Training a Japanese Maple

When our friend, Hai, spotted the Japanese Maple at the garden store for just $70, he jumped on it. He's wanted one for years. It is not hardy in Minnesota, but he plans on moving it indoors for winter. Right now he's using a gardener's trick learned from his father to train it into a pleasing shape. He demonstrated to Stan how pliant wires can be used to gently convince the branches they should grow a certain way.
This delicate procedure requires patience, vision, faithful attention and other virtues not presently in the photographer's possession.