My friend Buddy took this picture of me on the Sabine River in 2009. I hadn’t seen it in years, but I found it yesterday when going through files on my old computer. Here’s the story behind the photo—one of the weirder episodes from my first book, Running the River: Secrets of the Sabine.
About a mile from the boat ramp, we came upon a waterfall gurgling over a rocky ledge, into a sheltered green pool beside the river. The cavelike walls of the cove were painted green with moss. Sunlight reflected off the water and danced like currents of electricity through the shadows. I had never seen anything so pretty on the Sabine.
“We might have to go swimming later,” Buddy said, and I agreed.
Not far beyond the cove we came to a strange scene: an unmanned boat floating in the middle of the water. It sounded like the engine was running. When we came closer, we saw a long, white hose extending from the boat into the river. At one spot a few feet away, we noticed air steadily bubbling to the surface. Just then a man’s head bobbed up from the brown water, wearing a scuba mask, goggles, and a breathing apparatus.
“Looking for mussels?” I asked.
The man affirmed my question by lifting his bag of shells out of the water. But my camera and questions aroused his suspicion. “Are y’all from the FBI?”
We said no, and when we boated past, the diver sank beneath the water. We eased a little farther downriver, through frequent rapids where the flow quickened and the boat scraped over rocks and gravel, and we passed the many abandoned concrete and wooden oilfield structures that I had marveled at during my earlier trip with Jacob. I watched the shoreline for signs of hogs, but my attention soon began to wander, and I started to imagine the view of the riverbanks from two hundred years ago, when the first settlers arrived.
Today, East Texas is scrub country. What land has not been paved or plowed is choked with thorn vines and brush. But at one time, the forest canopy was so thick it blocked the sunlight from the undergrowth, and the smaller plants that did manage to survive in the dark forests were cleared by occasional fires, leaving trees so large and well established that early travelers called this place the Pine Barrens.
“They say the pine trees used to be so tall in East Texas, you could ride a horse for miles, fall asleep in the saddle, and never hit a tree limb,” I said to Buddy as we drifted downriver. “There used to be huge trees here on the river, too. Just think how much prettier all this would be if we hadn’t cut everything down.”
Buddy glanced up from the trolling motor and studied the brush on the bank. “You can’t think about it that way,” he said. “It’s still pretty. East Texas is still pretty. Just be thankful you get to see it the way it is, because someday all of this will be gone, too.” He had a point, but I hoped he was wrong. Growing up, I had never given a second thought to this wild river running through my hometown. Now that I had spent some time on the Sabine, I didn’t want to lose what remained.
Buddy and I never saw the hogs, so we turned back. The flow that had seemed so calm when we floated downstream was now a force we hadn’t reckoned with, and we spent most of the journey trudging through the water and fighting the current as we dragged the boat upstream. At times the water came only to my hips, sometimes up to my chest, but then I would step off a precipice and fall into a deeper channel. I learned to use my foot to feel for the firmness of the riverbed before committing my weight to a step forward. Before long, I forgot about my fear of being swept away by the river. As long as I stayed alert and moved slowly, I didn’t have to worry so much about drowning after all.
When we returned to the waterfall and the pretty little cove, we parked on some boulders at the entrance and jumped in. The water was cold and deep here and stunningly clear: I could see the bottom some eight feet below. Above us, the clearwater creek had worn the ground away to the eroded rock, cascading through a series of precipices, before tumbling into the cove. Buddy swam over to the waterfall and let it pound his back and shoulders. “It feels just like a back massage,” he said with glee. “You gotta try this.”
I did. It felt great. “Man, I could even bring a woman here,” I said.
This was the discovery of a lifetime, the kind of place that Buddy could enjoy with his wife and kids for years to come. We swam for a long while, then waded out of the cove and into the river. The water was much warmer here, around waist deep, brown, and muddy. Our toes sank into the silt.
When we returned to the cove a few minutes later, something had changed. “Wasn’t the waterfall a lot bigger when we first got here?” I asked. Instead of gushing over the ledge, the water had narrowed to a trickle. Then, as we watched with increasing horror, it began to grow again. Within minutes, the waterfall was surging at full strength. It was like someone had flushed an enormous toilet. Oh no, that was it! We were swimming in sewage—the discharge from the wastewater plant in Gladewater. No wonder the cove was so cool and clear. No wonder we kept smelling that faint odor of chlorine. I spit what I could out of my mouth.
