This is a picture from the front of our home December 2002 (click picture to enlarge).  The home was purchased in spring of 1997 (the year of the Red River Valley flood [see below pictures of the snow] ).  We didn't know it when we bought the house but we are on a bit of an island here.  With the surrounding area being very flat, a 14' height advantage is wonderful.  The Red River Valley of the North is actually the lake bottom of a Ice Age lake named Lake Agassiz. When that lake was arround, it was the largest freshwater lake in the world (area wise at least).   Yes, a very flat lake bottom too.  Since 1997, the weather has been very moderate here.  That is we get a good snowstorm in early winter and then again late winter.  In between there has been little snow and relatively warm.   It does seem to me that things are getting warmer around here.  In 2004, the temperature barely hit 30 below in winter (in past even colder and longer stints) and was usually much much warmer.  The Spring came early too, snow was gone early.

We have been busy working away at the home.  The easy and cheap stuff is all done.  We  unfortunately have  few of the expensive items .to finish  
Items we've done
► Excavate + straighten basement walls - Steel
             beems now reinforcing, insulate basement
             walls, plumb for future outside wood stove
             (H20), re-plaster basement walls.
► Front Deck
► Insulation in attick
► Complete re-do of bathroom
► Shingling
► Linoleum in Kitchen and other areas
► Gardens,  lawn leveling (semi-loads of dirt)
            mainly for drainage, and  trees

► Move shed with cement flooring, electrical wiring
► Back brick porch
► New Kitchen appliances - Whirlpool and stainless steel.

► New Boiler (in progress).  We have radiators with primary heat of electricity and the backup
             was an old boiler.  We replaced that with a tankless water heater and put under floor
            heat in much of the upstairs.  We also replaced the hot water heater with a tankless model.

If your in the area, stop by.  But at a minimum, send us an e-mail.  We'd love to hear from you. 
 

And-let us not forget why there was so much flooding in the Red River Valley in the spring of 1997 -  If you take a look at the home photo far above (small picture in paragraph talking about front of house in 2002 -or Click this X), the snow was higher than the numbering near the door.  To the right is a photo of our back yard (on the day we signed the papers).  See the neighbor's house on the left-just to the right of it and behind our pine trees there is a two stall garage!  All you can see is the very peek of the roof.   The snow only got deeper the farther to the right (or east) you went in this picture.  We are fairly sure the snow was 20+ feed deep in spots (who was going to dig to be sure).  Straight back of that yellow shed and behind the pine trees it was deep!   There could not be a much more short sighted question than -"is there going to be a flood".  Here are some other pictures : http://www.ndsu.edu/fargo_geology/fldphotos1997.htm.  One photo in particular has our house in it : http://www.ndsu.edu/fargo_geology/flood_photos/goreham_airview_harwood_1997.jpg.  Looking at that picture you'll be looking basically south at a place called Brooktree Park with Harwood on upper right of picture.  The Fargo airport is about 1 or 2 miles farther away (from farthest point in picture).  Note the  lines with the two paths of I-29 on the right (swervey path) and BNSF railway (very straight line) and highway 81 on the left of the tacks.  If you follow to where highway 81 and BNSF split, your very near our house.  All of the snow did not melt in back of the pine trees until May 15th !!!!