Thank You for Fifty Years of Service

I thought I would share an article I wrote about my father-in-law for his local newspaper.  Fifty years is a big deal.  What do you think?

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FIFTY YEARS of SERVICE

In the spring of 1954, Bill Gray was a senior at Cowen High School, and he had a plan.  He was going to graduate school, and then join the Air Force–it just seemed to be the right thing to do. That all changed though after he met Charlene…the love of his life.  Wanting to stay close to her, Bill decided to go straight to college, and WVU was his college of choice.  After completing pre-med, Bill was accepted at A.T Still University-Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1957.  Four years later William Bennett Gray D.O. graduated Osteopathic school and was ready to serve in a different way.  Fifty years have passes since that day, and along with it 36 and a half years of doctoring to the people of Cowen, WV.

“Dear Dr. Gray,…You are now a member of the President’s Gold Medallion Club, having marked your 50th anniversary since graduating from your Alma Mater and profession.  Congratulations on this great achievement!”

In the mail, Bill recently received not only a letter from A.T. Still University, but also a medallion and lapel pin to commemorate this accomplishment.

“A.T. Still University’s Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine (KCOM) is pleased to present to you the enclosed medallion with our compliments in recognition and appreciation of your fifty years of dedicated service to the osteopathic profession and to the University.  This gift from the University identifies you as a member of the President’s Gold Medallion Club.  We invite you to wear it at all KCOM and professional activities.  In addition to the medallion, enclosed is a class anniversary lapel pin.  This is given to you to commemorate your 50th class anniversary from the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine.”

Let’s all congratulate Doctor Gray for a job well done.  We appreciated all you have done for us.

 

(c) Dana M. Gray, 2012

Stonewall Jackson Lake Spring 2012

Tags

nature, osprey, outdoors, Stonewall Jackson Lake

N 38º 58.644 W 080º 25.322

On the way home from our weekend at Mom & Dad’s, we decided to drive by Stonewall Jackson Lake just to take a look. It’s always so pretty, and I get so excited when I see a Blue Heron fly overhead! As we got off the exit, I sat up straighter in the seat and was ready to LOOK!  As we rounded a turn, I spied something in the corner of my eye. As the road straightened out, this is what we saw! We need to stop the car!

 

 

We found a place to pull off, and we walked up the road for a closer look. I was pretty sure it as a hawk nest, but then I thought…maybe it’s an Osprey nest?

We were pretty excited, but it looked like the nest was empty…no babies. The only thing around was a pair of ducks and they were heading in the wrong direction. We decided it was time to move on, and we got back in the car.

We drove up the road to a site that we have visited many times before. As we came up on our destination, we saw that a bunch of people were there fishing and enjoying the day. We continued driving further up the road, and soon we spied a small trail off the side of the road that heading up a hill. We pulled off the road and decided to see where it led.  At first I thought it might be a deer trail, but as we kept following it, I was pretty sure it wasn’t a deer that made this path. We ended up at this quiet little place on the back side of the lake–just perfect for fishing.

We looked around, but there weren’t any nests or birds in the air. We decided to stay for a moment anyway and enjoy the calm.As I was shooting flowers, a ranger came to pay us a visit. Since this was such a nice fishing spot, he was making sure we were legal. Happy we weren’t fishing without a license, he and hubby started talking about…stuff. He told us the nest we saw up the road was an Osprey nest. Even better, he told us there was an active nest, with both a momma and a little one, just up the road.  We drove to where the Ranger pointed, and that’s were we came up upon Mr “Joe” fisherman.

Sitting at the waters edge, he was fishing for carp. We introduced ourselves, and told him we were looking for an Osprey nest. He pointed straight ahead. We found it!

Sitting proudly on a dead limb perch, was the beautiful Osprey we were looking for. The first osprey I ever saw was only a few months previous to this sighting, and I am already in love with this beautiful raptor. Joe fisherman told us that he comes here each year to watch this osprey nest, and that if we looked real hard, there was a youngin in the nest. I was pretty excited!

I looked hard, and even looked through my camera just to try and see the chick. The best I could see was a small white, presumably head, from inside the nest. I really wish I had a set of binoculars to peer into the 3 feet wide nest.

Joe began to tell us that he had come to watch this nest for a few years now, and that he loves to watch as the Osprey dive into the water and after a moment emerge from the water with a carp in it’s talons. As he was telling us his stories, he was watching his own two lines, as he too was fishing for the carp in the lake. “Fishing today isn’t so great, but I like to catch the carp because of the fight. I never keep them, always return them for another fight”. And that’s when it happened. His line went taught.

 

 

 

It was just a small fight this time, and true to his word, in the end Joe let this carp go too.  Just like the ones caught before.

Maybe for the Osprey to catch for dinner another day.

 

 

 

 

 

(c) Dana M. Gray

 

Red-Winged Black Bird

When I was little; seven or eight years old, my family and I went camping in this place that I just thought was the most beautiful site I had ever seen.  I think it was in the  middle of nowhere.  I don’t remember seeing  house or car the whole trip.  We walked down a small hill towards the woods,  and at the bottom of the field we pitched our tents.

My brother and I had a lot of fun on that trip. We explored the woods near by, and climbs the little hill and imagined we were on top of the world.  One afternoon while in the woods, my brother and I found a huge patch of skunk cabbage.  We decided it would be fun to pick a bunch of it and put it behind our parents tent…and so we did.  Our parents didn’t think it was nearly as funny as we did.

Another exciting thing about this camping trip was, it was here that I learned to identify my first WILD bird.  I didn’t consider the Robin or the Sparrow wild because I saw them all the time.   This new wild bird was the Red-winged Black Bird.  I was so excited, and proud of myself for learning to identify it.  I watched them fly back and forth through that field that whole trip, and was just mesmerized by how pretty that wing was.

