NON-TRADITIONAL GIFTS FOR FARMERS AND RANCHERS

Sunset at the valley farm.

Now that Thanksgiving is over with and I’m still feeling stuffed and full, I am going to make my Christmas list. Farmers and ranchers are not the easiest people to shop for. Coveralls, boots, and gloves are not especially exciting gifts to give or receive. So I think I’ll look for some unusual and non-traditional type of things to give my men.

·                    How about a hat with a wide brim, one that will keep his face from being sunburned but won’t keep the sunshine out of his life. It should give him protection from the storms of life as they come, but, again as with the sunshine, not take those storms away as they are the rungs on the ladder to success.

·                 Maybe a suit of armor should go with the wide brimmed hat, so the entire body receives protection. Of course that would be dangerous when they are out irrigating or if an angry cow decides to chase them, so I guess I’ll cross that one off my list.

·                        A pair of rose-colored glasses with a special prescription for better foresight and an option to disregard hindsight. These glasses could be treated with a temperance coating that makes it possible to see the good in all people.

·                   A hearing aid specifically geared to enable him to hear good comments about agriculture and appreciation from the people who eat the food we produce. These could also have a special attachment that recognizes the different drum-beats individuals march to. Another good addition to these hearing aids would be a special setting to be able to hear his wife when she’s talking to him.

·                    How about a watch that will add or subtract an hour, depending on the need: add an hour when there just isn’t time to do everything; subtract an hour or speed up the mechanism on the watch when time is going too slow. But it does need to correlate with the watch that his wife has or there could be trouble with this gift!

·                      Specially treated gloves that convert sweat, grease, manure, and dirt into moisturizing cream, thus softening the hands as a reminder to treat those he meets with softness, gentleness, and kindness. These gloves need to be warm in the winter but have a cooling affect during the summer.

·                         Pants and coveralls with built-in knee pads that automatically kneel down at least once a day so the wearer can give thanks for the opportunity to work the land and with his animals. These knee pads will also help when he is kneeling by a sick cow or calf.

·                      A pair of boots with an occasional pebble or nail inside of them, so the owner will remember that not everyone goes the same speed as he does. Also, the boots need a good sole and heel to make firm footprints and an accurate path for those who will follow him.

·                   Perhaps a flashlight with a special heater to keep the hands warm in the cold of winter. The beam of this light would be formulated to give guidance on the darkest nights and in the darkest moments of the owner’s life. And it might even be able to guide and help those close to the owner using the light.

·                  Rainbows. He needs these periodically, not for the pot of gold at the end of it but for the moisture in front thus making it possible for him to create his own pot of gold. A rainbow also adds beauty to his life. And it usually means there has been some needed moisture to help in his life.

·                  A song in his heart so when things look bleak and gloomy, he has a reserve to draw on.

·              Beautiful sunrises to give him a positive start to the day and help him accomplish what needs to be done.

·                   Beautiful sunsets to encourage him to welcome in the night and help him to rest, free from worry.

I          I realize the last few are things that can’t be purchased. They are things that are free for all of us to enjoy. Now, if I could just find a place to buy some of the other items I’d have my Christmas shopping done.