Red Lodge, MT

Not Your Usual Moose Crossing in Red Lodge!!!

The following is the continuation of Moose Monday - My Moose-ly Positive Experience in Red Lodge, Montana and the last part of this 4-part series. To start from the beginning of this moose chase, click on the following link: Moose Monday - Big Bull Moose in Big Sky Country!

It has been about 30 minutes since I first spotted the Bull moose near Grizzly Peak Mountain Homes subdivision in Red Lodge and decided to go on a moose chase (my first). My heart is beating fast with excitement. As I am parked at the Ranger Station parking lot South of Red Lodge, I watch the moose start coming down the hill (towards Highway 212) and disappear behind a few trees. I decide to start the car and go South on Highway 212 to see if I can snap a few more good photos of this big bull moose.

Less than a few seconds later, I think I see the moose running behind trees (on the West side of Highway 212). The moose jumps over a fence between two properties. To my surprise, I see very fast movement through the trees near the fence. Did the bull moose pick up speed? There is fast and very fast! What moved was too fast to be a moose but perhaps something caused the moose to run even faster than what I had seen so far. I slow down the car, pull the car on the edge of the highway (in the emergency lane) and put on the breaks (the only car I see then is one car that was also pulled on the side of the road which I imagined had also stopped to admire the events that were taking place). The suspense what killing me but I did not have to wait too long to get the explanation. Out of nowhere, two white-tail deers jumped on the highway and crossed the street and start going South on the East side of Highway 212. I assume they saw the big bull moose coming towards them and decided they were better off staying as far away from his big antlers as possible. I don't get to catch my breath from this unexpected deer appearance that I get to see this big tall moose come out of behind the trees and also cross the street. This would be my final chance to capture a photo of him. The following is the last photo I took of my moose chase.

Notice the back of the two white-tail deer running on the side of the road (in between the moose's feet). What are the odds of capturing a bull moose and two deer in the wild in the same photo?

Here is a zoom of the above photo so that you can see the white-tails! :)

This completes my moose chase adventure. Till next time! Come back next week for a new moose photo.

Have a great Monday and start to the week!

Moose Monday is a New Active Rain Group!

You can click on the following link to see more moose photos and/or to join this group.

Moose Monday

This is the Group to share everything that is Moose. It can be an actual photo of a real moose, anything (object, work of art, etc.) that depicts a moose and/or a story involving moose. Start your week well with Moose Monday!

Gerry Khatchikian, ASA, TRC (4 languages spoken: English, French, Spanish, Armenian)
Realtor Associate

All photos and/or written content produced by Gerry Khatchikian. All rights reserved and may not be reproduced or reprinted without express written permission of Gerry Khatchikian, Realtor Associate with Prudential Red Lodge Real Estate.

Red Lodge MLS - Market Report - Residential Statistics as of 10/31/2009

* Includes Contingent and Pending

Breakdown of Residential Actives

The above statistics are for information purposes only. Accuracy can not be guaranteed.

Gerry Khatchikian, ASA, TRC (4 languages spoken: English, French, Spanish, Armenian)
Realtor Associate

ASA: Associate of the Society of Actuaries TRC: Transnational Referral Certification

Prudential Red Lodge Real Estate
PO Box 947, 103 South Broadway
Red Lodge, MT 59068

406-446-2123
800-752-2499

Gerry@RedLodgeLand.com
www.PrudentialRedLodgeRealEstate.com

All photos and/or written content produced by Gerry Khatchikian. All rights reserved and may not be reproduced or reprinted without express written permission of Gerry Khatchikian, Realtor Associate with Prudential Red Lodge Real Estate.

I got inspired by Debi Boucher's recent post on the virga clouds (Active Rain PhotoBlogger Group - Virga) and decided to share some of my recent photos of the clouds in the sky here in Big Sky country (nickname for Montana).

The first painting was photographed in the morning of October 15, 2009. The little patches of white here and there in the clouds complement the white on the ground. The finishing touch was the orange glow seen in the middle and bottom of this painting.

The second painting was photographed in the morning of October 24, 2009. With the accent on the orange color, I think it was Mother's Nature way to remind us that Halloween was only one week away!

The third painting was photographed in the morning of October 26, 2009. It looks like Mother Nature drew a laurel's wreath right above the mountain.

And the last one of this series of 4 paintings was photographed around noon on the same day as the previous painting (October 26). I thought this was an interesting group of clouds and Mother Nature made sure that they stood out by stroking them in white and with a big brush!

Mother Nature always amazes me with her paintings of the sky here in Red Lodge as well as everywhere else int he world. Not only she gets up early and likes to surprise us with her amazing paintings in the morning but she also creates amazing masterpieces all day and especially at night so that we can end our day on a good note (you will know what I mean by visiting my following posts: Moon Over Red Lodge - Painting by Mother Nature and Friday Foto - Red Lodge By Night). What can I say? She is a tireless woman and she makes our life so much better thanks not only to her beautiful paintings in the sky but also all her wonderful creations on Earth.

