Terry Sprague’s The Two of Us pays homage to a 14-year journey with his beloved Shih Tzu, Christie — and to the loss of his wife, Nola. Its trademark wit, slice-of-life learnings, and raw, emotional turns make this a must for any reader  confronting loss, whether or not they have found solace in a beloved best friend. 

The book  will also appeal to any reader who has been amused by the author’s work in the pages of this newspaper, enjoyed his banter during his famous nature hikes, or appreciated his looks at County life in Naked In the Sand; Up Before 5: The Family Farm; and Growing up Big Island.

It all started off as a journaling exercise. A dog owner for many years, Mr. Sprague found that he and Christie were bound together almost as a single entity, something he had not experienced with his other dogs. He wanted to preserve her special traits, some of which he didn’t understand, so as not to lose them over time time.

But ,emotionally, the author was unsure he would be able to craft his collection of journal notes into a book. His 1950’s farm life on Big Island, like his experiences as a Provincial Park Ranger at Sandbanks, could be told through series of comic episodes. The Two of Us has a sentimental gravity woven through it. Christie was Mr. Sprague’s constant connection to his late wife, Nola, who succumbed to liver cancer in 2018.

After 44 years of marriage, it was just Terry and Christie at the house on Big Island. “Originally, Christie was Nola’s dog, and were it not for Nola, I would never have experienced the bond that I enjoyed with Christie in the years she was with us. When I lost Christie last September, it was like I had lost my remaining connection to my late wife.”

“I began to love and appreciate dogs even more through the years and became acutely aware of dogs who were being abused and not appreciated as they should,” Mr. Sprague told the Gazette. 

“I knew I could never change the way of insensitive dog owners by writing this book, but I could drive home the importance to responsible dog owners of how important it is to care for and love their dog during the relatively short time they are with us.”

The special bond between Terry and Christie developed on their hikes together — something energetic toy breeds typically don’t require to maintain health. Mr. Sprague adopted Christie at eight months old from a Frankford resident. The little dog who only knew concrete sidewalks would transform into a hiking pro, at home on all kinds of terrain. She could easily cover 10 km in a single stretch.

“She instinctively knew each time when we were heading back to the car on a looped trail even if there were no apparent clues and always took the most direct route. I just followed!”

Christie tackling the Millennium Trail is just one of the humorous chapters in The Two of Us. As he writes:

“The Millennium Trail offered different smells than those of other trails we had walked elsewhere; this trail presented a potpourri of new scents, replete with the carcass remains of dead animals, human litter, the back leg of a deer, and the shattered remains of turtle eggs that marauding raccoons had left behind. One memorable discovery she came upon was a scattering of fresh horse manure. Christie spent several moments inhaling the new and exciting aroma, staring at her new find as she tried to decide what she was supposed to do with this bizarre discovery. Unlike most dogs, Christie considered herself far too sophisticated to ever roll in anything disgusting. So, she continued to stare, mesmerized, as though to wonder, ‘I really don’t know what this disgusting object is, but perhaps we should take it home with us for further analysis.’”

The prologue describes the events leading up to the day Christie crossed the Rainbow Bridge. It was the hardest part to write. Christie suffered from several ailments in her life – including Lyme Disease and Pancreatitis. She contracted Cushing’s Disease at 14, and was unable to recover.

“She was just a special dog who had no past emotional issues to deal with and approached each day with fresh energy and enthusiasm. She had no reason to mistrust anyone and embraced every person who chose to speak to her.”

Christie was special. And the relationship she shared with her best friend even more so. 

The official launch of The Two of Us is 
Saturday 20 July at Books & Company.
Readers are welcome to purchase a 
signed copy from 2-4 p.m
The book is available at Printcraft, The Local Store, and at Books & Company.