Peggy, I live not very far from Minneapolis and so we obviously get more rain in the part of Minnesota I live in compared to where you are at. You may be able to grow some species I can't grow here. I have tried these and either the cold or being cold and wet at the same time killed them: Opuntia imbricata, Agave utahensis. Agave utahensis may only be hardy to -10 degrees F. Opuntia imbricata survived one winter and its supposedly hardy in Michigan which is a slightly warmer zone than here. The spot where all my cacti and succulents are isn't elevated but it has been amended with sand and also rocks on the bottom of that to allow better drainage. There is at least a 1 foot layer of just rocks at the bottom. I figured its better so it drains through instead of using well drained soil with a clay or poor draining soil below. Bath tub effect if you know what i mean. These have survived: Opuntia polyacantha, Opuntia compressa/humifusa, Echinocereus viridiflorus. I also tried Pediocactus simpsonii and I know for a fact it wasn't the cold that killed it but probably because it wasn't always watered well in the summer( it grows high up in the mountains where it usually gets adequate rainfall) or else it was the summer heat. Pedio's don't mind cold they actually grow alot in the springtime, what they hate is heat especially humid heat. Your best bet is to start them from seed yourself and especially not provenance information. The Opuntia polyacantha that i started the seeds were collected from Alberta, Canada so they are obviously cold hardy. Im suprized they survived though since it is also a much drier climate in Alberta than the Twin Cities. The Echinocereus viridflorus was collected from Hot springs, South Dakota. Opuntia compressa from New Jersey. It said cold and wet no problem but one year one plant either got damaged from a winter storm or something it rotted. I took a pad and planted indoors in March and replanted it in a pot and put outdoors in the ground in May. I think Opuntia polyacantha is hardier. I never tried Escobaria vivipara but it would be a good one and its similar to Echinocereus viridiflorus except it would have the pink flowers. I mean they are the same in size and belong to the same subfamily: Cactoideae Opuntias are less evolved and belong to Opuntiodeae.

Speaking of books, since we're in a tomato forum, I have a question for everyone: Do you know of a really comprehensive book on tomatoes? By that, I mean one that covers everything about tomatoes that a tomatohead might want to know. I have looked at the following, none of which (it seems to me) is quite what I have in mind: 1. Tantalizing Tomatoes , ed. by Karen Davis Cutler (New York 1997) 2. The Tomato in America, by Andrew Smith (Columbia, S.C. 1994) 3. The Great Tomato Book, by Gary Ibsen (Berkeley 1999) 4. The Great Tomato Book, by Sheila Bluff (Short Hills, N.J. 1999) (the last two books have the same title and were published in the same year; rather remarkable) 5. In Praise of Tomatoes, by Steven Shepherd (New York 1996) 6. Exploring the Tomato, by Mark Harvey, Steve Quilley and Huw Beynon (Cheltenham, U.K. 2002) 7. All About Tomatoes, by Walter L. Doty (? 1981) 8. Terrific Tomatoes, by Mimi Luebbermann and Faith Echtermeyer (? 1994) 9. 100 Heirloom Tomatoes for the American Garden, by Carolyn J. Male (New York 1999) (by far the best of the lot - :)) What I do have in mind is something broader, that would cover at least the following subjects: 1. Biology and cultivation (including different species and cultivars), 2. Genetics and genetic modification (e.g., sad story of the Flavr Savr gene), 3. Origin and evolution (your cousin the tomato), 4. World-wide diffusion and subsequent history (how did the tomato get to India and China, anyway? The English? The Portuguese? The Spanish? One author suggests early sea contact with Peru) 5. Adoption and use in different food traditions (e.g., how do tomatoes fit in with the powerful religious aspects of Indian food tradition?), 6. Health aspects (e.g., effect on prostate and lung cancer, macular degeneration, sun damage to skin), 7. Commercial and economic issues (do they really eat 200 pounds per person per year in Egypt?), 8. Connections with famous people (e.g., Ronald Reagan), 9. Film and literature (nobody should miss Attack of the Killer Tomatoes or its sequels), 10. Myths (e.g., the Robert Gibbon Johnson story) and misconceptions, 11. Tomatoes and sex (no misconceptions there, and no conceptions, either, I suppose [smile]), 12. Enthusiast organizations and festivals (the most spectacular is in Spain), 13. Etymology of popular and scientific names (where did the name lycopersicum -- Wolf Peach -- come from?), and 14. Home growing and cooking (somewhat). I know of course that there are many books on how to grow tomatoes, and many recipe books, but what I am thinking of is something broader, one that would not only contain quite a lot of information about tomatoes, but also use tomatoes as a lense to look into some of the things mentioned (history, biology, even cosmology: for example, without supernovas, tomatoes could not exist). Do you think there is a significant market for such a book? Would you buy it? At Amazon prices? As is probably obvious by now, I am considering writing such a book, and in fact already have prepared an outline and introduction. But before I put a year's work into it, I would very much appreciate any opinions anyone may have on the subject. Thanks very much, Jonathan

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