7 You have friends you've known your whole life.

Several of Eiler's friends from high school still live in the area, some of whom she's known her whole life because they were also born and raised in Monowi. "People whose parents I remember being born are bringing their kids in. That's how it goes when you stay in one area," she says. On Sunday nights during the winter, friends gather at the tavern to play a card game called euchre, which Eiler describes as a cross between pinochle and pitch. "Everybody plays everybody else," she explains. "We're usually done playing by 10 or 10:30 but a few will linger till midnight visiting. Since I've been by myself, my regulars have been good about not keeping me there late."