Winter's here

Winter arrived quite suddenly – almost as though the weather has started to acknowledge the calendar month.

The shorter days and colder nights have meant a few things at Nino’s – cooking warm comfort food and losing the battle for the lounge to 90kgs of dog. Although we have valiantly fought off the onslaught we seem to fall victim to puss-in-boots eyes and are then lulled into a receptive state by the rhythmic snoring Otto seems to be able to emit even while awake. In this weakened state, somehow the dogs manage to inveigle themselves into prime position before pushing Dino and I to the fringes of the lounge.

Avian neurosis

In this case it took some time but it looks as though Phil has become a casualty of my unique ability to turn my pets neurotic. Supporting evidence?

Buttercup, a flower of the canine variety

Chester has to wear a cone as he had to have a tumour removed in quite an awkward and private place, which at first was quite terrifying, then quite expensive but is now looking more positive. The cone situation has been interesting to watch. Putting the cone on him at first clearly depressed him and that wasn’t helped when Otto started giving him suspicious looks. It became apparent that Otto regarded the whole cone situation with distrust, which soon extended beyond the cone to be equated with Chester as well. He seemed convinced that Chester had been replaced with a changeling and started keeping a safe distance, maintaining one eye on him at all times and trying to warn us with a serious of complicated eye movements…

We're back...

It’s been awhile. All I will say about that is that 2012 was a year best put behind us. But we’re still here and we’re still Nino’s.

I started reading a book last night and had the wonderful feeling that told me I was going to love it. The book is The Crane Wife by Patrick Ness and I’ve only read a few pages but I already feel as though this will be one of the many books I carry inside me forever. There’s a beauty in the writing and it immediately took me to that magical place that only truly great books can, where you are transported into the writing but at the same time become more conscious of the tiny wonderful details around you. I can’t wait to read it but am also enjoying savouring knowing that it’s there still waiting for me to discover it.

In which I finally post pictures of my Easter chocolates and I discover a fantastic use for leftover risotto!

Apologies for not including the results of my chocolate making sooner. Let’s just say that so far, 2012 has not been my year.

In which pets that don't belong behind bars are, and pets that do belong behind bars aren't...

Thought you might be interested to see how big Otto is now. These prison shots were taken when Dino was doing some work in the yard and decided he didn't need close canine supervision.

In which time passes and we still haven’t posted… nor have we mentioned any books until now.

I recently read a book  (which I won’t name, those of you that have read it may recognise it, those of you who don’t won’t have it spoilt), which I was very much enjoying, right up until the point where one of the main characters suddenly dies.  I had not expected this. It hadn’t been the sort of book that leads you to the supposition that there will be no happy ending.