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.
3,782 responses to “A Sheltered Cove”
Pretty nice post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say that I’ve truly enjoyed browsing your blog posts. In any case I?ll be subscribing to your rss feed and I hope you write again very soon!
Your home is valueble for me. Thanks!?
Thanks for discussing your ideas. A very important factor is that pupils have an option between federal government student loan and a private education loan where its easier to opt for student loan consolidating debts than through the federal education loan.
Hey very cool web site!! Man .. Beautiful .. Amazing .. I will bookmark your blog and take the feeds also?I am happy to find numerous useful info here in the post, we need work out more techniques in this regard, thanks for sharing. . . . . .
Hello, i think that i saw you visited my weblog thus i came to ?return the favor?.I am attempting to find things to enhance my web site!I suppose its ok to use a few of your ideas!!
Hi there, just became alert to your blog through Google, and found that it’s really informative. I am going to watch out for brussels. I?ll be grateful in the event you proceed this in future. Lots of folks will likely be benefited out of your writing. Cheers!
Thanks for the thoughts you reveal through this website. In addition, quite a few young women who become pregnant will not even aim to get health care insurance because they have anxiety they might not qualify. Although some states right now require that insurers give coverage no matter what about the pre-existing conditions. Rates on these kind of guaranteed programs are usually larger, but when with the high cost of health care bills it may be the safer approach to take to protect your current financial future.
Excellent beat ! I would like to apprentice even as you amend your website, how can i subscribe for a blog web site? The account aided me a applicable deal. I have been a little bit familiar of this your broadcast provided vivid clear concept
I have seen plenty of useful elements on your website about computer systems. However, I’ve got the thoughts and opinions that notebook computers are still more or less not powerful sufficiently to be a wise decision if you typically do jobs that require a great deal of power, for example video enhancing. But for world wide web surfing, statement processing, and a lot other prevalent computer work they are just fine, provided you can’t mind the small screen size. Many thanks sharing your thinking.
Just wish to say your article is as astonishing. The clearness for your post is simply nice and that i could suppose you’re an expert in this subject. Fine together with your permission let me to grab your RSS feed to stay updated with imminent post. Thanks a million and please continue the gratifying work.
Whats up very nice web site!! Man .. Excellent .. Amazing .. I will bookmark your blog and take the feeds also?I’m glad to seek out numerous useful info right here in the publish, we’d like develop more strategies on this regard, thank you for sharing. . . . . .
Wow! This could be one particular of the most beneficial blogs We’ve ever arrive across on this subject. Basically Magnificent. I’m also a specialist in this topic therefore I can understand your hard work.
It’s my belief that mesothelioma is usually the most fatal cancer. It’s got unusual characteristics. The more I look at it the harder I am sure it does not behave like a real solid flesh cancer. When mesothelioma is actually a rogue viral infection, therefore there is the potential for developing a vaccine and also offering vaccination for asbestos uncovered people who are really at high risk involving developing potential asbestos relevant malignancies. Thanks for sharing your ideas on this important ailment.
hello there and thanks for your information ? I?ve definitely picked up anything new from right here. I did however experience several technical points using this website, as I experienced to reload the site many instances prior to I may get it to load correctly. I were thinking about in case your hosting is OK? Now not that I’m complaining, but slow loading instances instances will sometimes affect your placement in google and can injury your high quality rating if advertising and ***********|advertising|advertising|advertising and *********** with Adwords. Anyway I?m including this RSS to my e-mail and could look out for a lot extra of your respective intriguing content. Ensure that you replace this again very soon..
I have observed that intelligent real estate agents almost everywhere are Advertising and marketing. They are knowing that it’s more than merely placing a sign in the front area. It’s really with regards to building human relationships with these dealers who one of these days will become customers. So, whenever you give your time and effort to helping these sellers go it alone – the “Law involving Reciprocity” kicks in. Thanks for your blog post.
Hi there, You have done an incredible job. I?ll certainly digg it and personally recommend to my friends. I’m confident they’ll be benefited from this site.
Its like you learn my thoughts! You appear to grasp a lot about this, such as you wrote the e book in it or something. I believe that you could do with some p.c. to force the message home a bit, however instead of that, this is excellent blog. A fantastic read. I’ll certainly be back.
I have been exploring for a bit for any high quality articles or blog posts on this sort of area . Exploring in Yahoo I at last stumbled upon this web site. Reading this information So i?m happy to convey that I’ve an incredibly good uncanny feeling I discovered just what I needed. I most certainly will make sure to do not forget this web site and give it a look regularly.
Thank you for every other informative blog. Where else could I am getting that kind of info written in such an ideal method? I’ve a venture that I am simply now running on, and I have been at the glance out for such information.
Hello, i think that i saw you visited my weblog so i came to ?return the favor?.I am attempting to find things to enhance my web site!I suppose its ok to use a few of your ideas!!
Oh my goodness! a tremendous article dude. Thanks However I am experiencing problem with ur rss . Don?t know why Unable to subscribe to it. Is there anybody getting an identical rss drawback? Anyone who is aware of kindly respond. Thnkx
What?s Happening i am new to this, I stumbled upon this I have found It absolutely useful and it has helped me out loads. I hope to contribute & help other users like its helped me. Great job.
Yet another thing is that when looking for a good on-line electronics retail outlet, look for online shops that are constantly updated, retaining up-to-date with the most current products, the top deals, in addition to helpful information on services. This will ensure you are getting through a shop that stays over the competition and provide you things to make educated, well-informed electronics acquisitions. Thanks for the crucial tips I have really learned through the blog.
You are my breathing in, I possess few blogs and often run out from to post .
