Sunnybank Guestbook

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It is remarkable to me that - more than 80 years after the publication of LAD: A DOG - so many folks, young and old, are still entranced by the Terhune spell. My life has been varied and entertaining, and at 50 I consider myself a mature and professional grownup(whatever that means!) Nonetheless, the mere mention of Sunnybank, the collies and - most especially - Lad, can throw me immediately back to the golden time of my youth when, late into the nights from 1959 through 1967, the big dog was my favorite companion through Bert's stories. I read and re-read those tales, as my parents warned of eyestrain and sleep deprivation! What else would I have named my first collie but Lad? As a writer and a teacher of literature, I can attest that Bert Terhune was no Shakespeare or Dickens; his stances on social issues, his descriptions, his plot devices were - in his own word -"maudlin" to say the least. I occasionally shutter when I re-read some of the worst passages. But for a young boy there was a magic in them...or was it the collies themselves that wove such enchanting spells? In any event, I was no literary critic when I read Bert; I was a disciple! I guess even a Manhattanite like me needs a "country house" and that house will always be, at least in my mind, The Place and Sunnybank. It's been a real thrill every time I have driven down that driveway. Can the long-decayed bones of a sixteen year old collie really carry such an impact? Embarrassing but true: Thoroughbred in body and soul, Lad can still get to me! Thanks for the site and the opportunity to "spout Sunnybank" on a cold winter afternoon! Tom

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I was so excited to find these web sites on my favorite author ever! I read all his books when I was a little girl and will never forget them. I have always loved dogs, but have a special fondness for collies due to his special books.

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I love the Lad books and I love my collie, but -where- is Sunnybank? I can't find anywhere where it actually is!

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Thank you for your work --I don't know what to say without parroting what all the other posters have said. I grew up with Terhune's stories of the Sunnybank collies, and they were important to me. I always wondered how true the stories were, in part becau e Terhune wrote so much in the third person -- "The Master" and "The Mistress", for example, rather than "my wife and I". Now, thirty years later, I am looking at pictures of Sunnybank, even of the dog's graves. I'm touched that "The Place" was important enough to other people to have been preserved. And like Irving Litvag, I feel a nostalgic sadness in looking at the graves of the dogs. I urge everyone to look at the site which is listed in the Links as "Paul Bradicant's site". It has pictures of Terhune, his wife, and the dogs. It also has two complete magazine stories Terhune wrote. If you look hard enough, you can even find a New York Times story from 1928 that authenticates an incident I suspected was fictional as a kid, because it seemed too dramatic to be true. (No, I won't give it away -- I'll let you find it for yourself.) Thanks again!

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I have loved reading about the Sunnybank collies for as long as I can remember. Mr. Terhune's understanding of the unique characteristics of collies is wonderful. My "Brandy" was with me for 15 years and although she's been gone for 5 years now, not a d y goes by that I don't miss her. Once a collie has touched your heart, it remains there forever.

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This is lovely. I was a collie breeder for 25 years inspired by Albert Payson Terhune. I have been collecting his books for 50 some years. I hope someday to visit Sunnybank but it has been in my minds eye forever.

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hello hello fellow terhune fans! I love bert and nearly everything his has written (i say nearly because right now i'm reading syria from the saddle and its a little boring...just a little though) and want to either train dogs as my carrer or become a professor and teach people the impor ance of bert works! i am a freshman in college and can gain access to a lot of terhune books so far i've read to the best of my memory and letter from marque...really good stuff...i also like to write script and I am working on "Sunnybank Lad" (which is b sed from the lad stories and also about bert's life when he owned the famous collie) and "Wolf" (i would like this to be an animated film looking like "prince of egypt", "balto", and "watership down"). do you have any ideas or comments? i'd love to hear f om you all so PLEASE e-mail me!

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As child, I read all of Albert Payson Terhune books about Lad and the other Sunnybank collies. They are the only books I have saved and treasured from my childhood. My first dog was a collie.I was so happy to find information about Mr.Terhune, Sunnybank, and people who share my wonderful childhood memories. If there is anyone who knows of a breeder who is carrying on the Sunnybank line of Collies, I would be grateful to know how to contact him/her. Thankyou for this wonderful website!

