Yes, I think that may be the weak point in a lot of my writing, things tend to be too easy, too Pollyannaish. Perhaps even too predictable. It's true that the Dempseys were never in any real danger of dying, except perhaps the father. The lack of water, not food, is the main danger when stranded in the desert. Since they had a ready source of water they were fairly secure. I think the root of this story stems from my visit to Joshua Tree National Park (a fascinating place, by the way). While we were driving through the California desert we passed through several small towns with apparently nothing to attract settlement. I remember looking at my passenger and saying, This must be where the axle broke. I suppose if this story would have continued it would have ended up being located in Dempsey, CA. ;-) jon

 
~jon
My Blog - Mad Utopia Writing in a new era.