Cold and ahead of schedule in Indiana

Running ahead of schedule on the campaign trail? Unheard of. Except that Barack Obama's campaign team wasn't counting on 50 degrees with whipping winds and ominous clouds for his Saturday stops in Indiana. It is May, already!

The weather was already un-picnic-like by the time he arrived at his "Hamilton County Family Picnic" event in Noblesville, Ind. Plenty of little kids in T-shirts, even tank tops, were shivering, but they managed to warm up by running around, and meeting and sharing playground equipment with the Obama girls, Sasha, 6, and Malia, 9.

By the next stop, in Kempton, at a private home originally built by Obama's great-great-great grandfather, the campaign plans needed some adjustment. This was supposed to be a potluck dinner outside with the owners and some invited guests. But an aide said the wind kept knocking over the tables and setups beforehand. So the meal was scrapped, Obama had a quick visit, reporters shivered by the buses, several sniffling, and the caravan departed ahead of schedule.

This got Obama to his final event, a meet-and-greet with volunteers in Lafayette, at a roller rink, ahead of time. His daughters laced up. But alas, Obama did not get on skates. "I spared you the sight" he told the crowd. Instead, he worked the sticky carpeting, and the rink itself, in his shoes as skate standards from the Village People, Eagles and REO Speedwagon blared. The buses headed back to Indianapolis - ahead of schedule.