Outdoors with Don Q: Some suggestions for Christmas gifts

If you are still scratching your head about what to get for Christmas for that special person(s) in your life, here are some “Don Q” suggestions for gifts:

Alaska Magazine
The magazine subscription rate is $18.00 a year which includes 10 monthly issues plus an attractive Alaska calendar. Call Alaska Magazine customer services at 1-800-288-5892, or go to their website at www.akaskamagazine.com, click on "Subscribe Now," and then just fill in the required information. You won’t go wrong…I guarantee it. It's a great way to visit Alaska, all year long, from your easy chair.

Calendar of personal photos
This is an inexpensive photo project that is tailored to the specific individual.
We have a ton of photos loaded on our computer, and it is easy to create specialized photos calendars for selected relatives, neighbors and friends.
Once we have selected and sized a photo for the calendar cover and for each of the 12 months, we submit them to Costco for processing; and Presto Magic: For a mere $10 each, we have a gift the recipient can use all year.

California Non-Resident Annual Fishing License
This is a big ticket item I buy every year. I buy two (one for myself and one for Elaine), plus I also buy the Second Rod Stamp for myself.
The 2015 version costs $126.36 and $14.61 for the Second Rod Stamp.
FYI: The costs can go up about 5 percent every year.
Yipes, I can remember complaining when that license cost went up to $35!
Go to LRB@wildlife.ca.gov or call (916) 928-5805.

Christmas Stocking:
It can be crammed with all kinds of small, inexpensive, useful items to be opened BEFORE opening regular presents. You will have fun wrapping these "goodies" and the recipient will have as much fun unwrapping them.
Here are some suggestions: Ball point pens, bars of soap, candy bars, cans of peanuts, crossword puzzle books, fingernail clippers, gift cards for fast food, note pads, Trail Mix, etc. Geez, just let your imagination run wild!

For the traveler:
A Garmin GPS system for their vehicle. It's a valuable tool as a portable navigator and reference device for getting around in unfamiliar locations. 
Our older Garmin is always accurate and always takes you exactly to where you want to go as a final destination.
I love to fake it out by ignoring its advice on where to turn at an intersection. I drive past the turn, just to hear it say, "Recalculating, Recalculating."

For the "Shutter Bug":
A digital camera, but make sure it is complete by also buying an extra memory card, extra batteries and a re-charger. You won't go wrong.
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 adjustments as needed. Just be aware that you might be the person who has to do any necessary editing to all of the photos.
Gift certificate for an overnight stay away from home
There are some very nice choices for comfortable places to stay away from home during the summer fishing months or the fall color months, such as: Bishop Creek Lodge (www.bishopcreekresort.com) (760-873-4484).
Convict Lake Resort (www.convictlake.com) (800-992-2260).
Parchers Resort (www.parchersresort.net) (760-873-4177).
Virginia Lakes Resort: (www.virginialakesresort.com) (760-647-6484).

Gift certificate for his/her favorite dinner restaurant
This can be used at any time during the year, plus as a bonus, you might also benefit from that gift by accompanying the recipient to his/her favorite place to eat dinner. It’s a “win-win” situation for you.
Our favorite going out to dinner location is Garibaldi’s Restaurant in Carson City, and a gift certificate to that great Italian restaurant with its friendly staff and tasty food is always a special treat.

Gift certificate for their favorite grocery store
This is something that can be used whenever they are shopping at their favorite grocery store, and as a bonus, they could use it to purchase something(s) that they might not ordinarily buy because of the price and a tight food budget. If I got one of these, I would go to the store and head for the seafood area to load up on halibut, clams, mussels, shrimp and lobster for some tasty seafood dinners at home.

Gift certificate for their favorite sporting goods store
With that precious gift certificate clutched in their sweaty hands, they can go crazy trying to figure out what to buy because the choices are overwhelming and best of all, someone else is paying for them!
Our favorite stores are: Sportsmen's Warehouse at 1443 South Carson Street in Carson City, Scheels in Sparks and Cabelas in Boomtown. At those three stores, I can spend all kinds of enjoyable time, just browsing.

Gift package of cocktail munchies and drinks
If you really want to dazzle that special person, make a special gift package filled with their favorite cocktail munchies and drinks. It's something they will enjoy over and over, plus they might even share them with you.
If you're making one for me, I like: Snack crackers, Jalapeno cheese dip, Italian salami, Swiss cheese, green olives, plus whiskey, an orange and a jar of brandied cherries. Heck, I might even share those "goodies" with you!

Hershey's chocolate bar:
If you have a chocolate lover on your Christmas gift list, you might want to dazzle him/her with a GIANT, 5-pound Hershey's milk chocolate bar.
Wow! A 5-pound candy bar! I dearly love chocolate but there is no way that I could ever eat one of those, all alone.
Go to www.hersheystore.com and check it out. This "Big Dude" costs $44.99, plus shipping, but it will be a hit sensation when gifts are opened.

Re-chargeable spotlight
A very useful item to carry in the family vehicle to use in cases of nighttime breakdowns or emergencies.
Our spotlight has one million (1,000,000) candlepower. One million!
It 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.
We re-charge ours on a monthly basis to ensure full capacity when needed.

Finally
There you have it: Some Don Q suggestions for Christmas 2014.
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 to return to Alaska to catch King Salmon and Halibut," he has been peeking at my Christmas wish list.

— Don Quilici is the Outdoor editor for Carson Now. Don's wife, Elaine, is the Outdoor photographer. They live in Carson City and can be reached at donquilici@hotmail.com