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Although some aspects of their world seem idyllic, there are difficulties -- constant battles to protect the environment, to keep the water in the nearby Rio Hondo clean, jaunts down to Mexico for cheaper dental work, the three-hour drive to the veteran's hospital in Albuquerque, the hopes that Laura's teeth don't grow in crooked and that her A grades will earn her a scholarship later on.
"Some people think it's scary to live the way we do," says Ron. "No life insurance. No savings. But if I die, the house is all paid for. We have four years' worth of food -- canned, frozen and dried. We have three years' worth of firewood. No bills. We have stockpiles of clothes. Living like this you just don't ever suddenly need a lot of money."