There is a lot of hard work that goes on at the Lazy J Ranch – but there’s also time for fun and games! From fishing to driving the side-by-side to saddle surfing, there’s always something to do.
The horses have been a fun addition to the ranch. We are trying our best to spoil Spirit and Charley the best we can. We’re learning about feeding, shoeing, and brushing the horses. We’ve ridden some, but it has been so hot that we didn’t want to stress them. (I told you we were spoiling the horses!)
We were told to be aware that sometimes horses and cows don’t get along in the same pasture, but we haven’t experienced that. The new calves were curious about the horses the first time they were in the pasture together and the horses were very patient with the calves.
The calves are interested when we go to the barn to feed the horses. Big Boy and some of the cows greeted me outside the barn when I went to feed the horses one morning. The calves decided to investigate what was going on inside the stall gates. Then, Skipper and Rocky Raccoon decided to play hide and seek from around the corner of the barn with me. Rocky likes to go out and greet Charlie for ear scratches and head rubs.
It’s fun to be able to interact with the animals and share these experiences with family and friends. Taking photos are something I like to do to share fun times and new things that we’ve learned along the way. Selfies are always fun with the herd and horses!
We work hard and we play hard here at the ranch and we love it!
Genesis the Calf is a little over two months old now. She is growing and changing every day. It’s amazing to see how she knows what to do and how herd protects and nurtures her along with her mama. 
Within hours of being born, she was wandering the pasture with the rest of the herd. Even now, she walks or runs a bit and needs to lay down and rest; but she is getting stronger every day. She learned quickly that alfalfa hay was a yummy treat. 
She also learned that she was the short one in the crowd and she often winds up with hay dust all over her head and back. 
It took a bit for her to figure out what the mineral cubes were all about, but now she likes being able to chew on them. When Charlie starts up the side by side, all of the cows come running to the fence hoping for a treat and Genesis is now the one leading the herd!
her coat is beginning to have a reddish sheen. Mama 
Jason and Raya came over to visit and work with the cows. I walked out onto the front porch and this is what I saw.
Maddie wasn’t as interested in the cows this trip. Instead, she wanted to explore the creek and she wanted Kimmie to hike and explore with her. The weather on Day 2 of Winter Weekend Camp was not as pleasant as Day 1. In fact, it was completely brutal!
The creek was pretty dry during the summer when they buried their treasure. She thinks this is the spot of the ‘buried treasure.’ Maybe Maddie and Emory can check it out this summer.
Maddie kept forging ahead until she broke the tree line. She was so proud of herself and wanted me to take a victory shot of her!
Notice Charlie’s layered clothing. It was seriously wet and cold that day! As we started back, we noticed the calf was left behind at the creek. Charlie, Gianna, and Shadow went to check on her. Charlie showed Gianna how to split up and each of them walk Genesis back toward the front of the pasture. The calf made it to the road and trotted away from them. Shadow took over then and drove her back to the rest of the
He and Jason looked through a multitude of social media sites and Charlie finally found one in Karnack, Texas. It’s a nice Ford F-350 already with a diesel tank in the bed of the truck! We had to drive several hours to get there to check it out but what we found made it worth the trip. Low mileage, excellent condition, and formerly used as a truck to check on dozer jobs the owner had going. Jason came and helped Charlie put a filter on the diesel tank and then they went and filled it up – 100 gallons of diesel! Finally, we’re a two-vehicle family again.
It’s actually mineral cubes that I put in a small tin bucket that I have. We go out on the porch and if they are close I holler “Hello girls” and they all perk up their ears and start watching us. Then we walk over to the fence and give them some candy. Again, at first, we dropped it on the ground so they knew what it was. Now, most of “the girls” will eat it out of our hands.
Last year, we watched how to handle and move cattle, give shots, brand, and castrate. This year we went to the carcass demonstration. Yes, carcass! We watched videos of four different cattle and graded them on their appearance and potential beef yield. Then they brought the carcasses into the classroom! The next part of the presentation was a cow that had been butchered. 
The professor had a skeleton of a cow and would place each cut of meat on the skeleton as he described how it was cut, where it came from AND how to cook it. Very interesting. We have also been attending local workshops put on by the Houston County Extension Office. These sessions have been on forage of the pastures, feeding and caring for the cattle, feral hogs, and pond management.
Several nights ago when I went out with the spotlight, I found two does bedded down under one of the trees right next to the fence close to the house and some of the others under the pear trees eating the pears that had fallen to the ground. We may have to put some corn out for them so they will stay close enough for us to see them every evening and morning. Last night Charlie spotted two hogs close to the pear trees. It may be hog hunting time tonight!
Their new game is for Shadow to sit on the porch at the top of the stairs and Mia Bella to sit two steps down after they have finished playing. I will go to the porch to call for them and they just sit there and look at me…and won’t come in! They are just like spoiled little kids sometimes!
