A hermit revealed he still wanted to live and build his cabin in the woods in spite of having reached his seventies.
Robert Runyon, of East Arkansas, deeply impressed Ben Fogle with his craftsmanship and optimism two years ago when the adventurer and presenter had visited him in the woodlands, where he’s been living since the 1970s, for New Lives in the Wild.
Paying Robert a visit for Ben Fogle: Return to the Wild on Channel 5, the presenter found that he’s showing no signs of stopping at 71, refusing to put down his hammer even after falling from his roof a year and a half ago and suffering from several health complications.
Determined to ‘leave a legacy’ behind, Robert said hardly a day goes by that he’s not working on the house he started building in 1974, after buying the two acres of land he still lives on to this day.
His partner Dorothy, who has been by his side for 20 years, but lives near town, said caring for Robert can be difficult, because he was always compelled to go back to work instead of resting.
For tonight’s New Lives In The Wild, Ben Fogle returned to Arkansas to visit Robert Runyon, 71, who has been living in the state’s woodlands ever since 1974
Talking with Ben in his cabin, Robert admitted: ‘I’m spread pretty thin.
‘I’m getting slower, recovery time is a bit more extended,’ but he also added that ‘not a day goes by that I’m not doing something.’
The 71-year-old is not scared of getting his hands dirty, and has injured himself several times during his renovations.
When Ben visited the woodlands two years ago, Robert revealed he was blind in one eye.
In spite of being blind from one eye and suffering from old injuries, Robert was still working on the house he started building in the 1970s
Upon the adventurer’s return, the hermit explained he had sustained other injuries after falling from the top of his roof and landing on the ground.
He explained he had to remain immobilised for several days after the fall left him without fractures, but in a deep state of pain.
Even two years after Ben’s initial visit, Robert’s impressive cabin in the woods, which he started building forty years ago, was not finished.
Robert admitted to getting distracted by countless other smaller jobs around the woods, like chopping wood or cutting some stones.
His cabin, built on two levels, has running water from a nearby stream, and electricity thanks to a solar panel Robert built from scratch.
However, Robert hasn’t yet got around to building himself a functioning bathroom yet.
Ben said he feels a kinship with the eccentric hermit who let himself get distracted by hundreds of little jobs around his house instead of tackling the big works
The hermit said he can’t stand remaining inactive and tries to get at least one job done a day
The presenter marvelled at Robert’s zest for life and active lifestyle, living on a small pension after retiring seven years ago.
Robert was born in 1949, in Newport, East Arkansas and was studying to become a doctor when he was introduced to the counter culture of the 1960s.
Encouraged by the movement’s anti-establishment rhetoric, he decided to drop out of med school and to move to the woodlands of Arkansas instead, where he bought two acres of land.
He raised six children in the woods, all the while working as a specialist wood lodge builder getting commissioned for his savoir-faire all around the country.
After the end of his first marriage in the 1990s, he met Dorothy, who has stood by his side ever since.
The couple don’t live together and can spend several days apart, but have learned to show up for one another in times of need.
Speaking to Ben, Dorothy admitted caring for Robert came with challenges.
Robert admitted he is ‘spread pretty thin’ but said he would not be happy if he were idle due to old age
‘Just having to deal with these health issues, you say some prayers and you do the best you can,’
‘It is hard to do but it’s what you sign up for, especially with someone as active as he is,’ she said.
‘He’s a good patient, eats good and does not complain too much, well he does but I don’t mind it.’
She went on to talk about Robert’s resilience, saying he could not be bed-bound for very long.
‘You’re not going to hold him down, keep him from doing his work,’ she explained. ‘That’s where he’s happiest and he gets awful grumpy when he had to sit around for very long.’
Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild airs tonight at 9pm on Channel 5.