I decided to have this week off and it's been sunny and warm.

On Saturday I went to Who Do You Think You Are/Military/Archaeology Live at Kensington Olympia and saw archaeologists give lectures plus get advice on family history research. It seems that unless my father's parents registered their marriage I will probably never get any leads on how old they were. They gave my dad away to an orphanage so I don't know much more than their names. Gah. I also showed the Portable Antiquity Scheme people my finds that I have picked up from rabbit burrows outside an abandoned village and they told me to get in touch with a Finds Liaison Officer in Lincolnshire.

On Sunday I went to the Pub Quiz at the sci-fi London festival. Importantly, the beer was free. I couldn't answer the questions because unlike the bloke who set the questions I not only have a life but I also wasn't spending any of that life watching/listening to obscure sci-fi shows on TV and radio in the 50s and 60s. well I say i have a life - it still ended with me and my friends doing a Sontaran war-chant in the pub. Ye gods.

On Monday I gardened all day. I must have planted about a 100 basil seedling into bigger pots. I've also planted some lovely pink fuschia and dark red chrysanthemums. Lets see if the slugs eat all of them this year given that I have slug pellets this time. HAH!

On Tuesday I went to investigate a nature reserve near me I hadn't known existed until I went past it on my way to vote in local elections last week. It's very small and only 10 years old. It used to be allotments during the second world war when we were all being encouraged to dig for victory. Now it is quiet and secluded - the trees are regenerating themselves, volunteers are also planting local native species of plant and tree and there are birds and butterflies everywhere. It was lovely.

Om Wednesday I ached from the exercise so I read a book.

Today I have had a bath and read another book. I have now finished all my library books. I also heard back from the Lincolnshire Finds Liaison Officer who told me that that what I thought was cattle feed was actually most likely to be a bit of Saxo-Norman pottery - approx 1000 years old!!!!!!

Tomorrow I get to check out the London Wetland Centre and try taking photos of wildfowl of an aquatic nature.

Then I think that's it! It's too hot for much else and I have also given my bank account a bit of a bruising but I think it's been worth it to get a bit of brain food. I'll need something to read though......