Measuring your status or adapting to change??

I sit here rather lazily and watch out my window. The snow flurries from day break have given away now to a gorgeous sunny sky and shiny snow. Furthermore, trucks have now been passing like at the end of a short parade. These trucks are loaded down with boxes, received from the plane this morning, likely a few cases of beer in the mix with the eagerness they seem to have in getting home. Probably going to be a late night for the kids tonight...

I have seen a shift in the last three and a half years, from the measurement of personal wealth in the fancy skidoos or 4-wheelers that you owned, during my first year, now to whether your family has a truck. Something so odd to consider from a "Southern" perspective, but one that has caused a number of challenges for the Municipal planners. Whereas 4-wheelers and skidoos work better on a gravel or snow packed road, the prevalence of trucks/jeeps are now causing snow plow drivers and street crews to try to clear away as much snow as possible to help those vehicles from not getting stuck. Unfortunately, this type of road condition puts a lot more wear and tear on skidoo skiis, ski rods and tracks, as rocks are more exposed than would be previously the case.

And this summer there is a plan to pave most of the roads in town. Initially it was justified by saying it will reduce the dust, which tends to be a serious problem in the Summer and Fall... but I have a feeling that the increased number of trucks and jeeps is also pushing these goals forward. As the paving time approaches, I ask myself about the 4-wheelers, whose tires are not designed for pavement and will not only wear down much faster, but will also be less able to maneuveur safely when there is moisture, rain, or even black ice coating the pave. I have a fear that the rather reckless driving on the current rocky gravel roads that I have seen might lead to increased vehicle accidents as the teenagers who love to drive rather wildly are confronted with the unknown new surface dynamics of the pavement...

Hmmm... Worrying for now reason... I guess time will tell... But maybe the trend of families buying trucks/jeeps might become not so much a way of looking better in society but rather might become a necessity as the North continues to change and evolve into something new. I just hope that this evolution will not come to the neglect of their heritage and identity.



I digress... I have posted a few new pictures in my Picasa Album, check it out at the following link- http://picasaweb.google.com/gmwarner

Time to get my butt in gear and clean up my house... Have a nice weekend!