Saturday. Charlie and Alison worked in the morning. Alan and I continued on into the afternoon. We looked and looked, dabbed paint here and there. Finally Alan declared it finished.

It was a long week, I was really tired. But when I drove off, I suddenly felt so sad that it was over. I went home, and didn't quite know what to do with myself. I'm sure I'll get over that feeling; just tonight, I feel kind of empty. But, it really looks great! Alan added in an owl for Athena, it's flying towards her from inside the shield handle. I love it! And I loved hearing Alan tell the stories. Working on this with him - these crazy gods, giants, amazons - they're alive all around you, and battling away!

We will come back on Tuesday, varnish the shield interior, unwrap the snake, and repair any damage to the gold. We'll have to do a thorough clean-up too. The big opening party is next Thursday, so the week will be hectic still. (I guess it's not really over yet!)