For the Monkman family who shared the story of rescuing Sammy from behind their house by the river EW With many thanks to Aimee D ACM
Morgan opened one eye and listened closely It wasn’t what she heard but what she didn’t hear that made her happy There was no sound of rain on the roof For days it had been raining Her father had joked that maybe it was time to start building an ark and gathering animals two by two It was a joke but when you lived right beside a flooding river it was only a small joke Morgan was much more concerned about the flooding than she’d ever let on She climbed out of bed and looked out the window The river had retreated It was still there rough white and wide but it was no longer running through the corner of their backyard Still there was 1 Chapter One
proof that it had once been there The back fence was covered in branches that had been snagged as the floodwaters raced across their property The family dogs were already outside running and playing happy to be allowed in the backyard again Rylee only a year old was running around in circles as though he was herding imaginary sheep Morgan was sure that’s what Australian shepherds dreamed of Shire a Lab was much older and slower but this morning he was moving faster than usual They both looked like they were having fun exploring the new smells from objects left behind by the floodwaters For Morgan the river’s retreat meant work She and her parents would have to clean up the mess Branches were strewn everywhere around the yard She wouldn’t complain because she knew there had been years when the floods were worse The previous spring the melting snow and ice had swollen the river so much that it lapped at the back porch Her parents had been really worried They’d thought they might 3
