Update on Dream Morgans……

This article was originally published in the Spring 2008 MDA Newsletter.

As many of you already know, on December 4, 2007, the lives of MDA member, Terry Johnson and her husband, Brinden, changed dramatically when heavy rain in the Pacific Northwest caused severe flooding on their Dream Morgans farm in Chehalis, Washington. A large part of their farm, including their home and barn, was all flooded and suffered extensive damage. Fortunately, Terry and Brinden were safe and they were able to get all of their Morgans, including their stallion, Scandias Carribean Blue, to safety.  In the days following the flood, Terry realized she had no place for her horses to safely stay, so a group of individuals volunteered to come and get the horses and  care for them until she was able to put Dream Morgans back together. If you’d like to read detailed articles about the flood, please visit Terry’s website at www.dreammorgans.com.

Responding to the disaster, MDA members stepped up and allowed MDA to provide nearly $1800 to help in the clean-up and rebuilding.

In March 2008 Terry kindly provided the following update on their progress.

My Dear Friends:

We are still working very hard here at the farm, still so much to do, but we are making some progress. Our motto seems to be "slow but sure" :) We continue to work on the bridge. Our 60 foot I-beams are in place! And the connecting steel cross braces are being welded by my son, Patrick. Patrick has been spending every moment he can out here and has helped in so many ways, countless hours in the cold and rain! Not sure we would be able to do all of this without him. :) Once the welding is done we will be able to put the bridge boards on, and then we'll need concrete, and then we'll need rock and then we'll need gravel, gravel and more gravel! As you can tell it will still be awhile before the bridge is complete, but it is coming along nicely and will be bigger, higher and stronger than before!

We also now have alot of the dirt and mud from in and around the barn and house piled. We call them our mountains of mud. :) We have these piles everywhere but at least now we can get into the barn and rain water runoff is no longer reflooding our floors.

Once the bridge is complete we will be able to get larger equipment in and remove and haul some of this away. If anyone needs topsoil or fill dirt, come on over! You haul. :) The good thing is that it is very fertile and where the silt has left just a thin layer, the bright florescent green grass is sprouting through. We will one day have our lush pastures back!
I think our biggest accomplishment so far is seeing the barn floor. The mats have been scraped and removed and the stall floors have also been scraped. Thank you to friends and family, a Boy Scout troop and a Church youth group! Next will come hours and hours of pressure washing.

We will need to redo many paddocks and fencing. Unfortunately we can't fence until equipment can come in to spread and level and remove more dirt, but that will come.......... And the house? Well, for now it "waits", "one thing at a time" Hopefully we'll be able to start reinsulating and sheettrocking in the next month or so.

We feel so blessed in so many ways! Never could we ever do all of this on our own. Like our bridge, we are feeling stronger than before, thanks to the help and the support and the love from all of our friends new and old. Please continue to keep us in your prayers, we will need all the strength and stamina and patience we can find. Thank you all.
I have so much to be thankful for: My Morgans are my life line, and I can't tell you how very much I miss having them here. It does give me "peace of mind" knowing they are all safe with trusted friends and being so well cared for until they can return home.

It is again so very humbling and yet so very inspiring to see and experience what the kindness and generosity of our Morgan community is all about! We are so blessed.
"Thank you all, for holding my hand , and walking beside me, and holding me up."

Terry

To send a donation to Dream Morgans, make your check out to SHCFCU, Account Number 997054. In the memo line, write Flood Fund. Include a note with your name or farm name, and address. Mail your donation to: Flood Fund, Box 658, St. Helens, Oregon, 97051.

Return to articles index