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This is my first visit to this wonderful site. My husband just came in to find me sniffling at the computer. I have been reading Mr. Terhune's books for almost 50 years. I loved reading them as a child, and I still love to curl up with one of the many ooks I have collected over the years and spend a few hours tramping through the woods of The Place or laying in front of the fireplace with Lad, Bruce, Gray Dawn and Wolf stretched out around me. Now that I know of the park we will be visiting it this fa l. Thank you again.

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Thank you so much for posting these pictures. Mr. Terhune's books were an important part of my life while I was growing up. My collie was a tri-color named Lady. I realize now that the books are not just "dog stories," but are about honor and loyalty a d friendship and virtue. Every once in a while I meet someone else who read and loved the books and understands. My 13 year old daughter is starting to read Gray Dawn, the first Terhune book I ever read. I enjoyed reading your guestbook. It is good to know there still are others who remember Mr. Terhune and appreciate his gift. Thanks again.

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I have always been a fan of the Sunnybank collies and Albert Payson Terhune. I've read all of his books and always had collies because of him and have raised them. My first collie was of Sunnybank origin bought from a doctor across the street. This was ab ut 50 years ago. I have done animal work all my life and am now the president of Closter Animal Welfare Society [CLAWS] We help any animal that needs help [mostly dogs & cats] I would like to visit Sunnybank if that is possible. Please let me know the details. Joan Keating

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Hi, enjoyed your site. Got a qustion though,by any chance do you know anything about the Sunnybank Collie's pedigree? Lori

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I knew Sunnybank long ago as a magical beautiful place. It's hard to say why. As I read some of the books again decades later, I think it is because a child can identify with the dog heros - trying to win the love of those in charge without being able t communicate on their level. Dogs and children are often misunderstood, but at Sunnybank, the heros were always triumphant in the end. When I visited Sunnybank this weekend with the sun streaming down through the trees, I actually found myself thinking that maybe, when my film was developed, the pictures would show all the collies running down the lawn toward the lake and jumping in -- like those end papers on all the books I have. Maybe with them would be my collie Buff, gone for 25 years.

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Thank you for this website. I did not know I had so much company in loving the Sunnybank collies and their Master and Mistress. I have loved them since my childhood, beginning with Lad:a Dog. I took a trip to Sunnybank, and could identify with the visito in the narrative. Thanks again. Donna

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My husband and I raise collies here in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and are very interested in attending The Gathering in August. It would be very helpful to know more about the days' and details - when, what. I guess we know where. We have been to unnybank and enjoyed it so very much. We look forward to returning in August. Please let us know further details.

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Anice Terhune was my great aunt and I was able to visit her at Sunnybank when I was a young child (Uncle Bert had died before I was born). The home looked like a museum through a child's eyes; luncheon with Aunt Anice was quite formal. (I see my brother isited this site a year ago!) I have only recently heard via family of the reunion scheduled in August, and would like more information about it...i.e., schedule of events, etc. I have not found anything yet on this website re/ this. Responses appreciat d. Thanks!

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I've been to Sunnybank! I have read the books! I own 13 of his books (and counting) And I have a collie! The best way to get to know a collie is to read the books, so much of Albert's books describe the true characteristics of the breed and the stories b ing to life the very honorable breed. Like "someone" once said, "the only thing better than owning a collie is owning TWO!" A.P.T.

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Would love to visit "Sunnybank" someday. We love the elegent collie dog.

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I walked a few miles to the library to get my Terhune books. It is a beautiful thing to revisit the actual place the stories were made. Thank you.

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I have a tri-colour collie named Lad (I wonder where I came up with that name)and I have been a fan of Albert Terhune's books since I was a child. Thank you for introducing me to the wonderful world of the collie.

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I loved the books about Lad, and all the other dogs that Terhune wrote about. they were a bright spot in my childhood. It is so wonderful to know that someone remembers.

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What a wonderful page to just discover! Read all the books as a girl and had a collie I named Bruce! Not at all like the Terhune collies - a bit dorky and goofy but I loved him all the same. One of the first books I gave my son to read was "LAD OF SUNNY ANK" and just found one of the original issues at an antique store and got it for him for Christmas. It was and remains one of his favorite stories. Hope all keep the memory bright of the Sunnybank collies.

