D e s e r t E x p o s u r e 
January
2008
Around the World with Desert Exposure
Readers take "the biggest little paper in the Southwest" along on trips to six continents.
When art-gallery owner Major Benton sent us a snapshot of himself and his young granddaughter, Reese, in Atlanta with a copy of Desert Exposure, almost a year ago, he surely had no idea what he was unleashing. We printed the photo in our popular Desert Diary column, along with a call for more of the same — inviting readers to take us along on their next trip and snap a picture of themselves holding Desert Exposure. Since that modest beginning, we've received photos from readers showing Desert Exposure across the US and on every continent except South America. Yes, including Antarctica. (And don't worry, we have several promises from folks to remedy that South American gap in Desert Exposure's global conquest.)
Alas, Benton recently departed our little corner of the world, but his vacation-photo legacy lives on. "Postcards from the Edge" has become a regular feature in our Desert Diary pages, and we've received so many reader snapshots that we couldn't keep up with them all — until now. What better way to ring in the new year, we thought, than with a collection of the reader photos we've received? Some of these pictures will look familiar, but we're able to print them here in full color for the first time; others have never before been published.
We share these as a sort of New Year's thank-you to our readers, who've overwhelmed us with their positive responses to Desert Exposure over the past year. Clearly, if you care enough about your favorite publication to take it with you to, say, Antarctica. . . well, let's just say we're honored and delighted.
Not that this world tour, courtesy of a sampling of our loyal readers, lets the rest of you off the hook. That missing South American photo notwithstanding, you readers have miles to go and photos to take before Desert Exposure completely conquers the globe. So let these photos inspire you, whether your next trip takes you to Kalamazoo or Katmandu. Take us along and send a photo of yourself holding a copy of Desert Exposure to diary@desertexposure.com or PO Box 191, Silver City, NM 88062.
Across the US
C.N. Flanders wrote: "Here is a photo that you might want to use in the Desert Exposure. It was taken in the De-Na-Zin Wilderness in New Mexico. This is a very seldom-visited wilderness area. The four of us were returning from Farmington to Silver City after attending the annual conference of the New Mexico Native Plant Society. We are in front of a 'hoodoo.' From left to right is Elroy Limmer, Angela Flanders, Joan Limmer (holding the August Desert Exposure) and Spike Flanders."
Reader Jeanette Giese wrote of this photo, "My husband Dale snapped it in Monument Valley, Utah. We had just completed a 3.2-mile walk around the formation in back of me. I slowly made it back to the trailer and grabbed your publication. This was such a great spot for a picture. We are now back home after RVing around our local Southwest. There is nowhere more exciting than our own backyard!"
From Colorado, Kara Naber of Columbus wrote: "Desert Exposure has arrived in Mesa Verde National Park. I took a copy with me to my current workstation, Spruce Tree House, where we are in the process of finishing up a multi-year architectural documentation research project."