By Emma the White Dog
Hi friends!
Can you believe it is October already? The calendar pages keep turning, summer is finally packing up its scorching bags, and lovely fall weather is knocking on our desert door. We are officially waving goodbye to our summer monsoon season, which gave us plenty of glorious desert rain and dramatic cloudy skies this year. With the cooler mornings rolling in, Dad and I have been delightfully busy right here around home!
The Day the “Words” Froze: A Trip to the Apple Store
Life as a canine journalist was almost thrown into chaos not long ago. Dad sat down to work on my newspaper column and this very blog post using that glowing flat metal square he stares at. Suddenly, he gasped!
He threw his hands in the air and said the thing was “frozen solid.”
Now, I gave the room a sniff—it was definitely not freezing. There was no frost, no ice, and certainly no Colorado snow. But Dad insisted it wouldn’t type a single word. So, what’s an investigative reporting duo to do? Off to the Apple Store we went!
I’ve been there before, and I have to admit, I’m still a bit disappointed that a store with such a delicious fruity name doesn’t actually hand out crisp slices of Gala or Honeycrisp apples to good dogs. But the friendly two-legged “Geniuses” at the Genius Bar were remarkably welcoming. They treated me like royalty while working their tech magic. We walked out with a shiny, dependable new device that makes Dad’s fingers tap-dance across the keys again. The publishing empire is officially saved!

Emma at the Apple Store Genius Bar
Coffee Beans, New Digs, and Morning Bites
Our next neighborhood adventure took us on a mission for Dad’s morning fuel: coffee beans. When we arrived at Oro Valley Coffee Roasters, we discovered they had moved! Luckily, they didn’t wander far—just down a bit into a spacious, bright new shop.
Even better, their new spot doesn’t just sell roasted beans; it now serves fresh drinks and breakfast. Dad settled in with his favorite steaming Americano and tried an interesting new morning pastry, looking very content. As for me? I politely passed on the caffeine and stuck to my usual beverage of choice: a refreshing bowl of their top-tier, ice-cold water. A lady has to stay hydrated.

Emma visiting the new Oro Valley Coffee Roasters
Giving Back at the Golden Goose
A few days later, Dad gathered a load of unwanted household items for a drop-off run at the Golden Goose Thrift Shop, located right outside our SaddleBrooke community.
I sat tall in the car supervising the delivery because the Golden Goose is a very special place in our neck of the woods. It was founded over 20 years ago by dedicated SaddleBrooke residents who had a vision: take gently used, unwanted items, sell them in a welcoming community shop, and donate the proceeds directly to local charities and neighbors in need.
Their milestone slogan proudly celebrates “20 Million Dollars in 20 Years” given back to our local community! It does my doggy heart good knowing that things Dad doesn’t need anymore will turn into meals, shelter, and vital support for folks nearby. That’s what being a good neighbor is all about.

Emma and Dad dropping off donations at the Golden Goose
Meet My New Friend: Shadow!
Regular readers know that I recently introduced a new feature where I share the spotlight with a new four-legged companion in my life. This month, I’d like you all to meet my handsome pal, Shadow!
Shadow is an absolute bundle of fun and endless energy. But when we first started conversing, I immediately tilted my head. His bark sounded distinctly different from our easygoing desert drawl. It turns out Shadow is a visitor all the way from Long Island, New York, right outside that giant city humans call New York City!
I guess you could say he has a genuine New York accent. Shadow is definitely a fast-talking, sophisticated city dog at heart, while I am a relaxed country desert girl who prefers quiet cactus paths and golf cart rides. But as they say, opposites can be friends—-we hit it off immediately and had a wonderful time running and swapping stories.

Emma and Shadow posing together
And now, with our news caught up and the desert breeze cooling our paws, let’s dive right into this month’s reader mail!
This Month’s “Ask Emma” Column
Dear Emma:
Why do my dogs like to lie on the hot brick? They have a whole shaded carpet to lie on, but often choose to lie on the brick instead!
— Puzzled Patio Parent of Stanley and Orlando
Dear Puzzled Patio Parent: Baking in the Sun
That is a paws-itively mysterious sight, isn’t it? Humans see a cool, plush carpet in the shade and think, “Ah, absolute luxury!” Meanwhile, we dogs step right past that lovely rug, trot over to a sun-baked patio, and flop onto bricks hot enough to warm a breakfast biscuit.
It leaves a lot of dog parents scratching their heads, but there are a few very good, dog-approved reasons why we turn into little furry solar panels!

Stanley and Orlando on the Patio
First, it’s all about muscle relief. Just like humans love heating pads or hot tubs after a long walk, dogs love the deep, penetrating warmth of sun-warmed brick. It acts like a giant, natural heating pad that feels wonderful on our joints, muscles, and backs. Even younger pups find the deep heat deeply soothing and comforting.
Second, dogs are natural thermal managers. Our belly fur is usually much thinner than the coat on our backs. By stretching out flat on warm brick—a position my Dad calls the “sploot”—we absorb that radiant heat right into our cores. It relaxes us so deeply that we often drift right off into a sun-drenched nap.
Finally, brick holds onto heat steadily, making it a reliable spot for a cozy soak. While shade is great for cooling off when we’re genuinely overheated, a nice warm brick surface feels like a giant, gentle hug from the desert sun.
That said, a quick word of caution from one dog to another (and their loving parents): while we love a good sunbath, bricks can get too hot during our peak desert hours! If the brick is too warm for a human hand to rest on comfortably for five seconds, it’s a bit too hot for sensitive paw pads.
So, as long as the temperature is safe, don’t worry about us! We aren’t being stubborn; we’re just enjoying a little outdoor spa treatment.
With love and wagging optimism, stay paw-sitive!
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.
To subscribe to Life with Emma in the Desert, enter your email below and click Subscribe to be notified of future posts in your inbox.


































