SCA does something nice

Lest people accuse me of never saying a nice word for the Sydney Catchment Authority, let me pass on a vote of thanks to Donna Sowry and the field staff of the SCA who found my Mobile Phone down along Tourist Road. I knew I had lost it, while photographing Orchids along the edge of Tourist Road, but I could not find it when I re-traced my steps. As Tourist Road is "out of range" of mobile phone reception, I could not arrange for someone else to ring the phone, every 5 minutes for me, until I might hear its plaintive ringing tone, and locate it.

This is an example of the kind of tiny Orchids which I would have been photographing when I lost the phone. As you can see they are shorter than the small tufted grasses amongst which they grow, which requires the photographer to "get down" (literally, on my belly) to take the photograph. That's what I was doing when I lost the phone.

A cluster of individual plants of Glossodia minor,
a lovely mauve/purple flower, about 4 inches (100 mm) tall.

Anyway, after I had arranged to re-activate my account, with a replacement SIM card (courtesy of Vodafone) I discovered a message from Vodafone Customer Service telling me that Donna Sowry, who I know as the Community Liaison Officer with the SCA, had reported that my old phone had been located.

Prasophyllum brevilabre
The Short-lipped Leek Orchid
This species is not rare, but I only ever see one or two each season, in Kangaloon.

I duly rang Donna's office, and left a message, and today I received my old phone back. While I had arranged a replacement phone and card, the important thing for me was getting back the memory bank of phone numbers stored in the old phone and SIM card.

Here is the flower of Prasophyllum brevilabre in close-up.
These flowers are the "right way up". but opposite to most Orchids.
That is, the "labellum" (which is white, and bent backwards in this species)
is higher than the column.
In most Orchids, the Labellum
(such as the "slipper" in "Slipper Orchids")
is below the column.

I have rung Donna and thanked her. But since I have a reputation for bagging the SCA, on this blog, it is fair that I record my appreciation - in public.