Along the Wasatch. A Walk Through Silence

 

Huntswille, Middle Fork, August 2026

Generally, life is good.

 

Good Morning

My trip to Bear River MBR was cut short today by a dashboard glowing with tire pressure warnings.

On the bright side,  there was also a pleasant moment: even before returning home a bold beauty walked right up and gave me a warm five-second curious stare. 

Generally, life is good.

Summer Stories. A Short Rest

Tree-trunk Crocodile

 

A small "crocodile" was dozing on the bent trunk of a dead tree. Looking closely, I realized I hadn't imagined  him; the "crocodile" had indeed settled comfortably on the wood, his eyes were slightly open.

***

When autumn will come, it envelops the crocodile in cold and wind but he will still be dozing. In winter,  snow will cover him with a snow-white blanket, but the crocodile will not awake from his long winter slumber.   Spring will touch the crocodile with the warm sun rays, he will squint his eyes from the light, and fall asleep again.  An eternally dozing crocodile.

On the Country Roads. Shadowed Gaze

 

Notes to Self. Blackbird Pond

They call it Blackbird Pond, a name that sparks the imagination until you actually see the place. It’s a bit of a gloomy little puddle, honestly—the sort of water that looks like it might hold onto your boot and never let go.

After wandering for a mile and a half, I came to this pond feeling even more lost than when I started out. It was tiny, lonely, and gloomy. But out here, where the land is always thirsty, any patch of water is a gift.

The welcoming residents of the pond were: a turtle who perched on a log, two Canada geese, and a solitary Black-crowned  Night heron which I accidentally startled without noticing it. 

Long ago, I read that if you visit the same place consistently, it will inevitably begin to reveal its secrets to you, little by little. 

I’ll keep coming back, hoping that one day this dark little mirror will crack open and show me something I never saw coming.

Generally, life is good.

On the Country Roads. In the Breeze

 

Generally, life is good.

Juvenile Coyote on Antelope Island

 

Generally,  life is good.

On the Country Roads. Yaks

My fascination with yaks comes from their quiet resilience. They survive harsh landscapes without resistance or complaint, reminding me that strength can be gentle, steady, and deeply rooted.

Generally, life is good.

 

On the Country Roads. Yak

Wild, actually domestic, woolly and wonderful.  

Wild yaks are actually much larger than domestic ones and they thrive at altitudes where other cattle couldn't survive, often living up to 18,000 feet.

Generally, life is good.

On the Country Roads. Two Wanderers

In the soft hush of the field, a horse and its small companion moved unhurried, unbothered, and perfectly at ease with each other.

***

Horses are undeniably beautiful, yet photographing them always feels like an unfinished conversation. You want to understand them, but those brief moments when you encounter them are not enough for this.

*** 

Whenever I meet horses, I stop and wait for one of them to come closer, hoping that the camera will catch something deeper than mere their appearance.

Generally, life is good.

On the Country Roads. Yaks

This is a yak, a long-haired domesticated animal typically found in the Himalayan region, Tibet, Mongolia, and surrounding high-altitude areas.

 

Last week, on a small farm in Northern Utah, I came across yaks with their long, thick fur. I had never expected to find such animals here, so far from their homeland in Himalayas. 

Generally, life is good

Behind the Scenes - II. A Curious Meeting

 

Wildflowers, sunshine, and one very puzzled male Mule deer who was enjoying some "me time". He seemed perfectly content in his solitude, while I was left wondering why the deer was alone.

I think he might have just found a quiet spot to rest in the flowers away from the herd. Deer like to pick safe, concealed areas to rest.

Young bucks often separate from their mothers and siblings as they mature, spending more time alone while they figure out their own territory. 

Anyway, meeting this male Mule deer was unexpected—at least on my part.

Generally, life is good.

On the Country Roads. Freedom

 

Generally, life is good.

A Young Male Pronghorn on Antelope Island

Seeing a male Pronghorn alone is not uncommon.  Outside of the breeding season, male pronghorns tend to be more solitary. They typically separate from groups of females and juveniles. 

Male pronghorns can face some risks when they are alone, especially when it comes to predators like coyotes, but they are capable of defending themselves.

Pronghorns are incredibly fast, capable of reaching speeds up to 55 miles per hour (88 km/h), making them one of the fastest land mammals in North America. 

 

I think this Pronghorn was about 3 to 5 years old, his horns were more developed and thick with two horns.

Generally, life is good.

Young Bison: A New Generation Emerges - I.

 

A new generation of young bison has arrived on Antelope Island!  

***

Mothers nurse bison calves for about 6 months, and they can become independent around that time.

Male calves can become completely independent at about 6 months.  Female calves usually gain full independence a few months later.

Male bison typically leave their maternal herd when they are about three years old to live alone or join other bachelor herds. Females, however, often remain with their mother's herd.

Playfulness or dominance testing?

 The mother is main protector of her babies but the whole herd helps keep the baby safe.

Generally, life is good.

Young Female Pronghorn That Didn't Follow the Script

Birds are usually predictable little drama queens, but Pronghorns? They are still a mystery wrapped in fur - something I'will probably be puzzling over for quite a while.

Meeting a young, beautiful female pronghorn was a delight - and also a bit of a plot twist.

 

Young Pronghorn paused just long enough for me to kneel down and attempt a "majestic" wildlife shot from a low angle, like some kind of nature documentary.

And then... chaos. Out of nowhere, she suddenly ran towards me. I froze, somewhere between "wildlife photographer" and "frighten garden gnome" completely unsure of what to do.

Luckily, the young female stopped short, apparently satisfied with the look of panic on my face. I exhaled, legs still wobbly, and made a mental note: pronghorns don't always follow the script.

Generally, life is good.

American Bison Coming Down the Hill

Generally, life is good.

Giants of the Desert

 

The American Bison return to the pasture after drinking water from a large muddy pool.

Generally, life is good.

A Spa Day for a Red-eared Slider

 

I came across this turtle by chance at our local pond, it was basking in the sun on the log.

Turtles love to rest on logs in the sun because they're cold-blooded animals and they rely on the sun to warm up. The sun helps them stay warm enough to be active, digest food, and move around.

So when you see turtles all lined up on a log, they're basically having a spa day—warming up, staying healthy, and soaking up the sun!

***

In winter as the weather cools, they slow down and sink to the bottom of the pond and stay buried in the mud. While they’re under there, they stop eating and barely move.

They breathe through their skin.  The mud at the bottom of the pond is insulated enough to keep them from freezing, and their metabolism gets so slow they barely need oxygen.

Turtles are just chilling quietly in the pond muck, waiting for spring. 

Generally, life is good.