We climbed out of the cove and then ascended a steep, grassy bank to see where the creek led. We came to an even bigger waterfall and then a series of smaller ones. We walked as far as we could through a leafy forest to a barbed-wire fence, then returned to the river and stood for a moment on the big gray rocks beside the beautiful cove.
“I don’t even care,” Buddy said. “It might be sewage, but they treated it first.”
We jumped back in. At one point, Buddy even swam under the waterfall, where he indulged in another back massage.
Excerpted from Running the River: Secrets of the Sabine by Wes Ferguson and Jacob Botter and published by Texas A&M University Press.
10,331 responses to “A Sheltered Cove”
Thanks for your tips on this blog. 1 thing I wish to say is purchasing electronic devices items from the Internet is certainly not new. The truth is, in the past several years alone, the marketplace for online gadgets has grown noticeably. Today, you will find practically just about any electronic device and product on the Internet, from cameras along with camcorders to computer elements and video gaming consoles.
Thank you for sharing these wonderful articles. In addition, the perfect travel plus medical insurance program can often eliminate those considerations that come with visiting abroad. A new medical emergency can before long become too expensive and that’s likely to quickly decide to put a financial problem on the family finances. Setting up in place the perfect travel insurance package deal prior to setting off is worth the time and effort. Thanks
I’ve learned new things from a blog post. Yet another thing to I have seen is that normally, FSBO sellers are going to reject people. Remember, they can prefer to never use your companies. But if a person maintain a gradual, professional partnership, offering aid and keeping contact for about four to five weeks, you will usually be capable to win a business interview. From there, a listing follows. Many thanks
Hi there! Do you know if they make any plugins to assist with SEO? I’m trying to get my blog to rank for some targeted keywords but I’m not seeing very good results. If you know of any please share. Cheers!
H? th?ng thông báo ho?t ??ng t?t, không b? l? thông tin nào.
I like it when people get together and share views. Great site, stick with it.
There’s certainly a great deal to know about this issue. I like all of the points you’ve made.
hay88.deal app di ??ng ho?t ??ng không ?n ??nh, d? b? v?ng ra ngoài
You’ve made some really good points there. I checked on the web for additional information about the issue and found most people will go along with your views on this website.
nohu.business là n?i mình luôn tin t??ng m?i khi mu?n gi?i trí
Your style is so unique in comparison to other people I’ve read stuff from. Many thanks for posting when you’ve got the opportunity, Guess I’ll just bookmark this page.
Having read this I thought it was rather informative. I appreciate you spending some time and effort to put this article together. I once again find myself personally spending a lot of time both reading and leaving comments. But so what, it was still worthwhile.
I’m impressed, I must say. Seldom do I come across a blog that’s both equally educative and interesting, and without a doubt, you have hit the nail on the head. The issue is an issue that not enough people are speaking intelligently about. I’m very happy I found this in my hunt for something concerning this.
I could not refrain from commenting. Well written.
Great info. Lucky me I ran across your website by chance (stumbleupon). I’ve bookmarked it for later.
I enjoy reading through an article that will make men and women think. Also, many thanks for allowing for me to comment.
It’s nearly impossible to find well-informed people about this subject, however, you sound like you know what you’re talking about! Thanks
Thanks for the sensible critique. Me & my neighbor were just preparing to do a little research about this. We got a grab a book from our local library but I think I learned more from this post. I am very glad to see such excellent information being shared freely out there.
There is certainly a great deal to find out about this topic. I really like all the points you made.
Pretty! This was an incredibly wonderful post. Thanks for providing this information.
I blog frequently and I truly thank you for your information. Your article has truly peaked my interest. I’m going to bookmark your blog and keep checking for new information about once per week. I opted in for your RSS feed as well.
Thanks , I have recently been searching for info about this subject for a long time and yours is the greatest I have discovered till now. However, what in regards to the conclusion? Are you certain in regards to the supply?
Greetings! I’ve been following your site for a while now and finally got the courage to go ahead and give you a shout out from Lubbock Texas! Just wanted to say keep up the fantastic job!
This is a really good tip particularly to those new to the blogosphere. Short but very accurate info… Appreciate your sharing this one. A must read article.
Saved as a favorite, I like your web site!
You really make it appear so easy along with your presentation but I find this topic to be actually one thing which I think I would never understand. It seems too complex and extremely large for me. I’m taking a look forward in your next publish, I will attempt to get the grasp of it!
