Wildlife in the city

I really love living at Thornton Creek.  Now that it's nearly summer the creek is even more beautiful with all the flowers and beautiful plants.  And also wild creatures.  I thought only ducks - there are two pair at the creek area around the buildings.  Saturday evening I saw a family looking into the water.  They called me over to take a look.  It was a beaver!  Here's a picture of it.   It was taken with my iPhone and then cropped and enlarged so it's a bit fizzy.  But you can clearly see that famous tail!  What a treat.  I had no idea there were beavers in the creek.  This is just a very tiny portion of it, of course, but still.  This is city.  And then on Sunday I was walking there again and took a look just in case but instead found two ducklings.  I haven't seen the parents for quite a while and the banks are quite overgrown.  The parents weren't around so that means the ducklings were old enough to be on their own.  Cute and fuzzy and yellow.

I had a pretty great weekend.  Friday was quiet and I got to knit on my Indian Feathers and watch the Mariners win.  Saturday I had breakfast out, then a fun trip to the mall - I finally got the perfect maxi-dress and a couple of cute tops.  I got myself to my manicure by bus.  I tried to use the salon at Northgate but they messed my nails up to thoroughly.  I don't mind going out of my way to get back to Diva salon.  And then Saturday night was a birthday party.  The venue was new to me, but Andre's (the birthday boy) favorite hang out.  The food was superb, as usual.  I made a very tasty cucumber salad but my favorite thing there was Monika's watermelon with lime and basil.  Wow.  Such an awesome mix of flavors.

I am getting very close to finishing the shawl except somehow or other it looks like the short rows are off.  I can't see how that could have happened but I'll make it work somehow.  Then I block it and for the finishing touch, a beaded fringe.  I still need to get the beads and maybe I'll do that at lunchtime today.  I've started a new diet regime.  It is next to impossible to do my regular calorie counting because I have been much more social.  I'm always going out and it is no fun trying to count up restaurant food or not having a cocktail or some wine while I'm out.  So I'm going to try to 5:2 diet.  That is fasting (well, not really but they call it fasting.  It's 500 calories) for two days out of the week and eating regularly the other days.  If you want it to work you can't go crazy on the other 5 days and I pretty much know what to eat.  So no drinking during the week and being moderate on the weekend and two "fasting" days.  I am not in any hurry.  I have until January before I have to be bathing suit ready.  But I would like to get rid of about 10 pounds that I always seem to put on during the winter.  I was going to fast on Tuesday and Thursday, but since I'm going out of town Friday I know I'll want to get the party started Thursday night, so this week only I'm fasting today and Wednesday.  I am undecided about running.  I think I'll walk part way to the bead store or part way back -- it's quite far but I can get an hour or so walk in there.  It's a pretty day for a walk.