Illahe by Kay Atwood

Red Keller's thoughts on living in the hills. pg 167,168

If you like the hills and you like to live that way there is nothing to interfere with you. I've never had any trouble with people. I think it was just being in the hills where I didn't have to depend on anybody else except myself. I think that's the main part of it. You're free. If you want to go fishing, you go fishing. If you want to read, you can read. There's always something to look for, all different animals. Up in the morning and the time goes fast. You can spend a lot of time just watching the hills The time goes fast and never seems to drag. I like any place in the hills.I like to just wander around. I just get enough for winter's grubstake. It's a good life. I go winter after winter and never even have a cold. It just seems nothing happens to you. Another thing, you just eat straight plain food that's nourishing and you don't have a bunch of other stuff. I think that makes a difference. You aren't happy, that's a bad thing. If a person is happy in the hills, well, they're foolish to stay out of them.

Run along the river; go back up in the hills You don't have to worry or nothin'. Money isn't worth that much to me. If you can live through the winter and not be workin' and come out in the spring with enough to get started for the summer again, why that's all I care about.

Some people think they're going to like it, but in about two weeks they go crazy. No town, no nothin'. It's so quiet. Then they panic with the heavy snow. They think the can't get out.

When you're down that way you'll read an awful lot. I wouldn't live in town. Just nothin' for me to do. There I can be just as happy running along the river and foolin' around. Lookin' out the window when it's snowin' hard, read a little bit, wonder how long its going to last, and how deep it is. The first thing in the morning, I get up and take off and see the different fresh tracts I can find in the snow.