None Truly Win Until We All Win

There was a farmer who grew excellent quality corn. Every year he won the award for the best grown corn. One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him and learned something interesting about how he grew it. The reporter discovered that the farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbors. “How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbors when they are entering corn in competition with yours each year?” the reporter asked.

“Why sir,” said the farmer, “Didn’t you know? The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbors grow inferior corn, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbors grow good corn.”

So is with our lives... Those who want to live meaningfully and well must help enrich the lives of others, for the value of a life is measured by the lives it touches. And those who choose to be happy must help others find happiness, for the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all...
-Call it power of collectivity...
-Call it a principle of success...
-Call it a law of life.
The fact is, none of us truly wins, until we all win!!

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Hocking Hills State Park is a state park in the Hocking Hills region of Hocking County, Ohio, United States; in some areas adjoining the Hocking State Forest. Within the park are over 25 miles of hiking trails, rock formations, waterfalls, and recess caves.

Arney Run Park & The Mink Hollow Covered Bridge. #Ohio

Some Quality Time Links:

Arney Run Park .. Topo map of Arney Run .. Mink Hollow Covered Bridge ..  Christmas Rocks State Nature Preserve ……………………………………….

Near Lancaster, Ohio in Fairfield County…..

“Located in Hocking Township, Arney Run Park is a quaint yet scenic retreat that features the Mink Hollow Covered Bridge. This historic bridge rests on its original sandstone abutments over Arney Run, a tributary of Clear Creek. The Mink Hollow Covered Bridge has the distinction of having the longest name of any covered bridge in the United States: The Mink Hollow Covered Bridge in Oil Mill Hollow Over Arney Run Near Borcher’s Mill. Picnicking is available on the east side of the covered bridge.”

Paved parking lot.. For the Park, Bridge, & Christmas Rocks State Nature Preserve. (sure is a good looking truck)

Looks like a bucolic place for a picnic when the weather warms up.

“The old and weary covered bridge
That spans the swollen stream
Is what I picture in my mind
At the start of my favorite dream.”

“You can tell the bridge was stately
When it was young and new
But the years have been unkind to it
As its' age just grew and grew
The stories that this bridge could tell
Are numerous and happy and sad
Each could fill a book or two
With the experiences it has had.”

“The stream at times has a gentle flow
At times it's swift and fast
Always being an integral part
Of the covered bridge and its' past
The area's nestled in a grove of trees
A place for picnics and fun
A place for Mom and Dad to rest
And a place for children to run”

“The bridges' ultimate time of the year
Is the fall, when summer's done
When God gets out his paint brush
And pastels in the warmth of the sun
Each time I close my eyes to sleep
I hope for my favorite dream
The dream where I see the covered bridge
That spans that swollen stream.”

The Old Covered Bridge by Mr. Doug

Next up:: A hike at Christmas Rocks State Nature Preserve. The Jacob’s Ladder Loop Trail.

It’s always fun to find a “new” place close to where you live. This SNP used to be by permit only but not any longer. This is a great place to hike.

Joe Todd says, ‘’ have a great day.”

Technorati Tags: Arney Run Park,The Mink Hollow Covered Bridge,#Ohio #Hike

A Virtual Hike On The Main Trail At Blackhand Gorge State Nature Preserve….Ohio

On a “Quality Time” November day in Ohio I took a hike on the Blackhand Trail near Newark,Ohio…

Located in Licking County 8 miles east of Newark on State Route 16, exit southeast on State Route 146 and proceed 1/4 mile to County Road 273. The preserve's entrance and parking lot are 1.5 miles south on County Road 273 just outside of Toboso. READ MORE



This cabin is near the main parking and trail head for the Blackhand Trail.

The paved Blackhand Trail extends 4.2 miles and is primarily used by bicyclists and pedestrians. Being an old rail line we are talking flat….





Side loop trail. Back to the bike path..




As a side note: “Floating the Licking River preserve is permitted. On the west side of the preserve (Upstream) there is a gravel parking lot that is used to access the bike trail. It is on Brownsville
road just before the intersection with Brushy Fork and adjacent to the Licking River. You can park there and launch in the river. Take out is just past the preserve on the east end after passing under the bridge on Toboso road.”

Deep Cut, where engineers did some blasting to cut through a large outcropping of bedrock .





Looks to me like a lot of people have crossed the barrier and done some climbing.. If you climb and fall at least you were warned.


Not sure what the wall is about.








I think it would be really neat to see a train on these tracks/bridge.






Chestnut trail following the contour of the hill.
What’s a trail without a pipeline right away.

This is where I spotted the bald eagle.




First time I ever saw a bridge/path across a creek that looked like that.




I wonder what the “gate” is for??? seems out of place to me.. I don’t think you can hike in Ohio without seeing a cornfield.
Keep that electricity moving..


Short stretch of unpaved bike path. I’m not sure extreme caution is called for.


Time to turn around and head back. Even though the temperature was in the 60’s it was starting to mist a little and I wasn’t prepared for any kind of precipitation. I had about 4 miles to go so I would say I moved at a very brisk pace back to the trailhead.
  The only other person I saw on the trail was a lone biker..
It was a great day for a “Quality time” hike. In the future I’ll make sure to have an “emergency” rain jacket with me. Thanks for stopping by “My Quality Time.” Now, you get out there and do some hiking and enjoy the great outdoors…. (Better than thinking about politics. LOL)

Technorati Tags: Black Hand Gorge State Nature Preserve,Ohio,Hiking,Biking