

	Gems from Jewel
	A Dunrovin Canine Perspective
	Photos: Jewel & Birds

      Things are really beginning to heat up around here – and I’m not just referring to the weather. The days are longer, the birds are chirping, more and more people are showing up, there’s new construction goin’ on – this is becoming a happin’ place!

      The black birds have really taken over the bird feeders. The trees are full of them crying their distinctive song. You can hear it for yourself  - just click here for all the info. It’s exciting to see them all flitting about and chattering to each other. Not only are they loud, but they are messier than a litter of puppies – the seeds are flying every which way. Of course, Mr. Red Squirrel delights in all this. He can’t’ reach the feeder, so he hangs out beneath it just picking up all the scarps. I have my paws totally full trying to keep him off the decks. The bird feeders are just outside out big sliding doors in the kitchen.  I love to sit and watch the show – although it is a little frustrating at times when that glass separates me from keeping him on his side of the fence. He can be VERY pushy when I’m unable to give chase.

      Other birds have been making an appearance as well, like the robins and finches. Of course, the ones we are all really waiting to see are the osprey. They keep us entertained every summer. Last year the couple that occupied the next above the arena produced three healthy chicks. It was so fun to watch the young ones flap their new wings and take their first flights. I hope we’ll be seeing them back soon.

      That Ursu is growing and growing and growing. He now weighs way more than I do and is a little bit taller as well. At times I am at my wits end with his grapping me by the cheek or neck with his sharp baby teeth. I’ll be running across the lawn fetching a ball when out of nowhere he attacks, pushes me over, and steals the ball. He’ll never be as fast as me – that’s for sure. For one thing, I think he’s just a little lazy.  I love to run the ½ mile from the newspaper box to home. I get in a little fence chase with some of my canine friends along the way, check out the llamas, and make sure there are no new paw prints in the neighborhood. But Ursu just won’t join me. He did it exactly once – and ever since then he refuses to get out of the car. He’s not stupid – he knew exactly what it means if he gets out – a long fast run home with me. Nope! He just refuses and rides home in the car watching me run the entire way. I am wondering what will happen this summer when we hit the trails with the horses.

      I have to point out his laziness because the truth is that I am just a little jealous of all the attention he gets with his good looks and puppy ways. I am sorta used to being the Queen Canine and sometimes – just sometime, I’m saying – I don’t exactly like sharing all the attention from our human visitors.

      One thing for sure, everyone around here is full of the promise of spring and ready for a great year. The river if free of ice, the sprouts are pushing up in the garden, and everyone returning to our little corner of the world. We’d love to see you. Come and visit us soon.

    Happy Trails and Wagging Tails,
    Jewel