There comes a time of year for most people in temperate climates when folks realize Spring has actually begun to arrive, and it isn't just a cruel tease before more miserably cold weather returns.
For us, we notice it when our staff members leave buildings without the perfunctory cursing, under their breath or otherwise.
We each look forward to the beauty of spring foliage; the cherry blossoms in our DC location, and the goldenrod and cottonwood trees in Lincoln. We also keep coming back to the fact that the more things change, the more other things stay the same.
We're planning a few changes of our own, soon - although it won't be anything that will result in any serious changes for you, our readers.
There are challenges involved in these changes though, and that may mean a few days away for us, both from the drawing board and the computers.
Still, our overall mood as we head into this weekend is one of relative positivity.
We're not the only ones who seem to be feeling it.
There's a cat in the neighborhood of one of our staff members, who has been less than cordial this winter. This pretty orange and white tabby would sit, huddled against a building or near a car, looking cold and uncomfortable but not unkempt or otherwise homeless. All winter long, she'd watch our staffer hurriedly shuffle from car to house and back again, with a stare that seemed to be filled with jealousy for our warm coats and homes. She'd occasionally come around our vehicles - we'd see paw prints in the snow - but she'd never get closer to us than a few car lengths.
Then something happened recently when the weather really seemed to break, and began to turn warmer.
At first this neighborhood cat would saunter past our staff member's driveway, near the car but not too near, whenever we'd come or go. Then a few days later, she came closer yet. Finally, this semi-feral cat began greeting our staffer every time the door opened, rubbing up against our legs, purring, and patiently waiting to be petted.
The cat's mood appears to have changed, as has our own.
By the way - did we mention this staff member is generally a dog person?
Springtime certainly puts something into the air (other than the irradiated particles we may find this year) that can change even the most dogged traits we each carry.
Whatever it is that's making us feel this way, we hope you also get a whiff of Spring this weekend.
