Every columnist is a sucker for a story like today's: Five deer in swimming pool. I call this clodhopper news. By now, everyone has seen, "A Christmas Story," the movie based on the Jean Shepherd stories of his boyhood in the Midwest. In the movie, little Ralphie's dad, played by Darren McGavin, sits at the kitchen table reading the newspaper and says to his wife, played by Melinda Dillon: "You hear about this guy that swallowed a yo-yo?"

Wife replies: "A yo-yo?"

"Yeah, some clodhopper down in Griffith, Indiana."

"That’s not news."

"Why, sure it is. That’s the kind of stuff people want to read, not that politics slop…"

So, every once in a while, we need deer in a swimming pool.

Thanks to reader Kathy Stromberg for this letter this morning:

Thanks so much for giving my family something to laugh about this morning.  You know, every now & then it is refreshing to read a story that you can read with your kids & smile.  I know my third grader will be sharing this story with her friends today during school.  I just can't seem to get the picture out of my mind of the two deer that walked into the pool....too funny!   This gives a new meaning to "Deer Park Water"!   Dan, you know a good story when you hear one!  Have a great day & thanks again for helping me to begin mine with a smile.