Nogal

In late April and early May, I spent three weeks on public land in Lincoln National Forest, between Nogal and Capitan, New Mexico. It was a glorious bit of peace and nature between art shows in West Texas before heading back to the Midwest to wait out the heat of summer in a place where the dogs can be cooler (a sufficient air conditioner is something we’re still working to get in the van).

My goal is to create an ambient nature film in every new wild place we’re in, and to come up with new ways to film the usual places. As such, I intend to create another film from the midwest while we’re here this summer. I hope to create one in West Texas when we’re back this fall. More travel is, right now, a mere dream, as business has slowed down a good bit this year—the 2025 Lubbock Art Festival, my most dependable income-maker for the last seven years, saw a 66% drop in sales compared to last year—and I’m currently struggling a bit just to pay the regular bills, without adding a big gas bill to it. “This too shall pass.” As always, I hope to channel the stress of daily life into more creative work.

If you’d like to watch the film from New Mexico, I’ve shared it below. Just click on the thumbnail and it should start playing, or it might open in a new browser window.

It starts with birdsong that continues throughout, captures the sound of wingbeats as an American Crow flies overhead (admittedly I was very excited by this), and records one of my favorite sounds in the wild: the channeling of wind through the trees and surrounding terrain (without popping the mic too much). It ends with drone footage of Lincoln National Forest accompanied by relaxing music. I hope you enjoy it.

For those who may be unaware, this is my second YouTube channel, dedicated solely to exploring the art of cinematic nature filmmaking. It’s off to a pretty slow start, with only 32 subscribers as of this posting, so if you haven’t subscribed and you might consider it, head on over to check it out —> https://youtube.com/@fromwildplaces.

Please forgive the shameless plug promoting my Patreon community (I’m trying to be more proactive in promoting this, as it is a good portion of my more reliable monthly income right now and I prefer it to Substack’s paid subscription option), but if you are able and would like to help me continue making films like this one and the four others already on the channel (along with all of my other creative work), please consider joining my Patreon community. Any pledge amount helps, assisting with travel expenses, upgrading/replacing gear, and the time it takes to film and edit these pieces. It will also support my attempt to write a photographic memoir about my experience backpacking The Colorado Trail (something I’ve talked about for years now yet continue to procrastinate). At any rate, I’d like to offer my heartfelt gratitude to those who are already patrons. Truly, it means a lot. And please know that if you cannot become a patron but wish to support my work, one of the most helpful ways is to share it with others. I am grateful for all support, no matter the form in which it manifests. Thank you.

You can join my Patreon community here: Patreon.com/lovedogsontheloose

*Side note: you can join my Patreon community for free and still gain access to some of the “exclusive” content that I share in that space.

Be well, dear friends. Stay focused on the good stuff.