Take A Hike

By Ron Ely

This book is about something that I am very passionate about--that is, getting out to nature and experiencing the beauty that God has put all around us and how to take care of it.

It is meant to reach out to others who spend their lives in a rut and mostly enjoy their time on electronic devices. I'm hoping this book will give insight and a sense of adventure-seeking in a whole new way. It is also meant to share with those who are not able to get out and enjoy these things.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Fulton Books, Inc.
• Release date: May 16, 2022
• ISBN: 9781639856190

Book preview

TAKE A HIKE

RON ELY

Copyright © 2022 Ron Ely

All rights reserved

First Edition

Fulton Books

Meadville, PA

Published by Fulton Books 2022

ISBN 978-1-63985-618-3 (paperback)

ISBN 978-1-63985-619-0 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

To my brother Don, who was taken from us too early by cancer.

He was always stating the quote Making memories, which we use often in relation to this book.

We don’t know what the future holds or when it is our time to go.

As our lifetime does flow, make a memory wherever you go.

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Chapter 1

A friend and I were talking the other night at my workplace about different things. I brought up the conversation about something someone had invented. He said people invent things that they are passionate about. We then went into a conversation addressing what I am passionate about.

He already knew I loved hiking. So we started talking about different ways I could share this with others—my feelings, my experience, and what I got out of this experience. How could I express these sharable things?

I shared with him things my wife and I saw on different adventures we went on—the hikes were some of the more memorable events. I told him of a few things we’ve encountered. I could see the wheels turning in his head through his eyes. That’s it, he exclaimed, you need to tell them in your own words what you and your wife experienced. He went on to say how I could offer a way for people to imagine those things and strive to try them for themselves, and perhaps get out of the rut their lives may be in.

Many people picture themselves stuck in a cage. They need to realize that that cage is unlocked, and they, too, can experience these things. This world we live in today is so fast-paced, people barely have a moment to themselves or family. They need to get out, experience nature, and see what they are missing. Let people know they don’t need to remain a couch potato, nor do they need to become one.

Those wheels in my friend’s head started turning again. He said, What do you need for hiking? What could you come up with to tie into that? To associate this with you? That is where the idea came into place for a T-shirt design—a potato guy with hiking boots. On the backside and above, that would say, Don’t be a couch potato. We then talked about one of my favorite T-shirts that said, Take a Hike.

Right then, I decided that was the saying that would go on the front. Now my wheels were turning—they still are as I work day-to-day—anxious for my days off so I can add to this subject near and dear to my heart. What else can I add to this? Another idea hit me: ball caps. As I expressed this thought, he said, You could always design one for males and another for females. Now the speed increased in the wheel turning. Design something for kids as well.

They live on electronics these days. What would interest kids? What would get them off couches, off the computers, out of the house, and maybe experience what God has created? This is where the potato guy came to life.

A little potato guy with hiking boots, wearing a ball cap with a walking stick that says, Take a Hike. My wife will tell you I am adding items to our to-do list often. There are many different hikes to take, waterfalls to see, wonders to be discovered. My hope in writing this book is that people of all ages can see through our eyes what we have seen and experienced on one or more of our hikes.

We have always loved the out-of-doors, which includes fishing and camping as well as hiking. During these times, we find a special peace. I find these adventures relaxing and energizing as well. There is an uplift in my soul. My spirit rejoices in God and his creations. When we first started doing these hikes, I did not understand why this was so. Somewhere in and among these adventures, it happened—that understanding came to me. I realized these sights we saw were just for us to see and experience at that time and in that place. No two experiences are the same. Each of us has our own perception. What we see and feel at any given time changes for the next person. I now have a better insight to why we experience these things the way we do.

Hopefully, through this book and our experiences that we will be sharing, you, too, can see what we see—perhaps drawing nearing to God as he draws nearer to you. This world has changed so much and so fast. It is still changing to this day. Every day we see this. If we ever look up from the electric gadgets that we all have and love, this fast-paced world we live in has made slaves out of us all. People, in general, have lost the joy to life.

We work, we eat, we sleep, and in between those key moments, we become zombified. Housewives try to relax as children are transfixed, eyes on their electronics and virtual reality games. But she can’t; there are chores plenty to do. We rush ourselves into an early grave, or we find ourselves lost in time and wonder how we got there. Well, we are hoping you find time. No, make time to get away from the house and go to a park or venture to a lake or maybe even take a small hike. It doesn’t have to be a major undertaking, as there are many places to venture