Moved and have tentatively opted to change my whole life..

Help Support CattleToday:

greybeard

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 5, 2012
Messages
26,394
Reaction score
13,177
Location
Copperas Cove Tx
I sold my property in San Jacinto county (sold 3-4 days after listing which tells me I sold to cheap) and packed up and arrived in Central Texas with our last load of "stuff" last Thursday evening. Found to my dismay, that the dweeb managing 2nd 10x20 storage room place I had reserved in Lampasas had rented it out so I had to rent one in Copperas Cove. That worked out all right in the end... Been a refugee in Days Inn Copperas Cove for 4 days now.
We've looked at nearly 40 places in person since last Thursday and really didn't find anything out around Lampasas/San Saba that fit both my budget and my wants. I wanted a small place, raise a few calves each year maybe but that ain't going to happen.
I'm pretty pragmatic about things in life but my wants have for some time over-ridden the reality of my life. I can afford the property but for what and be able to work it for how long?
I'll be 72 in a few weeks. My health is not good. Both shoulders worn out, a decades old injury/bad back that for months has caused terrible pain down my right leg and a weak right hip. I could barely walk from my back porch down to the pond, much less do any real work for very long. Then, diabetic, plus an official diagnosis of congestive heart failure. Made the decision yesterday, that my agriculture/farm days are done. Time for me to just live out my remaining months/years in town and take it easy and according to my kids and my wife, I have to do it somewhere close to good medical facilities. I have never feared death but not going to rush it either.
Wife also deserves to be able to live comfortably and not worry about fences, water well, a malfunctioning waste water plant, grass fires...or , floods so we've put in a bid and presumably are going to close within 3 weeks on a nice house in a subdivision in Copperas Cove. It's definitely 'livin above my raising' and I'll have to build a little shop to pursue my woodworking hobby but I can make it work I suppose. Just have to find somewhere to fish.

I am SO going to miss what I've done for so long, but deep down, I know I just can't do it any more.
4 bdr, 2 bath, small 1/3 ac lot with neighbors stuck up our butts but it is what it is. (had to have room for friends, family, the kids and grandkids to visit.)

bb1.jpg

bb2.png
Kitchen is wider than the photo shows and since I do all the cooking anyway, I wanted a big kitchen.
bb3.jpg

bb4.jpg

bb5.jpg

I'll have to replace the wooden fence with a newer one, but that's within my ability still.
I can't say I'm happy to reach this point but I'm very happy that I'm able to provide my sweetheart of 28 years with a home she can enjoy even after I'm gone. After all she endured down in East Texas along that river, all the bugs, the humidity, the floods and more, she deserves at least this.
 
I sold my property in San Jacinto county (sold 3-4 days after listing which tells me I sold to cheap) and packed up and arrived in Central Texas with our last load of "stuff" last Thursday evening. Found to my dismay, that the dweeb managing 2nd 10x20 storage room place I had reserved in Lampasas had rented it out so I had to rent one in Copperas Cove. That worked out all right in the end... Been a refugee in Days Inn Copperas Cove for 4 days now.
We've looked at nearly 40 places in person since last Thursday and really didn't find anything out around Lampasas/San Saba that fit both my budget and my wants. I wanted a small place, raise a few calves each year maybe but that ain't going to happen.
I'm pretty pragmatic about things in life but my wants have for some time over-ridden the reality of my life. I can afford the property but for what and be able to work it for how long?
I'll be 72 in a few weeks. My health is not good. Both shoulders worn out, a decades old injury/bad back that for months has caused terrible pain down my right leg and a weak right hip. I could barely walk from my back porch down to the pond, much less do any real work for very long. Then, diabetic, plus an official diagnosis of congestive heart failure. Made the decision yesterday, that my agriculture/farm days are done. Time for me to just live out my remaining months/years in town and take it easy and according to my kids and my wife, I have to do it somewhere close to good medical facilities. I have never feared death but not going to rush it either.
Wife also deserves to be able to live comfortably and not worry about fences, water well, a malfunctioning waste water plant, grass fires...or , floods so we've put in a bid and presumably are going to close within 3 weeks on a nice house in a subdivision in Copperas Cove. It's definitely 'livin above my raising' and I'll have to build a little shop to pursue my woodworking hobby but I can make it work I suppose. Just have to find somewhere to fish.

