Dana Talks to Carol Davis with Blisswood Bed & Breakfast Ranch

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
My guest today, Carol Davis is she is a phenom.
You're not going to believe how old this beautiful woman is.
She is self made, owns hundreds of acres, and all
she wants to do is serve you. You've got to hear
the story of Carol Davis on the Dana Tyson podcast.
All Right, I met Carol Davis during the pandemic. This

(00:22):
is one of the hardest working women. And honestly, there
are some businesses that faltered and failed during the pandemic,
but Carol owns. Carol, how many acres is it out
in the cat Spring area?

Speaker 2 (00:33):
Oh bout three point fifty.

Speaker 1 (00:35):
Okay, so she People who wanted to leave the city
and just enjoy their family and get away from it
all came to bliss Wood Bed and Breakfast and Carol
runs the entire operation all by herself. And Carol it's
just been I mean, my mom rides a horse out there.
It's it is a place of tranquility and beauty and

(00:58):
peace and yet activity if you want it. And Carol runs,
like I said, the entire place. Carol just celebrated her
birthday over the weekend. I won't tell people how old
you are, Carol, But it's amazing what fresh air will
do for a woman, because you are an incredible woman.
And Carol said, let's talk about from adversity to triumph.

(01:22):
And before we get to your story, I just wanted
to say. You have teamed up now with your neighbor
and it's called M three Ranch and Carol is now
inviting you to take a horse ride from Blisswood into
M three Ranch for some wine tasting after the horse ride.

Speaker 3 (01:39):
Do you have a name for this adventure?

Speaker 2 (01:42):
Yes, a corked adventure.

Speaker 3 (01:45):
I love it. I love it.

Speaker 1 (01:46):
Well, that's where your party was, at the M three
Event Center, where you can get married, you can have
family reunions. It was an incredible place and it's literally
right next door to Blisswood. So if you guys are
looking for an incredible event space with beautiful ponds and
live oak trees and horses and everything that the city

(02:08):
doesn't offer, you get out to cat Spring and it's
just pure heaven under the stars, some mores, whatever you
guys want. Carol, make sure that your dreams come true
out there. It's amazing, it really is. And to do
it on your own, you say, from adversity to adventure.
Why don't you tell a little bit about your story
and how you ended up where you are today.

Speaker 2 (02:31):
You mean from the very beginning, from the cotton Patchohn, well.

Speaker 1 (02:35):
From and you were telling some cotton patch stories. I
mean you're a farm girl. You grew up in Lagrange.

Speaker 2 (02:41):
That's right. Well, Warna, it's between La Grange and Gettings,
and I grew up there. But I you know, it's
very organic, and I'm so thankful for that. Although I
you know, dreamed, dreamed about really leaving, and so I
went to the city to make my mark there. I

(03:03):
started working for the FBI in Washington, d C. Came
back to Houston to go to Core Reporting School, and
I became a court reporter, and I have Carol's Carol
Davis Reporting Service in Houston and still have that. But
when I got tired of the city lights and came

(03:26):
to Cat'spring, I started to bend Breakfast, which was just
a little you know, two houses, and it suddenly started
blooming and I had to quit my own reporting, and
I still have it with other reporters. But I just
wanted to share my place then with people, and started

(03:47):
getting more houses and more cabins and then I started
doing horseback riding and trap shooting and archery and tamahawk
knight throw. We have an exotic animal safari. We have massages.
So I just want to share what God gave me
with other people so they can come and feel the

(04:10):
bliss of nature and just being out of the city.
And we're so close as you know, I.

Speaker 3 (04:16):
Know, it's fifty miles. I mean it's not far at all.

Speaker 2 (04:19):
Yeah, it's very very close. So that's it. All. Didn't
really start with a big plan. I just had a
little planet mushroomed and and I just say, God, you
want me to do this, Just keep me healthy, and
I stay very healthy. And my active life is walking
my dogs because I rescue in foster border collies and

(04:40):
so I get to walk with them. Those are my
little breaks that I take during the day, and I
do a few social things. Since the restaurant is no
longer there, and y'all.

Speaker 3 (04:52):
Have it, yep, Carols.

Speaker 2 (04:55):
Yeah, it was Carol's a cat Spring for twenty years
and pandemic came along and you know how that went. Yeah,
you have to close, and I did. It was too
hard to open, and I was still cooking myself for
my guests until I said, can't do this anymore.

