I totally needed this!
...not to say that week number six was a train wreck, because it definitely had its ups and downs. Let's start with the good stuff!
Tim showed us some scissor exercises--although a far cry from SCISSORCISES--early in the morning, and told us to lead with the cutting blade for smooth finishes. It's already helped with my shear control. Pun definitely not intended; just think how much better it would be if we finally scissorcised! If this week's not too bad, I'm gonna get on his case about it, haha!
Let's see... I learned I have a natural knack for Poodle topknots. Tim seemed impressed when I told him I did a topknot completely unassisted, and the only thing wrong was that it was a little flat in the back. Snow blindness is a pain, but the final product looked good!
So that brings us to the not-so-great. The same Poodle I did the rockstar topknot on acted like a brat for her face. I got frustrated and caught myself, seconds before Tim did. Apparently, when I hit that point, I start to shout. I didn't mean to get so flustered with Gigi. Good thing Tim's so incredibly level-headed; I hope to someday be like him, in that regard.
Also, Shih Tzu faces were my recurring demise. I just wasn't able to get into the corner close enough to remove those pesky little hairs--all out of fear of cutting the dog--and ended up with clean, bulldog-ish faces. At least I watched a grooming video today that showed me how to do it. And even though I was told (don't remember who the heck said it) to trim the outside corners of the eyes first, you're supposed to go from the inside corners, to the visor, and do the outside dead last! I hate getting thrown off...
One more thing that's been bothering me is how many kennel trims I've been doing. I'm tired of putting dogs up on sticks, as it's commonly referred to. You can definitely leave a little bit of hair on the legs to give a minuscule amount of style to a short trim. Kennel trims are for matted dogs!
At least I wasn't in the position of one of my classmates, who cut a dog's ear. Both Tim and the owner were extremely forgiving; it's not like she meant to do it, after all. Kind of makes me wish my first mistake would be here, in a place where no one is going to leap down your back about it. Still, it was a reminder to all of us how careful we must be with our "moving targets"!
The sixth week was more pressure-filled than any other week so far. I'm very appreciative to Michelle and her husband for inviting us down to their little ranch in the country and letting us ride their two horses. Novi definitely had the most fun, you could tell when he said he wanted a faster horse! Being out in a place like that, where the roads were winding and all of the stars were out when dusk fell, made me feel like there is still a bit of surreal magic hidden within the world's corners.
Speaking of stars, I could've sworn I saw a shooting one as we drove home. Sure hope my wish comes true!
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