This afternoon I had the opportunity to stop by the lake on my way to the store.  As I walked around, I stopped when I saw a couple of pairs of Red-winged black birds flying back and forth from the trees to the cat-tails and back again.  They filled the field in song as they were trying to attract their future mate.  Thought I don’t really think of them as “wild” anymore, I still get real excited when I see them.  I think I stood there watching for 10 minutes before I remembered I had my camera around my neck.  It sure was fun watching and shooting them today!

I hope you enjoy the photos

Our Adventure on the Gorge

Tags

Adventure on the Gorge, adventure park, challenge, fun, Timber Trek, travel, trees, trek adventure

A few weeks back a friend of mine forwarded me an email from Adventures on the Gorge announcing an all call for photographer portfolios, for a chance to be invited to the new Timber Trek Adventure Park.  I crossed my fingers and submitted my work.  Imagine my excitement when I was notified I was among 14 other photographers chosen to document the fun of the new Park!  I grabbed Ed as my model and off we went.  We had the time of our life!  I’m sure we will be back to hit the courses that we didn’t have the time to complete.  You should try it…or at least take a look @ Timber Trek Adventure Park  Just so much fun!

To help Ed and I win the TimberTrek Shoot Out, please go here and vote for our two photos. (You’ll need to like Tree Top Canopy Tours first) Thanks!

                 

Kiddie Days 2012 at the WVU Farm

So for my  face book fans, I know you have already heard this but I just had to share it one more time!  I want to give a great big Shout out to Mrs. Lori and her SHACK kids for helping me out at Kiddie Days on Wednesday. We have so many great pictures and I can’t wait to show them! Until then, I wanted to share this story. Watching farmer Rick talk to us about how many stomachs a cow has…this cutie 4 year old could hardly contain himself his until he could speak. When the farmer was done talk, the little boy excitedly said “Excuse me sir, you know that stuff hanging from below the cow? They call them the “unders”, because they’re under him!” It made me giggle :)

We really did have a great time.  The children learned the differences between a beef cow and a dairy cow.  The dairy cows make LOTS of milk each day.  We also learned that a cow can’t bite you because they don’t have any front upper teeth! (I don’t think I knew this!)  After talking with Farmer Rick, the kids had a chance to play and learn about milking cows, gathering eggs, and harvesting peaches.  So much fun!  We stopped to visit with the “Heart of Gold” service dogs and learned how you train a puppy to help people.  The puppies in training that we met were so friendly and loved all the attention.

We had a chance to see baby lambs, and chick and ducklings too. The baby goats were a little nervous at first, but finally came right up to the fence so the kids could pet them.  Oh, and we saw two of the cuties little piglets.  It’s hard to believe how big they will become.  What a wonderful day we had visiting the farm, it was the best time!

Take a look :)

Spring Lambs, What a Joy to See

Tags

farm, lamb, little lambs, nature, outdoors, sheep, spring

I had the opportunity to spend some time at a local farm yesterday, and I had the best time watching the little lambs.  They are about two weeks old, and as you can see, they still have their tails.  The farmer bands their tails within the first week of life, they will fall off and leave only a nub.  It usually take 7-10 days for them to fall off.   I had a great time watching these little guys frolic in the evening sun.  They love to run and jump (sometimes over each other), and head butt as they learn how exactly to be sheep.  I love this time of year!

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Here I Come…TimberTrek Adventure Park

Tags

Photography, travel

Yay, GrayspaceStudios just been invited to spend an afternoon shooting (May 2nd) at the new TimberTrek Adventure Park by the New River Gorge. A total of 15 Photographers were asked to come and play! I’m so excited. Of course there will also be a photo contest to follow, so help me win by checking back soon and casting your vote for one of my photos :)

Take a look:

Dana

Looking for an Edsel

If you are living in WV, I need your help. I am looking for that most gorgeous of all cars the Edsel to add to my gallery. I don’t care what condition it might be in…it could be pristine or rusted out. I have been looking, but thought maybe you all could help me too.  All leads welcome!  I sure hope I can find one soon :)

A Change is as Good as Rest!

As the (not) so old proverb goes, “a change is as good as rest”… I’m excited to announce the new and improved re-design of GrayspaceStudios webpage and photography galleries.   It can be found at http://danamgray.com 

Along with the new look, I’ve added even more photo sizes to choose from and better options to allow you to print your photo of choice as a gallery block, a rolled canvas or even have it framed.   I’ve also added  new products as well; my personal favorites are the new cards, magnets and even puzzles (which I can’t wait to sent to my mother-in-law!). 

I am so excited, that I am giving everyone who orders from my new site a 15% discount until the end of April!  Just use coupon code “Studio1Promo” at the time of checkout to receive your discount.

I hope you’re going to like the new site as much as I do.     Dana :)

The Legend of the Dogwood

Tags

dogwood, Easter, Jesus, legend

The legend of the dogwood is so ingrained in Christian symbolism I thought that during this Holy of weeks, it was the perfect picture to share.

At the time of the crucifixion, the dogwood had reached the size of the mighty oak tree. So strong and firm was the wood that it was chosen as the timber for Jesus’ cross.

To be used for such a cruel purpose greatly distressed the dogwood. While nailed upon it, Jesus sensed this, and in his compassion said. “Because of your pity for my suffering, never again shall the dogwood tree grow large enough to be used for a cross. Henceforth, it shall be slender, bent, and twisted, and its blossoms shall be in the form of a cross.

 

(c) Dana M. Gray