hello Rescue1
i have only recently started programming pic's as well.
As eclipsed said above
https://microchip.com is the best place to get your pics (after all they are free).
THe programmer was my real problem, i have tried creating my own with no success and many shop bought ones didnt work either. So i went for a simple olimex pg2 programmer **broken link removed**
i find the best thing about it is you dont even need a power supply to program. i thought it was extremely cheap as well (£7)
This last week i have really been trying to learn assembly and i have found
**broken link removed**
very useful. It goes through step by step on the basics of programming
Hope this helps
Kane