Holiday Shopping

 The Thanksgiving holiday is well behind us, and even the leftovers are a distant memory. Everybody knows what that means, Christmas decorating, shopping, and planning is in full swing. Quite frankly, Christmas decorations have been in the stores since about last July, so those of us who are early birds when it comes to buying gifts can say we already have our present shopping done; of course we are ducking and running as we offer up this irritating little tidbit of information to our stressed and harried friends and co-workers. But for those still searching for that perfect gift there is help out there. Searching for gift ideas for the farmer, rancher, or do it yourselfer on your list? There are web sites dedicated to just that, with anything from multi-tool gadgets, and extreme weather outer wear, to metric conversion guides and windshield mounting devices for mobile phones or BlackBerries. Whatever you do, don’t stress yourself out over gift buying and giving. Remember, the best presents don’t always come from a store or with hefty price tags, showing love and affection to family and friends, and kind consideration to strangers is a priceless gift.  And yes, I’m ducking and running.