RE: chargeing battery
Spend about 10 bucks and buy one of those 24-hour electronic timers that you can set to turn your lights on and off at certain times of the day.
Set it to go on for an hour, then off for 11 hours, then on for an hour, and off for 11 hours. Then just plug your wall wart into it any time you leave for a few days and you'll always be topped off.