Sandy runs the Oasis, the only store in the Calico Desert, and she stays there nearly all day. You can't meet her until the bus to the desert is running again, which means raising friendship with her starts only after you reach the Calico Desert for the first time.
How to unlock access to Sandy
Sandy lives at the Oasis in the Calico Desert, and the only way to reach her is by restoring the bus service. There are two paths to do this, and both lead to the same result.
Step 1: Complete the Vault bundles at the Community Center. Finishing the Vault repairs the bus line that connects the valley to the desert.
Step 2: Alternatively, on the Joja route, purchase the "Bus" upgrade for 40,000g through the Joja Community Development Form. This produces the same repaired bus.
Once the bus runs, ride it to the Calico Desert and walk into the Oasis. The first time you talk to her, she'll greet you as the new farmer Emily wrote to her about, and confirm the bus line is back in service.
Sandy's schedule at the Oasis
Sandy almost never leaves the Oasis. She stands behind the counter while the store is open, from 9 am to 11:50 pm, so you can find her there on nearly any day you visit. She does not appear at the Beach Resort on Ginger Island.
There are only two exceptions to her routine. On Spring 15, 16, and 17, she steps out at 8:30 am to stand at Emily's outfit services, returning at midnight. The bigger exception is her birthday on Fall 15, when she leaves the shop in the afternoon to walk around the desert with Emily.
| Time | Fall 15 (birthday) location |
|---|---|
| 9:00 AM | Behind the counter in the Oasis |
| 12:00 PM | Chats sideways with Emily behind the counter |
| 1:00 PM | Leaves the Oasis, stands by the bench on the left |
| 3:00 PM | Goes to the pond in the northwest section |
| 5:00 PM | Stands next to the Sand Dragon |
| 6:00 PM | Moves to the side of the bus |
| 7:00 PM | Stands in front of the Desert Trader |
| 8:00 PM | Returns to the front of the Oasis |
| 10:50 PM | Leaves the front of the Oasis |
| 11:30 PM | Arrives by the bench next to the bus |
| 12:00 AM | Says goodbye to Emily |
| 12:10 AM | Returns to the Oasis |
On Fall 15, the Oasis is open in the morning, but once she heads out at 1 pm, you won't be able to shop until she returns. Plan birthday gifts for the early hours.
Sandy's loved gifts and best presents
You can give Sandy up to two gifts per week, plus one on her birthday. Loved and liked gifts raise friendship, while disliked and hated gifts lower it. A birthday gift on Fall 15 applies an 8× multiplier, so save a loved item for that day to make the most of it.
Her loved gifts are mostly seasonal flowers, which makes them cheap to forage across the year. Mango Sticky Rice is the one cooked dish she loves, and it requires ingredients from Ginger Island.
| Preference | Items | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Love | Crocus | Foraging – Winter |
| Love | Daffodil | Foraging – Spring |
| Love | Sweet Pea | Foraging – Summer |
| Love | Mango Sticky Rice | Cooking (Mango, Coconut, Rice) |
| Love | All Universal Loves (including Stardrop Tea) | Various |
| Like | All Fruit, Goat Milk, Large Goat Milk, Quartz, Wool | Goats, Mines, Sheep/Rabbits |
| Like | All Universal Likes | Various |
| Hate | Holly, plus all Universal Hates | Foraging – Winter |
For neutral reactions, Sandy accepts all universal neutrals (except Wool, which she likes) and all eggs except the Void Egg. Common forage like mushrooms, Leek, Dandelion, Hazelnut, Snow Yam, Winter Root, and cow's Milk all fall into the neutral range, so they won't hurt your friendship but won't speed it up much either.
Movie theater preferences
If you invite Sandy to the movie theater, she's easy to please. She loves a wide range of films and dislikes none of them, so any movie counts as a safe choice.
| Type | Loved |
|---|---|
| Movies | It Howls In The Rain, Journey Of The Prairie King: The Motion Picture, Mysterium, Natural Wonders: Exploring Our Vibrant World, The Brave Little Sapling, The Miracle At Coldstar Ranch, The Zuzu City Express, Wumbus |
| Loved concessions | Cotton Candy, Stardrop Sorbet |
| Disliked concessions | Black Licorice, Joja Cola, JojaCorn, Sour Slimes |
Every other concession lands as a like, so pairing one of the loved films with Cotton Candy or Stardrop Sorbet gives the strongest result.
Sandy's heart events and mail rewards
Sandy has no in-person heart events, but she rewards friendship through the mail. Once you have any friendship above zero, she can send you a gift letter, and the chance of receiving one climbs as your hearts rise.
The anytime mail can include Cactus Fruit, Coconut, or Tom Kha Soup, with a short note inviting you to visit the desert. At seven hearts, she mails you the Tom Kha Soup recipe directly, letting you cook the dish yourself.
| Friendship level | Reward |
|---|---|
| Above 0 hearts | Random mail gift: Cactus Fruit, Coconut, or Tom Kha Soup |
| 7 hearts | Tom Kha Soup recipe sent by mail |
You'll know the recipe arrived when the letter appears in your mailbox the morning after you hit seven hearts. After reading it, Tom Kha Soup becomes available in your cooking menu.
Relationships and small details
Sandy allows Mr. Qi to run his casino behind the Oasis. The two aren't close, but she takes his rent and looks the other way about what happens in the back room. Higher friendship dialogue reveals she's never been inside the club herself.
She's also close friends with Emily, who first told her about you. That friendship is why Emily joins her on her birthday and at the movies. And true to her quote, "Sandy" isn't her real name; she keeps it because it's good for business, and the game never reveals her actual name.
Because she stays put at the Oasis nearly every day, building friendship with Sandy is mostly a matter of regular desert trips and a cheap forage flower in your bag. Time a loved gift for Fall 15, mail rewards will follow, and the Tom Kha Soup recipe is yours once you reach seven hearts.