Things were warmer in D.C. this week, which, I’m not going to lie, makes it easier to find things beautiful. Here are three such moments:

1. It has been the chilliest winter in years, which means that I utterly misled people about playing outdoor volleyball through the colder months. But last Sunday tickled 50 degrees and I summoned folks to the Mall for the first time since mid-November. (The beach venue at the Paris Olympics has nothing on where I get to play…)

2. Rudi mentioned on my birthday that his social media was showing the year’s first snowdrops. The place where I’ve seen them most often in the past has kept their gates locked in recent years, so I had to wait an extra week until someplace more well trafficked popped.

3. It was so warm earlier on Wednesday that I headed up to the park to read and write some correspondence before meeting my friend Chris for a drink and a catch up. By the Spanish Steps, the daffodil heads were visible. Later than most years, but coming. And soon. (As an aside, cherry blossom peak bloom has been predicted for a month from today through the end of March. Squee!)

How about you? What’s been beautiful in your world lately? Oh! And before I forget, there is a Great Planetary Alignment this evening right after sunset (in D.C. Peak time varies based on your location. Check the link). Head someplace with a clear view to the west just after sunset to see all the planets of our solar system arrayed on the same plane. (A few will require access to binoculars or a telescope to view, but the rest should be visible with the naked eye.)