Montana Moment

We see them at school intersections, dressed in brightly-colored safety gear.

Holding their stop signs, they halt traffic to let children pass to and from school.

It can be a dangerous job, especially when drivers are distracted, and aren't paying attention.

NBC Montana spent a morning and afternoon with crossing guards at Corvallis School.

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We wait for it every year, for that window of time in the fall, when a multitude of colors splash across the landscape.

Autumn colors have arrived in Missoula.

The city of Missoula's founders, and early community leaders, started importing many of its deciduous trees in the late 1800's, and early 1900's.

Before that, the valley floor was fairly bare except for native trees growing along the Clark Fork River and riparian areas.

The city's love affair with trees would grow into an urban forest, with 29-thousand trees in its inventory, although updated estimates are probably closer to 40-thousand trees.

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Everything we see in nature, in its colors, texture, and movement is art.

Masterpieces are all around us.

At least that's what one young artist sees every day.

NBC Montana first saw Madee Elmahalawy's portraits at Angel Eyes Sanctuary, a haven for dogs with disabilities.

His paintings reveal the stature and beauty that makes each dog unique.

It's hard to imagine that these portraits were done by a boy who is only eleven-years old.

But he enjoys drawing animals, and is always up to challenges.

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A few years ago, NBC Montana showcased a couple and their disabled dogs.

Angel Eyes Sanctuary near Huson, is a safe haven for animals.

We wanted to update viewers on the sanctuary's progress and its challenges.

So, one warm October day we revisited the non-profit rural property.

It was like no time passed at all.

After three-and-a-half years, the sanctuary dogs came to greet NBC Montana, bombarding us with warm welcomes.

It was a great to see Benton again, Chicken Wing and Ray Ray.

It was a wonderful reunion.

We also met brand new additions to Lorinda Adams's family.

Lorinda is president of Angel Eyes.

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They say everybody has a story to tell.

But imagine how many stories untold or long forgotten are buried in our cemeteries.

For years now, stories have been resurrected at the Missoula City Cemetery.

The cemetery recently welcomed the public to it's 24th annual Stories and Stones event.

Storytellers, many dressed in period costume, stand before the gravesite of someone they have researched.

For a couple hours, they assume the identity of the person who has passed on, bringing them back to life for a while.

Jen Elison attracted a sizable crowd who wanted to learn more about the late Ella Stucky.

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We see them in most Montana towns and cities.

They are the advertisements that you see painted on the exteriors of old buildings.

They've outlasted the products or businesses they once promoted, symbols of the past, reminding us of generations long gone.

They call them ghost signs.

To learn more about these once common forms of advertisement, NBC Montana traveled to downtown Bozeman.

While Bozeman's streets are filled with smart, contemporary signs, a number of its older buildings are decorated with the fading words of commercial marketing from the last century.

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It's harvest time for Montana gardeners.

Produce is ripening and garden flowers are blooming.

Helen and Peter Allen grow just about everything at their Kangaroo House Gardens west of Hamilton.

Peter lists rhubarb, squash, pumpkins, honey berries, and a dozen more fruits and vegetables growing in the half-acre garden.

That's a lot of ground to take care of.

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For decades, we've used synthetic materials made from chemicals of fossil fuels to manufacture clothing.

But many consumers prefer material made of natural fibers.

Wool used to be an essential material for apparel.

In a sign of the times, Montana State University in Bozeman, has opened a new multi-million dollar wool lab to improve Montana's wool industry.

The Montana Wool Lab replaces the original wool lab, which was built on campus in 1947.

Back then just about every land grant college had a wool lab to support the sheep industry.

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In 1864, four prospectors discovered gold in Last Chance Gulch, catapulting Helena into one of the west's most lucrative boom towns.

Montana's Capital City has come a long way from its rough and tumble days as a frontier gold camp.

But the seat of state government blends past with contemporary.

NBC Montana took a ride on the Last Chance Tour Train, which has been continuously operating since 1954.

While riders bought their tickets, conductor Teresa Rose greeted passengers.

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Some of the region's most extraordinary works of religious art can be found at Saint Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Missoula.

Sixty-eight murals, plus other decorative artwork, adorn the interior of the historic building.

But the passage of time has left its mark, and the works of an Italian Jesuit Brother are getting a massive restoration.

The murals surround anyone who enters the church like a canopy.

“Here, we have the story of The Bible, the story of Christ, the story of the saints," said Saint Francis Xavier Pastor, Father Craig Hightower. "They're painted in murals so, at that time, people that didn’t read or write could know what they were.”

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