April in Ohio, and the Wind Blows...

Yesterday was brutal, weather wise, at least....

The overnight rains, which didn't amount to much after the front crossed the Indiana line into Ohio, ended about 9am yesterday, and the sun made it's effort to shine through swiftly moving clouds.  The wind picked up, and by the time Garry and I headed for Lincolnview High School, the wind machine had picked up speed, and was blowing at a constant 40mph with gusts higher.  It would make for an "interesting" day on the ball diamond.

Lincolnview is located between Van Wert and the small village of Middle Point, Ohio....the school is located just south of the "Ridge", which is the ancient sand mounds that once marked the beach of Lake Erie, many millions of years ago...anyway it is flat and usually windy.  With the fierce winds of yesterday coming from the west, it seemed those winds were as bad as I had ever done a ball game in, over all these years, even stronger than last Monday at Wayne Trace.

Garry had the plate, and we discussed "The Infield Fly Rule" with the coaches before the game....no way there was going to be anything resembling a "routine fly ball"...and we ended up with a couple of them early on...we called no "infield fly balls" despite there being several...the winds were that bad.  Fortunately the temperatures, while not warm, were in the low 60s dropping to the upper 50s by games end, so at least we didn't freeze.  The game itself took a bit over 2 hours with the home team winning in 6 innings 15-5, after trailing going into the bottom of the third by a score of 5-2
  

April in Ohio, always an adventure.....

April, with the exception of the usually bitter January, is probably my least favorite month weather wise in Western Ohio.  Sure the weather for the most part has stopped snowing, and the freezes are less...but if it isn't raining, the wind is howling, the temperatures fluctuating between 30 and 80, with most days just not being that pleasant.  So despite being out umpiring baseball or mowing, etc...the conditions nearly always leave something to be desired.  May comes and things start to settle down...but April, that month, is usually a disappointment.   You think Spring, but you get a mix of winter, fall, and on occasion a bit of good weather, but those days are few and far between....yesterday's howling winds were a prime example.

Today will be a better day...low 60s, the winds have died down, and plenty of sun.....I work the plate at Ottoville tonight with one of the young up and coming umpires...who also coaches the Lima Legion Summer team...tomorrow at Delphos St. Johns, then Thursday Sam comes north from Columbus, and we will work together at Allen East, if the rains stay away for a few more days...

This morning I will head to mom's to mow.....while the weather is agreeable....

By the way....minus Reagan the Airedale, the house is still very quite....

back later>>>>

photo-Wind Turbines numbering in the hundreds are scattered around Van Wert and Paulding Counties in the flatlands of Western Ohio....some, just a stones throw from the ball diamonds at Lincolnview, Antwerp, Wayne Trace, and Crestview, High Schools.