between the rock and the cold, cold sea

Don't know how often this will happen. But it is 1740 on a Sunday evening, work has finished, and the computer hut is still open and has power.

Do you know how much I miss you, internets? I miss you *this much*. It is so very, very rural here, and it feels exceedingly isolate. Isolation with cows. And dirt. Being a child of civilisation, I kind of don't like it. But it's an experience.

Those of you who gave me addresses for postcards, however, may find several turning up on your doorsteps, if the postal services actually work. The longer I am away from the internet, the more talkative I'm getting. Soon I will probably start talking to myself.

What else do I miss? Apart from showers and flushing toilets and electric light (yes, I'm a wuss. This roughing it business, well, I just don't know), the thing I miss most in the wide world is climbing. I'm going a wee bit crazy without walls to climb, and I'm sure my muscles and fingerstrength will be entirely atrophied by the time I get back.

In more interesting news, I have made three 'small finds', which are finds which are not potsherd, charcoal, iron nails or bone. One unidentifiable (to me, at least) piece of iron, and two pieces of copper, one a fragment from a fitting, one a folded fragment of something else. I've found lots and lots and lots of bits of pot, some tiny, some half the size of my hand, and some crumbling bits of bone, a cow tooth, charcoal, and a couple of iron nails. The area I'm investigating is supposed to be pre- or early-Roman ditch fill. I am personally dubious, but what do I know?

Anyway. Hopefully I'll get to catch up with my internets some more soon.

Briefly able to use computer on short lunchbreak. Am here, am hot, damp, digging up old stuff, sending postcards by the dozen - the longer I'm away from the internets, the more talkative I'm getting. Tent is cramped and damp. Am staying in Reading on nights surrounding day off because of this.

Is interesting. Exhausting - I've only been running on my day off, and I have no desire whatsoever to write - dirty, smelly, and did I mention hot? Thursday made it all the way to 35 degrees Celsius. But interesting, and apart from the tent issue and the Portaloo thing, on the whole rather fun.

Must go back to work now.