Sometimes You Need to Get a Little Mud Between Your Toes.

The forecast didn't look good - low 60's and thunderstorms.

But even weathermen make mistakes. Even the ones with super- mondo-triple Doppler and supercomputer climate simulators.

The sun was shining, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. The thermometer was in the high 70's. The windows were thrown open. The air filled your lungs automatically, and washed away the last memories of winter.

Yesterday was one of those beautiful spring days where you just throw out the rulebook.

You know what? Sure, you can go outside in the muddy back yard. You don't need your shoes and socks. In fact, you can just wear your PJ's out there. I'll go turn on the garden hose so you can really make a mess.

My son loves to play with the hose, and my daughter loves to get sprayed by the hose. She doesn't even care that it's cold well water. Any water will do. She can spot a puddle the size of your hand a quarter mile away, and she will splash every drop out of it if you let her. We have to keep her under the closest supervision if she's outside of the fence. Otherwise she would walk directly into the pond without hesitation.

While the kids were in the back yard making a mess, I was getting a few things done arond the house.

At some point my son yells for me.

"Daddy! C'mere Dad!"

"What's up? You need some help with something?"

"You come out here and get dirty."

Who could resist? So I emptied my pockets of anything significant, kicked off my shoes and socks, and stepped into the quagmire.

I'd encoraging anybody reading this to find an opportunity to go out and get dirty. Make a mess. There's not much in this world that makes you feel alive like warm squishy mud between your toes. I don't think you'll regret it.