Cleaning up after the earthquake and preparing for Christmas

I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas! Take a moment during this day of presents, basketball, and turkey to reflect on why the holiday even exists. We celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Don’t lose that perspective with all the secular celebrating that is and will be happening.

Here’s an update for my family’s post-earthquake activities. A very good friend and hunting partner, who also happens to be a licensed, bonded, and insured contractor, came over and rebuilt and reinstalled our upstairs bathroom toilet which shook loose during the earthquake. He also installed a new sink and faucet in the downstairs bathroom. He has some other things he wants to fix, but, luckily, most are relatively small projects for the near future.

We’re still cleaning up and downsizing on possessions. It’s amazing what one finds as piles of stuff are picked up off the floor. I have already found a new home for a brand-new coffee maker, still in the box, which neither my wife nor I even remember we had. I suspect this trend will continue as we work our way through the rooms, but especially the walk-in pantry.

Let’s talk about a few more potential present ideas. I mentioned fishing stuff last time, but not ice-fishing. A nice rod and reel designed for ice-fishing is always a good present. There are a zillion lures designed specifically for ice-fishing too. A five-gallon bucket or two comes in handy for hauling gear and doubles as a seat while fishing.

Something I’ve been looking at recently is a good ice-fishing shelter. These things are designed to keep you warm and sheltered from winter winds and, with a properly set-up shelter, can even provide for a comfortable overnight stay if desired or necessary. The prices range from around $150 to thousands of dollars for a custom-built ice house on wheels. Don’t overlook a good propane heater for the fishing shelter.

If you’re feeling really flush, a new power ice auger would be a big surprise under the tree. These things range from $350 to around $600 depending on brand, model, diameter of the auger, gas or propane powered, and any auger extensions you might wish to include. If a shelter is on the list, a set of ice anchors to hold the shelter in place, along with the gadget to screw the anchors into the ice, would make good stocking stuffers.

If your favorite outdoors person is an archer, a new set of arrows matched to the bow they shoot makes a great gift. A new shooting glove, arm guard or release aid is useful too. If they are thinking of getting into archery, there are several inexpensive traditional recurve bows available locally. A gift card for archery lessons, shooting time on the indoor range, or equipment from a local archery store is also welcome.

The hunter or shooter in your family might appreciate an upgrade to his/her favorite firearm in the form of a new stock. Over time, I have upgraded several inexpensive rifles by restocking them with a new thumbhole stock and matching forearm. These stock sets can be found online for around $100 or so.

Other welcomed shooting accessories include a good set of ear muffs, safety shooting glasses, a box of ammo, a new sling with detachable swivels, a new scope with bases and rings, or even an elastic ammo carrier designed to be carried on the stock of the rifle or shotgun. A new holster for their favorite handgun, perhaps including a belt, can be quite useful as well.

Another option in lieu of giving a gift card would be to take the person to their favorite outdoor store and tell them the dollar limits you would be willing to spend on them and turn them loose to shop. If they are adults and decide on an item costing more than your limit, they can pay the balance and have an otherwise non-attainable gift.

I recently went shopping for a power auger carrier which mounts on the back rack of my snowmachine. Last year, even though I had the auger strapped into my sled, it managed to roll out when I made a turn while returning to the truck from fishing. I didn’t discover the loss until I reached the truck. I made the run back out and another ice-angler nearby had rescued the auger and was waiting for me to return to claim it.

Some of the best gifts fill needs, not wants!