Wyoming's Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

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One unwritten rule of free enterprise still applies, though: Deliver quality for a fair price and there's always someone who will pay. Dave has stretched his business degree and extensive background in electronics far and wide. He owns rights to a database program for personal computers, which he sells and supports from his home; he writes other programs; he repairs computers; he has a growing list of clients for whom he consults on just about any computer matter; he is under contract with a nearby hospital to keep their TVs running. Dave does well enough that Gretchen can concentrate on her homemaking and doing bookkeeping on their computers. She also tends their four children and a bountiful garden that keeps her plenty busy canning.

Progress

With his house a showcase, Paul Hansen has recently earned a fine reputation as a log builder, as well as someone to call when looking into solar energy. When a neophyte bungles a log building (not a rare occurrence around here), Paul is the person who can straighten it out. He and a partner specialize in building the elegant, tight-fitting Swedish cope. Business has gotten to where, for the first time in years, Paul didn't have to work at the local ski area last winter.

Mary Lou found employment as a typesetter when they first built their home. Now she works part-time at the post office and keeps books for a single account. With two-year-old Martha and another on the way, it's enough. And just how well are things going for the Hansens now? Well, they've never had to borrow money, and each year they grow fewer vegetables to make room for more flowers.

—David Swift

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