Photo by Porter Watkins.

Good morning, Washington. Throw off those scarves and gloves with impunity! No snow, no rain, clear skies, temperatures in the 50s, simple breezes: could it be that all we needed to do to remove ourselves from winter’s icy grip was swing the calendar over to March? (And if so, couldn’t we have just cut a few days off February and gotten here a little sooner? I mean, the Gregorian format already treats the second month of the year as the freak month, anyway.) The forecast this weekend should bring a smile to your face, and the good stuff could carry over into the beginning of next week — it could be the first time we’ve strung together consecutive days in the 50s since the middle of January.

Around the horn this morning:

>> The D.C. Council has arranged for defense attorney Robert L. Trout to further investigate parks and recreation contracts awarded to firms with ties to Mayor Adrian Fenty. Mr. Trout, who will work pro bono, has his work cut out for him — after Robert S. Bennett’s bombshell investigation into Marion Barry’s improprities led to Barry’s censure, the bar for independent investigations at the Wilson Building has been set mighty high.

>> Saturday, Saturday, Saturday! Robots fighting other robots! At the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Center, Center! High schoolers from Anacostia Senior, Bell Multicultural and Eastern among others will compete in the DC FIRST Robotics Competition today. The final rounds of the metallic carnage begin at 1. Carnage, carnage, carnage!

>> A “pulled-pork barbecue pie,” eh? Well, color us intrigued.