Gadgets, Coffee, and Lunch with Friends
By Emma the White Dog
Before we begin, I have something special this month.
Please click on the photo below to hear my personal welcome and introduction to Life with Emma in the Desert for March. I had quite a bit to say… and Dad finally let me say it on video. 🎬🐾
A New Gadget Arrives
Here we are well into 2026 and there is still not a dull moment around this house.
Recently a box arrived labeled Tempest, and naturally I assisted Dad with the opening process. Supervising is very important work.
Inside was Dad’s brand-new weather station, which now lives proudly mounted on our back fence.
This gadget reports temperature, barometer readings, wind speed, rainfall, humidity, lightning activity, and things I didn’t even know the sky was capable of doing. All of this information goes straight to Dad’s phone and even his watch.
Now, I don’t mean to sound overly practical… but I’ve always believed that if you look out the door and it seems good for a walk, then it is good for a walk.
I do seem to remember someone called the Bard once saying something about “much ado about nothing.” That may apply here. But Dad enjoys checking his charts and graphs, and I’ve learned something very important:
A happy Dad is a very good thing to have around the house.
So I humor the weather station.
More New Gadgets
But wait — we are not done.
A while back Dad purchased a rather fancy coffee maker and became very serious about his morning routine. After our walk, he makes a cup of coffee and then studies his phone. I’m not entirely sure what he’s doing, but it looks complicated and keeps him quite busy.
Then came the coffee grinder.
Now he grinds his own beans for “optimal flavor extraction.” I suspect we may once again be approaching that “much ado…” territory.
However — this development has brought me an unexpected benefit.
We now travel to coffee roasters in search of special beans. And let me tell you, a dog’s nose at a coffee roaster is a magnificent thing. So many aromas. So many friendly people. So many opportunities to be admired.
Perhaps it is all a bit elaborate… but it gets us out exploring, and that means new adventures. I fully support adventures.
Lunch with Friends
Recently we went to lunch with our favorite neighbors, Jo and Joe.
We dined at a lovely Italian restaurant that was truly delicious. While my poodle and bichon heritage may be proudly French, Italian cuisine did not feel foreign to me at all.
I felt quite continental.
And here is something very special — Joanne designed and created my business card. She keeps Dad supplied so he can hand them out whenever we meet new friends. I consider this excellent marketing.
Lunch was full of conversation, laughter, and warm friendship. Days like that remind me that gadgets and coffee are fun… but people are what truly matter.
A Thought Before We Finish…
Gadgets are interesting. Coffee is serious business. Lunch with friends is delightful.
But after all the activity of February, I found myself thinking about something quieter — something deeper. A reader recently asked a question that made me pause (which, as you know, is not something I do often unless a squirrel is involved).
So let’s settle in for this month’s Ask Emma.
Ask Emma
I’ve heard dogs live mostly in the present. How do they deal with the past and the future?
That’s a wonderful question — and one dogs understand very well.
It’s true: we live mostly in the now. Right now smells interesting. Right now you’re here. Right now the sun is warm, the floor is cool, or dinner might be coming. This doesn’t mean we lack memory or awareness — it just means we don’t let time boss us around the way humans often do.
Dogs absolutely remember the past. We remember people who were kind, routines that made us feel safe, and places where good things happened. Sometimes we also remember things that were scary or confusing. Those memories live in our bodies more than in our thoughts. A sound, a tone of voice, or a sudden movement can remind us of something long ago without us “thinking” about it the way humans do.
What’s different is that dogs don’t replay the past over and over. Once something is over, it tends to stay there — unless something in the present brings it back. When dogs have had difficult experiences, what helps most is not talking about the past, but creating new, safe patterns in the present. Consistency, kindness, and patience slowly rewrite those old memories.
As for the future — dogs don’t worry about it.
We don’t lie awake wondering what might happen next week or whether things will turn out okay. We do understand patterns, though. We know when it’s almost time for a walk, a meal, or your return home. That’s not worry — that’s trust built from experience. When good things usually happen, we expect them to happen again.
Living this way is surprisingly peaceful. Dogs don’t regret yesterday or fear tomorrow. We focus on what’s in front of us: your voice, your touch, your presence. That’s where our happiness lives.
Humans sometimes say they wish they could live more like dogs. From our perspective, you already can. When you slow down, notice small joys, and give your attention fully to the moment you’re in, you’re meeting us right where we live.
And trust me — we love it when you do.
With love and wagging optimism,
Emma 🐾
Have a question for me? I’d love to hear from you!
Email emmathewhitedog@gmail.com, and I might answer it in a future blog.
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