First morning ever where I got out of bed before Max did, and he came to greet me enthusiastically but not trembling or whimpering, and when I started making my coffee, he went back to his pillow in the living room on his own initiative.

Relaxed walk to Tempelhofer Feld, with no incidents of lunging or growling, despite the fact that we have not walked that route for a long time, and it is via busy streets with narrow, but busy pavements.

Max enjoyed frolicking in the dog park there – the one near Herfurthstraße – an old familiar place for him, but my first time inside the dog park with Max, for almost an hour. This is the largest of our three within-walking-distance dog parks.

The walk home was even more relaxed, perhaps because Max had blown off a lot of steam there and even seemed a bit tired before we reached home. Most of the morning spent in September weather at its best.

And then – woohooo – coming home to discover that the most invasive part of the scaffolding – the one that has now ruined three summers and stolen valuable light for that entire year where light would have been really valuable because, like so many others, had to stay at home as much as possible – had gone! The light was almost blinding. Just kidding – in the meantime, the weather had turned quite grey. But still – a feeling of being able to see and breathe.

September is my favourite month and often the weather is really lovely, so I am planning on enjoying this fully, including being able to again leave my balcony door open overnight, since it is no longer possible to walk directly onto my balcony.

In the photo, Max is one of the dots over by the fence in the background.