Tag Archives: animal behavior

I was just settling in to write my daily post when an email arrived from C. at Spyder Ranch. Perhaps foolishly, I allowed myself to be distracted and opened the email. It contained this link to a marvelous documentary about Dr. Temple Grandin.

I first came across Dr. Grandin’s work many years ago when my mother said I had to read Thinking in Pictures. I confess I didn’t do every thing my mother told me to do and never did get around to reading the book, but Dr. Grandin’s work has been on my radar ever since. More recently, I was at a meeting of fellow livestock breeders and someone had brought along a copy of Humane Livestock Handling, a fascinating book that gets into the nitty gritty of how to better move livestock from point A to point B. Aimed more at larger operations, it reminded me about her work and how fascinating it was that someone with autism could have had such a huge impact on commercial agriculture.

Then, at the Sypder Ranch Christmas do, C. mentioned she was reading Animals Make Us Human and I knew I needed to get my finger out and get caught up on my way over due reading!

And then, the link to the documentary arrived in my in-box and guess what I’ve been doing during my designated blogging time? Yep. It’s great. I suggest you settle in with a cup of tea (if you haven’t already seen it) and use your designated blog-reading time to watch. The documentary is not only of interest to anyone who works with livestock, it provides a fascinating glimpse into the world of Asperger’s and autism, and the many challenges faced by individuals who must find ways to cope with the mainstream world.

Enjoy!

(I love watching documentaries, btw – and am tempted to request your suggestions… except then I know you’d send me your favourites and I might never write another blog post again!! And, a belated thank you to those who suggested some amazing-sounding cookie recipes! Hoping to get back into baking mode soon and will report on my findings…)