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I love to read everyone's comments about Sunnybank, the Terhunes, and the collies. I just discovered Albert Payson Terhune in September of last year. I am 37 years old, and I fell in love with all of the collies! I was so happy to discover that so many ot er people love Sunnybank and The Place like I do. This summer I plan to attend The Gathering, and I hope to meet many of you there!:-) Thank you Donna, Susan, and Jennifer for such a wonderful web site, we all truly appreciate it.

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To see all that is Sunnybank and Albert Payson Terhune has been a re-living of my childhood. Mr. Terhune taught me so much about dogs and the bond that is so strong between good people and their loving dogs. I have dreamed of having a Collie from the Sunn bank line; now I believe that may not be possible. I have found no pedigrees to peruse to see if there is any information on this. I think I have read almost all of Mr. Terhune's books. The poignancy and depth of devotion portrayed in his books is heartwa ming. I am a high school English teacher and my love of reading is firmly rooted in the wonderful writing of Mr. Albert Payson Terhune. I would love to attend The Gathering in August of this year. To fellow fans of Mr. Terhune and his dogs, thanks for lis ening.

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I had no idea the world included so many Albert Payson Terhune readers. I 'discovered' his books at the library (I can still see the stacks where the books were shelved.) and read every one I could find. From the list on another link, I can see that tha was not many. I believe I learned more about doggie behaviour from Mr. Terhune than from any more recent publication. His love for his dogs was all enveloping and, from what I have read of attitudes at that time, not typical. But, if he had no son, wh was 'The Boy'?

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As a child, my father first introduced me to the world of Sunnybank through Terhune's writings, and it was not, perhaps, until I was much older that I understand why. In those books, through the spirits of the dogs whom I can know only on paper, I came t know nobility, loyalty, and courage. Thank you for making sure that the Terhune's message will resonate well on into the future.

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We are looking forward to attending The Gathering in August. We breed sable and white collies and dearly love the breed and when we find someone who knows of Albert Payson Terhune, it's like a reunion!! Aren't collies so special- part of the family!!!! We have puppies right now and they are beautiful! We have even named our kennel Terhune. Come and see us in Luray and visit the Caverns while you are here.

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it was so great to stumble onto Sunnybank again...As a child, my father would take myself and my dog up to Sunnybank for a picinic on the lake. We explored and met wonderful, interesting people who of which, loved Mr. Terhune as I did. I will always be in ebted and grateful to him throughout the rest of my days as I have now worked with dogs over 20 years and owe so much to Mr. Terhune, his work, his love...Thank you for keeping him always close by, as our dogs, always by our side...

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I am so happy to have found this site. It is absolutely beautiful! I have felt I was one of few in my love for Albert Payson Terhune, the dogs, The Place...now I know better. How selfish of me to think I was the only one he was speaking to!!Anyway, I wou d LOVE to visit Sunnybank in person this summer at the Gathering. I hope to find more info on it soon . My daughter is in first grade and loves to read and has read the books by M. Lundell(I hope the name is right!)based on Terhune's Lad stories-they are wonderful tribute to APT! I read all of the other comments in the guest book and I am still misty-eyed...Keep up the good work...this site will be a regular haunt of mine...see you at Sunnybank...

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What a surprise to find this site! Like so many of the guests here, I discovered the Terhune stories as a child and still have fifteen books, which I cherish for the memories of my childhood that they bring back to me. In the early 1950's, I wrote to Su nybank and received a sweet letter back from Mrs. Terhune telling me that the Sunnybank kennels were no longer operating. That letter is long lost, but not the memory. As a child, I had a tri-color collie, high strung and loyal. His name was Tokalon Pr nce Pontiac. From a champion line but never shown and no regrets. I think he was happier for it. We were constant companions until he died an early death at age 10. Nice to see all the hits on this site and to realize that my memories of the Terhune b oks and the mystique that stemmed from those stories are shared by others.

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Thank you very much for this great site. I have been to Sunnybank twice and it is always a bit like coming home. I was saddened to see the previous post speaking of vandalism and abuse, but am hopeful that there are enough Terhune fans left that Sunnyba k will be watched over by those of us who consider it a very important Place. Thank you again for the wonderful photos, the well-chosen quotes, and the ability to revisit my childhood heroes.

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We were saddened by the neglect and vandalism when we took a grandchild to a place we always cherished. We fear that this is the beginning of the end for Sunnybank as our generation knew it. The sundial is broken, trash all about, general vandalism everywhere. Please....give us our wonderful Sunnybank back.....

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Just surfing. Thanks.