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."
Ellen Tyre wrote: "While vacationing in Hawaii recently, my mother and I spent a day at the Polynesian Cultural Center on Oahu, learning about the lifestyles of the seven Pacific cultures that comprise Polynesia. Our tour guide was Jasmine, a pretty young student at the nearby BYU-Hawaii campus. At the end of the tour before heading to the luau, I wanted to share some of my southwestern New Mexico culture with Jasmine. I took out the Desert Exposure I brought along to read on a beach and showed it to her. Thanks for a terrific publication!
"When I explained why I wanted to have a picture of us taken, she asked me to send her a copy of the paper if our photo appeared. So if you publish it, know that a copy will be heading out over the Pacific Ocean to Hawaii!"
Also taking us along to Hawaii were Zoe Wolfe, Shanan Wolfe and Steven Selendich.
Silver City reader Lois Murphy wrote: "The attached photo shows yet another loyal reader (that would be me) keeping up on local events, advertisers and brilliantly written commentary while more frivolous folk concentrate their attentions on the Tailgate Party for the Jimmy Buffett Concert in Tampa, Florida, Nov. 3, 2007."
Also sharing Florida scenes were Captain Karen Luknis and Captain Debra Butler, who operate Venus Charters there. Captain Debra wrote: "Captain Karen and I were enjoying our day off fishing in the Atlantic about three miles south of Key West. We always bring our Desert Exposure! We have had a subscription since our first visit to Silver City. Although we live in Key West, Florida, we vacation in New Mexico. Silver City has won our hearts and have been back twice in the past year. We love getting our Desert Exposure every month at The Southernmost Point."
Europe
We say spasibo ("thank you") to Peter and Patricia-Ryan Falley, who wrote: "Desert Exposure is such a good paper, it should be known the world over. We took our copy along on our recent trip to Russia. The attached picture shows us on Kizhi Island in Lake Onega in Russia."
In romantic Italy, Richard Deaton and Amanda Yaryan Deaton took their Desert Exposure along for a gondola ride in Venice.
As promised elsewhere in this issue, where the Desert Diary column features another photo from Joann Mazzio of Pinos Altos, here is her photo from Loch Ness, Scotland. This picture, she wrote, reveals the famous Loch Ness Monster "as a Pinos Altosea with a horn growing from her head."
Jeanie McLerie sent this photo from Basque country. She and hubby Ken Keppeler — aka the core of the musical group Bayou Seco — share more of their recent Basque adventure in this month's Tumbleweeds section.
Africa
Reader Neysa Pritikin perused her favorite publication at the Temple of Karnak in Egypt.
Asia
Richard and Ruth Roth of Las Cruces wrote: "We are avid readers of your paper, so when we left for Japan earlier this month we took the latest copy along to read on the 12-hour, boring airplane ride. We never thought about taking the pictures until then and thought, 'What the heck, why not?' We missed cherry blossoms in Tokyo, so we went to Matsumoto in the Japanese Alps where they were out in their full glory. The first picture is at the Matsumoto Castle — a national treasure and one of the best-preserved original castles in Japan. An interesting note: You can count only five floors from the outside but there are actually six floors — between floors two and four (as viewed from the outside) there are two floors. The secret floor was used by warriors during battle.
"The second picture — we were interviewed by a local Japanese TV station at the castle. The girl with the Desert Exposure was the interviewer. The photo was the price for our interview. Also beautiful cherry blossoms."
Also visiting Japan was Berma Matteson, who wrote: "My Desert
Exposure was passed around among the English language teachers at the
NOVA Schools — but only after we posed in front of the Sacred Bridge
at the Nikko Shrine, registered as a World Cultural Heritage site. About
1,200 years ago a high priest came to Nikko. It was so beautiful he thought
it must be the home of gods. He wanted to climb the mountain but couldn't
cross the wide, swift river. The priest recited the Buddhist Sutra and a
bearded old man appeared. The old man hurled two snakes across the river.
They joined to form a bridge for the priest to cross."
Yes, that's the Great Wall of China. Janet Wofford of Hurley wrote: "In June I took a vacation to China, and of course I couldn't leave New Mexico without taking a part of my great state with me. So the Desert Exposure was tucked into my suitcase. This picture is of me standing on the Great Wall with the Desert Exposure. I enjoy reading your paper."
Antarctica
Carol Brandon and Rich (Stretch) Vaitonis wrote: "The mail is slow arriving down here at McMurdo Station, Antarctica, but it does eventually arrive. That's why our photo shows the January issue of Desert Exposure. We work the summer season (that's October to February down here) in McMurdo, a US National Science Foundation research station. I am the postal clerk, and Rich operates heavy equipment building the ice runway. We'll be home to Silver City and our Wind Canyon house in a couple of weeks, but wanted to send you this photo showing that Desert Exposure travels even to the bottom of the world."
Australia
Tyrone readers Sally Stewart and Gary Emerson wrote: "No worries, mate! We're in the Australian Outback town of Andamooka, population 100, having wandered from Sydney, Canberra, Darwin, Alice Springs, Adelaide and Tasmania, the gem of Australia. This country's got it right: universal health care and social security, an enlightened electorate (non-voters are fined $200), civic pride in its well-maintained and beautiful parks, and a healthy laid-back attitude reminiscent of our own Silver City. When we want to brag a little about the US, we pull out our treasured Desert Exposure, which says it all."