I am SO going to miss what I've done for so long, but deep down, I know I just can't do it any more.
4 bdr, 2 bath, small 1/3 ac lot with neighbors stuck up our butts but it is what it is. (had to have room for friends, family, the kids and grandkids to visit.)

View attachment 16770

View attachment 16771
Kitchen is wider than the photo shows and since I do all the cooking anyway, I wanted a big kitchen.
View attachment 16772

View attachment 16773

View attachment 16774

I'll have to replace the wooden fence with a newer one, but that's within my ability still.
I can't say I'm happy to reach this point but I'm very happy that I'm able to provide my sweetheart of 28 years with a home she can enjoy even after I'm gone. After all she endured down in East Texas along that river, all the bugs, the humidity, the floods and more, she deserves at least this.
I think you could fit a couple of calves in that yard and some ducks in that pond. The shed will make a nice chicken coop. I think it is doable, but you will probably have to supplement the calves with hay.
 
Nice place. I think the right man could live trap a beaver or two and a gator to put in the pool. Your in Texas can't be that hard to find somebody with a few cows you can chase around and cuss if you get the notion. Best of luck with the next chapter. Enjoy what you have no matter what it may be!
 
You think cattle are work, try keeping up with a swimming pool!

Enjoy it. You'll adjust. Find a coffee shop and you'll find fishing buddies.

Also sounds like you really love the missus. A real man knows when to put her first. Consider yourself lucky you got a good one.
 
Congratulations GB. Looks like a beautiful home. Is it wheelchair/motorized chair accessible? Is it going to get noisy when school lets out? You get a wood shop built and you will find your heaven on earth on that property. When you get the hankering, go to the local sale barn, ride with a guy hauling.
 
Looks like you found a nice place.
That pool will keep you busy enough, and probably have plenty of company.
I'm some younger, but health isn't real good. Not able to do much on the farm anymore, and we have been thinking of downsizing and moving to OK, where my wife's family is. I'm the last in my family here except for a few cousins.
I would like to find a place out there to run a few cows, and not have as much upkeep as we have here. I don't know if we'll find that either.
After the bout with Covid, if it had happened during the winter I don't know how we could have tended the cows during that.
 
Last edited:
I expect you will enjoy fewer responsibilities, and not having to get out in all kinds of weather to tend to cows. I'm a decade younger than you are, and in pretty good health, but I'm starting to think about simplifying my life. I'll probably start by selling all my cattle in the fall one year, buy some back in the spring, and repeat. I don't think I'd miss feeding hay.
 
Looks like a very nice place. You are doing the right thing. More people should be as reasonable as you are.
The following does not apply to you:
Some people think they will live forever. As they get older and can't keep up with it all, they run everything into the ground including themselves.
 
Very nice place GB, I'm sure you will enjoy it. Sounds your wife was ready for a change too. That kitchen and back porch look amazing.

We built my father in law a little 30x30 metal house last year while we were building our house. It's on a place we bought several years ago about 1/4 mile down the road and he really likes it. I tell the wife that it's were we're going to be living in another 20 yrs. Hopefully give the ranch and bigger house to one of the grandkids and live in the little house. Maybe I can drive them as crazy as he drives us. Time sneaks up on all of us quicker than we'd like I guess.
 
Last edited:
@greybeard
Put a hotwire around that place and you could run half a dozen bottle calves!!
No mowing either!
😝
I looked at one place in a subdivision that had a L shaped 6 1/2' tall cedar privacy fence but on one side of the house there were 4 rows of insulators along the bottom 1/2 of the fence and not a blade of grass in that area. Pretty sure they were keeping goats in there.

I hired an inspector to give this place a good going over tomorrow, including the pool and pump/filter as well as the nat gas water heater and gas furnace. Been decades since I used gas appliances and I don't know much about them so it's important from a safety standpoint that they be in good working order.

There is a retaining wall on one side of the house that I would like to replace with some kind of masonry. (the neighbor's yard is higher than the one I'm trying to buy) Currently almost new crossties and they leach the odor of creosote. If I do replace them, someone nearby can have a crapload of pretty good shape crossties if they come pick them up...
 
I hired an inspector to give this place a good going over tomorrow, including the pool and pump/filter as well as the nat gas water heater and gas furnace. Been decades since I used gas appliances and I don't know much about them so it's important from a safety standpoint that they be in good working order.
You will love cooking over gas when you get the hang of it, much better temperature control and quicker on-off heat than electric. From a safety perspective, there are so many safeguards built in to gas furnaces, ect, that there is rarely a problem.
 
Top