| From: shan lung <shanlung9@y...> Date: Thu May 15, 2003 11:37 am Subject: Tink harness Ver 4.0 The harness consists of two main parts. The first part is what I call the neck loop with two extensions. One run down the back with a tiny loop A and the other run down the breast with another tiny loop B. The other part is a piece that runs through loop A and B around the body and under the wings. This part was a strap with a buckle that you need to thread the other end through. If the buckle is to hold the end securely, the fit of the end through that buckle must be tight. Let us call it the Body Strap (BS for short) Here is where our good friend Murphy steps in. If your charge is the epitome of good behaviour, you ain't got a problem. Which makes me wonder why are you so paranoid to need a harness in the first place and why are you still reading this email. Tinkerbell protests and pull away from me and even if the photos show you otherwise, my hands have got ten thumbs and threading the end through a buckle with Tink shifting around isn't much fun. I swiftly changed that BS piece using another piece from Zorro harness which slot together. All is well and good in the past as the moment Tink is in harness, she is taken outside and as she likes that, she remained peacefully until she is back home. With the new softer harness, she accepted it much more readily. However, instead of taking it off immediately on reaching home, it is left on to familarise her better with it and to do clicker training with her in the harness. It is left on after clicker training for that same reason as well. It means Tinkerbell now has the time and she always have the inclination to experiment on things not to be experimented. I have told you how she gets my Rolex watch off notwithstanding the complex catch at the back. Last week, I had to spend 5000NT to service my watch after I found out that she was not dutifully and lovingly bowing her head over my hand but was unscrewing the winder so touted by Rolex to be like submarine hatch. I know I should have checked my watch before I took that dive and swim in the pool. I may have mentioned how quickly she will fly to Joy's shoulder and undo the back of that earing and pull it out from the front to fly off with it, undoubtly to her great amusement. You recalled how she got that target stick to her at the end of a chain by using jaw and claw without any coaching and just at a cue to 'touch target'. Shortly after I wrote and send that success story of that new harness, she needed less than 20 minutes to be left alone while I enjoyed a few games of speed International chess on the Internet (if you are curious, my Elo rating was 2100 at best but still around 1900 now). She announced her success by flying to me with the harness half dangling from her with that snap clasp undone. Remember that I said that she complained when I put that harness on in the past? After I took it off, she brazenly flew to the stand and looked at me as if daring me to place it on again. She did not squark and even cooperated with me to wear the harness. After I snapped it on, she looked at me, bend her head down and clicked it open faster than I took to snap it on. I snap it back on and immediately took her back to the hall to the tower. When walking back to the computer room, she flew past my shoulder to her stand with that catch opened. She discovered this marvelous game entirely for her amusement that she allowed me to put on her harness and clipped shut so she can unclip herself again. I happily obliged her snapping it on for her to unsnap it while my brain went into furious overdrive trying to figure out what to do as it was clear that old Zorro body strap met its Waterloo. The body strap must be something that can be swiftly and easily put on and easily taken out by me and immune to Tink's mischief in between. I decided on a piece of soft handphone lanyard (Joy used to bring them home free by the fistfuls from the computer conferences she attended and we got a drawer full of that ) , one end as a bowline loop and the other as a quick sheetbend fastening ( learned from my boy scouting and sailing days). http://www.realknots.com/knots/index.htm#bends for your reference I took out Zorro BS and substituted that new BS for Tink harness Ver 3.0 . She seemed comfortable enough at home and did not try to remove it after a few half hearted attempts. Sunday afternoon saw us going out to a nearby park with Ver 3.0. You will see I have towel on my shoulder as Tink takes it that harness and leash outings meant she can shit on me as she likes without serious consequences. After all, she cannot fly to poop at her poop stations since we all walking about . And I do like that T shirt. And if I look two years older from that 3 weekends ago, you folks know why. I then accepted an offer from my other local friends to be introduced to a local eating place. After I sat down, I noticed to my horror Tink loosened that sheetbend knot during the short time we were in a car to the point the harness hang more loosely on her than that trousers on Charlie Chaplin. I tried to refasten it to her loud squarks and turned heads of all around us. I gave up and Tink smugly beaked that knot holding on by threads and 'coo coo coo' me again. She then periodically grab the neck harness to raise it taunting me further. You can understand the strained harassed look on my face as I ignored good conversations and all ready to grab and stuff Tink into an open pillow case on my lap if she freed herself. You can see the photo just how loose she got that harness Ver 3.0 We got home and she tugged at the BS freeing herself immediately looking at me to complete that act by taking it off her. I got the feeling she could have taken it off any time that evening but she stuck to the norms and did not do so. I will not go into the details of Ver3.1 to Ver 3.5 developments that Sunday evening as human cunning pit against Tink wits. I am certain she really enjoyed herself. Enough to say that the present Ver 4.0 is impossi er er going to be difficult for her to do her adjustments in the future. The BS now consists of a line with two bowline loops. One end thread through the other bowline loop, curl around the breast extension and BS before turning around to be locked by that spring loaded thingy. The steel loop of that spring loaded thingy is where the leash attaches on. Tink harness Ver 4.0 seemed resistant to her experiments over the last two nights. The BS can be fitted on swiftly even if you are all thumbs like me. It seems to be failsafe in two way and can be swift taken out again. That spring loaded thingy was part of a keychain easily bought anywhere. I now present Tink harness Ver 4.0 to you folks in case you are thinking of one yourself. http://www.flickr.com/photos/shanlung/sets/688785/ Note the ease of fastening the BS. BS can be readily replaceable in case of wear and tear. You must always check that before using it on your charge. They can enjoy being outside with you and live a richer life. If you make use of Tink harness Ver 4.0 and feel grateful enough to take out your chequebook, just write whatever amount that you think it is worth and more and send it to Durell Wildlife Conservation Trust (by deceased Gerald Durell) or whatever wildlife trust or animal shelter that you like. If you do not have much money now, you can always pay later when you do have more money. http://www.durrellwildlife.org/ In that folder, there are more shots of the tea house just across the road from where I stay except that the shots are taken during the day. With us on that day is Anna. Anna is Marie's friend. Marie is the expat lady that we have never met but got to know Joy via email and gave us the huge parrot tower. We were in Australia when Marie had to leave Taiwan and Anna kept and store the tower for us until we got back to Taiwan. She was passing through Chiayi on that day and stopped by to see Tinkerbell for the first time. ===== With warmest regards Shanlung Joy - wife, Tinkerbell - CAG & surrogate daughter IMPORTANT The above harness had been superseded with critical refinements. The above letter was included as it did lay down certain fundamentals that are required even in the latest harness. You must read the later letters on harness especially Tink wearing harness -Latest Details of Tink's harness Tinkerbell - an easy way to make a harness Tinkerbell Harness for Dennis In fact, even further refinements were made in my June 2005 visit back to Taiwan just to see Tink. That was recorded into that livejournal blog that you can read. Tinkerbell revisited - meeting with Tsaoling bird whisperer and quirks of harness design And most important of all, you must read Using harness NEVER EVER HOLD THE LEASH IN YOUR HAND OR LOOP AROUND THE WRIST. ALWAYS SECURE THE LEASH TO YOUR BELT OR YOUR BACKPACK WITH A CARABINER (and do not forget that cheque to Durell or WWW if you can spare some money) |
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www.flickr.com
This is a Flickr badge showing photos in a set called Tinkerbell and new harness (this was her first harness I made AND THIS IS OBSOLETE). Make your own badge here.
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