Mucking with the desktop images folder

Question

I have the desktop background image randomly rotating through a folder on my system. The problem I've run into, is that I'd like to be able to add and remove images from the folder (I have a script that pulls in photos from friends flickr streams, etc, and removes old ones so as not to fill my hd). However, the "desktop image rotator" doesn't seem to like this. If I remove the image currently shown, it will simply stop rotating. I've also noticed that it can get into a state where, when it does the cross-fade between images, it'll show some random image, but only during the cross fade. That is, it starts with image A displayed. When the cross fade starts it immediately jumps to some random image X then cross fades to image B. The cross fade ends with image B displayed for the rotation interval, then the cross fade starts again by immediately switching to a random image Y, then smoothly cross fading to C, which is again shown for the normal interval.
So, instead of A->B->C, I get A->X->B->Y->C (note, all of these images are randomly pulled from the directory. Just because I used letters in order doesn't imply that I'm actually expecting images to be pulled in any order from the folder).
The really odd part is that the X and Y images are usually images that no longer exist. Does the desktop image rotator copy the images it's using for the background somewhere else? That seems odd.
So, in the end what I'm asking is "Is there a safe way to remove images from whatever image folder the desktop image rotator is using?"
It may or may not be worth noting that while describing this, I've managed to lock up my dock. The top menus still work, but alt-tabbing around doesn't.

Answer 1

do you see ANY of your files when you look at the desktop? if yes control-click anywhere on the desktop and select 'arrange by kind'. this will reshuffle your desktop icons. see if the files you are missing become visible. they may have been placed offscreen somewhere.