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.
10,306 responses to “A Sheltered Cove”
Thanks for the interesting things you have disclosed in your post. One thing I’d like to touch upon is that FSBO associations are built eventually. By launching yourself to owners the first saturday their FSBO will be announced, ahead of masses start out calling on Monday, you create a good association. By giving them equipment, educational components, free records, and forms, you become the ally. Through a personal interest in them and their circumstance, you develop a solid connection that, on many occasions, pays off when the owners decide to go with a representative they know plus trust — preferably you actually.
I’m very pleased to discover this site. I wanted to thank you for ones time for this fantastic read!! I definitely really liked every bit of it and i also have you saved as a favorite to see new things in your website.
Very good post. I will be dealing with some of these issues as well..
I was more than happy to find this page. I wanted to thank you for your time due to this fantastic read!! I definitely loved every little bit of it and I have you book-marked to look at new things in your web site.
Having read this I believed it was rather enlightening. I appreciate you spending some time and effort to put this informative article together. I once again find myself spending a lot of time both reading and posting comments. But so what, it was still worth it.
I consider something really special in this site.
I seriously love your site.. Excellent colors & theme. Did you make this amazing site yourself? Please reply back as I’m trying to create my own personal site and would love to know where you got this from or just what the theme is called. Appreciate it!
In line with my observation, after a property foreclosure home is sold at an auction, it is common with the borrower to be able to still have the remaining unpaid debt on the bank loan. There are many loan companies who make an effort to have all rates and liens paid back by the future buyer. Even so, depending on specific programs, regulations, and state legal guidelines there may be some loans which aren’t easily fixed through the switch of financial loans. Therefore, the responsibility still falls on the debtor that has acquired his or her property in foreclosure process. Thanks for sharing your ideas on this weblog.
Greetings! Very helpful advice within this article! It is the little changes which will make the largest changes. Thanks a lot for sharing!
Your style is really unique in comparison to other people I have read stuff from. I appreciate you for posting when you’ve got the opportunity, Guess I’ll just bookmark this web site.
I enjoy reading through an article that will make men and women think. Also, many thanks for permitting me to comment.
This website was… how do I say it? Relevant!! Finally I have found something that helped me. Many thanks.
When I initially left a comment I seem to have clicked the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and from now on every time a comment is added I recieve 4 emails with the same comment. Is there a means you can remove me from that service? Cheers.
Oh my goodness! Awesome article dude! Thank you, However I am encountering troubles with your RSS. I don’t understand why I can’t join it. Is there anybody else having similar RSS problems? Anybody who knows the answer will you kindly respond? Thanx.
Hi, I do think this is an excellent site. I stumbledupon it 😉 I may come back yet again since i have bookmarked it. Money and freedom is the best way to change, may you be rich and continue to help other people.
Greetings! Very useful advice within this post! It is the little changes that make the greatest changes. Thanks for sharing!
Do you have a spam issue on this blog; I also am a blogger, and I was wanting to know your situation; we have developed some nice procedures and we are looking to swap solutions with other folks, be sure to shoot me an email if interested.
Mình c?m th?y an tâm khi s? d?ng website.
This is a really good tip especially to those new to the blogosphere. Simple but very accurate information… Thank you for sharing this one. A must read article!
Can I simply say what a comfort to find somebody that actually understands what they’re talking about online. You certainly understand how to bring an issue to light and make it important. More people have to read this and understand this side of your story. I was surprised that you aren’t more popular because you certainly possess the gift.
Thanks a bunch for sharing this with all of us you actually recognise what you’re talking approximately! Bookmarked. Kindly additionally talk over with my web site =). We can have a hyperlink trade contract between us!
Howdy! I simply would like to offer you a big thumbs up for your great information you have got right here on this post. I will be returning to your blog for more soon.
You’re so awesome! I don’t suppose I’ve read a single thing like that before. So nice to find someone with a few genuine thoughts on this subject matter. Seriously.. thank you for starting this up. This site is one thing that is required on the web, someone with a little originality.
