Swans and the End of a Project.

Feeling physically and emotionally exhausted today. Lots of reasons but feel like I'm about to pop. So a drive down to see R1ch Whitehead. Top bloke, Rich. You may recognise him from TV and from any local BP petrol station. I had some work to do, made an appointment with him and then he said...bring your running kit. Excellent. Completion of my pledge and what a way to do it. So down around the water park just outside Nottingham we went for just short of an hour.

I was wrecked, he then went to the gym for some strengthening work and was going to do a repeat session later in the afternoon. Rich's doorway to his house is much like any others, except he has an array of feet, rather than shoes. Though his new sponsor, Adidas have left him a pile of shoes, that he modifies to fit on the bottom of his prosthetic feet. Rich is a proper athlete, like all of these guys and girls. He lives and trains like a pro...and his results do the talking.

I'm blaming motion blur and the rain for the fact that I look a bit like a chipmunk here and Rich looking a bit  'special', but it was a good run. That very fine rain as Pete Kays says...it soaks you through. But it was very hot and therefore humid. I was seriously sweaty. It's a shame, as the past few days have been gorgeous. These rainy days are the days I fear, you know, when you've been somewhere sunny and wonderful...and you're greeted with this. At least my hands weren't cold.

And so a race home to take my painting to James and Zoe. I've been staring at this now in it's finished state for over a week, and that was after some 5 weeks in the preparation and painting, so I'm sorry to see it go. There is a lot of emotion gone into this. It has been help to paint, relaxing, distracting, therapeutic, symbolic, so I don't hand it over lightly. And today also, I have closure on a long tough week. I managed to pop into work, the first time in ages, to drop something off to make tomorrow a little easier. But they were pleased with the painting. A bit more than pleased. Emotional...as am I.

New project needed.