Can I simply say what a comfort to find a person that really knows what they’re discussing over the internet. You actually realize how to bring a problem to light and make it important. More and more people should check this out and understand this side of your story. I was surprised that you are not more popular because you certainly have the gift.
Very good post. I’m dealing with some of these issues as well..
This is a topic that is close to my heart… Take care! Exactly where are your contact details though?
Aw, this was an incredibly good post. Taking a few minutes and actual effort to produce a great article… but what can I say… I procrastinate a lot and never manage to get anything done.
Excellent write-up. I absolutely appreciate this site. Keep writing!
Hi! I could have sworn I’ve been to this web site before but after looking at a few of the posts I realized it’s new to me. Anyhow, I’m certainly pleased I came across it and I’ll be book-marking it and checking back regularly.
Excellent items from you, man. I have take into accout your stuff previous to and you’re just extremely magnificent. I really like what you have got right here, really like what you are saying and the way in which wherein you assert it. You’re making it entertaining and you still care for to keep it wise. I can not wait to learn far more from you. This is really a terrific site.
One more thing. In my opinion that there are lots of travel insurance web pages of dependable companies that allow you to enter your holiday details and find you the quotes. You can also purchase this international travel cover policy on the web by using your current credit card. All you should do should be to enter your own travel specifics and you can view the plans side-by-side. Simply find the program that suits your financial allowance and needs and use your bank credit card to buy them. Travel insurance on the web is a good way to check for a dependable company for international travel insurance. Thanks for revealing your ideas.
I have been surfing on-line more than 3 hours as of late, but I by no means discovered any interesting article like yours. It is beautiful value enough for me. In my opinion, if all webmasters and bloggers made excellent content material as you did, the web might be a lot more helpful than ever before.
This article is a refreshing change! The author’s unique perspective and perceptive analysis have made this a truly fascinating read. I’m appreciative for the effort she has put into creating such an enlightening and mind-stimulating piece. Thank you, author, for providing your knowledge and igniting meaningful discussions through your outstanding writing!
This is without a doubt one of the best articles I’ve read on this topic! The author’s thorough knowledge and enthusiasm for the subject shine through in every paragraph. I’m so thankful for stumbling upon this piece as it has enhanced my understanding and sparked my curiosity even further. Thank you, author, for dedicating the time to craft such a phenomenal article!
It’s the best time to make some plans for the future and it’s time to be happy. I have read this post and if I could I desire to suggest you some interesting things or tips. Maybe you can write next articles referring to this article. I desire to read more things about it!
bk8 slotbk8
One thing I would really like to say is that often before acquiring more pc memory, look at the machine directly into which it will be installed. When the machine is definitely running Windows XP, for instance, the actual memory ceiling is 3.25GB. Setting up a lot more than this would just constitute some sort of waste. Make sure that one’s mother board can handle the particular upgrade amount, as well. Thanks for your blog post.
Definitely imagine that which you stated. Your favorite justification appeared to be at the internet the easiest thing to be mindful of. I say to you, I definitely get annoyed even as other people think about worries that they plainly don’t understand about. You managed to hit the nail upon the highest and also outlined out the entire thing with no need side effect , other people can take a signal. Will likely be back to get more. Thanks
I am really impressed with your writing skills and also with the layout on your blog. Is this a paid theme or did you modify it yourself? Either way keep up the nice quality writing, it is rare to see a nice blog like this one these days..
tron bridge
Sell USDT Barcelona city centre
Woah! I’m really digging the template/theme of this blog. It’s simple, yet effective. A lot of times it’s challenging to get that “perfect balance” between usability and appearance. I must say you have done a amazing job with this. Additionally, the blog loads super quick for me on Safari. Excellent Blog!
It?s really a great and helpful piece of info. I am glad that you shared this helpful information with us. Please keep us informed like this. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for the suggestions you are sharing on this blog site. Another thing I’d really like to say is getting hold of some copies of your credit history in order to scrutinize accuracy of each and every detail may be the first activity you have to perform in repairing credit. You are looking to freshen your credit file from detrimental details flaws that mess up your credit score.
tron swap aggregator
Great site you have here but I was curious about if you knew of any discussion boards that cover the same topics talked about in this article? I’d really like to be a part of group where I can get opinions from other experienced individuals that share the same interest. If you have any recommendations, please let me know. Cheers!
Right here is the right web site for anyone who really wants to find out about this topic. You understand a whole lot its almost tough to argue with you (not that I personally will need to…HaHa). You definitely put a new spin on a subject that’s been written about for decades. Excellent stuff, just great.