>Do I love shells?

No.  I love my wife.  I like shells and they fasinate me (well so does my
wife and she is tougher to figure out after 34 years than most shells I
know).

>Do I spend each weekend at the beach in pursuit of shells?

No.  The closest beach (not counting "Tingley Beach" which is a local
drainage pond alongside the Rio Grande) is over 1,300 miles away.

>Do I plan each and every hard-earned vacation around moon phases and tide
charts?

No.  Our last vacation was planned around seeing "The Lion King" in New York
City (a great show).

>Do I belong to a shell club?

Yes I do.  We have a very small, very informal club.  We decided early on to
try and go with no officers and no dues (almost works).  Our meetings are
mostly social -- a chance for people with similar interests to get together
for a good meal (potluck) and talk about shells.  We have a program now and
then, but our shell related activity level is probably the lowest of any of
the shell clubs I know.  The point is, this meets the needs of the members.
We have evolved and will continue to do so as new members want to add or
subtract to our limited activity base.  We have members who have shelled all
over the world and we have members who have only walked a beach a couple
times in their lives.  Now after saying all of that, I have to admit this
shell club is an infant of two years.  Ten years from now we will see if it
has held together.  However, after seeing so many clubs struggling, we
thought that a social gathering might withstand the pressures of time,
repeated activities, and no real shot at hitting an ocean for an outing.
Admittedly, we do not have a rule against non-shell related topics and the
talk is often very far removed from shells.  But we center on shells and it
seems to work.  At least it has gotten the few shellers in this high desert
environment together.  I can see Joni's point, but for me, the club fills in
for the lack of an accessable ocean and has increased my enjoyment of this
hobby.

Tom Eichhorst in New Mexico, USA