No matter where you live, resolve in the new year to protect your home and property from nature's fury by adding flood insurance to your homeowner's coverage.

One of the more important new developments for homeowners planning to remodel or renovate is the growing use of in-home "computer assisted design" programs that help visualize what a finished project will look like.

It's the cold season, and mice have been seeking bed and board, which is not good for our plants. You may already have seen evidence of their gnawing at the base of some small tree.

>By KATHLEEN DREESEEN Register Correspondent