Needing Gift Ideas...

[Basquo]

My dad is notoriously hard to shop for. Not that he's not pleased by any gift, but he has everything he wants or needs, has plenty of money to by whatever else...I'm just out of ideas.

He lives out in the country and commutes 35 miles to teach vet medicine at university several days a week. He travels out of state probably 4-5 times a years, sometimes driving, and goes on a cruise once a year. He likes his wine and he likes to cook simple country-type food. He doesn't like TV or movies, but he still reads quite a bit. He is active in his church and the Knights of Columbus.

Any ideas in the $50-100 range? I had a star named after him for his last birthday, so that one's used up.

Thanks!

[Jmarksto]

Basquo;  Our family is also very hard to shop for and we are trying to reduce possessions rather than accumulate them -- we have committed to giving experiences rather than things.  This would include things like tickets to a show (theater, symphony, etc.), dinner out at a restaurant, a massage, etc.  Perhaps something like a cooking class or wine tasting class?  Also, I think a subscription to a magazine counts as an experience.

Best, JM

[buginme2]

If he likes wine you could get him a wine gift basket.  Someone gave us one last year and we liked it a lot, was a basket with like 10 different bottles of wine to try.  Was pretty cool.

There's a few website you can order a gift box online a have it shipped.
Virgin wines.com
Wine basket.com
I'm sure there more.

[GSOgymrat]

Since he commutes so much and likes to read you might want to consider audio books. If he has a smartphone you could give him credits to Audible.

[Theyer]

Church part----Christian Aid web site allows you to buy say a goat for a family , or 3 laying chickens , I bought a football for kids in Afghanistan , a few years ago.

If he ignores luxury for himself a Cashmire Scarf.

Do something with him , a shared experience .

A print out off this thread and he gets to choose.

[Basquo]

All great ideas! He definitely would like a wine basket. I gave him 25-year-old rum one year but I think my step-mom drank it. I'm not sure if he listens to audio books but I can ask her. He used to listen to lots of music and CDs were good gifts but now he normally listens to satellite stations in the background.  I have thought about a charitable gift in his name...you can gift bee hives, rabbits and all kinds of randy animals. He did some animal husbandry work in Central America years ago so he might just appreciate me doing something like that for one of the countries down there. I can't afford to gift a cow down there but come to think of it, I could give him an actual cow and he would have room for it. If I had $1000 I could give him a pair of zebras. They grow here.

[poz91]

Is there a lot of wildlife out where he lives in the country...?

Nearly every gift I've ever given my dad has flopped, but last year I got him a 'trail cam' and he has loved it!

Trail or game cams are motion activated digital cameras that you mount outside on trees. They're made for hunters, but some folks have re-purposed them for bird watching (mount near bird feeder) or just to record the critters that come around.

Very simple to use (SD card) and surprisingly affordable (they start at around $50).

The first night we set my dad's up we got great pics of a herd of some eight or nine deer eating his garden down to the nub.

[Snowangel]

Basquo-
Along your charitable gift idea. This place is local to me and does some wonderful stuff.
[url][http://www.heifer.org//[url]

Good Luck!
Snow

[Ann]

Is there a lot of wildlife out where he lives in the country...?

Nearly every gift I've ever given my dad has flopped, but last year I got him a 'trail cam' and he has loved it!

Trail or game cams are motion activated digital cameras that you mount outside on trees. They're made for hunters, but some folks have re-purposed them for bird watching (mount near bird feeder) or just to record the critters that come around.

Very simple to use (SD card) and surprisingly affordable (they start at around $50).

The first night we set my dad's up we got great pics of a herd of some eight or nine deer eating his garden down to the nub.

I want one!

[Basquo]

Is there a lot of wildlife out where he lives in the country...?

Nearly every gift I've ever given my dad has flopped, but last year I got him a 'trail cam' and he has loved it!

Trail or game cams are motion activated digital cameras that you mount outside on trees. They're made for hunters, but some folks have re-purposed them for bird watching (mount near bird feeder) or just to record the critters that come around.

poz91 now you may be on to something there! It's gotten better lately, but there are a lot of feral hogs in Central Texas and sometimes they have come into the yard and torn up huge patches of the lawn as well as tearing up the garden plots. He and the foreman used to shoot them and barbeque them for parties and even just to feed the poor people in the county (ok now I sound like I don't know what) but they both have had to slow down in the last few years and I think they actually made a difference in the population. Regardless, he doesn't always hear when they come snorting around and would probably get a detective-like sense of accomplishment just seeing that they were recorded in the act.

[klassykitty]

Deer cams are cool. 

Michelle

[Basquo]

I just found a decent 5MP infrared, motion-activated tree hugger for $50 on Amazon. I looked around and the closest local source was $70 at Academy. Let's hope it gets delivered before I visit him on the 17th as they are leaving for a cruise the next day! And I will probably do the heifer.com gift for his birthday in March...a couple of hares or a beehive.

Thanks you all so much, and Blessed Be!

[Miss Philicia]

Creighton would you mind PMing me the link for that product as it sounds like something my father might like. Thanks!