Speaker 1 (05:11):
So I'm and Caroline will tell you there have been
restaurants that have come into the area that that kind
of gave you a break. Twenty two North Holland in Belleville.
I know, you even know the chef there, which is crazy.
What a small world that you can bring you know
your guests can now because out in the country, very

(05:31):
slim pickens for food and restaurants that are open all
the time.

Speaker 3 (05:35):
It just doesn't happen that way.

Speaker 2 (05:38):
That's my favorite restaurant. It's really top notch and it's
like anything you can get in Houston. And you know,
I love dining there with interesting people like Dana Tyson.

Speaker 1 (05:54):
We do double dates there, well not double, but I
bring my husband and we just chat. And Cody, who
is the chef there, actually trained up in Vermont, which
is where I come from, but he's from Belleville.

Speaker 3 (06:05):
And so he gets his training in Vermont, makes.

Speaker 1 (06:07):
It all the way back to Belleville and opens that
incredible restaurant. And it's just interesting because I meet so
many people from Houston who now are kind of looking
at the country just as a little mini escape and
there's just so much beauty out there and so much relaxation.

Speaker 3 (06:24):
City life is amazing.

Speaker 1 (06:25):
I'm in the city every day, but it's always nice
to get that little respite out in the country and
the horseback riding, the fishing. Carol is the one that
you will talk to on the phone. She is the
one if you've got an issue, She'll make it happen.
You're gonna have a special anniversary out there. Carol's the
one who makes it happen. And when you celebrated your

(06:47):
fifth birthday, I was like, how is this woman even
doing it?

Speaker 3 (06:51):
And I just wanted to bring you on, to make you,
to let.

Speaker 1 (06:54):
People be inspired by you, because you are the new fifty.

Speaker 3 (06:58):
You are the new well.

Speaker 2 (07:01):
You know, I feel forty okay, uh huh okay, so
you feel so young.

Speaker 3 (07:06):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (07:06):
I believe in keeping yourself active, keeping your brain active
and of course your body active, and being interested in
something that is a purpose and getting up and having
a purpose and keeping that goal in mind and just
never give up on a dream.

Speaker 1 (07:26):
Right, But how did you you went from court reporting
to ownership of hundreds of acres of land? How did
you make that that jump? That just doesn't make I'm
not seeing any connection there.

Speaker 2 (07:40):
Well, because I my heart really was in the country
and in Houston I could only have cats and dogs,
and I really love animals and nature. And there were
certain things that had happened in Houston to friends, and
one was a murder, and it's just that, yes.

Speaker 3 (07:59):
I remember that situation.

Speaker 1 (08:00):
I've got a lot of people who, uh, oh, who's
that organization? Crime Stoppers did a whole fundraising event around
the murder of this real estate agent senseless and it
was horrible and she happened to be your friend.

Speaker 2 (08:18):
Yes, And I just said, there's you know, some messages here.
You know, what do I do? I just I wanted
to be out of that kind of chaos. I do
miss some of the city live, but I said I
can have it when I wanted. But that catapulted me
to well. I wondered if I could commute, you know,

(08:39):
still report living like you know some other people here
in Caatspury. Could I commute? So that's I said, I
can do it. And the first night that I was here,
after I closed on the property, I went to my
pond and there was a full moon and I said,
this is it. Yeah, I did the right thing, and

(09:00):
of course as time went on, you know, I got
the bed and breakfast, which that was the right thing.
And you meet very interesting people through this business. And
I have a lot of international guests.

Speaker 3 (09:13):
Yes, I was thinking about your German guests.

Speaker 2 (09:16):
Yes, well, they like the you know, it's it's the
Texas thing, and they like to come and ride horses.
That's that's the biggest activity that we have here, and
it's the biggest activity that the people from you know,
across the pond, dude, and I get them from Australia,
New Zealand and all all through Europe. So it's very interesting.

(09:39):
And the most interesting thing that happened here, I think
is that the German Bachelor was filmed here and it
was ten days of intensity, but very interesting to see
behind the scenes and all the things that happened.

