EBarnacle, I love 4-wheel drive, but then I like to think I'm a sensible driver. You just go slow until you gauge the conditions no matter what type of vehicle you have. I'd guess at least some of the people who are dangerous with 4-wheel drive might be even more dangerous in some other vehicle. There were 5 people who only ended up in a ditch that day. Who can say whether it might have been worse or better if they'd had front wheel drive cars?

This morning I got up and wished I had a digital camera. The back yard was pristine sparkly snow which had drifted into a sculptured landscape, and the low morning sun cast pinkish highlights and grey-blue shadows on the dunes and the pattern of deer tracks quilting all that white. Just gorgeous!