Dear Helmut,

I will freely admit that I have often been annoyed by your public requests
for shells. Private requests are more seemly. True, I occasionally rib you
with a joke; it is my nature. But I have also come to admire your devotion
to shells and museum, and to your little family. And for the last few
months, you have usually asked people privately for shells, and have often
been helpful in answering questions, so I have no complaint about your
participation in Conch-L. You have become the 'dotty uncle' of Conch-L, a
bit strange sometimes, but certainly with your place at the table alongside
the cheerful Flying Pigs, Advanced Collectors and all the rest of this nutty
bunch. We all have something to learn from Helmut Nisters.

Best wishes,

Andrew K. Rindsberg
Geological Survey of Alabama