Karen Shaughnessy, age 11, of Louisville, Kentucky, for her question:

Where did the Mojave Desert get its name?

We still pronounce it Ho HAII vey Desert, pore or less as the early Spanish explorers pronounced it. In those days, Amerindians (called the Mojave) roamed and gathered seeds from the desert vegetation. It is estimated that there were only about 3,000 members in this small tribe of wanderers. Their territory included much of the great desert in southeastern California and spread over into Arizona. The desert was named for the Mojave people.

The great Mojave happens to be Andy's favorite desert, even though most of it is usually an arid wasteland. Sages and other sparse vegetation add spicy summer fragrance to the air. Everywhere ridges of low mountains reach up and touch the vivid blue sky. And, after a dousing rainy season, the whole scene is covered with a brilliant magic carpet. It is then that multitudes of sleeping seeds sprout up and burst into blossoms that rival the rainbow.