I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream

Image by NoName_13 from Pixabay

Some ways of eating ice cream are better than others. Sure, I can sit down in a restaurant and order a dish of vanilla topped with local berries. Or I can order a Sundae from a fast food store, take it to the car or t a table outside and enjoy God’s creation in a waxed paper cup. I could visit the local Dairy Queen and wrestle with the waxed chocolate covering as the ice cream melts very, very quickly. There are indeed many ways to enjoy ice cream.

The best way to enjoy ice cream however is to visit Summerland Sweets, a confectionary jewel in the Okanagan Crown (arguably rivalled only by Tickelberrys—now serving at two locations south of Summerland). Sweets uses very large helpings of ice cream to attract visitors from all over the world. Many come for world famous jams, jellies, and fruit leather. A more sophisticated crowd come looking for newly launched varieties of fruit wine. Others  shop for all sorts of beautiful pottery and other household pieces.

Almost all however, regardless of age of socio-economic position, come for ice cream. Something like twenty favours are offered (though some still prefer vanilla I am told) in regular or waffle cones, as one-scoop wonders or dual boulders. The cones are huge. I ask you, who do you know who does not like ice cream? No one; none.

So how does one eat an ice cream cone? There are several stages to the process. First find an outside spot at one of the many available table. Some prefer sun; I require shade. Next sit down, deal with the dog (who wants her share) and continue. Locate the horizontal line between the cone and the cream. Carefully survey if the cone is damaged in any way. Discover where the ice cream may be about to fall off or has gone soft. Now lick in a lateral, circular direction. Extend your tongue halfway towards the cone, and rotate. The cool sweetness should now delight both taste buds and heart alike.

Continue this same motion while drawing towards the top of the cone. Pull the cone away from your mouth and see what cream trails appear. Enjoy the symmetry. Anyone can appreciate wine with fancy words and lofty techniques. Develop your own vocabulary with ice cream cones.

Remember that the dog wants her share. You may need to moderate her impatience. Alternatively, provide a pup-cup for her at this time.

As the top of the cone flattens out, sort of like a Newfoundland iceberg in late summer, raise the bottom tip of the cone so the cone is perpendicular to your mouth. Once again, extend your tongue (if there is someone present who annoys you, point in their direction) and rotate the cone as before. Enjoy the growing relationship between your tongue and the cone. Now, consider the cone itself. You can simply make it soggy until material either drops to the ground (for the dog) or it will fall into the centre of the cone.

Now the fun bit. Just like trying to avoid crunching your cough drops, take a bite (there’s something primitively satisfying about this), take a bite from the cone itself. Then take another bit until your assault has encircled the fast reducing and quickly melting remainder of the ice cream cone.

Now, here’s an option. In much younger days I would place the tip of the cone in my mouth and bite off the pointy tip. Be careful as you may shoot melted cream on to your shirt. Don’t do this in your Sunday-best. Finally use the (hopefully provided) napkin and clean up as necessary. Resist the urge to order a second cone as this would be frowned upon by others. Simply trust that tomorrow is a new day, and another opportunity to enjoy one of life’s great little privileges will appear. For those who cannot tolerate milk there are other options, such as sherbet or some Gelatos. Frozen yogurt may also be an option though I am not expert in these matters.

All in all, I love ice cream. Only yesterday, sitting at Summerland Sweets did I finally decide that cones are the best way to enjoy one of life’s little luxuries. I plan to re-visit tomorrow, for further research.

A blessing on your day friends.