SPA DAY AT THE RANCH WHEN THE LADIES COME IN TO HAVE THEIR HAIR AND NAILS DONE By Howard Kuhlmann Waiting patiently for my pedicure and trim This much-anticipated event happens once or twice a year. Our Winter Spa event gives the girls a chance to look their best for date night which will happen later during the Spring Dance. However, not all can be chosen, as only a select few will meet the high standards that we have set for the boy’s dance cards. Spa day begins with the girls assembling in the laneway. They tend to be a little bit nervous about the whole thing, because, after all, they know that only the best will be invited to participate in the dance. We set up a waiting room at the top of the laneway. The girls crowd around this and can hardly wait for their chance to be brought in. We only allow five or six to be in at a time. This gives us the opportunity to look more closely at each one and to determine just what can be done to best bring out her inherent beauty. During this examination we also look at eyes, ears, nose and teeth to see if any additional cosmetic work may need to be performed at this time or during a later appointment. From the waiting room, the girls will be led one at a time into a personal, private space where the beauty treatments will be performed. Here Cynthia and I work as a team to see that everything that needs to be done is done. Cynthia handles the hair and fleece trimming while I work on the toe nails. Many of the girls have long, luxurious bangs. While they may look nice, they can be difficult to see through and they also hide those beautiful dark brown eyes. Cynthia makes sure that each girl can show off her eyes to best advantage. My job is Carefully clipping alpaca toenails. Notice the soft padded foot? Makes them easy on the land!to make sure that their nails are trimmed evenly and of the proper Carefully clipping alpaca toenails. Notice the soft padded foot? Makes them easy on the land! length (no nail sets or polish please; our girls prefer the natural look.) Long nails can grow out crooked and may also chip or crack, resulting in infection or other long-term damage. When all is done, the ladies (all 30 of them) stand around comparing their new looks and discussing who will be chosen for the Spring Dance. Who do you think should be chosen for the boys dance card?