To begin, I have to say I feel a little sorry for Doug Fine. He messes up a lot. Heather thinks he should have done a lot more research before sinking so much money into his Funky Butte Ranch. I think he’s just really bad a following directions. Regardless of all his well intentions, he seems like a dense guy- a funny guy- but a dense guy nonetheless. Native New Mexicans advise Fine to avoid rain-swollen creek beds but he ignores them and nearly loses his intended livelihood- the goat kids. Overwhelmed by Kevin’s instructions, Fine’s has serious trouble operating his ROAT. While installing “breadbox collector,” Fine’s friend Herbie tells him to stop yanking the pipes until the cement holding them together is dry. Fine ignores Herbie's directions and floods his thousand-dollar mattress. Out shooting rifles one day, Fine misses Ant’s safety tips and nearly loses his eye. Ultimately Fine claims Michelle’s presence made the Funky Butte Ranch’s first year a success not because running a ranch is a two-person task (although it undoubtedly is) but because being with her “made life infinitely more joyful” (189). I’d have to argue Fine needed a woman to slow down his headlong undertakings and actually read the instructions before beginning to play the game.
If I had the opportunity to meet Fine, I would ask him to describe where he found the real stimulation for this project. Are his inspirations for this project retrogressive or progressive? He initially claims he wanted to reduce his carbon footprint and dependence on oil. I don’t doubt this but I have the feeling that when disaster struck (as it often did) something else had to keep him going. When frustrated with the hypocrisy innate to any such extremism, what kept him from quitting? As someone admittedly attached to his Netflix, wireless email, and subwoofers, how did he cope with his new less comfortable lifestyle? There had to be deeper, spiritual factors at play. Fine doesn’t present himself at the back-to-earth, off-the-grid hippy. Rather he calls himself a rancher and a gentleman farmer. In the end, he is always a journalist reporting back from the frontline.
I found this picture on Doug Fine's Facebook page. It's of Natalie (grandmother) on the right, Nico (proud-looking mother) in the middle, and new babies Bjork and Bette.
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