| From: shan lung <shanlung9@y...> Date: Fri May 30, 2003 4:38 pm Subject: Tinkerbell at Alishan mountains I had too little time in the last post to dash off more than a few words. There have been more that I must say to help you avoid mistakes and possible injury to your charges and also make clearer the trip I made up the mountains last weekend. When I took Tink out for the field test, she was as usual on my shoulder when I rode my bike. I have been doing that all the time before and she never spooked which is a big relief when looking back at it all. We went to that big area where the free flight was done. You can see the fields of padi ripening and the leaves of the rice plants strong and sturdy. The light breeze blowing did not make any wavy motions. It was lucky that I liked that area and I rode very slowly. Without warning, Tink spooked. In that lonely lane with only myself, I could bring the bike to a stop carefully without injury to all of us. In a city and with other traffic, the consequences can be fatal. After that recovery, we went on to the point of free flight. Tink spooked again, I was really wondering why. The difficulty is that our senses are obviously very different from theirs who may see much more (uv light) and hear much more than us. There was this military/civilian airfield in the vicinity. The same vicinity where Taiwanese love to keep their racing pigeons letting them fly periodically. Obviously birds and planes do not mix very well. It may just be possible that the airfield may have some devices at ultrasonic level to keep birds away. Which may have been the spooking factor in the first place but unknown and unheard by us. At any rate, that was the last that Tink will ride on my shoulder in her harness when I am on a motor bike or even a pedal bike. It is far too dangerous if they spooked or just chose to fly. I read earlier that a cockatoo with leg leash got her leg tore off and I can well believe that. That cockatoo died 3 weeks later from blood poisoning. The trip up the mountain and any other trips, Tink will be in a carrier cage with her harness on. She will be on my shoulder when I walk or run but never on a bike. That overnight trip was also a precursor to even longer trips in the future. I will be meeting up with some old Taiwanese hiking friends next week for a few days. The current trip can be seen as a 'shake out' trial where Murphy can be brought to bay in a more controlled situation. Here is the Webshot URL that all of you are warmly invited to. http://www.flickr.com/photos/shanlung/sets/690236/ With Tink in her harness Ver 4 and the old leash clipped on, she was stuffed into the carrier and we went on our way. The base of the mountain was only 15 km. Problem was that we love to stop every now and then as even on the lowland, there are beautiful pastoral scenes and I came from big city where even the mundane in a country setting can be unique and enchanting enough for me to stop. Just before the road climb up the mountain is a little 7 eleven that I like a cold coffee and for Tink to stretch her wings. There was this temple dedicated to a legendary mystical monk Ji Gong who went around in rags helping the oppressed and taking down of the high and mighty, much loved by the ordinary people. He was so much loved that many people in busloads will stop by in the car park opposite the 7 eleven forming themselves into a procession towards that temple. Poor Tinkerbell minding her own business of wings and leg stretches suddenly found a bunch of devotees trouping towards the temple in a blaze of color and sound. Her spooking this time was easy to understand, no need for me to evoke strange machines with ultrasonic pulses. We continued upwards until we came to this coffee stop. This consist of a van with coffee machines and chairs and tables on a knoll overlooking what must be a beautiful vista from 1000m high. As it was always cloudy and misty here, we must be charitable and give benefit of doubt to that location where many others also stopped. It was not for the coffee. Tink in her harness got yet another chance to take a break and to glare at all others. We went on slowly and at about 2000m, came to this area just before a rockfall shelter built to protect rocks from falling on vehicles traveling on the road. I have been here on clearer days and this part hugs the side of the mountain with a 500m drop below. As it was always cloudy, I never knew how high the mountain went up here. Tink came out of her carrier and we had some photos together for us and for all you folks. I was rather proud of Tink harness Ver 4.0 which allowed her to join us like never before. Then I walked back to the bike holding her leash in my hand and Tink on my shoulder. There was this soft click. I then saw the leash was dangling down. Joy saw that too. By the side of a lonely road hugging a steep heavily forested mountain with mists and clouds coming in.. Something died in me and I slowly turned my head to look at Tink who turned her head to look back at me. She went 'goo goo goo' and bob her head up and down. I knew that she knew that I knew she was 'free'. I had a chill in me that was not from the light breeze blowing. The last time I felt this kind of chill was when she winged her way into the distance a month ago. It was one of those ethereal moment where time stopped and I can feel the beating of my heart and total awareness of where we were. She chose not to fly away, maybe relishing my dying yet a little more. I dropped that useless leash. We were a few feet from the bike and it was with outmost control that I raised my hand to Tink on my shoulder and asked her quietly to 'step up'. She did so. The other waiting hand immediately went to her head to give her head rubs and as insurance. She was stuffed so fast and smoothly back into the cage. I would have been so proud of my expertise if I was not so frightened. You folks understand if you got no shots of that moment but only my very relieved face holding the end of leash Ver 1.0 against Tink safely in the carrier. Somehow, Tink managed to released that spring loaded clasp thingy which hooks onto the harness clasp. I almost can swear she knew clearly what