Some Frequent Air Travelers to Red Lodge, Montana Here are recent birds that I got the joy to observe and photograph in December 2009. They come in all shapes and sizes and add beauty to the winter scenery. Could this last one be a partridge like in the famous song "The 12 Days of Christmas"?  No pear tree in sight! The closest public airport to Red Lodge is in Billings (Billings Logan International Airport) about 65 miles North of town.   This may seem a little far but the one hour drive from Billings to Red Lodge is a very pleasant one and one with lots of good views.   One good thing about being one hour away from the public airport is that there are no planes that go over the town and you never hear airplanes other than the very occasional private cesna plane. Happy Holidays from Re... 12/19/2009

Red Lodge Christmas Stroll - Two Evenings Full of Fun, Food, Music and Memorable Characters - Photo Journal of December 5, 2009 On the second night of the Christmas Stroll in Red Lodge (www.redlodge.com/stroll), I made my way out of the office from the back door. Anyone feeling in the mood for some disco dancing? I went through the parking lot and across the street to my favorite wine and speciality food store: Babcock & Miles (www.babcockandmiles.com).  It was snowing and it added a sense of magic to the evening. Not only did they have a master chef at the store which was dishing out some mouth watering gourmet food, but they also had some very original holiday cookies. Next, I took a break along my stroll to watch and listen to a band playing some holiday music. Next  stop is the Sylv... 12/06/2009

Red Lodge Christmas Stroll - This Year's Most Memorable Holiday Character! As I am getting ready to post the photos of the second night of the Christmas, I wanted to share this year's most memorable holiday character strolling on main street.   Normally that would be Santa.  But this year, I believe this Saint Bernard takes the honors.   Since many of you commented on his good looks in my previous post (Red Lodge Christmas Stoll - A Couple of Photos of December 4, 2009), I decided to feature him in this post while you wait for the post with the photos of the second night of the Red Lodge Christmas Stroll.  Please don't drool too much while you wait for my next post on this year's Christmas Stroll in Red Lodge.   :-) Stay tuned for more photos of the Christmas Stroll!  Woof! Gerry Khatch... 12/06/2009

Red Lodge is in the midst of the Christmas Stroll.  Last night was the first night of two of the Christmas Stroll.  It was a very busy nights as visitors and locals were out strolling on main street between 6pm and 9pm. I was mainly at the office helping, meeting and greeting people.  We had plenty of food, appetizers and drinks to welcome everyone that dropped by.   Champagne was a very popular drink for those coming in.   We had tons of food like cooked ham, shrimp, spicy meatballs, sausages and hot soup.  Here are a couple pictures I took late around 8:45pm when the traffic slow down at the office.  I hope to take a few more pictures tonight.  I got to go get ready for tonight's Christmas Stroll!   Gerry Khatchikian, ASA, TRC (4 languages spoken: English, French, Spanish, Armenian)Re... 12/05/2009

  Red Lodge MLS - Market Report - Residential Statistics as of 11/30/2009   Active* Contingent & Pending Sold in 2009     (Jan 1 to Nov 30) Avg Sold Price of Sold Listings 2009      (Jan 1 to Nov 30) Sold in 2008     (Jan 1 to Nov 30) Avg Sold Price of Sold Listings 2008      (Jan 1 to Nov 30) City of Red Lodge 97 10 46 $237,751 52 $291,050 Cities Other than Red Lodge 75 4 32 $187,056 39 $219,272 Red Lodge MLS (TOTAL) 172 14 78 $216,042 91 $261,076 * Includes Contingent and Pending   Breakdown of Residential Actives   City of Red Lodge Cities Other than Red Lodge Red Lodge MLS (TOTAL) $0 to  $49,999 0 2 2 $50,000  to  $99,999 0 6 6 $100,000 to $149,999 7 8 15 $150,000 to $199,999 14 9 23 $200,000 to $249,999 20 9 29 $250,000 to $299,999 14 11 25 $300,000 to $349,999 17 5 22 $350,000 to ... 12/05/2009