Speaker 1 (09:55):
So like the Bachelor in America, this was the German
Bachelor that they also have there. You also had some
models coming out and using your horses as part of
their props for these incredible The ou couture style was
amazing and I remember driving by and seeing that just
thinking all that's going on out here. People just love

(10:16):
that Texas life, and you really do epitomize it. Carol,
what would you say to I mean, you've got so
much wisdom, and you know, if you would want to
tell people your age, I welcome you, but I'm.

Speaker 3 (10:29):
Not going to bring it up.

Speaker 1 (10:30):
But I'm just amazed because I know so many people
your age who the they we could all be like you,
but people choose to act older. I guess they think
that they're supposed to be older. But you're acting forty
even though you're not. And it's just it's women need
people like you. Women need other women like you to

(10:51):
show you pave the way for us to see how
life can be lived.

Speaker 3 (10:56):
So if I give the women advice, the.

Speaker 2 (11:00):
Road wasn't always easy, but I always had a dream
in mind and always work towards a goal and had
a vision. And I think that's what gets you up
in the morning. And you can't just sit down and
watch TV. I don't do that, so I listened to

(11:21):
some news just to keep up with things. But I
think that staying active mentally and physically having a hobby
is great. I have hobbies that I can't I can't
do now because my hobby is keeping people happy now.

Speaker 3 (11:36):
But you are a dancer. You're a dancer, and I
like to dance.

Speaker 2 (11:41):
Yes, I danced competitively for eight years and loved it.
Ballroom and my teacher or my partner just called me yesterday,
always calls me on my birthday, which is me happy birthday.
And sometimes I wish I were back on that floor
again and doing that. And so my hope is that
someday I can go back to doing That's hart and

(12:01):
cats for me not to make ballroom answers here exactly exactly.

Speaker 3 (12:08):
Well, your gift is to your your.

Speaker 1 (12:12):
Residents there who come out and just try to get
away from it all. And I've watched you interact with
them and the kids that come and the moms and dads,
and you're just that you're just a servant giving them
such an incredible relief and release from a chaotic life
at home.

Speaker 2 (12:28):
Well, I have a servant's heart, and you have to
have that. You have to have that in the hospitality business,
you have to have that in a restaurant business, and
I think you have to have that in many types
of businesses. But you have to have the heart, and
that heart needs to be fed by seeing the joy

(12:50):
in other people. And that's what gives me the joy
to carry on.

Speaker 3 (12:57):
Isn't that great?

Speaker 2 (12:58):
Well?

Speaker 3 (12:59):
I knew.

Speaker 1 (12:59):
I just had to talk with you around the holidays,
because the holidays are all about joy. And if you
know the way that you give, can teach us how
to give more, less about receiving, more about giving, and
then we can age as beautifully and gracefully.

Speaker 3 (13:14):
As you have.

Speaker 2 (13:16):
Oh, thank you.

Speaker 3 (13:17):
Are you going to reveal your age, Carol?

Speaker 2 (13:21):
Oh, let's see eight of the Kings.

Speaker 3 (13:25):
Eighty years old?

Speaker 1 (13:26):
This beautiful woman with such a happy, joyful smile. And
you know every minute of her life was not filled
with happiness and joy. But you've persevered, You have gotten
up every day. You're not a quitter, and you've learned
the key serving others and bringing joy to other people.

Speaker 2 (13:45):
That's it. It's so easy, it's so easy.

Speaker 1 (13:50):
We just needed you to tell us. That's all you like,
you're at the fountain of youth. What is the answer.
The answer is giving, And you summed it up in
your beautiful face. And we wish you a very happy
eightieth birthday.

Speaker 2 (14:03):
Oh thank you, And you know, never forget who brought
you to the.

Speaker 1 (14:08):
Dance exactly exactly got to say thank you. Jesus for
all that He's done in our lives. And a very
merry Christmas to you, and I'll see you out in
the country.

Speaker 3 (14:19):
Okay, yes, hopefully.

Speaker 2 (14:21):
You know you still owe me a dinner.

Speaker 1 (14:23):
I know, I know. I took her to a surprise party.
She thought I was taking her out to dinner, so
we will do it. You're just a beautiful lady. I've
learned so much from you and I just wanted to
share you with our listeners here on Sunny.

Speaker 3 (14:35):
Thank you, Take care, Karen.

Speaker 1 (14:38):
It's great to see you on a happy birthday again,
and Merry Christmas.

Speaker 2 (14:42):
Have a great day, and Merry Christmas to you.