Not exactly last minute, since there are days and days left, but let us consider possibilities.
In my mind, any outdoor gift—last minute or not—ought to make or represent a connection between the giver and getter. Gifting is about connecting with people. A real gift acknowledges that connection and the people on both ends of the exchange. Such a gift, given freely and joyfully, may last forever, and will very likely have no price tag.
I learned that lesson a long time ago. You’ve probably heard this tale before, but the experience changed my life, and I like to hear it again from time to time.
On a warm summer afternoon in Denver, about four decades ago, eleven-year-old son Tim wanted ice cream. I was mildly preoccupied with chores, but it seemed like a good day for the three mile hike. We told his mom what we were doing and set out. Along the way, we studied clouds and plants and bugs and a dead cat and a soil horizon exposed in a road cut. We laughed and questioned and felt wonder. On the way home, in this space of wonder we had created together, we ate our ice cream and studied it all again.
Months later, during a tough work week, I had a five-evening stretch of hauling Tim all over Denver to pick up scouting uniforms and paraphernalia. Wherever we went, it seemed, they had just sold out what we needed, and sent us elsewhere. That weekend, I was short-tempered and in a paper grading marathon, when he complained that we hadn=t spent any time together. With the young man temper The Old Man left me, I snarled at him about wasting our evenings all week chasing scouting stuff–together. He wrinkled his brow and looked at me, clearly confused. “Nahh.. We haven’t spent any time together since we did that ice cream and bugs hike, dad.”
After that stunning revelation, as part of each kid=s Christmas or birthday gift, I gave a block of time to be happily spent doing something the kid wanted to do. To this day, my Hucklings rarely remember toys, or stuff, but nearly always recount times we spent joyfully doing their thing. It works for adults, too.
One of my favorite outdoor holiday family “activity” gifts has to be wildlife watching and photography. Grab the kids and whatever photo taking devices they have—or pick up some of those little disposable cameras—and go look for wild critters. Take binoculars and spotting scopes, and hot chocolate, coffee, cookies, sandwiches or whatever else your gang needs to make an outdoor adventure memorable. The part that brings it all together is loading the images into a family photo file or scrapbook. (If they shoot film, get it to one of the one-hour processing places around town, and then load the digital images or photos.)
Here in the valley, wildlife is all over. Lower Cooke Canyon, Coleman Creek, Reecer Creek or Manastash Road will get you into wintering range for seeing deer. Bald eagles are beginning to show themselves in the valley and in the Canyon. Elk are most likely up Joe Watt Canyon and scattered over to the Heart K Ranch at the mouth of the Taneum. Down the Yakima Canyon are deer and several bunches of California bighorn sheep (watch traffic and both sides of the road).
Drive to the elk feeding at Oak Creek Wildlife Area and bighorns feeding at the Cleman Mountain Site. Both sites are near the point west of Naches where Highway 410 and Highway 12 split. At the intersection, turn north onto the frontage road and follow it to the bighorn sheep feeding site. You cannot miss the fencing and the signs. For the elk feeding, turn south onto Highway 12, and look for the signs (and elk) on the right. Critters should be now showing up. It is worth the drive, and kids get very excited about being the first to spot some critter or other.
All the local outdoor gear shops are still open. (By the way, if you opt for gifting a Tannerite exploding target, please attach a caveat about cleaning up the resulting mess in our outdoors. One of my favorite homeys properly chewed my backside about ignoring that reminder..)
You have time, too, to consider the merits of homemade gifts. I have hand-knitted scarves and sweaters, an ammo box made by a close friend and an old leather “possibles” pouch for small things that want to be together. All are treasure lasting far longer than it took to make them.
In 1955, I asked Grampa Minshall about a scarf he wore outdoors. He said Grandma made it the first hunting season they were together. He wore it on wintry 1899 mornings in Fort Collins, Colorado, when he and his chums made a few bucks market hunting ducks and geese. The scarf looked that old, too, and he patted it every time it went around his neck.
Autographed copies of the updated third printing of my “WILD WINDS” book are still available at Jerrol’s and the University Store, along with a lot of other great outdoor reading.
Last-minute Christmas or other gifting is simple, I think. Whatever you give, imbue it with joy.
Merry Christmas…
