We just broke a record for rain here in Northern California. Everybody has cabin fever and can't wait for it to stop.

In an effort to avoid more constructive endeavors today I am posting a series of photos about something I have been curious about for years and have not found published anywhere.

Over several trips in Tibet I noticed people wearing strands of curiously shaped white shell discoid beads resembling 'heishi' but made of 'conch shell' as it is commonly called across Asia. The Tibetan name for this material is 'Dun'. (Indian Chank Shell is the proper nomenclature to spare Jamey the trouble.) I noticed they were often seen around the neck of elderly Tibetans but almost never seen among the merchandise shown by Tibetan traders which further stoked my curiosity. After talking to some of my friends I began to understand why.