Sorry to hear about that, if it's any consolation the weather has been dire here in the UK for months... Even the normal black skies of winter( when it actually clears) didn't occur last year...
I reckon I've been out with the scope no more than a dozen times in the last 18 months...
The price problem sounds very familiar. In the UK the retailers just seem to get the Dollar price change the currency sign and then add a bit.
Shocking rip off most of the time.
Ant