From a talking bird that puts a Montana saloon on the map, to a love of classic cars and the open road, plus a storied inn with a rebellious reputation.

We're taking a look back at some of the memorable moments of the year.

Each week, Kevin Maki shares a glimpse of what makes our state so special.

Here are some of our favorite Montana Moments from 2024.

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Every Christmas season, Christians honor the birth of Jesus by putting up Nativity scenes.

The Gospels record the first visitors to the stable as humble shepherds.

Last week, visitors to Historic St. Mary's Mission and Museum in Stevensville, came to see a Nativity scene that is more than 150-years old.

Father Anthony Ravalli probably painted his shepherds on tin cutouts in 1866 or soon after.

It's the first time, at least in many years, that the public had a chance to see them.

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You can still find windmills on the American landscape.

Most of them are in rural areas with limited water.

But for the most part, they are vestiges of a time that is passing.

Big Sky Windmills is a family-owned company in Victor that's reviving the skill of windmill building .

Jess Nelson and Conner Reed build and install windmills.

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Not many people today remember the small town of Canton.

If they do remember, they were children, or were very young at the time.

It happened in the 1950's.

Canton and its surrounding farms and ranches were submerged under Canyon Ferry Lake when Canyon Ferry Dam was completed.

The dam and reservoir play an important role in Montana.

They benefit thousands of Montanans, providing electricity, irrigation, flood control, and recreation.

But many probably don't know about Canton.

Jay Meyer was only three-years-old when the waters started covering a good part of his family's farm.

The Bureau of Reclamation owns the old Meyer place today.

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In the 1950's, the Bureau of Reclamation completed the Canyon Ferry Dam on the Missouri River near Helena.

The concrete structure replaced a timber crib dam that was built in the late 1890's.

The new dam created Canyon Ferry Lake.

You might be surprised to learn that under part of that lake is a once thriving farm and ranch community.

"Canton was covered by the waters of the lake," said Broadwater County Museum curator, Linda Huth.

NBC Montana met Linda at the museum where she showed us files, old letters and newspaper clippings that tell the story of the underwater town.

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One of Montana's most treasured amenities is our abundance of wildlife.

The raptors that fly over Big Sky Country are some of the most glorious.

When many of those birds of prey are orphaned, or grounded with injuries, a non-profit in Kalispell helps them recover.

Beth Watne is executive director of Montana Wild Wings Recovery Center.

She founded the center in 2013.

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Revered as 'The Cowboy Artist,' Charles Marion Russell is also known as 'Montana's Favorite Son.'

Russell has been gone for almost 100 years, but his life's work is still treasured around the world.

The C.M. Russell Museum Complex in Great Falls is internationally known for its extensive Russell collections.

The complex includes 16 exhibition galleries in the neighborhood Russell worked and lived.

On campus, are the artist's log cabin studio, and the house where he lived with his wife Nancy.

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This Veterans Day NBC Montana interviewed Vietnam veteran Dale Stovall at his home in Missoula.

Dale is a retired Air Force Brigadier General, and the fourth highest combat decorated graduate of the United States Air Force Academy.

He was also part of an elite team of rescue pilots.

In his ten-and-a-half months serving in Vietnam he recovered 12 men who had been shot down.

He is best known for playing a pivotal role in in one of the most daring rescues of the war.

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Malmstrom Air Force Base began as the Great Falls Army Air Force Base during WWII.

It trained bomber crews in WWII, and has played key roles in the military for more than 80-years.

The Malmstrom Museum and Air Park hosts visitors from all over the world.

Here, they learn about Malmstrom's history, and get a firsthand look at vintage planes and vehicles.

When you enter the park you can't miss the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile that is on display.

The display is made up of decommissioned parts.

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For thousands and thousands of years, it's been a trade that has stood the test of time.

From the Great Pyramids to the Taj Mahal, craftsmen have used this simple material to erect some of the greatest buildings and monuments in history.

Stone is prized for both its sturdiness and beauty.

Karl Marcus is a stonemason.

NBC Montana went with Karl to a riverbed near Virginia City, where he collects river rock from Alder Gulch dredge tailings.

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