I hope you enjoyed this small sample of her sky paintings. Which one was your favorite painting out of this series of 4 paintings?

Gerry Khatchikian, ASA, TRC (4 languages spoken: English, French, Spanish, Armenian)
Realtor Associate

ASA: Associate of the Society of Actuaries TRC: Transnational Referral Certification

Prudential Red Lodge Real Estate
PO Box 947, 103 South Broadway
Red Lodge, MT 59068

406-446-2123
800-752-2499

Gerry@RedLodgeLand.com
www.PrudentialRedLodgeRealEstate.com

All photos and/or written content produced by Gerry Khatchikian. All rights reserved and may not be reproduced or reprinted without express written permission of Gerry Khatchikian, Realtor Associate with Prudential Red Lodge Real Estate.

The following photos were taken in Red Lodge at sunrise on October 21, 2009.

I was a foggy morning. I took the time to stare at the morning sky and enjoy this unusual curtain effect.

The sun took a little longer to makes it appearance but I was in no hurry. I stood there and waited to see what other surprise Mother Nature had in store that morning. A few moments later, I was rewarded for my patience and was able to capture this beautiful view of the sun peaking over the fog curtain (the fog completely disappeared a few hours later and it was a nice and sunny day in Red Lodge).

It's Good to Be Here!!

Gerry Khatchikian, ASA, TRC (4 languages spoken: English, French, Spanish, Armenian)
Realtor Associate

ASA: Associate of the Society of Actuaries TRC: Transnational Referral Certification

Prudential Red Lodge Real Estate
PO Box 947, 103 South Broadway
Red Lodge, MT 59068

406-446-2123
800-752-2499

Gerry@RedLodgeLand.com
www.PrudentialRedLodgeRealEstate.com

All photos and/or written content produced by Gerry Khatchikian. All rights reserved and may not be reproduced or reprinted without express written permission of Gerry Khatchikian, Realtor Associate with Prudential Red Lodge Real Estate.

My Moose-ly Positive Experience in Red Lodge, Montana

The following post is the continuation of: Moose Monday - Going on a Moose Chase in Red Lodge, Montana

After pausing and looking towards me, the bull moose decided to run on Ski Run Road and he picked up lots of speed! I was wondering whether I had b.o. (I had not had time to shower yet that morning) and he could smell it from 100 yards away or if he did not recognize the type of car I was in and beileve it to be a very large predator. As much as I could step on the accelerator and catch up with him with my car on Ski Run road, I made sure I did not make the moose feel threatened by the paparazzi and left plenty of space between him and the car. The last thing I wanted was to have him turn around and come charging towards the car. I was lucky to not have any other cars on Ski Run Road and actually slowed down (after making sure there was no car behind me) to capture the following photo with my camera's zoom lens.

Note: Ski Run Road was a quiet street on that day in October, it is mainly used by residents of the area but once the Red Lodge Mountain ski resort opens after Thanksgiving, it becomes a busy street with all the skiers traveling to get to Red Lodge Mountain and back to town. Also don't let the above photo fool you, the moose is taller than it may appear, most of the bottom portion of his feet is in the snow!

He was head towards the National Forest Service ranger station on Highway 212 South of Red Lodge. I hoped he was not going to report me to the Ranger!

He must have understood the road sign (seen in the photo) and made a sharp left turn to go down a ditch by the side of the road and then climb on a hill which runs parallel to Highway 212. I had to continue down Ski Run Road and turn left on Highway 212 to actually park in the ranger station's parking area and capture a few more photos of the bull moose.

Here he is on the hill (next to Highway 212) and behind the National Forest Service ranger station.

And here is a better one as I was also able to capture some of the Fall scenery in the same photo.

By the way, the snow in Red Lodge in the above photos, has all melted as of the day of this post.

I hope you enjoyed the photos of the moose chase. I will conclude the story with some additional photos in next week's Moose Monday post (Moose Monday - Not Your Usual Moose Crossing in Red Lodge!!!). Have a great week!

Moose Monday is a New Active Rain Group!

You can click on the following link to see more moose photos and/or to join this group.

Moose Monday

This is the Group to share everything that is Moose. It can be an actual photo of a real moose, anything (object, work of art, etc.) that depicts a moose and/or a story involving moose. Start your week well with Moose Monday!

Gerry Khatchikian, ASA, TRC (4 languages spoken: English, French, Spanish, Armenian)
Realtor Associate

All photos and/or written content produced by Gerry Khatchikian. All rights reserved and may not be reproduced or reprinted without express written permission of Gerry Khatchikian, Realtor Associate with Prudential Red Lodge Real Estate.