May morning...

Such a busy day! The weather forecast promised more hot weather, so I took the dogs out early. I was planning to go to our local spot, but found it full of rowers and canoes - so went onto Ferry Meadows, which was quiet and peaceful at 6.30am. The air was still cool, the birds were in full song and the dewy grass soaked my feet - just a perfect way to start the day. My image is part of our walk, with the low morning sun lighting up the cow parsley along the path - and just felt appropriate to celebrate my 600th blip.

After breakfast I headed north to Morkery Wood in Lincolnshire and met up with three other botanists. We spent the morning recording the flora, and saw some very interesting species including a thriving colony of wood vetch, and a lot of moschatel and water avens - all of which are very local in the dry east. It's a very interesting site as it contained a miltary camp in the Second World War and so has a variety of habitats including undisturbed ancient woodland, planted and naturally regenerated secondary woodland, wide rides with grassy edges and ditches and even an old limestone quarry. I had a really enjoyable time, and I think we all learnt something new.

The afternoon was spent chilling in the garden, the first time I've had a chance to relax in it since the good weather started. And then it was off to the Willow Festival - a free music festival featuring mostly local bands, held on the Nene Embankment with the Cathedral as a backdrop. We had an excellent Thai take-away and listened to a few bands, the most enjoyable of which was a jazz/blues band whose rhythms got everyone dancing. We hadn't planned to stay long as I was shattered, so hadn't taken any jackets. With a wonderfully clear sky it became fairly chilly and we eventually retreated home just after 10.

Today is my eighth and last Desert Island Disc track. Alex first introduced me to Radiohead, and many of their songs have become firm favourites. My choice of Exit Music (For a Film) may seem unusual, as it is hardly a cheerful song, and it makes me hurt inside every time I hear it. But I'm normally a very cheerful and pragmatic person, head definitely ruling heart, and I suspect I seek out music and literature that provides balance and feelings that I don't otherwise experience very often. Hence my liking for rather subdued music and dark novels. It's interesting that Alex, who is also happy and laid back, has quite similar tastes in music and literature, whereas Ben and Pete, who are both more inclined to depression, favour fairly upbeat tunes.