It is December 1st - One Month Left to 2010! It is hard to believe that we are already in December.  Time seems to fly by.  Snow was steadily falling this morning in Red Lodge as a reminder (at least in this part of the country) that we have entered the last month of the year.  As I was sipping my morning coffee, I noticed the following 3 visitors perched on a blue spruce right outside the window.   They seemed to enjoy the quiet surroundings and were not on any time constraint (lucky for them).  It did not take me long to realize that this was the first photo opportunity of the month.  :) Happy month of December! Gerry Khatchikian, ASA, TRC (4 languages spoken: English, French, Spanish, Armenian)Realtor Associate ASA: Associate of the Society of Actuaries    TRC: Transnational Referral... 12/01/2009

Moose Monday - Imagine Seeing These Right Outside Your Window! The above photo was taken on February 13, 2009.  One of our tenants called the office and asked me to come see the view from his window.   Red Lodge is a beautiful town to visit and live in.   Even the moose think it is a very beautiful town to visit.  These moose decided to pay our tenants a visit and enjoy their backyard.  It was a first moose sightings for these tenants and they were very surprised and excited to see them right outside their window (you could not ask for a closer look!).   A couple of weeks later I called the tenants and gave them a couple of printed photos of the moose in their backyard (see following post for one of the two photos: Moose Monday - Moose in the Backyard in Red Lodge).  They were very plea... 11/16/2009

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 goo... 11/02/2009

  Red Lodge MLS - Market Report - Residential Statistics as of 10/31/2009   Active* Contingent & Pending Sold in 2009     (Jan 1 to Oct 31) Avg Sold Price of Sold Listings 2009      (Jan 1 to Oct 31) Sold in 2008     (Jan 1 to Oct 31) Avg Sold Price of Sold Listings 2008      (Jan 1 to Oct 31) City of Red Lodge 103 13 46 $238,186 51 $293,424 Cities Other than Red Lodge 63 4 32 $187,450 35 $229,396 Red Lodge MLS (TOTAL) 166 17 78 $216,992 86 $267,366 * Includes Contingent and Pending   Breakdown of Residential Actives   City of Red Lodge Cities Other than Red Lodge Red Lodge MLS (TOTAL) $0 to  $49,999 0 0 0 $50,000  to  $99,999 0 8 8 $100,000 to $149,999 7 8 15 $150,000 to $199,999 12 10 22 $200,000 to $249,999 23 5 28 $250,000 to $299,999 11 10 21 $300,000 to $349,999 16 1 17 $350,000 t... 11/02/2009

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... 10/30/2009

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 Certificati... 10/28/2009

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... 10/26/2009

This post continues where my previous Moose post (Moose Monday - Big Bull Moose in Big Sky Country!) left off. By the time I got in the car, a couple of minutes had already gone since my bull moose sighting.  Will I get the chance to find him to take some more photos?  I am thinking to myself, he should not be difficult to spot with his impressive size and Mother Nature's recent painting of the ground in a bright white.  Wait!  I can see some moose tracks on the snow!   It looks like he was headed South towards Ski Run Road.   I am hoping he did not go too far and out of sight from the road as I had no intention to get out of the car to chase him on foot (moose are beautiful to watch but keep in mind they are wild animals and they will attack if they feel threatened).   So I drive down ... 10/19/2009

The Snow is Melting in Red Lodge, Montana.   We Are Returning to Fall Weather! You never know what to expect with weather when you live at 5,555 feet above sea level and in beautiful Red Lodge, Montana.   We had above seasonal temperatures in September and then we were surprised by Mother Nature with snow on September 30th and early in October.  For those of you who left me comments in my previous two posts with regards to "snow already?" I just want to assure you that most it is gone.   I heard that some of you back in the Northeast may be getting your first snow fall today.  The following photo was taken right at sunrise on Friday, October 2009.  Snow came early but I am happy to report that it did not stick for long and the green grass is back! Fall is back in Big Sky country! But wh... 10/16/2009

Big Bull Moose in Big Sky Country! This bull moose was spotted just south of Red Lodge, Montana on the morning of October 6, 2009. I got alerted to his presence by my dogs who kept on barking.  He was standing there (big and tall) and I could not believe his sheer size and the contrast of his figure with the snow (hard to miss seeing him once you have your head turned in the right direction!).  I was able to get my camera and take this photo through the slight opening of my door.   However, the loud barking of my dogs also alerted him of my presence and he did not want to stay around for more photos.  He started running away and not even my powerful zoom lens could snap another good photo of him.   My previous bull moose sighting was about a year ago and in the same spot as if the moose... 10/12/2009

