The wind gauge says the February bluster hit 72 mph on the hilltop of Chateau Thompson Sunday and we have a vast expanse of broken limbs and scattered debris scattered around the landscape as proof.

A cover that used to protect our outdoor grill is gone, probably somewhere in Franklin County by now. The DirecTV dish is out of alignment and can't find some of the satellite channels and I suspect shingles are missing from the house, sheds and gazebo. Daylight will bring time for better inspection.

High winds have become an unexpected part of life here in the mountains. Mother Nature didn't blow through the valleys and over the hilltops with such ferocity when I left here 43 years ago. Probably another side effect of Al Gore's theory of global warming.

AEP reports more than 25,000 homes without power this morning. Luckily, we're not one of them, although at least 400 Floyd County customers are dark and the power company says it may be Wednesday before electricity is restored. The weather brought cancellations of planned appearances by political candidates in our area on the day before the primaries so there is one bright side, although the power outages could also affect turnout on election day.

Forest fires burn in Roanoke and Bedford County.

My granddaddy used to shrug his shoulders whenever weather like this struck and just say:

 

Sometimes, the big guy upstairs just has to remind us that he's still the boss.