Wild weather ...

We were on the warm side of a weather front that brought blizzard conditions to the lake-effect areas of Michigan. So we only got an inch or two of snow but winds were howling.

At the restaurant I took trash out before closing up. The gusts roared through the tree tops and sounded like a freight train.

My in-laws noticed the big wooden doors on the bank barn flailing in the winds -- some gusts over 50 miles an hour -- and Grandpa backed one of the tractors up there to pin them down. He must have had a terrible time trying to walk against the wind.

They cautioned me about the doors while I was at the end of the lane with the truck, waiting to pick up the kids.

But, guess what ... someone pulled in and needed hay for their horses.

DS1 went up in the hay loft and threw bales down into the calf pens' alley way and we carried them out through the old milking parlor. But at least we got it done.

I was only out for a few minutes at time with the hay and doing chicken chores but my face is windburned and hands are chapped.

Winter is here. Happens every year about the same time but we are still taken aback by the first spell of really bad weather.