The Changing Seasons – June and July 2019

Hello Everybody!

I’m back from my little Social Media break!

(I told you that “I’LL BE BACK!” I’m trying for a Terminator kind of voice here, so please feel free to shudder appreciatively. 😉 )

Did you miss me? Well, I know that I missed YOU! 😀 A LOT!

But I can’t deny that the break did me much good – I feel less stressed than before and even if I didn’t get to just hanging out like a sloth like I wanted to, I feel definitely more rested as well.

And what better way to celebrate my coming back to WP than by participating in my dear friend Su’s The Changing Seasons challenge?!

And without further ado, here’s my recap of the last two months (I’m including June because I missed out on that due to my media break)!

 

June

 

Apart from the Share Your Music! 30 Days, 30 Songs challenge that I started in June – and miraculously managed the whole way through! – there was one other thing I was and still am incredibly proud of:

I repaired my washing machine on my own! (For those of you who already know about that little adventure, just keep scrolling and feel free to skip this part. 😉 )

 

That’s what my washing machine looks like from the back after I removed the cover. (June 2019)

 

As it happened, my washing machine refused doing any more work out of the blue, and me, completely puzzled, called for a handyman, because my hope was that repairing the thing would not only save me money but also avoid putting another 30 or so kilos of plastic on the ever increasing garbage mount that our planet has become.

Said handyman didn’t even take a look at the thing and proclaimed that most likely the heating element was to blame and repairs would cost 200 Euros (80 Euros for the new heating element, and the rest would be for his work and taxes) and wouldn’t I be interested in buying one of his that he gave a general overhaul just last week?

Well, I told him I wasn’t and thanked him for his “service”.

 

That little box where the colorful cables are hanging around is where the heating element normally sits. (June 2019)

 

Since the guarantee had run out anyway, I thought, why not give it a go and see if I can repair it myself?

What followed were countless hours of internet surfing, learning everything that was to learn about washing machines – honestly, I’m practically an expert now – then testing all kinds of parts with my multimeter to see which one was to blame (all right, it was the heating element) and then have a look if I couldn’t get a suitable one from somewhere.

That somewhere turned out to be England. And do you know what it cost me?

26 Euros.

Yes. 26, and not 80(!) Euros. (I keep wondering if the heating element that man wanted to use was maybe plated with gold or silver.)

 

Me trying to get the heating element out of my washing machine. (June 2019)

 

Extracting the old heating element was actually the most challenging thing of the whole operation, because it had become extremely calcified (we have very hard water here in Berlin).

I pulled and tugged but the damn thing didn’t want to come out!

Then, after an enormous heave, it finally did come loose – and I banged my back in the wall, but that was worth it.

 

Ugh! Completely broken and calcified heating element. (June 2019)

 

The new element fitted like a glove, and you can imagine me shedding tears of happiness when my washing machine went to work like nothing ever happened.

 

Close-up old heating element (June 2019).

 

It has been suggested that I could start repairing washing machines for a living now, since I could take only half of what the guy was asking for and still make a profit. 😉

 

New and old heating element side by side (June 2019).

 

 

July

 

In July I noticed to my own horror and shock that my yearly season ticket from the Zoo was going to run out with me not having benefited from it properly.

So of course I had to go there (and intend to do so again this week and the next).

Luckily the temperatures had become much milder by now – the heatwave in June was just awful – and so I spent a whole day at the zoo, taking myriads of pictures.

Don’t worry, I’m only going to share three with you now. 😉

 

The hall in the pheasantry is adorned with beautiful woodwork depicting all kinds of birds. (July 2019)

 

There’s always a lot to see in the zoo, but I seldom laugh as much as I did when I watched this little wild boar sticking his or her nose in other people’s business. 😉

 

Wild boar piglet on inspection tour (July 2019).

 

I love Orang-Utans and their astonishing and unrivaled climbing skills.

I really doubt I could look as peaceful as this Orang-Utan does when hanging from a bar on just one hand and foot.

 

Orang-Utan (July 2019).

 

Although there’s always something to do, especially in the summer months, I try to take advantage of the sunshine and warm temperatures as often as I can, and head to a park to simply relax with a good book or watch the birds and clouds in the sky.

 

Lawns and meadows, trees and just visible in the back: the top of the Berliner Funkturm (radio tower; July 2019)

 

This year there’s a lot of yarrow(?) growing in the parks, making it look like a soft pillow to lie on. (July 2019)

 

Of course, when I talk about reading a good book, you can be sure that scones are never far away either. 😉

 

Homemade scone with black currant marmalade (bought, if you should wonder) and double cream, a cup of coffee (it was a hot day so the coffee vanished first, with the scone as a close second) and a really good book. (July 2019)

 

And as has become a wonderful new hobby since the last couple of years, I was busy taking pictures of my beloved bees and bumble bees, equally busy pollinating every flower in sight.

 

Bumble bee headed for a petunia blossom (July 2019)

 

Two bumble bees working peacefully side by side (July 2019)

 

Bumble bee in mid-flight (July 2019)

 

Bee head over heels for a lovely rose (July 2019)

 

Getting bees in a profile shot is especially satisfying (July 2019)

 

And then there is my new house mate: a lovely yellow butterfly that has taken refuge from the bad weather and that I have named Elizabeth – don’t ask my why, and no, I don’t have a clue if it’s actually female or male.

I haven’t seen her in the last days though and hope she managed to find her way out again, since I didn’t want to catch her and possibly hurt or damage those delicate and beautiful wings.

 

Yellow butterfly (July 2019)

 

 

If you’re interested in participating, here are the guidelines for The Changing Seasons Challenge:

The Changing Seasons Version One (photographic):

• Each month, post 5-20 photos in a gallery that you feel represent your month
• Don’t use photos from your archive. Only new shots.
• Tag your posts with #MonthlyPhotoChallenge and #TheChangingSeasons so that others can find them

The Changing Seasons Version Two (you choose the format):

• Each month, post a photo, recipe, painting, drawing, video, whatever that you feel says something about your month
• Don’t use archive stuff. Only new material!
• Tag your posts with #MonthlyPhotoChallenge and #TheChangingSeasons so others can find them.

If you do a ping-back to Su´s original monthly post, she can update it with links to yours.