Bear's Bad Hair Day

"Lord, this hot weather's hard on a fat girl!" (Overheard at a local store.)

And if the girl in question is not only big-boned but also covered in a double coat of black fur . . . no matter how often she takes a dip in the creek, she's still going to be pretty miserable.

I began with the clippers, but Bear's coat was so thick and there were areas of matted fine fur that seemed more appropriate for a sheep shearer to deal with. I had set the clipper guard at three-quarters -- wanting to leave Bear some sun protection -- but at that height, the clippers just weren't cutting it.

So over the past three weeks, whenever there was an opportunity, I've been snipping at Bear's dreadlocks and generally lowering the level of her hair to the point that the wimpy little clippers could actually be used.

The picture below is the result of only one of our sessions with the scissors. One could construct a small to medium size dog from that fur -- or maybe just a nice winter jacket for William. In any event, this should provide luxurious nest-lining material for all the birds in the county.

It took three or four scissor sessions before I could finally use the clippers. And when I did, it was still hard to get through that thick fur. Once or twice the guard flew off, resulting in the punk/moth-eaten look you see below.

It looks as if the bad haircut has driven our poor Bear to drink. But I guarantee she feels better.