Sunsets and Sweets Make Me Smile

Visited on: Tuesday, January 21, 2025
National Treasure: Ironwood Forest National Monument

January 21, 2025

That damn Polar Vortex slammed across the United States, and I found myself waking up sub-40° in the trailer. While that’s a little nippier than most people deal with in the morning, it does warm up during the day here in the desert. However, that doesn’t mean I wasn’t going to be messing with the people that are further north and freezing their butts off day and night.

So I posted this on Facebook:

This summer, I visited Ely, Minnesota, where the temperature was -29° last night. To celebrate the Polar vortex and the +29° I dealt with last night I cracked open the last treat, I purchased as I rolled out of Ely.

A man with curly hair and glasses excitedly holds up a bottle of Ely Wild Blueberry Soda. He's wearing a gray shirt and standing in front of a tall cactus. The sky is clear and blue, suggesting a sunny day. The soda label features a bear and the text "I Love Ely, MN!.

That evening, I was treated to a beautiful southwestern sunset.

Desert landscape at sunset with silhouetted saguaro cacti and sparse vegetation against a vibrant sky. The horizon glows with hues of orange, yellow, and blue, while the foreground features dry, bushy plants and weathered branches on arid ground. Mountains are faintly visible in the distance.

January 22, 2025

Today was a day of errands. I started with a quick couple of slices at Sam’s Club and then spent a few hours doing laundry at a laundromat.

I headed to Water Mart to fill up a few water containers, but I just couldn’t help myself. Back in Colorado, it’s still brutally cold, and I was wandering around in a T-shirt, so I simply had to get an ice cream cone.

The ice cream cones at the watermark are served with a tool that creates a tube of ice cream rather than a traditional scoop. Surprisingly, I ordered the chocolate brownie and a waffle cone, and then stepped back to take a picture.

A hand holding a waffle cone with a scoop of chocolate ice cream, seen from a close angle. The background shows an ice cream parlor interior with a display case filled with various ice cream flavors on the left and storage shelves on the right. The floor is a textured gray surface.

The gentleman behind the counter, who I assume is the owner or the manager, thought the photo would be much better if there were some contrasting ice cream colors. So he added a scoop of the most delicious butter pecan on the top.

A hand holds a waffle cone with two scoops of ice cream, one caramel-colored on top, and one chocolate below. In the background, an ice cream shop features a variety of toppings and flavors, with a person standing behind the counter in a black shirt. The walls are painted blue.

I then headed outside to enjoy the ice cream in the sunshine.

A person wearing glasses and a red shirt, with "GRAND LAKE BREWING" on their hat, enjoys a chocolate ice cream cone. They are standing outdoors beside a large cactus and trees, with a clear blue sky and a few buildings in the background.
A man wearing glasses and a green cap with "The Grand Lakes Brewing Company" logo is enjoying a chocolate ice cream cone. He stands outdoors near a tall cactus and trees, with clear skies in the background. He wears a reddish-brown T-shirt and holds the cone with both hands.

And once again, I realized I could harass my friends who are freezing their backsides off in Colorado and other parts to the north with the help of Facebook.

Hey Colorado friends, and all those enjoying the chilly weather from this polar vortex, just thought I’d share a picture of me eating ice cream in a T-shirt outside. 😏

A man wearing glasses and a green cap is eating a chocolate ice cream cone. He is outside, standing near a large cactus and various trees. The sky is clear, and the sun casts shadows on the ground. He is wearing a red t-shirt and appears to be enjoying the ice cream.

Satisfied with my harassing of friends and family, I finished my ice cream and headed to pick up an Amazon order, buy some new underwear, hit a grocery store, and head back to the Ironwood Forest National Monument.

Perhaps karma caught up with me and my teasing; I dropped a pin at my campsite and used Google Maps to find my way home. As I am not on a specific street address, Google tried to figure out the closest place on a street and took me to it. Of course, it wasn’t terribly near the road I could use to access where I was camping.

But, it managed to drop me in a great location to catch some spectacular sunset photos. 

When I got back to the trailer, I realized I really wanted to up my photography game a little bit, so I found that as a previous customer of Skylum, I could get a great deal on Neo, which I can work with in conjunction with my current workflow that uses Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop.

Check out these spectacular Southwestern iconic sunsets.

Desert landscape at dusk featuring silhouetted cacti and shrubs in the foreground. The sky is a blend of orange, yellow, and blue hues with wispy clouds. Mountains are visible in the distance, accentuated by the setting sun's glow.
Desert landscape at sunset with a large cactus in the foreground. The sky displays vibrant hues of orange and yellow near the horizon, blending into soft blues and grays above. Wispy clouds stretch across the sky. Sparse desert vegetation surrounds the cactus.
Silhouetted saguaro cactus in the foreground with a desert landscape at sunset. The sky is filled with wispy clouds painted in shades of orange and blue. A mountain range is visible in the distance under the colorful sky. Sparse desert vegetation surrounds the cactus.
Sunset illuminates the sky with orange, yellow, and blue hues over a desert landscape. Silhouettes of tall cacti and sparse vegetation are visible in the foreground. Mountains are in the background under a sky with wispy clouds.
Silhouette of a large cactus in a desert landscape at sunset. The sky features streaks of orange, yellow, and blue, with wispy clouds. Mountains are visible in the distance, adding depth to the scene. Sparse vegetation surrounds the cactus, creating a tranquil atmosphere.
A desert landscape at sunset with a prominent silhouette of a saguaro cactus in the foreground. The sky is filled with dramatic clouds, colored in shades of orange and blue. Distant mountains can be seen on the horizon, surrounded by scattered desert plants and bushes.
A desert landscape at sunset with a silhouetted saguaro cactus in the foreground. The sky features a dramatic mix of orange, yellow, and blue hues with scattered clouds. More cacti and desert vegetation are visible in the background, with mountains on the horizon.
Desert landscape at sunset with silhouetted cacti and shrubs in the foreground. The sky is filled with dramatic, colorful clouds, transitioning from orange to dark blue, as the sun sets behind distant mountains. Sandy terrain and sparse vegetation are visible.
A desert landscape at sunset with silhouetted cacti and shrubs in the foreground. The sky displays vibrant hues of orange, yellow, and blue, with wispy clouds scattered above. Mountain peaks are visible in the distance, adding depth to the serene scene.
Desert landscape at sunset with a silhouetted saguaro cactus in the foreground. The sky is painted in hues of orange, yellow, and blue, with wispy clouds stretching across. Sparse desert vegetation and distant mountains complete the tranquil scene.
Desert landscape at sunset with a silhouetted saguaro cactus on the left. The sky is filled with dramatic, wispy clouds in shades of orange and blue, with the sun setting behind distant mountains. The foreground shows sparse desert vegetation and rocky terrain.
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From: Arizona
Filed Under: Featured Entry, Foodie Fixation, National Treasures, U.S. National Monuments
Journal Entry Tags:
Ice CreamSaguaro CactusesSunrises & SunsetsSweet Treats
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