Welcome to High Desert Life
Stories of people, place, and the quiet work of building something meaningful in the high desert.
From Alpine and West Texas to the surrounding borderlands, High Desert Life is a video series focused on real conversations with the people who live and work here — small business owners, makers, creatives, and neighbors rooted in this landscape.
No hype. No rush. Just honest stories from the high desert.
Episode 10: Fire, Iron, and a Life in the Desert — Todd Elrod
Todd Elrod came to Far West Texas for Sul Ross State University without much of a plan. Then a blacksmithing class changed everything.
More than two decades later, Todd is still working hot steel at Broken Anvil Blacksmithing, creating things by hand, teaching the craft to others, and playing music whenever he gets the chance. We turn scrap steel into a handmade spoon, fire up a 1909 power hammer, and hear how a broken leg unexpectedly led him to the harmonica. From river rat to desert rat, Todd’s story is about finding a craft, making a life, and creating things built to outlast the person who made them.
Episode 9: Community Doesn’t Happen by Accident — Catherine Eaves
Spend a day with Alpine Mayor Catherine Eaves and you quickly discover that building a community happens far beyond City Hall.
From preserving local history and supporting community projects to KVLF Radio and the Alpine City Pool, Catherine introduces us to some of the people and places quietly shaping life in Far West Texas. Along the way, a simple idea emerges: communities don’t happen by accident. They’re built through service, shared spaces, conversation, and people willing to show up for one another.
Episode 8: Baseball, Tradition, and Community — Kristin Cavness & the Alpine O6 Cowboys
At first glance, it’s a story about baseball. But spend a day at historic Kokernot Field with Kristin Cavness and the Alpine O6 Cowboys, and it quickly becomes a story about something much bigger.
From dedicated volunteers and welcoming host families to lifelong friendships and generations of local tradition, this episode explores the people who keep summer baseball alive in Alpine. More than wins and losses, it’s a look at how a ballpark can become a gathering place—and how a community keeps a tradition going one season at a time.
Episode 7: Resilience, Community, and Starting Over — Rooster's Off-Grid Journey
After arriving in West Texas with a broken-down van and little more than determination, Rooster began building a new life one day at a time. What started as a search for a different way of living slowly became an off-grid homestead shaped by hard work, faith, and the support of an unexpected community.
From hauling water and raising animals to reflecting on purpose, perseverance, and the freedom found in simplicity, Rooster's story reminds us that sometimes the longest journeys don't lead somewhere new—they help us become someone new.