Ed Low's first dream of a river
cruise visualized in 1981, naturally
enough, along the banks of the
Colorado River. He was at Lemons
Camp, a fishing camp known for
its white bass fishing and, perhaps
more so, for its infamous proprietor
Jerry Lemons.
One
must envision the circumstances
of that day to fully understand
the compelling beauty of the Colorado
River and its impact on Ed. He
was a rancher from Llano, recuperating
from a major surgery of having
an artificial right hip inserted.
After weeks in the hospital, this
was where Ed had chosen to heal.
He had never been there before
but his father, and his father's
father had been there and for
many years they had set Ed's mind
to racing with stories of the
natural beauty and isolation of
the area. Ed's father once told
him that there could be no better
place to begin the healing process.
While sitting on the river bank
one day at Lemons Camp, a young
man ran past him and, seconds
later, there sped Jerry Lemons
brandishing a lead pipe and screaming
"I'm going to kill you!" The youth
somehow escaped that fate. That
was Ed's first encounter with
Daniel Boren.
Daniel
was a runaway kid who served as
fishing guide, fish cleaner, sheet
changer and all around "go
fer" at Lemons camp. He also
swept out the place. And he was
always infuriating Jerry Lemons
- sometimes to the point that
Jerry would act even more "infamous"
than normal.
It
was Daniel who first took Ed for
a short trip down river from Lemons
Camp to Post Oaks Fall. Ed was
astounded by the beauty even on
that short trip. The waterfalls,
cliffs, wildlife everywhere and
no signs of encroaching civilization.
Oddly enough, neither Daniel or
Jerry Lemons had ever tried taking
a boat from Lemons Camp to the
main body of Lake Buchanan. And
with no time that day, they returned
to Lemons Camp.
It
was Daniel who first introduced
Ed to writer/historian Leroy Yarbrough,
who also doubles as a real estate
agent and mayor of Evant, Texas.
Leroy was editor and publisher
of Vanishing Texas, an
historical publication that specialized
in tales of exploration, battles
and pioneer life in Texas. Leroy
was a frequent visitor to Lemons
Camp, as he liked to explore the
caves and mines in the area. He
had done some research on the
Colorado River and he told Ed
the fascinating history that took
place along its banks. You can
read more about the fascinating
history of the river and of Vanishing
Texas River Cruise buy reading
the Official Guide to the Vanishing
Texas River Cruise, available
for purchase on the cruise
or call 1-800-4-RIVER-4 for $6.95
plus $3 shipping and handling.
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