Right here is the right web site for anybody who hopes to understand this topic. You understand a whole lot its almost hard to argue with you (not that I personally would want to…HaHa). You definitely put a fresh spin on a topic which has been discussed for ages. Great stuff, just great.
That is a good tip especially to those fresh to the blogosphere. Brief but very precise info… Thanks for sharing this one. A must read post!
Web mang l?i c?m giác ch?i game tho?i mái và thú v?.
This article is a refreshing change! The author’s unique perspective and insightful analysis have made this a truly captivating read. I’m grateful for the effort she has put into crafting such an educational and thought-provoking piece. Thank you, author, for providing your knowledge and stimulating meaningful discussions through your outstanding writing!
Very good information. Lucky me I found your website by accident (stumbleupon). I have book marked it for later.
Mình ?ánh giá cao s? chuyên nghi?p c?a web.
You’re so awesome! I do not suppose I have read something like this before. So wonderful to discover someone with genuine thoughts on this topic. Really.. many thanks for starting this up. This site is something that is required on the internet, someone with a little originality.
This page definitely has all the info I needed concerning this subject and didn’t know who to ask.
Having read this I thought it was rather informative. I appreciate you finding the time and energy to put this information together. I once again find myself spending a significant amount of time both reading and leaving comments. But so what, it was still worth it.
Can I simply say what a relief to seek out someone who actually knows what theyre talking about on the internet. You definitely know learn how to bring a problem to gentle and make it important. More folks must read this and perceive this facet of the story. I cant consider youre not more popular since you undoubtedly have the gift.
Web giúp thao tác tìm ki?m thông tin nhanh chóng.
Very practical and informative, I got a lot of value from this post. I’ll keep following your work for more useful guides.
I have to thank you for the efforts you’ve put in writing this website. I’m hoping to see the same high-grade blog posts by you in the future as well. In truth, your creative writing abilities has encouraged me to get my own, personal website now 😉
Way cool! Some extremely valid points! I appreciate you writing this post and also the rest of the site is very good.
Admiring the hard work you put into your blog and in depth information you offer. It’s awesome to come across a blog every once in a while that isn’t the same unwanted rehashed material. Fantastic read! I’ve bookmarked your site and I’m adding your RSS feeds to my Google account.
Excellent web site you have got here.. It’s difficult to find quality writing like yours nowadays. I really appreciate individuals like you! Take care!!
Thanks a ton for your post. I’d prefer to comment that the expense of car insurance varies greatly from one policy to another, simply because there are so many different issues which give rise to the overall cost. For instance, the make and model of the vehicle will have a huge bearing on the price. A reliable older family motor vehicle will have a more economical premium when compared to a flashy performance car.
Thanks for discussing your ideas with this blog. Additionally, a delusion regarding the banks intentions while talking about foreclosure is that the bank will not take my installments. There is a degree of time the bank can take payments here and there. If you are too deep inside the hole, they’ll commonly demand that you pay the actual payment completely. However, that doesn’t mean that they will not take any sort of payments at all. When you and the financial institution can find a way to work a thing out, the actual foreclosure course of action may end. However, when you continue to miss out on payments within the new approach, the property foreclosures process can pick up where it was left off.
I liked how you explained the subject step by step in this article. It made learning simple and very effective.
Hi, Neat post. There’s a problem with your website in internet explorer, would test this? IE still is the market leader and a huge portion of people will miss your great writing because of this problem.
This article is very well organized, I liked the step-by-step approach. It made learning much easier and more enjoyable.
Spot on with this write-up, I truly believe that this website needs a lot more attention. I’ll probably be back again to see more, thanks for the information!
Very nice post. I certainly love this site. Keep writing!
I love it when folks get together and share opinions. Great website, continue the good work.
Oh my goodness! a tremendous article dude. Thank you However I’m experiencing issue with ur rss . Don?t know why Unable to subscribe to it. Is there anyone getting an identical rss drawback? Anybody who knows kindly respond. Thnkx
This excellent website truly has all of the information I wanted about this subject and didn’t know who to ask.
Thanks for providing such helpful insights, it really made sense. I’ll definitely keep checking your future posts.