For a month and a half we lived on the desert, parked beside Uncle Edwin’s little house and kitchen trailer. The wind blew all the time. Every once in awhile a “duster” came along. That’s what the native’s called it but I thought it was a mini-tornado. If I had clothes drying on the clothesline the wind would scrunch them all up in one spot on the line. If Roland was out building a house he had to jump in the car for shelter and the wind would send his pile of lumber flying in the air, landing in a heap. One had to fight the wind to do any outside work.
One day we found a little Jack rabbit running on the desert. Roland placed him in my shoe to take a picture. He peed in my shoe. Then we set him free.
When April 11th arrived we celebrated Sandy’s very first birthday. Fascinated by the birthday cake she reached out to touch the lit candles. The ice cream and cake were a big hit. In the late afternoon, when it was cooler, Lesley took her for a ride in her wagon. Then she played outside in her playpen. 
We all enjoyed the desert. Roland found steady work building sheds and small houses. We liked being near Native Americans, watching them and learning their ways. The man always walked in front followed by his wife who carried the money to pay for things. The children were well behaved.
The landscape was dry and flat (and windy) but open, so different from all the trees in New England. The sunrises and sunsets were lovely. The sky was BIG.