In addition to a more readable format and the ability to add and edit widgets, I chose the current template because the default header could be replaced with a photo file of one’s own choosing. The panorama I chose to upload was taken early this July in the high desert mountains of New Mexico. The amount of precipitation that has fallen there over the past several months has served to transform this normally arid environment to one of exceptional verdure.
I dare not name the peak on such a public forum, as I selfishly want to keep one of my favorite hiking spots as pristine as possible for as long as possible. However, I will divulge the identity of the photographer: he is my uncle and favorite hiking partner, who—despite the fact that he recently celebrated his seventieth birthday—continues to climb both up and down mountains as if he were part mountain goat. In this, and many other respects, I consider him both mentor and role model.
Linda Summers
Letters from the Library 