Losing my phone

I slipped my new Fairphone into my fleece pocket and was careful to close the zip, as I left the house. In the boot - my wellies and my rucksack containing camera, a large bag for rubbish, and a small bag for acorns. Yes - it was windy yesterday so I was hoping to collect plenty of healthy acorns for next year’s brood of oak trees.

After 90 minutes in the wood, however, I hadn’t seen a single acorn! What I did see was several dog walkers (one with 5 dogs and not one on a lead). But there were fungi a-plenty, not just in the regular spots but also on one tree where I hadn’t seen them before. Sadly one half of a very large bifurcated ash had come down in the last few days, making access to one fecund fungus spot inaccessible. Also the clouds are constant so no ‘sun streaming through the trees’ shots.

I got back down the hill to the car and changed into my trainers. As I’m putting my wellies and camera back into the car boot I feel my pocket for the phone. It isn’t there!!! The pocket is unzipped! Neither is it in the rucksack! Shit! How the ****  have I unzipped that pocket and lost it?! Maybe it tumbled out while I was clambering over a tree trunk somewhere? How stupid! Why didn’t I put it safely in the rucksack?!

Don’t Panic! I know the route I’ve taken. I can re-trace my steps, or most of them anyway. I can ask all the dog walkers if they’ve seen it (and hopefully picked it up). I opt to leave the camera and rucksack and just go straight back up the hill.

It seems right to do the route backwards though I’d struggle to explain why. This involves using the central path as far as the branch with the western path, leaving the western path where an unofficial trail goes off left, exploring the “den with a roof", where I know I stopped to take a photo, then on to rejoin the central path. Then down the central path, past Fallen Sweet Chestnut, as far as Dryad’s Saddle Log, through to the eastern path then south to the fork, right to the western path and back to the central path. Unfortunately there was then an area where I was wandering around the big oaks looking down for acorns and I can’t remember the exact route.

As it happens I don’t see anyone in the wood at all this time! (Ironically the sun is streaming through the trees repeatedly as I urgently tramp around.) And all this is in vain.. No phone. I’m now thinking “what next”?

Firstly - come back later, when C has got home, and bring her phone basically walking the route ringing myself.

Failing that, place notices on Nextdoor, Facebook etc asking if anyone has found it? (If they have they won’t be able to contact me without the PIN, will they!)

Come up tomorrow for the whole morning and accost or leaflet everyone entering the wood?

Is there a way to “find my phone” using an app or something. Or by 'triangulation', whatever that is, like in the TV crime dramas? Can Fairphone locate it for me? 

The suddenly the implications of actually losing my phone loom up like a tsunami. Things that, 10 years ago, would have been meaningless to me…

In increasing magnitude these are: What a pain, just when I’ve got a phone that will hold all the apps I need. Hang on - how will I be able to stay in the Monday and Thursday tennis groups without WhatsApp? Also someone might find the phone and not hand it in but get it unlocked and know all about me and my friends! And have I lost my tickets to The Doors Alive and Billy Strings? Worse, I won’t be able to get in touch with any of my 50+(?) contacts! Or know their phone numbers! Including the joiner who is due to come next week! And losing my phone means losing my sim card - nobody can ring, text, or WhatsApp me and vice versa - ever! And they won’t know I haven’t received their messages or voicemails! Catastrophe! 

45 Minutes later I’m back at the car, once again stowing my wellies in the boot. I open the driver’s door …and there on the seat is my phone!

When I get home I find the freezer door has been stuck ajar for 24 hours and everything on the top shelf is defrosted. 

Oh well, this molten chocolatey Ben & Jerry’s will simply have to be eaten.

(It's actually better than the cold version.)