We loaded up the moving truck as 
much as any truck could be loaded and headed up the next morning to Lovelady. This was going to be the last time to wave to the Sam Houston statue when we left Houston. Natalie, JT, Michelle, and Matt helped unload the truck. Well, not exactly. Charlie, JT, and Matt unloaded the furniture from the truck and us girls arranged the furniture on the inside of the house. We couldn’t have done this portion of the move without these four!
We had lots of room inside to have lunch and birthday cake and open presents! 
The grandkids had fun playing outside driving the motorized vehicles. The horses were quite curious about the cars and the kids!
Then it was time to hit the road for one last trip from League City to Lovelady. Because of the construction on I-45, Charlie decided it would be better to take 59 and go through Livingston. 
Since he was driving the big moving truck, this was a great decision. It’s also a more scenic drive taking the backroads rather than the freeway! This load was mainly boxes (LOTS of boxes) so we didn’t think we needed help unloading them but we were very thankful that Natalie came over to help us. Charlie had set up a very efficient process of packing up the side by side with boxes, unloading them on the front porch, and heading back for more boxes. I would bring the boxes he dropped off into the house. Although it felt great being moved into our new home, it was discouraging to have switched from a clutter-free house with only furniture to a house stuffed with boxes. The challenge to unpack was on!
We’ve had an unexpected addition to our family. When Charlie and I came home from the Cow Country Congress in October it was a dark and foggy night. As the headlights of the truck turned toward the front of the camper, something white popped up on deck. I jumped a bit until we both realized it was a dog sitting there greeting us. We’ve had other stray dogs and cats wander up to our deck before and they usually wander back off as quickly as they appeared. This dog was different. She seemed well mannered and fairly well cared for. We tried to ignore her that night – even though we did put a bowl of fresh water out. 
We went to bed and woke up to terrible thunderstorms and winds from a front blowing in. In the morning we opened the camper door to find that silly dog sitting on the deck waiting for us. Apparently she stayed safe and dry protected by deck and covered by the RV. She enjoyed coffee time on the deck even though Charlie tried to ignore her.
Charlie took her for his morning walk to see how she acted around the cows and horses. She stayed beside Charlie and didn’t chase any of the animals in the pasture. She didn’t bark at them either – at least not until one of the cows was moving too quickly to her liking toward Charlie. That afternoon I had to “run to town” for some groceries and decided to buy some puppy food. I couldn’t let her go hungry. When I came home, Jason had shown up with dog food because Charlie had sent him a text and asked him to bring some over. The puppy was growing on Charlie!
While we were pretty sure that she had been dropped off by someone – dumped on our country road – we were still trying not to get too attached. However, we were beginning to talk about giving her a name. Charlie came up with “Shadow” because that is exactly what she was. Every step of the way, she was right beside us. Once we were home, we took her to see if she had an identity chip but she did not. 
We took her back to the country the next weekend but still no one claimed her. We officially had adopted a rescue pup, or Shadow had rescued us!
but Thursday won out since Charlie was able to leave work early. To add to our last-minute changes, the two oldest granddaughters decided to come with us. 
Since we left in the afternoon, the scenery and skyline were a bit different. Once we turned off of the highway, Charlie spotted some deer on the side of the road. I missed taking a photo of them but then Gianna spotted another deer on the other side of the road. This one stopped and posed for us. 
What a beautiful view appeared before us as we drove down the Wheeler Country Road.
Gianna was told to go slow but I think Raya would have liked for a faster ride! We acquired the “pink car” and “four-wheeler” from neighbors whose children had outgrown them. All of the grandkids are having a great time driving them!
Each month, different topics are presented that are informational for landowners. In July, the topics were property taxes, agriculture exemptions, and programs through the state of Texas available to improve your land. While we were at the workshop, the girls were spending time with their Aunt Danielle and Cousin Raya swimming, shopping, and snacking.
Charlie and #4 were having a deep discussion about the agenda for the day and 
then she decided to move down the fence line for fresh grass. As you can see, the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.
Since Saturday was our first anniversary as landowners, we decided to grill steaks to celebrate. Natalie and Audie we able to come visit to join the celebration.
and an old board. Audie was stuck with us on the deck but it won’t be long until she is running around with the rest of the big kids!
the girls convinced us that they could drive the pink car together, play nicely, and stay clean. Don’t they look like “two little ladies on their way to Pasadena?” 
On the way to church services in Crockett, the girls were playing the piano book. Maddie was teaching Gianna how to read the notes and play. It was so sweet watching her encourage her sister.
We barely made it back to the camper before it started raining. The girls seemed to enjoy running and playing in the rain. So, what do you do on a rainy Sunday afternoon in a camper? You watch Princess Diaries 2, snack, and nap!
The trash pile will become a bonfire in the fall showing a clear view of the house site. What kind of house should we put there? Log cabin? Manufactured home? Tiny home? What would your dream house be if you were building on your country road?
The plans are to place it to the left of the fence in this photo and facing the creek. Things are beginning to move more quickly as we prepare for Charlie’s retirement and our move to Lovelady.
The Wheeler's Country Road 