Mission Control behavior - bug or feature?

So way back in Tiger, if I used Exposé to show the Desktop, then clicked Finder in the Dock, a new Finder window opened without bringing back the other windows. This was a nice feature, since I use the Desktop to hold the items I am currently working on, and I could quickly bring up a Finder window to put them away.

In Leopard and Snow Leopard, though, showing the Desktop, then clicking Finder in the Dock would open a new Finder window, but also brought all the other windows back onscreen. The solution, which was slightly inconvenient, was to open a Finder window, then show the Desktop, then click Finder in the Dock to bring out my Finder window and nothing else.

In Lion, though, neither action seems to work. If I open a Finder window, show the Desktop, then click the Finder icon in the Dock, it un-shows the Desktop, meaning I cannot easily use the Desktop as part of my workflow.

As big a cluster**** as Mission Control seems to be, I don't know if this is another bug, or if it is shiny new intended behavior. Any thoughts?

 

Opening a Finder window from a folder on the Desktop comes the closest to working, but it's an inconvenient extra step, since I generally don't have a folder there in the first place and thus have to make one.

Putting Finder into its own space is a slightly faster work around, but it's still not as convenient as the old way. I appreciate both suggestions.

So is this MC behavior intended? Or is it another bug, like the one where windows from different applications obscure one another and obscure the Spaces bar at the top?

 

I know what you mean. I'm having vivid flashbacks to that terrible year when I "upgraded" from Window 98SE to Windows Me.