Distinctly Montana Magazine

W W W. D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA NA . C O M 65 lined with soft, clean straw and a mobile webcam positioned so every corner was in view. Everyone watched, and waited, and timed contractions – for three full nights in a row. At one point viewer Bev from Oklahoma wrote on the chat, "Well, it's 4 a.m. where I live and I think I will turn in. If someone had told me that in my 76th year, I would be sitting up all night timing the contractions of a horse in Montana, I would have had to call them a liar. But here I am waiting." Finally, on May 3rd, the miracle of birth swept us all up, held us quietly, and stopped time. Lonza laid down and within minutes a huge, palomino colt slid out of her body into the straw, rested for a few moments, clumsily found its feet, and unsteadily stood, searching for his first meal of life-giv- ing colostrum. e waiting, the fretting, the late-night yawns and stories to keep each other awake vanished from our minds as joyful smiles spread across all our faces. e Bitterroot River defines yet another aspect of Dunrovin's world. Rivers aren't subtle to their response to each season. e river overflows its banks, spreading itself across the land, scattering logs and debris along its paths, and carving new courses through the landscape. It demands atten- tion. Boiling currents and rising waters that engulf green meadows to form small lakes cannot be ignored. We have come to love this annual spring display of the Bitterroot River's might. In a striking display of destruction and regeneration, the Bitterroot uses what it tears down upstream to build down- stream. Trees fall, ponds form, channels wander, and life rushes in. ese exciting moments at the osprey's nest, the foaling barn, and river's banks punctu- ate the more orderly progression that spring makes in Dunrovin's pastures, gardens, and orchard. e fruit trees gradually turn a light pea green as tiny new twigs form to hold tight little buds. Imperceptibly, petals of white and pink and red uncurl to show their glorious blossoms. e scent of lilacs permeates the air. e hum of orchard bees sings in our ears as they flit from pistil to pistil, pollinating each in their path. A flowering crabapple tree beckons us to stop and remember a beloved departed animal in whose name the tress was planted year ago. Fresh from a winter of rest, the horses return to start their condi- tioning programs and welcome the youngsters participating after- school pony clubs. ey are glad to see each other. Every living crea- ture turns cheeks and sides to the warming sun. Soon the tack brushes and combs are full of fur as the horses shed their long winter coats. ese are the spring moments that stir our hopes and dreams and ambitions back to life each year. is is why we toil through long hours of endless chores, broken fences, and frozen pipes, ignoring whatever weather the skies serve up, and catching sleep as best we can. Spring's never-ending parade of life's renewal and resilience sustains us. is is what we long to share and what we humbly offer our many guests who come to visit. JOHN ASHLEY JOHN ASHLEY SUZANNE MILLER TOM BAUER Spring's never-ending parade of life's renewal and resilience sustains us.

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