Hey There. I found your blog using msn. This is a really well written article. I will be sure to bookmark it and come back to read more of your useful information. Thanks for the post. I will definitely return.
I was recommended this blog via my cousin. I’m no longer certain whether this put up is written via him as no one else realize such specific about my trouble. You are amazing! Thank you!
Thanks for the sensible critique. Me and my neighbor were just preparing to do some research about this. We got a grab a book from our local library but I think I learned more from this post. I’m very glad to see such wonderful info being shared freely out there.
One other issue issue is that video games are normally serious as the name indicated with the main focus on mastering rather than entertainment. Although, it comes with an entertainment element to keep the kids engaged, each one game is generally designed to focus on a specific set of skills or program, such as math concepts or research. Thanks for your write-up.
It’s appropriate time to make some plans for the longer term and it is time to be happy. I have learn this post and if I could I want to recommend you few attention-grabbing issues or tips. Perhaps you can write subsequent articles referring to this article. I desire to read more things approximately it!
I was very pleased to uncover this great site. I need to to thank you for ones time for this fantastic read!! I definitely appreciated every bit of it and I have you bookmarked to look at new information on your blog.
I loved as much as you’ll receive carried out right here. The sketch is tasteful, your authored subject matter stylish. nonetheless, you command get got an nervousness over that you wish be delivering the following. unwell unquestionably come further formerly again as exactly the same nearly a lot often inside case you shield this hike.
I discovered your blog site on google and verify a couple of of your early posts. Continue to keep up the superb operate. I just further up your RSS feed to my MSN Information Reader. Searching for forward to reading more from you later on!?
Thanks for your text. I would like to say that a health insurance brokerage also works best for the benefit of the actual coordinators of any group insurance cover. The health insurance professional is given a directory of benefits sought by a person or a group coordinator. What a broker may is look for individuals as well as coordinators which usually best complement those demands. Then he presents his tips and if both sides agree, the broker formulates legal contract between the two parties.
I do love the way you have framed this problem and it does offer me personally some fodder for consideration. Nonetheless, coming from what I have experienced, I just simply hope as other responses stack on that people today stay on point and not embark on a soap box involving the news du jour. Anyway, thank you for this fantastic point and whilst I do not agree with it in totality, I regard the standpoint.
Thanks for any other informative website. Where else may just I am getting that kind of info written in such an ideal means? I have a challenge that I’m simply now running on, and I have been at the glance out for such information.
Great work! This is the type of information that should be shared around the web. Shame on the search engines for not positioning this post higher! Come on over and visit my web site . Thanks =)
This site is mostly a walk-by way of for all the info you needed about this and didn?t know who to ask. Glimpse here, and you?ll definitely uncover it.
I?ve learn some good stuff here. Certainly worth bookmarking for revisiting. I wonder how a lot effort you put to create any such excellent informative web site.
I discovered your blog site on google and test just a few of your early posts. Continue to maintain up the very good operate. I just further up your RSS feed to my MSN Information Reader. Seeking ahead to reading more from you later on!?
Usually I don’t learn article on blogs, but I would like to say that this write-up very compelled me to try and do it! Your writing style has been amazed me. Thanks, quite great article.
I have observed that in the world the present moment, video games are the latest rage with kids of all ages. Often times it may be not possible to drag your family away from the video games. If you want the best of both worlds, there are lots of educational games for kids. Interesting post.
Hey there, You have done a fantastic job. I?ll definitely digg it and personally recommend to my friends. I am confident they’ll be benefited from this website.
Thanks for your write-up. Another factor is that just being a photographer will involve not only difficulties in capturing award-winning photographs but in addition hardships in getting the best camera suited to your requirements and most especially situations in maintaining the grade of your camera. This is certainly very genuine and apparent for those professional photographers that are straight into capturing the particular nature’s fascinating scenes : the mountains, the actual forests, the wild or maybe the seas. Visiting these adventurous places certainly requires a photographic camera that can live up to the wild’s severe natural environment.
certainly like your website but you need to check the spelling on quite a few of your posts. Several of them are rife with spelling issues and I find it very troublesome to tell the truth nevertheless I?ll definitely come back again.
I liked as much as you will receive carried out proper here. The sketch is tasteful, your authored subject matter stylish. nevertheless, you command get bought an shakiness over that you wish be delivering the following. ill indisputably come more before once more as precisely the same just about a lot ceaselessly within case you defend this increase.
Simply desire to say your article is as surprising. The clarity in your submit is simply great and that i can suppose you’re an expert in this subject. Well together with your permission let me to snatch your RSS feed to keep updated with imminent post. Thanks a million and please keep up the rewarding work.
Thanks for discussing your ideas. I might also like to convey that video games have been ever before evolving. Better technology and innovative developments have made it easier to create sensible and active games. These kind of entertainment games were not actually sensible when the concept was being tried out. Just like other designs of technological know-how, video games way too have had to progress as a result of many decades. This itself is testimony towards the fast growth of video games.
I’ve observed that in the world nowadays, video games will be the latest phenomenon with children of all ages. Occasionally it may be extremely hard to drag the kids away from the games. If you want the best of both worlds, there are various educational activities for kids. Great post.
I simply could not go away your website prior to suggesting that I actually enjoyed the usual info an individual provide on your guests? Is going to be again often in order to check up on new posts
What i don’t understood is actually how you are not actually much more well-liked than you might be right now. You are very intelligent. You realize thus considerably relating to this subject, produced me personally consider it from numerous varied angles. Its like women and men aren’t fascinated unless it?s one thing to do with Lady gaga! Your own stuffs great. Always maintain it up!