West of the village the subdivisions thin out and the old farm ground opens up toward Huntley, which is where northern Illinois wind gets to do its worst work. Snow that fell hours ago picks itself back up out there and rebuilds a drift across a driveway you already cleared. Alpaca Land Services plans for that — plowing wide, stacking piles where the wind cannot use them as a starting point, and salting so the scoured spots do not glaze over by afternoon. Some storms are one pass and a wave from the window; some are three visits and a long night. Either way a cleared drive on the open prairie edge is a small victory worth going back for, in Algonquin and the towns around it.