Dear Ross,

     Thank you for the warm welcome to the list.  My adopted aunt got me started in shell
collecting when I was only 9 or 10.  She had a small collection of larger specimens that she later
gave to her son to start his collection.  She gave me a small box of specimens once while I was
visiting her.  Later, she and my parents gave me more shells as Christmas and birthday gifts.  I
was fascinated with their seemingly endless variation of forms and colors.  When she was alive, my
aunt liked to go to yard sales with Mom and I.  She always pointed out interesting shells to add
to my collection.  As a grade school student, I made shells and other sea life the subject of
three science fair projects.
     I will try not to be shy about asking or answering questions.  However, I must say that I
have been away from collecting for a while.  Though my interest and reading never waned, I wasn't
able to add new specimens.  School took up a lot of time and money.  No doubt, graduate school
will be the same.  Thus, purchasing specimens will be difficult for a while.  My searches for
graduateschools have turned up institutions located near the sea.  Perhaps I will get to collect
my own specimens.  Have always wanted to do that.  Guess I could begin by collecting freshwater
moluscs.  Among the freshwater molluscs, I am especially interested in clams.
     I am really pleased to be a member of a list with so many kind and friendly people.  My other
hobby is mineral collecting and I belong to an unmoderated mailing list for fellow collectors.
Contributors to that list sometimes get off-topic and have trouble getting back to the main
issues.  Discussions don't always go smoothly on that list.  However, the discussions that go awry
usually aren't even about minerals.  I am looking forward to the discussions on CONCH-L.  I have
to ask one thing.  What has caused some of the discussions to escalate to War status?  Just
wondering.
     Thanks for your well-wishes for me in my graduate studies.  It is my hope to make many
contributions to science.
     Well, I will sign off and get something for breakfast.  Hope all is well with you this
morning.  So, until next time...Take care and have a great day.  Bye for now!  :)

Sincerely,
Tim

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