We received this message from Susan’s daughter Vanessa in Anguilla: “Susan has no access to internet. Her property sustained severe damage, but she is fine as she was staying somewhere else for the storm. Her dogs are all fine and Dreamer is also fine.”
I was very relieved to find out that both Dreamer and Susan had made it. The devastation of Hurricane Irma is beyond words, it’s very tragic and in the aftermath we all need to looking into what more each of us can do to protect our beautiful Mother Earth.
Here is a map of the Caribbean where you can see where is Anguilla and St. Vincent and the Grenadines:
Vanessa on Post Hurricane Irma:
“Sitting in the dark again at the top of the road. There is no sound except the creak of a loose piece of galvanize rubbing against the snapped telephone pole that is leaning against it. The odd car drives by every once in a while as people head home to their darkened houses. Not everyone has a generator and those who do have begun rationing their diesel, afraid that it may run out before more is available. This is literally our life now and we have no idea when it will change.
We drove West today for the first time since before the hurricane. Right now we refer to time like that: before and after. Like the photos I sent one of my best friends of her childhood home which we visited today. It looked like a bomb went off inside. We spent an hour picking through the rubble to salvage anything she could keep to remember over 30 years of homestead. Now it’s just a pile of wood and nails and soggy linens.
I am beyond grateful that Jose spared us. I feel like we have been given a renewed opportunity. Tonight we cooked all of the food in the freezer because it had thawed too often to be refrozen. We had a huge feast in this time of despair and filled the candlelit hour after we switched off the generator by singing Disney songs.
For every broken link in the chain that used to make up our routine, we have added a new one. New routines. New normals.”
Right before Irma, Susan had done her best to prepare for Dreamer to make it and she wrote to me
“Hi! I am exhausted. I have worked SO hard since 6am. Just showered and falling into bed. My good friend spent four hours with me today updating Dreamers stall with hurricane clips ( more) and screws and more screws and nails. We worked SO hard non stop and both of us were drenched in sweat clothes. The heat today was unbearable and I even hosed off Dreamer mid day to cool her down. Hurricane Irma is sucking all our air right now. Soon she will rain on us! Glad you like our set up. Hope you follow me on FB. Will keep you posted. Irma will start affecting us late Tuesday.”
Best,
Susan and Dreamer
Dreamer ready for Irma in Anguilla
Thank you so much for all your kind thoughts and good wind.
Please post a greeting to Susan and Dreamer in the comment field, so she can read from you once she finally gets online.
Much sunshine and a bit of rain from St. Vincent
Stina, Jack, Spirit, Elena and Magic
Meanwhile
Hurricanes fly
Tears fall
Fears vanish
Waters stills
Our horses graze peacefully in the garden
Outside our offices connected to the horrors of hurricanes
Vibrating presense and a call for calmness
Yurumein Horse School (St. Vincent) 
Good news for Dreamer and Susan. I hope the period known as “after Irma” passes quickly for you all so life can settle to “before”
Thourghts are with you all
Thank you so much Julie! More updates will come.
So thrilled they made it through safely. Dreamer represented all of the animals for me. So many helpless with no one to care for them and love them like Susan clearly loves Dreamer. Blessings to you all to rebuild, recover and restore a sense of the new normal. Xxx
Thank you Juliet!
I was so excited and relieved to hear this update. Prayers are answered.
I hope that you have the resources to help rebuild. You definitely were hit on an astronomical scale.
Where there is life there is hope!❤️
Thanks Deb!
My thoughts were with them and Im so grateful they’re okay! Thank you Stina for sharing this story with us😘
Thanks Michelle, more from Susan will come
I’m so thankful you guys are safe! I paused and held space for you multiple times everyday since reading the initial post, and eagerly awaited news that you made it through. I will continue to do so asking for healing and strength to rebuild.
Thanks!
So very pleased to hear that you and Dreamer are safe. My continuing thoughts and prayers to all those going through this horrific ordeal. Stay safe, stay well. We may be far away, but you are close in our hearts. Sara xx
So happy to hear you are both well! How was Dreamer during the storm? Or did you have to leave her? I hope you all get some power back soon, wishing you all the best xx
So glad to hear you & Dreamer are ok. All my friends & family here in Montana were praying for all. I love the news from positive prayers. … Many Happy Trails to you both…
Thank you for the update about Susan and Dreamer! My mind has been haunted since those three little words…”God help us” I’m in Australia and cannot fathom the preparation and devastation to follow. Sending love
So many times in our life we have a “before” and and “after” – before kids and after, before bereavement and after, before new hope and after. I am so glad to hear you have made it through the storm. Our world is becoming a before and after and strong souls like you with the help of the Dreamers in the world are needed badly. May the light start shining through the darkness and my “after” bring hope as well as heartache.
So pleased to hear that you made it Susan. I was so affected when I read your last post before the cyclone hit. I cannot imagine the stress you must have been under. I cannot imagine having to for my phone number on my beloved horses hooves. I will be thinking of you and following your journey. Felicity, Queensland, Australia.
Your horse is very beautiful. I’m glad you both made it through the storm safely.
