On her "fabulous" three-month holiday in Canada and the United States of America, Karen Simpson took pictures of just about anything and everything that would remind her of her grand adventure.

Except she didn't get a picture of whoever took her camera.

Others might use the word "stolen" to describe what happened to the compact digital camera she kept in a small brown carrying case alongside her CK sunglasses — which were also "taken."

But Karen is a pacific sort of person not prone to jumping to conclusions or accusations.

And besides that, she wants her memories back.

So all she asks is if anyone has somehow gained possession of her camera, however innocent the circumstances under which it was acquired, would they PLEASE send her the memory card that holds "500 of the most amazing visual memories of my trip."

Go ahead and keep the camera.

Karen's plight came to the attention of the Deseret News when she sent a modern-day distress signal — an e-mail — to the editor, Joe Cannon, whom she addressed as "Dear Sir:"

"I am a UK citizen who is flying back to the UK on 27/10/09 (yesterday)," she wrote, using the European style of day-month-year.

"Unfortunately, on 22/10/9 (last Thursday), on my last day of a week's stay in Salt Lake City, my digital camera was taken from my bag at the local hostel I was staying at. With your permission and through your newspaper I would like to make an emotional appeal for the return of the memory card that was in the camera. I do not expect the return of the camera nor do I want to know any circumstances surrounding the whole situation which I found so distressing and upsetting. I forgive whoever felt the need to take my possessions and feel no need for retribution."

She concludes, "I know I may have my hopes set high, but I feel sometimes people do have some contrition for what they have done and who knows this might just be one of those times."

Karen was staying at the Avenues Hostel at 107 F St. in Salt Lake City where, she notes, "I enjoyed my stay and had a fabulous time exploring SLC and don't want to let what has happened spoil my wonderful memories of your beautiful city."

On her day of departure, she left the camera with her luggage in the hostel offices.

When she returned prior to catching a Greyhound to San Francisco, the luggage was there but the camera and sunglasses were not.

Before Salt Lake City, Karen spent four weeks exploring Canada and then two months in California, Arizona and Utah.

You name it, she saw it, and then photographed it.