The Fall Colors in Red Lodge - Yellow, Orange, Red, Green... and White? Where Did Fall Go? The photos below were all taken in a period of ONE WEEK. Fall started on September 21st but did not last long enough to enjoy the beautiful colors. Luckily, I was able to capture some of the nice Fall colors.  We went straight from Summer to Fater (FAll mixed with WinTER). Red Lodge, Montana - Sunday, September 27, 2009 Red Lodge, Montana - Monday, September 28, 2009 Red Lodge, Montana - Thursday, October 1, 2009 Red Lodge, Montana - Friday, October 2, 2009 Same spot as above and only 2 days later!  (what is that white thing on those rocks on the edges of Rock Creek?) Red Lodge, Montana - Sunday, October 4, 2009 Another view of the trees along Ski Run Road (some leaves changed to orange but where ... 10/04/2009

From Summer to Fall and Winter - The Different Colors of Red Lodge The following photo was taken the morning of October 1st on Ski Run Road in Red Lodge, Montana.  Red Lodge experienced its first snow fall on September 30.  Prior to September 30, we had 18 days of sunny and warm temperatures (with temperatures above the seasonal averages).   It rained for only one hour during the previous 18 days before we received the first snow fall of the season.  Things can change quickly from one day to another when it comes to weather when you live at an elevation of 5,555 feet! Happy Fall! Gerry Khatchikian, ASA, TRC (4 languages spoken: English, French, Spanish, Armenian)Realtor Associate ASA: Associate of the Society of Actuaries    TRC: Transnational Referral Certification Gerry_Khatchikian@ya... 10/02/2009

  Red Lodge MLS - Market Report - Residential Statistics as of 9/30/2009   Active* Contingent & Pending Sold in 2009     (Jan 1 to Sep 30) Avg Sold Price of Sold Listings 2009      (Jan 1 to Sep 30) Sold in 2008     (Jan 1 to Sep 30) Avg Sold Price of Sold Listings 2008      (Jan 1 to Sep 30) City of Red Lodge 125 11 37 $253,508 47 $293,290 Cities Other than Red Lodge 72 8 29 $199,477 31 $221,676 Red Lodge MLS (TOTAL) 197 19 66 $229,767 78 $264,828 * Includes Contingent and Pending   Breakdown of Residential Actives   City of Red Lodge Cities Other than Red Lodge Red Lodge MLS (TOTAL) $0 to  $49,999 0 0 0 $50,000  to  $99,999 1 10 11 $100,000 to $149,999 9 7 16 $150,000 to $199,999 21 12 33 $200,000 to $249,999 21 7 28 $250,000 to $299,999 17 9 26 $300,000 to $349,999 17 1 18 $350,000 t... 10/01/2009

  Red Lodge MLS - Market Report - Residential Statistics as of 8/31/2009   Active* Contingent & Pending Sold in 2009     (Jan 1 to Aug 31) Avg Sold Price of Sold Listings 2009      (Jan 1 to Aug 31) Sold in 2008     (Jan 1 to Aug 31) Avg Sold Price of Sold Listings 2008      (Jan 1 to Aug 31) City of Red Lodge 128 7 34 $256,038 40 $302,008 Cities Other than Red Lodge 69 2 25 $199,941 24 $231,175 Red Lodge MLS (TOTAL) 197 9 59 $232,268 64 $275,308 * Includes Contingent and Pending   Breakdown of Residential Actives   City of Red Lodge Cities Other than Red Lodge Red Lodge MLS (TOTAL) $0 to  $49,999 0 0 0 $50,000  to  $99,999 1 7 8 $100,000 to $149,999 9 6 15 $150,000 to $199,999 21 12 33 $200,000 to $249,999 21 8 29 $250,000 to $299,999 21 9 30 $300,000 to $349,999 17 2 19 $350,000 to $3... 09/05/2009

The following photo was taken in Red Lodge on the night of August 27, 2009. There are not too many lights as you can see in the mountains in the background. The full moon, the dark blue sky, the pink colored clouds and the mountain tops dominate this breathtaking view. Have a good night from Red Lodge. It's Good to Be Here!! It you like to play this week's phoot guessing game, check out my other Friday Foto post at Friday Foto - Hidden Animal in the Sage Brushes 08/28/2009