I had a lovely day today with some close friends and their two children. The came over to visit me in the lovely Welsh countryside for once (I do seem to impose on them far more than I host) for a look at my completed building work, a very nice pub lunch and – la pièce de résistance – a visit to a working farm nearby!
Katie and David, aged five and three years old, really enjoyed touching the donkeys, chinchillas, lamas, etc. And, I have to admit, so did I!
The afternoon included a really good ‘tractor train-ride’; through several fields with horses, sheep, pigs and some pretty hefty-looking Aberdeen Angus cows!
As I tried really hard to spend a day without thinking of work and the piles of papers in my study, I couldn’t help but reflect that evening, as I opened a lovely bottle of Tempranillo that was left for me!
Recently I have bought a book by Temple Grandin; Animals in Translation*. It is a fascinating book – although at present I have to admit to only skimming it, due to other things on the go!
The book is described as ‘a fascinating read, drawing upon the latest research, [Grandin’s] distinguished career as an animal scientist, and her own experience of being autistic’.
After today, I couldn’t help but remember Grandin’s insights into the world of animal thought and think; what were the animals thinking as we walked round? What were they were thinking about us?
* Grandin, T. (2005) Animals in Translation (Bloomsbury)