Outdoors with Don Q: Christmas gifts for the sports enthusiasts

With Wednesday being Nov. 30, and with all of the crazy “Black Friday” shopping madness now safely behind us, we can begin, once again, to think rationally about ideas for Christmas gifts for that special person(s) in our lives.
So, if you were not part of that frenzied mob scene on the day after Thanksgiving, or if you are still scratching your head about what to get for that person, here are some “Don Q” suggestions for Christmas gifts:
Any one or more of these could create a very enjoyable Christmas.

Clip light
Here’s an inexpensive stocking stuffer: A little clip light that fits on the bill of his/her baseball cap. You can get them with lens in different colors and the lights operate for up to 30 hours on two tiny lithium batteries.
They are very bright and can be used for a variety of reasons such as when they are out camping, nature calls in the middle of the night and that person has to get out of their toasty-warm sleeping bag.
Heck, while you’re at it, get clip lights for everyone in the family.

Cordless mouse for their computer
Another stocking stuffer and it is not that expensive.
I’ve got one for our main computer at home plus one for my notebook computer that I carry when traveling. Yahoo! No wires to contend with!
I’ve also learned (the hard way) that you need to have some backup AA batteries for the mouse, because when the batteries lose their power, your cursor stops moving, no matter how many times you click it. I know!

Deluxe wireless weather center
This weather station is perfect for the home or summer cabin.
It provides data for outdoor temperatures and humidity, indoor weather and humidity, month, date and day, weather forecasting, etc.
Best of all, you get all of that up-to-date info, while you’re safe and snug inside the home or the cabin.
The station requires two AA batteries, which are included.
It is made by Acu-Rite, a registered trademark of the Chaney Instrument Company (877) 221-1252 or go to website www.cheneyinstrument.com.

Digital camera
A digital camera, and be sure to make it a complete Christmas gift by also including an extra memory card, extra batteries and a re-charger. You will be amazed at how many photos the recipient will take.
Plus, as a bonus, they can instantly see if their photo is good or bad and make any necessary adjustments or re-photos as needed.
On our recent six-week vacation trip to Italy, Elaine and I took 5,000 photos with our two digital cameras. 5,000 photos! I’ll be editing them forever!

Digital photo frame
A 7-inch LED back-lit digital photo frame for making it easy for everyone to enjoy lots of favorite family pictures. This frame displays your images, one at a time, directly from a memory card for enjoyable slide shows of family photos. We have one in our front room that is loaded with lots and lots of favorite photos from our Italy vacation this last fall.
Go to www.pandigital.net for more information.

Eternal mass storage device for their computer
You might want to buy an external mass storage device to attach to his/her computer. Those useful devices have almost unlimited storage capacity. In our home office, our external device creates a comfortable peace of mind, not worrying about a computer virus destroying our documents and photos.
My storage device has 465 GB of space of which I have only used 13 GB to store hundreds of important documents that we do not want to risk being lost on our main computer, plus tens of thousands of digital photos.

Gift certificate for “La Cucina Italiana” cooking magazine
A great gift for that special person who likes to cook Italian style or who would like to try her hand at cooking all kinds of tasty Italian dishes.
To order: go to www.lacucinaitalianamagazine.com and browse through the various forums to your heart’s content. Then when you have decided to give that magazine as a Christmas gift, it will cost $23.97 for one year (7 issues) or $39.97 for two years (14 issues). If you have any questions, give them a call a 1-877-282-4825.

Gift certificate to his/her favorite dinner restaurant
This is a very nice gift for the recipient, it can be used at any time during the year, plus as a bonus, you can also benefit from that gift by accompanying them to their favorite place to eat dinner. It’s a “win-win” situation for you.
Our favorite eating-out location is Garibaldi’s in Carson City and a gift certificate to that great Italian restaurant is always a pleasant treat for us.
If you get the chance to dine there, be sure to order the “Won Ton Shrimp” appetizer. It’s a great way to start an evening of fine food and drinks.

Magazine subscription
A repeat from last year: A subscription to Alaska Magazine, my all-time, favorite Christmas gift for a select number of relatives and close friends.
If they have already been to the State of Alaska or if they have day-dreamed about visiting that awesome location in the Far North, this is a great gift. 
The Alaska Magazine subscription rate is either $18 for 10 issues or $29.95 for 20 issues, which also includes an attractive, 12-month Alaska calendar.
Call Alaska Magazine customer services at 1-800-288-5892, or go to their website at www.alaskamagazine.com, click on "Subscribe," and then just fill in the required information. You won’t go wrong…I guarantee it.

Portable heater
A cordless, forced air "HERO" portable heater by Mr. Heater for staying toasty warm in cold weather in a tent, ice fishing hut, duck blind, shed, garage, etc. That portable heater weighs just 12 pounds, but produces lots of warmth (35,000 BTU per hour) and can heat up to 800 square feet.
It can run up to 8 hours on an internal re-chargeable battery (it recharges in 5.5 hours) or it can run up to 20 hours attached to a 20-pound propane tank. 
Check it out at http://www.mrheaterhero.com .

Re-chargeable spotlight
A very useful item to carry in the family vehicle to use in cases of nighttime breakdowns or emergencies.
Our two re-chargeable spotlights (one in my pickup and one in Elaine’s SUV) each have one million (1,000,000) candlepower. One million!
They can be re-charged by either a 12-volt cigarette lighter style receptacle in a vehicle or by plugging into any standard 110 volt receptacle at home.
As a matter of interest, we always make it a habit to re-charge both spotlights on a monthly basis to ensure full capacity when needed, so when there is a need to use one, there will be all kinds of instant lighting.

Wireless motion sensor
You can get a two pack motion sensor package complete with AA batteries.
The sensors detect motion up to 25 feet away and turn on when detecting any movement within that distance.
They are just the ticket for areas such as front doors, back doors, porches, basements, attics, stairways, hallways, etc.
Call Megabrite Lighting at (800) 344-8834 or go to their Internet website at www.amerasiaenterprises.com.

Finally
There you have it: Some suggestions for Christmas 2011.
No matter what you give that special person, remind him/her that it is not the gift that counts; it is the thought behind it. It is a gift from the heart. Have fun shopping this Christmas season.

Bet Your Favorite Pigeon
Bet your favorite pigeon he can't tell you what Don Q wants for Christmas.
If he grins and says, “Don would like a 2012 California Non-Resident fishing license,” he has been peeking at my Christmas wish list.

— Carson City resident Don Quilici is the Outdoor editor for Carson Now and South Tahoe Now. He can be reached at donquilici@hotmail.com.