I do think the wind may have had something to do with the fact that it went wrong... I've eaten sourdough all my life and never suffered any windy episodes!
You can get commercial sourdough starter - although I've never bought any in this country. If you get hold of some, use that in the beginning, to make sure you have the right kind to start you off. I had mine going for years, and only stopped because it's simply not worth it for one person who's not supposed to eat bread (but loves it). You can also cheat by using a sourdough bread mix (Lidl has some, which I find too salty - but then all bought bread seems to salty for me, so I mixed it with an extra third of flour, rye or wheat); leave it at least overnight instead of just an hour or so, and then keep some of the dough as starter for next time. If you keep it in a cool place, you don't need to feed it all the time, either.