So glad you and yours have come through what must have been sheer hell. I followed Irma track across the Caribbean and across Florida on CNN, transmitted to us downunder (New Zealand), consumed with anxiety. Mother Nature can sure move the furniture without notice and anytime she wants! I trust a ‘new normal’ will gently settle for you all very soon.
I was so glad to hear that you and Dreamer are both safe and well, Susan. Take care of yourselves! Jan xx
Thanks Jan,
After seeing the original post where Susan had written her phone number on Dreamers hooves, it suddenly hit me how serious Irma was going to be…I am so happy that Susan, Dreamer and the dogs are ok.
Best wishes for the future, my thoughts are with you all xx
hi! glad you all made it troug the storm! I have no belive in gods nor destiny or fate, so I guess I’d just say. may love and friendship guide you troug to safety, and may mother nature cuntinuely spare you all ❤
Susan, I am so glad you and Dreamer survived. My name is Theodora and I live inNorth Port, SW Florida. We braced for hurricane Irma and prepared our family, our horses, our house and our property – still fearing there was no way to prepare for this monster storm. We ended up dodging the potentially lethal bullet as Irma shift right before hitting our area, causing a significant weakening. We are humbled and grateful! We are praying for you and everyone around you. We went through a devastating hurricane (Charlie) in our area, that doesn’t get as much press, because it was constricted(small in diameter), although very powerful, and affected smaller cities in Florida. Labeled a Cat 4, many really believe it was a Cat 5 when it made landfall. Our business was in the eye wall of the storm, and suffered major damage, however neighboring buildings looked like piles of rubble – like a war zone! It will get better – I promise! It looks right now like there is no light at the end of the tunnel, but it’s there. Stay strong and pull together with your friends and neighbors, and know that we are pulling for you here, praying and sending you love and positive energy!
Fantastic news to hear you are all ok and Dreamer is ok, she is so beautiful. Best wishes for the recovery effort and dealing with your ”new normal” until services can be restored. Thinking of you all from Brisbane, Queensland, Australia xx
I am so glad to read Dreamer and Susan are both OK.!!!
Irma is now a story of the past and the best positive energy to you two for getting very soon a new normality ❤🌹✨
Aww Rosanna who is in Chile, thanks, Susan will be happy to hear from you and everyone. See you soon!
HI I AM SO GLAD TO HERA sUSAN AND DREAMER MADE IT THROUGH THE HURRICANE …I AM SO GRATEFUL THAT ALL OF YOU AND YOUR HORSES ARE DOING OK …I HOPE THAT ALL CONTINUES TO GO WELL AND THAT THE HEALING AND REBUILDING GOES SMOOTHLY ..YOU ARE WALKING A LONG AND HARD ROAD AND I AM SENDING MY PRAYERS TODAY FOR YOU ALL ..THANK YOIU FOR YOUR INSPIRING POSTS ! SINCERELY CATHY
So Glad you and Dreamer are safe. Prayers for all of you.
So glad to hear all is well with Susan and Dreamer. It’s when you know the names of people and horses/all animals that it becomes personal to us who sit in safety; unable to do anything except send love and hope and healing. May you all continue to rebuild your lives and dreams.
So glad you and Dreamer made it through hurricane Irma. My prayers were with you guys. Following you guys from Virginia.
Yay !!! so pleased to read this, was wondering what had happened. I was telling the girls at my yard about you the other day. Love and healing sent. x Uk
So very glad that Susan and Dreamer made it through this terrible storm in one piece. They have both been in my thoughts and thank you so much for keeping everyone updated. (From Lori in the UK.)
I’m so happy Susan and Dreamer are okay. I’ve been thinking about them since your last blog, Stina. It’s small personal stories like this one that give the tragedy a human dimension, make us stop and think about how all the lives will be disrupted for a long time, even if they survive the hurricane without harm. I wish Susan and her family all the best and may they go back to their lives soon.
Hi susan, I read about your plight on Naturally Classical facebook page, and felt so moved by your dreadful experiences in Anguilla, alongside all the other people wondering whether or not they would make it through Irma with their horses and animals – delighted to read that both you and Dreamer are well, and now able to piece your lives back together – enjoy your connection with Dreamer with the healing it will bring. Love from the UK, Somerset.
So glad to hear they are safe! Came across your article before the hurricane hit and I have been thinking of them ever since. Life always continues once there is hope and hope is so important during devastation like what hurricane Irma brought. Please send our love from St. Lucia.
So good to hear you all made it through safely! Well done on all your hard work to keep Dreamer safe. Very best wishes for the difficult physical and emotional task of rebuilding your lives: as sailors who have very happy memories of your islands we absolutely wish you well! With love from the UK.
I’m am so thankful you and dreamer are ok. This hurricane was a monster. Thoughts and prayers are still with you for the rebuilding and work ahead!
God bless!
prayers for you from Italy ♥️🙏🏻
Thank you so much Suzanne
HELLO EVERYONE! Only now have been able to get on internet by visiting a friends business office on Anguilla. I still have no electricity since Sept. 6th / Hurricane Irma.
THANK YOU ALL (!) for such kind replies on Stina’s blog. I will be talking to all of you again soon with a detailed update here.
Blessings….
Susan and Dreamer
Susan and Dreamer, thank you so much for the update!