OUR 620 POST is the name of our small, rural farm in Rockingham County. For the past years we have had a cow/calf operation that Steve has managed. It has been over 30 years since we actually lived on the property rather we have rented out the main dwelling and reside in the city of Harrisonburg.
Years ago my mother's grandfather, Colonel Brown, owned and operated Endless Caverns. It was a tourist attraction consisting of the caverns, campground, art museum, restaurants, lake, stables and lots of farming. The property consisted of 1300 acres in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley, a spectacular place on all acounts. After having nourished three generations the farm was sold to a party outside of the family in the mid 1970s.
The 20 acres that Steve and I own is the only piece that still remains in the family. Unfortunately at the time we could not afford to purchase more acerage but we felt rich to own that much. This is where a new story of farming has been created. The few cows that Steve keeps are real animals requiring everyday care and attention. The other animals that I will write about are stuffed animals that come to reside on the Post until they get adopted.
I make an animal and then put him/her up for adoption. A biography is written about each "baby" of which they all have some sort of limitation whether it be mental or physical. There are also babies that may suffer from social ills or dilemmas but because the animals are intended for young children, the stories and Bio's are geared to only hint at a problem without going into great detail. The Bio's are also intended to open up learning possibilities as to the country of origin, cultural differences, unusual names and different skin colors. Mental limitations can be addressed as well. The education can go as far as the parent wants to delve into it.
There are never pictures shown of the animals that are up for adoption as I want their limitation to somehow resonant with the child who wants to adopt the baby. Whether the child wants to adopt because he/she suffers from the same limitation or because they feel they can help make life better for the baby. We all know that some times we choose things because they are cute rather than on their own merit, we let prettiness prevail rather than the more important issues.
I hope you will enjoy the readings about these little guys. After the adoptions have been made I may post pictures of the families at that time although that has not been fully decided. In any event I hope you will check back and learn about the next baby who has come to live at OUR 620 POST.
