I do love mine, Rosylady. It is so healthy, fragrant and a beautiful color. I got mine at Rogue Valley Roses and it is listed as in stock ATM.

John G. has given a good hint: The problem may be electrical or vacuum, or both. The vacuum actuator for the cruise control may be leaking. A quick check: Remove the vacuum line at the actuator and plug the line, then take a test drive. Turn on the cruise control (the cruise control is disabled) and examime if there is any effect on the blend doors in the AC unit. If not, the cruise contol actuator is highly suspect. If any vacuum lines in the cruise control or AC vacuum circuits have been distrubed recently, check these over carefully. Several of the vacuum line fittings have "ports" built in, i.e., calibrated orifices that limit air flow. Make sure none of these have gotten mixed up, or were replaced with ordinary full bore fittings. One of these orifices is there to prevent a large vacuum loss in the intake manifold in the event of a vacuum line or component failure which affect engine running and loss of power braking. That orifice will be the circuit between the vacuum accumulator and the intake manifold or throttle assembly. A leaking accumulator can adversely affect vacuum controls.

**i have just started looking at dodge websites and it seems the dakota is not real reliable.** Like what? We have a '98 durango with a 318 automatic that we purchased new. In nearly 100k miles the only things that actually broke were the rear speed sensor, the backup light switch, and the thermostat. All cheap and easy do-it-yourself things to repair. Versions of the 318 have been around for 40-50 years. I'd call that a pretty good test. Some claim there's a problem with sludge. Mine shows no evidence of that. IMO, change the oil every 3 months or 3k miles and it won't be a problem. I consider the issue BS myself. In '99 I believe they had a bad batch of ball joints. That might be something to look out for in the dakota of the same year if they haven't been replaced yet. As to pricing, about the best you can do is shop and compare in your area. Something with a known bad tranny would have to be priced well below the market for me to take a chance on it. As described I'd pass. If he first repairs or replaces the tranny, then you can talk about price. Buying it broke, you could end up spending as much or more than if you paid more up front for one without any problems and save yourself the trouble. jmo

Your entire wardrobe is going to change, not just coats, longjohns and gloves. In my 9+ yrs in St Paul, I found that I never wore shorts in the evening from Labor Day until midMay. Sleeveless - not so much except for a couple of weeks in August. I steered away from poly/rayon clothing and instead went with the highest cotton or wool content I could find. Natural fibers are better IMO for staying warm or cooling down during mosquito season. My wardrobe of slacks increased in number pretty quickly. I initially bought Sorel boots but found them to be too clunky and heavy to wear so I switched over to LL Bean duck shoes and I bought separate Dr Scholl's liners. Not at the top of the style-o-meter but when the snow is high and you are cold, who gives a hoot about style. Breathing bitterly cold air hurts the nose and lungs. I used scarves and wrapped them around my nose/mouth when outside, waiting for the bus etc. In MN, most winter days were really sunny. The lack of cloud cover allows all the warm air generated at ground level to dissipate. result, the beautiful sunny days are the colder days. I've lived in NY, MI, IL and MN. Of those 4 states, MN is the one where people are outdoors year round. If you let the weather dictate your lifestyle in MN and ND, you will be indoors 1/2 the year. Just layer up. If you move into a house with a yard/garden near sidewalks, do NOT use salt on the sidewalks. It kills vegetation. as Faron said, sand, sand, sand is your friend. My mother in law, who lives near Dallas, made one trip to visit when we lived in MN and she would not come back from Nov to Mar. You may find the same with potential visitors...