Dunrovin’s Donkey DIVAS
Birth dates: Miss Maude – October 6, 2010; Miss Gertie – August 8, 2010
This New Year’s Eve photo of the DIVAS says it all! First, it reveals their color choices, results of careful analysis with their beauty consultants. Miss Maude always dresses in red as she is convinced that it highlights the amber tones in her beautiful chocolate brown coat, while Miss Gertie is equally insistent on donning purple to contrast with her lovely light gray coat.
Secondly, the photo more than hints at their personalities. Miss Gertie thrusts her nose up, putting on airs, demanding attention. Meanwhile, Miss Maude has that pleading look of “I’m NOT with her. PLEASE don’t judge me by my sister’s attitude!” Don’t get me wrong, Miss Maude LOVES attention also. It’s just that she would rather get that attention through cooperation rather than confrontation. This BIG difference in personalities plays itself out all over town…….read on!
Every spring, the Divas get their respective noses out of joint when her royal majesty Mrs. Harriet Osprey arrives back at her nest and sucks up all of the Dunrovin publicity and fan mail. They just don’t get it. Year after year the Divas grow beautiful furry coats so that THEY can spend the long, dark Montana winters engaging people and providing them with plenty of comic relief while SHE (Mrs Harriet) flies off to the sunny Gulf of Mexico to leisurely relax and enjoy warm ocean breezes. “Just what is fair about THAT?” they ask. Yet the minute SHE returns, everyone rushes over to the nest camera to watch and chat and carry on about how great it is to have HER back. Well, hey! What are the Divas? Burnt Toast?
So……. last spring, the Divas hatched a plan (pardon the terrible pun, THEY made me do it). Naturally their plan involves them getting LOTS of attention by flaunting their many talents, glowing personalities, and eye catching physiques around downtown Missoula. They want to visit local shopping malls, participate in community celebrations, perhaps run in the Missoula Marathon (It can’t be THAT hard), and dress up to stroll the streets of Missoula’s city center. They went so far as to contact the Missoula Downtown Association about holding an autograph signing party during one of the Association’s famous Out to Lunch festivals in Caras Park. It seemed we were in for a long hot summer with these two.
All of this required some advance work by showering lots of training and primping attention on the Divas – SEE, their plan did work. They had us at their beckoning!
First they needed a manicure by the our farrier extraordinaire, Calvin. The DIVAS deemed him a likable fellow as he was very careful to cut nicely shaped layers off of their hooves to be saved and dried so they could be turned into autograph stamps. They had heard of automated signature machines for contemporary celebs like of Jennifer Aniston and Paris Hilton and they wanted to get properly set up for the inevitable deluge of autograph requests (you don’t think that the Divas are going to actually personally respond to EVERY fan’s request for an impression of their hoof?).
Jamie collected the hooves from Calvin, mounted them on a board, set them out in the sun to dry and fashion into suitable signature stamps for the Divas. You guessed it – we needed to order a purple ink pad for Miss Gertie’s stamp and a red one for Miss Maude’s.
So the BIG day came and the DIVAS dressed for the Fourth of July and traveled with their entourage to downtown Missoula’s premier outdoor venue, Cara’s Park, to placate their adoring fans by posing for photos and signing autographs during the Out to Lunch festivities. Young and old lined up for an opportunity to be seen with the DIVAS. But, the truth be told, Miss Maude was the one doing most of the work while Miss Gertie fussed and fumed and demanded to parade her sweet little ass around the park, catching little snacks of grass along the way. Even with Miss Gertie’s arrogant ways, the crowds couldn’t get enough of them and the Downtown Association has already contacted their agent (THAT would be ME) to book for next year’s event.
Dunrovin fears this whole thing is going to get out of hand fast – nail polish, fancy hats, new halters, upgraded trailer – these two are never satisfied unless they are front and center. If you don’t believe me, just tune in on the web camera and listen to them! You can’t miss their loud brays.
The Divas adore the photos that John Ashley took of them during their manicures; and they really like the idea of appearing in his fine art gallery! Thank you John and Tracy.