to do and chose that moment to do that to me. The way the harness clasp was stuffed through the harness loop and that BS loop made it extremely difficult for Tink to release that part. The leash was another matter. I comforted Joy (even though I needed bloody comforting myself) telling her not to worry as the other leash I bought have this big spring loaded thingy used to hold dogs. We went on our way and in a few km more, reached Alishan park area to top up the petrol. I then slowly open the cage in a secure area and reached in to clip the new leash on Tink's harness with a wicked satisfaction. My earlier reluctance to use this as I thought it to be too heavy have been altered with no apologies to anyone or Tink, Those sequent of shots were to show you folks the entrance to Alishan recreation area and the new leash Ver 2 and that heavy clasp. Jade mountain, or rather the Tatajia hostel where we planned to stay, was still 20km away. With Tink stuffed back into the cage, we continued on our way. Through alternating extreme clarity and 3 meters visibility, we continued on. The destination mattered little. In this and many other cases, the journey itself is as much as the destination. We stopped a few times to try to capture how this road was like for you folks. Perhaps having a video snippet might have been necessary. The way the clouds moved and bellowed upwards like a boiling cauldron could not be captured in a simple photo shot. At Tatajia, we found the accommodation to be dormitory style. There have been earlier times where we stayed in even more basic places without second thoughts. I have stayed in lodgings in the shadow of Annarpurna for less than a dime a night for the privilege of unrolling my sleeping bag on the restaurant floor provided I took my meals there. 12 years ago when I roamed Taiwan alone, I carry a sleeping bag on my bike and slept off the road side at wherever I felt was beautiful enough. I rationalized that with Tink, we needed our own room. Perhaps that may even be true. More likely it was that my tolerance level was a lot lower now and a comfortable room felt delightful. We turned back towards Alishan and were nicely surprised that not only the hotel there had vacancies and they upgraded our impromptu phone booking to a nice room. That will not make me thank SARS which was responsible for that upgrade. Wildlife in China and Asia will be much happier. With the tracing of SARS to the eating of civet cats and other wildlife, I am happy that resulted in stopping of trade of wildlife for the cooking pot. As we walked into our room, leash Ver 2.0 slipped out of Tinks cage. Somehow, it did not shocked me this time. I was secretly pleased that Tink knew what to do and relished the ongoing challenge to show Tink I can be smarter. The bathroom was dedicated to Tink who was taken out of the harness. We cleared away the towels and used that rack for the food and water dishes. Tink seemed to be a very seasoned traveler and settled quickly and very happily, went for the dry food and water. Tink was never starved. Periodically, she was given her sunflower seeds and she joined us during all meal breaks eating all that we eat to the delight of others and the restaurant owners. I brought a couple of spare phone lanyards. One of them was looped through the metal ring on the harness spring loaded clasp thingy. The only way for Tink to get that out was to pull the entire lanyard through its loop. This is now Tink harness Ver 5.0 . The earlier leashes were still usable. The leash spring loaded clasp will remain safely locked on as the clasp will be attached to the other end and far away from Tink's very capable jaws and even more awesome mind.. The next morning, Tink was eventually taken out for a walk in the Alishan re-emerging forest of cedars, pines and red junipers. The songs and calls from the birds were very enchanting to me especially when I cast my mind to the time I last stayed here 12 years ago. The forest was very silent then. I was wondering why until I stumbled to the hawker area where food and drinks were sold. I saw what was being sold as tidbits. 3 small little songbirds on a skewer nicely roasted to a turn and sold for 50 NT. Times have definitely changed and awareness of our environment and wildlife will not allow such scenes again. Take note of the pictures where you can see Tink harness Ver 5.0 with the new long loop incorporated and the leash hooked on far away. I no longer dare to say that it will work against Tink all the time. Now and then when we took a break, Tink was busily trying to understand that loop. Its only the length of that loop that must be pulled that is holding Tink at bay as she actually got that knot half loosened. The three hour walk in the forest and glades were very pleasant. I wonder how the original forest was like seeing the giant stumps were left behind. At the Zen temple entrance, Tinkerbell flew off my shoulder. I do not think that was a spook, more like she felt exuberant and wanted a fly. The leash was not that long and Tink was brought up short and she circled back to me. My next development will be some kind of fishing reel with long enough line for her to have a good long flight as she wished. And that she come back to me. That will go a long way to help cure my current paranoia about Tink's free flying. Even so, I do not think I ever have the courage to let her truly free fly for a long time. Perhaps if she can tell me in a hundred words or so that she deserve and will honor my trust, maybe I relent. All too soon, it was time to go. But then, next week with a public holiday on Wednesday, and a couple of bridging holiday, we will be off for 4 days at another mountain with a lot of my old Taiwanese friends from my earlier mountain climbing days. And of course, Tink will get to meet and greet all of them. ===== With warmest regards Shanlung Joy - wife, Tinkerbell - CAG & surrogate daughter |
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This is a Flickr badge showing photos in a set called Tinkerbell at Alishan Mountain Taiwan (where flaws with original leash were uncovered). Make your own badge here.
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