Choosing Cino

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT, Sydney Morning Herald, Time Magazine, and Pets International, African Drum Magazine, and Cape Argus (this week) 

To our beloved family and friends who participated in the Competition to find a name for our puppy!

Well, as you know, there was a major competition held in our house over the Christmas period in order to find the name of our Little Golden Fluff Ball.   The excitement reached fever pitch just prior to our collecting our little girl on 13th January.  The details of the Glittering Prize have been kept a closely guarded secret until now, when we can reveal its true value.

We haven’t had enough sleep since then to write a coherent email, but today is the long awaited announcement!

There were hundreds of entries.  (Well, at least a hundred).

The judges took the process very seriously, and a great deal of time and consideration was invested in selecting the right name for the new Groom Addition.   No bribes nor sexual favours were accepted.

Names from every corner of the globe emerged, many African, several competitors researched thoroughly, and a special mention must go to our Godson Sam, who suggested fifteen names.   My cousin in Cape Town sent several, and she had enrolled the staff of the hotel she manages into suggesting suitable names.

Favourite contenders were:

Seba – means “Whisper” in Botswanan Setswana – some of you may remember our little Burmese cat was named Whisper, and it was the name of a camp we stayed in last year on our 66 day African Adventure.

Zindze – Nelson Mandela’s daughters name, and means “stable, anchored in life”.

Akila – means ‘most beautiful’

Clicquot – next to Moet and Chandon, my favourite champagne, and in the tradition of our darling Moet –

Truffle – in a nod to her Italian heritage and truffle hunting working dog background - which Joshua killed immediately, saying it reminded him of Paris Hilton’s handbag dog

Zene – ‘beautiful’

Ko Ko

Zu Zu

Saffron

Goldie

and lots lots more!

My personal favourites were:   Zindze (thanks Michele!), Clicquot (thanks Jane and Bernie!) and Cino.

Unfortunately, none of you suggested the chosen name.  It was me who suggested Cino.

So sadly, none of you win the glittering prize, which would have been a round trip ticket to Cape Town, or a  round trip ticket from Cape Town to Sydney, First Class of course, with Five Star Accommodation at journeys end for 66 days, sightseeing, all meals and wine included.

Sorry about that.

But the runner up is Zindze, I loved that name, and what it meant.  But when we saw our little Cino, she was a Cino, not a Zindze.   But as Michele suggested Zindze,

DRUM ROLL HERE PLEASE!

Michele McCreadie of Cape Town, my cousin -  wins THE VALUABLE SECOND PRIZE!!!!

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!

The second prize is:

Accommodation at The River House here in Shoalhaven Heads for two people, staying in a king size room with a king size bed, overlooking the river - for an unspecified period of time

All meals and accompanying ‘beverages’

Sightseeing

and

A dozen bottles of champagne or more, depending on circumstances

But it has to be COLLECTED IN PERSON

Due to the high standard of the suggestions, and how closely contested the procedure was, the judges have deliberated at length, and finally decided to award a “Special Merit Prize”.  This award is for the hours of painstaking research, careful consideration, and how much practise was carried out in ‘calling out loud’ the names.  (We all know that it has to sound right when calling our dog.) 

ANOTHER DRUM ROLL PLEASE!

This award goes to SAMUAL HOBSON, our godson!!!!

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!

The prize is:   overnight accommodation in a king size room, overlooking the Shoalhaven River, fish and chips (or I will make your desired dish) for dinner, several hours of non stop playing with our puppy, and your God Mother and God Father all to yourself.

 Prizes can be collected after negotiation of dates and times with the organisors, and no correspondence will be entered into.  Those of you who may think there may be some family favouritism at play are just plain wrong.

We thank you all for your energetic participation, know that The River House’s front door is always open to you, and that we love you very much!

Blessings and love and hugs

Mom and Dad aka Sandra, Gerald and Baby Cino xxxxx